Examples of power from waste heat for gas fields

This paper describes the design of three unique thermoelectric generators developed to supply electric power in natural gas fields. The unique feature of these generators is that they do not contain their own heat source but all convert the waste heat produced by equipment already used in the gas field as the thermal power source for the generators. The first generator described uses the difference in temperature between the hot and cold legs of the glycol natural gas dehydrator cycle to produce power for cathodic protection of the well. The second system uses waste heat from the pilot light of the gas dehydrator boiler to produce power for electronic instruments. The third system used waste heat from the gas dehydrator boiler stack to provide power for instruments, communications and other uses around the well site. The description of these generators includes both photographs of the prototype units and performance curves from each of the generators. Each generator has unique features and advantages which are discussed in the paper.