Application of the Xinshida AS800 Inverter in Propane Compressors in the Oil and Gas Industry
2025-06-05
Application of the Xinshida AS800 Inverter in Propane Compressors in the Oil and Gas Industry
Project Background
In Iraq—a land ravaged by war and riddled with scars—countless Chinese engineers, like courageous pioneers forging ahead against the tide, are passionately devoted to technology and tenaciously striving in high-risk, complex environments. They have braved countless mountains and rivers, bringing advanced equipment and cutting-edge technologies to take root here, contributing China’s strength to Iraq’s reconstruction.
Xinshida is also on this list. For over two decades, the company has been meticulously cultivating the fields of power electronics and motor control, continuously delivering green energy to the world. With high standards, high quality, and high efficiency, Xinshida drives the construction of major projects in key international markets, earning the deep trust of its customers.
This project involves Iraq’s central crude oil processing facility in a certain district, helping to build a central crude oil processing plant with a daily capacity of 100,000 barrels.
Customer needs
On-site application of driving the propane compressor with seamless switching, enabling rapid startup and perfect, seamless transition to power-frequency operation.
Xinshida Solution
Proposal Description
Propane Compressor Process:
The propane compressor generates cooling capacity to cool natural gas by utilizing the endothermic effect of propane vaporization. The operational process is as follows:
The liquid propane from the propane buffer tank is cooled down by heat exchange in an economizer, then further throttled to lower its temperature. After exchanging heat with natural gas, the liquid propane evaporates into gaseous propane (with an evaporation temperature of -10°C), which then enters the propane suction tank. After being separated in the suction tank to remove any entrained droplets, the propane is compressed to 1.2 MPa by a propane compressor. It is then condensed into liquid propane (at 1.15 MPa and 30°C) in the propane aftercooler before returning to the propane buffer tank.
Propane Compressor and Motor
Scheme advantages
1. The performance advantages of inverter-based reactive power synchronous switching
● Excellent harmonic filtering performance
The addition of an inductor provides excellent harmonic filtering performance, effectively absorbing and suppressing the higher-order harmonics generated by the frequency converter. This reduces harmonic interference on the motor and other equipment, making the output current closer to a sine wave. Moreover, when switching from variable frequency operation to power-frequency operation, the phase angle and amplitude are locked with greater precision.
● Smooth switching process
By employing a sophisticated yet highly efficient control algorithm, the system can precisely detect and adjust the phase difference between the inverter and the motor, ensuring phase alignment at the moment of switching to achieve a smooth transition and prevent voltage and current fluctuations caused by abrupt phase changes. Coupled with the reactor, the system responds rapidly to current variations during the switching process, quickly suppressing the rate of current rise and fall. As a result, the output current stabilizes within an extremely short time, guaranteeing a seamless switching operation.
● Adaptive adjustment and rapid dynamic response
The compressor is equipped with a three-phase induction motor featuring a squirrel-cage rotor. This type of motor is characterized by a high starting current at low speeds and relatively low torque response. To address these characteristics, the inverter employs a starting torque-holding function that dynamically adjusts according to the load conditions, rapidly establishing excitation and driving the motor to its rated frequency. The highly reliable control algorithm has been extensively validated through numerous experiments and real-world applications, demonstrating exceptional reliability and stability. At the customer’s request, we conducted 16 switching operations under various conditions—no-load on-site, simulated industrial-load tests, and actual-load conditions—and each switching operation was performed smoothly and successfully. Furthermore, the system was put into normal operation on the commissioning date specified by the customer.
Xinshida High-Voltage Inverter AS800 G3 Series Unit
2. Technical advantages of Xindasheng’s variable-frequency synchronous switching technology
● Reduce mechanical impact
Avoid the large current surge that occurs when switching from variable frequency to power frequency. Since such current surges can damage equipment such as inverters and motors, synchronous switching can effectively protect the equipment and extend its service life.
● Fast and accurate phase matching
It reduces voltage fluctuations and transients during the switching process. By installing an output reactor, the output current waveform is improved, and harmonic interference to both the motor and the power grid is reduced, thereby helping to maintain the overall stability of the power grid. This solution is particularly well-suited for factory environments where multiple large-scale devices operate simultaneously.
Scheme Composition
A total of 7 new-time high-voltage frequency converters have been deployed for this project, including 5 for compressor loads and 2 for oil pumps.
Associated products
AS800 High-Voltage Frequency Converter
Project Results
Successfully drove the propane compressor on-site for seamless switching, enabling rapid startup and perfect, seamless transition to power-frequency operation.
Xinshida AS800 Inverter Equipment
