Development of a Turbine Prototype for the Use of the Compressed Gas Energy at the Oil and Gas Fields

Background: The relevance of the study is determined by the search for new1 ways to generate energy without burning hydrocarbons. The article is aimed at revealing opportunities for additional energy during gas expansion. Method: The main methods for studying this problem are the analytical and experimental methods that allow considering comprehensively the issues of compressed gas energy conversion into thermal energy. Experimental turbine prototypes with loop blades are used for the bench studies. Uniqueness of the problem under consideration lies in the fact that the gas flow penetrating into the inner cavity of the turbine impeller repeatedly interacts with the impeller blades. Findings: The article presents a developed and patented turbine design, demonstration micro-models with electro-mechanical transmission options, discloses the possibilities of the turbine impeller weight reduction, identified new opportunities to address the issue of the rotor balancing, and confirmed experimentally the performance of the created turbine. It also describes the trends in research and development related to the use of loop blades. Improvements: The research results are of practical interest for the development of energy-saving technologies in oil and gas production, especially in the offshore fields and can be used for solving power engineering and robotics tasks.