Fundamentals of turboexpander design and operation

A turboexpander is a rotating machine with an expansion turbine that converts the energy contained in a gas into mechanical work, much like a steam or gas turbine. A steam or gas turbine’s goal is to convert the mechanical work into useful power, by either driving an electric generator or being the prime mover for another rotating machine, such as a compressor or a high-power pump. In applications that require the refrigeration of process gas, the distinction of a turboexpander is that it expands the gas stream for its own sake, and mechanical work is generated as a byproduct. This is not to say that the side effect of mechanical work is not useful. On the contrary, most turboexpanders like