Safety in the Plant


 Gas analysis, says Eugene McCarthy, has a key role to play in plant optimisation and this includes plant safety.


 Gasanalysen, so Eugene McCarthy, spielen eine Schlüsselrolle in der Anlagenoptimierung, einschließlich der Anlagensicherheit.


 L’analyse des gaz, d’après Eugene McCarthy, joue un rôle clé dans la démarche d’optimisation des installations, dont la sécurité des installations.


Sensitive gas analyses help plant safety regimes


S


yngas (synthesis gas) is manufactured from feedstocks containing carbon, such as coal, heavy oil, natural gas or biomass, to produce a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.


The production process involves a number of


phases that start with gasification of the feedstock and efficiency and safety are greatly improved when hydrogen levels are monitored using a new sensor technology that is able to measure without interference from other gases. Syngas is used in the production of synthetic petroleum, lubricants, fuels for internal combustion engines and as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals. The gasification phase requires very high


temperatures, depending on feedstock and process, which are obtained from an external heat source or by partial oxidation of part of the feedstock to release heat. A purification process then removes impurities such as carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, sulphur compounds, tar and ash. After which, the proportion of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is adjusted depending on the intended use of the syngas. Continuous hydrogen measurement provides an opportunity for real-time control of the production process by enabling the operator to make adjustments to ensure maximum efficiency and safety. For example, water may be added to increase levels of hydrogen, or water might be removed to increase the carbon monoxide level. As a result, the operator is able to produce a final product with the correct ratio and to then check that this has been achieved. In the absence of hydrogen measurement, the end product ratio can only be an estimate. Quantitech supplies its H2scan hydrogen-


specific analysers to the UK market. These employ a solid-state hydrogen specific technology based on palladium/nickel alloy that requires no sample gas, reference cell or routine calibration. The sensing material is inherently specific


to hydrogen and has the capability to operate in a variety of multi-component and varying- component gas compositions, including tolerance to percentage levels of hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide. Custom conditioning and calibration in contaminant gas streams along with a very precise on-board temperature control loop provides high accuracy and long-term stability. The analysers are also adaptable to conventional or NeSSI type sample systems. “The H2scan technology removes guesswork from the syngas production process and adds


new levels of efficiency to an established process, ensuring that the process is able to respond quickly to variables. This is a further example of the many applications in which hydrogen-specific gas measurement has delivered tremendous benefits,” says Quantitech md Keith Golding.


Quality and purity Servomex has been selected by Linde Gases to design and supply gas analysis systems that will maintain quality and purity for medical gases distributed across Brazil. Installed in a network of stations responsible for filling Linde’s medical gas cylinders, Servomex’s expertise in systems engineering ensures the continuous traceability and reliability for all required gas measurements. Designed to meet the highest pharmacopeia


standards, a Servomex-designed sample system integrates the company’s advanced gas sensing technologies with third-party measurements for humidity, nitric oxide and nitric dioxide. Utilising the SERVOPRO 4100 multigas


analyser, designed for the process control and product qualification requirements of industrial gas production, exceptional gas purity is maintained using Servomex’s advanced paramagnetic technology to measure oxygen and GFX infrared technologies to measure trace carbon monoxide and trace carbon dioxide. In addition to the ability to deliver a world-class


gas analysis solution, Linde selected Servomex on the quality of support offered by Servomex’s South Americas business centre. Offering expert sales, technical and engineering assistance and fast, local response from operations based in Sao Paulo, Servomex was able to demonstrate complete commitment to meeting Linde’s requirements. The result is a high-quality customised solution


for the transportation of Linde medical gases in Brazil, ensuring high gas quality is consistently maintained throughout the supply chain while ensuring a low cost of ownership. With Metrohm’s MARGA monitor, gas


and aerosol composition of ambient air can be measured simultaneously and continuously. The analytical part of the instrument consists of two Metrohm ion chromatograph systems for anion and cation measurements respectively. Through a size selective inlet (for example to only


measure particles smaller than 10µm) air is drawn into the MARGA system. It enters a wet rotating denuder (WRD) in which the gases from the air are absorbed into a thin layer of water. From the WRD


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