Gas handling system and method for efficiently managing changes in gaseous conditions

Abstract

A system and method is provided for efficiently managing the compression of gas depending on the operating conditions and operating mode of the compression system, wherein the system includes a booster compressor, a booster compressor bypass, a conduit connected to the booster compressor and the booster compressor bypass conduit, a means for selectively directing the flow of the gas based on current operating conditions, to the booster compressor bypass or the booster compressor and a baseline compressor connected to both the booster compressor and the booster compressor bypass conduit.

1 . A gas compression system comprising:
 a booster compressor;   a booster compressor bypass;   a conduit connected to the booster compressor and the booster compressor bypass;   a plurality of baseline compressors connected to the conduit, the plurality of baseline compressors connected to one in another in series;   wherein a stream of gas is either directed through the booster compressor or the booster compressor bypass to the plurality of baseline compressors, based on a measurement of an environmental condition present in the gas compression system.   
     
     
         2 . The gas compression system of  claim 1 , wherein the conduit further comprises a sensor configured to measure the environmental conditions within the conduit and transmits data of the environmental condition to a computing system. 
     
     
         3 . The gas compression system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor measures an environmental condition selected from the group consisting of a volume of gas, temperature of gas and the temperature of the gas compression system. 
     
     
         4 . The gas compression system of  claim 1 , further comprising a recycling loop connected to an inlet and a discharge of the booster compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The gas compression system of  claim 4 , wherein the recycling loop returns an intermediate compressed gas that exits the discharge back to the inlet of the booster compressor. 
     
     
         6 . The gas compression system of  claim 1 , wherein the booster compressor enters a low power state when the gas compression system selectively directs the flow of gas to the booster compressor bypass. 
     
     
         7 . The gas compression system of  claim 1 , comprising an integrated compressor unit incorporating the booster compressor, the plurality of baseline compressors, and the booster compressor bypass into a single compressor unit having multiple stages, wherein the booster compressor is a booster stage of an integrated compressor unit, and the booster compressor bypass is a bypass that prevents gas from entering the booster stage.