| CPC F01D 15/10 (2013.01) [F01D 9/06 (2013.01); F01D 17/145 (2013.01); F01D 17/16 (2013.01); F01K 13/02 (2013.01); F02C 1/02 (2013.01); F17D 1/04 (2013.01); F05D 2220/7642 (2013.01); F05D 2260/60 (2013.01); F05D 2270/306 (2013.01)] | 31 Claims |
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1. A system comprising:
a first turboexpander generator defining a portion of a first conduit flow passage, the first turboexpander generator comprising:
a first turbine wheel configured to decrease a temperature or pressure of a first portion of a process stream flowing through the first turboexpander generator by generating rotational movement from the first portion of the process stream;
a first electric rotor coupled to the first turbine wheel to rotate with the first turbine wheel;
a first electric stator surrounding the first electric rotor, wherein a first annulus is defined by the first electric rotor and the first electric stator and is configured to receive the first portion of the process stream; and
a first housing enclosing the first electric rotor and first electric stator, the first housing being hermetically sealed between an inlet and an outlet of the first turboexpander generator; and
a second turboexpander generator defining a portion of a second conduit flow passage, the second turboexpander generator comprising:
a second turbine wheel configured to decrease a temperature or pressure of a second portion of the process stream flowing through the second turboexpander generator by generating rotational movement from the second portion of the process stream;
a second electric rotor coupled to the second turbine wheel to rotate with the second turbine wheel; and
a second electric stator surrounding the second electric rotor, wherein a second annulus is defined by the second electric rotor and the second electric stator and is configured to receive the second portion of the process stream;
a second housing enclosing the second electric rotor and second electric stator, the second housing being hermetically sealed between an inlet and an outlet of the second turboexpander generator, and
the first and second conduit flow passages being coupled to a common source of the process stream and coupled to recombine the process stream downstream of the first and second turboexpander generator, the first and the second turboexpander generator being different but substantially similar in critical dimensions and performance such that the performance or the critical dimensions of the second turboexpander generator differs within 10% from the performance or critical dimensions of the first turboexpander generator.
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