Air Monitoring 35
ICOS measurements show huge methane peaks in the atmosphere after North Stream leaks
Wet gas fl ow meter solves biogas moisture, corrosion and accuracy issues
With its innovative Wet Gas MASSter thermal dispersion fl ow sensor, the ST100A Flow Meter from Fluid Components International solves wet gas and entrained moisture issues that affect biogas measurement accuracy in landfi ll co-gen power systems and wastewater treatment digester applications, as well as providing down-the-pipe rain shielding in power plants, refi neries and other types of stack monitoring.
The ST100A Flow Meter with a Wet Gas MASSter fl ow sensor recently solved a biogas measurement problem at a wastewater treatment plant. The engineers at the site found that wet, sticky biogas was causing a corrosion issue affecting the fl ow sensors of their existing gas fl ow meters, leading to over- range and poor accuracy measurement issues.
The plant engineer believed a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2), water and trace amounts of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) were corroding the 316 stainless steel sensors. To solve this problem, the FCI customer applications team suggested that its Model ST100A Wet Gas MASSter Flow Meter with corrosion- resistant Hastelloy C-276 sensor tips would solve both problems.
The unique shielded mechanical design of FCI’s wet gas sensor shunts water vapour away before it reaches the sensor and prevents any water vapour from collecting on the sensor head to avoid corrosion and therefore any measurement accuracy or consistency issues. The new ST100A Flow Meters were installed in 2021 and have performed without issue since then at the wastewater treatment plant—problem solved.
Due to the damage to the Nord Stream gas lines in the Baltic Sea, an enormous amount of methane gas has been released into the atmosphere. The leak is estimated to be equal to the size of a whole year’s methane emissions of a country like Denmark or a city the size of Paris. The methane emissions are confi rmed by ICOS ground-based observations from several stations in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Observation satellites were not able to see the emission leaks, because the weather was cloudy.
“We assume the wind on the leak area blew the methane emissions north until the Finnish archipelago, then bends towards Sweden and Norway,“ says senior scientist Stephen Platt from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research, NILU.
The researchers in NILU have modelled how the methane emissions move in the atmosphere. See the modelling in the link below.
“At a later stage we might be able to confi rm and quantify the amount of gas leaked, and several ICOS scientists are currently discussing the various options for that. Right now, particularly given the complex meteorological conditions, and that the methane is still bubbling up from the pipes, it is unfortunately not yet possible,” says Alex Vermeulen, Director of ICOS Carbon Portal.
Standardised measurement network enables a quick and reliable comparison of emissions
Methane is one of the strongest greenhouse gases. In a period of 100 years, it warms the atmosphere about 30 times more than carbon dioxide. The size and timing of the leak put even more pressure on climate actions, since the critical years to slow down climate change are right now.
ICOS is a greenhouse gas observation system, that has 150 physical measurement stations across Europe and the adjacent oceans. Stations are hosted by the top universities and institutes in Europe. ICOS has established standardised measurement methods and processes to deliver data near real-time, allowing fast and precise comparisons of the observations.
“We see the benefi t of a standardised, large network in cases like this, where we can quickly and reliably detect unexpected greenhouse gas increases or decreases. The main purpose of ICOS is to assess the effi ciency of climate change mitigation efforts, but obviously, it is also very useful in detecting this type of sudden case,” says Director General of ICOS, Werner Kutsch. ICOS is fi nanced by its 14 European member countries.
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By shunting moisture, condensation and water droplets away from the ST100A’s thermal mass fl ow sensor, accurate gas fl ow measurement is maintained while minimising errors that could occur from a cooling effect on the sensor that might cause a spike or false high reading. FCI’s wet gas sensor option can be used in applications that have either moisture entrained in the gas (annular mist) or for protection against down the pipe rain in larger, vertical stacks.
FCI’s ST100 Flow Meters feature thermal dispersion mass fl ow sensors that are designed with constant power technology, which compensates for the variable temperatures commonly found in wet gas, which lead to poor measurement. They are calibrated to specifi c wet gas mixtures in FCI’s NIST-approved Calibration Laboratory, and this meter is available with both built-in pressure sensing and multiple calibration groups for accuracy under diffi cult wet gas conditions.
The ST100A Meter can be calibrated to measure virtually any wet gas composition, mixed gases, dirty gases and specialty gases. The basic insertion style air/gas fl ow meter features a thermal fl ow sensing element that measures fl ow from 0.25 to 1000 SFPS (0.07 NMPS to 305 NMPS) with accuracy of ±0.75 percent of reading, ±0.5 percent of full scale.
Constant power type thermal mass fl ow sensors are designed with platinum reference temperature detectors (RTDs). These advanced sensors detect process temperature changes in real time and automatically calculate the corresponding change in the wet gas fl ow rate. They are free of lag effects because they are inherently multi-variable, providing both the fl ow and temperature data necessary for accurate measurement.
The insertion style ST100A Flow Meter is ideal for wet gas measurement in larger line sizes with standard adjustable insertion lengths from 1 inch/25 mm up to 60 inches/1,524 mm. It sets an industry benchmark in process and plant air/gas fl ow measurement, offering the most feature- rich and function-rich electronics available for versatility and installed value.
Whether the need is for 4-20 mA analogue, frequency/pulse, alarm relays or digital bus communications such as HART, Profi bus or Modbus, the ST100A Flow Meter is the perfect data communication solution in wet gas measurement. Should a plant’s needs change over time or an upgrade be desirable, the ST100A Meter adapts as necessary with a plug-in card replacement that can be changed out by plant technicians in the fi eld.
The ST100A Flow Meter’s unique graphical, multivariable, backlit LCD display/readout brings new meaning to the term “process information” for local viewing of wet gas fl ow data. It provides the industry’s most comprehensive information with continuous display of all process measurements and alarm statuses, and the ability to interrogate for service diagnostics.
The rugged ST100A Meters are suitable for service up to 850ºF (454ºC) and are available with integral or remote electronics (up to 1000 feet [300 meters]). They are agency approved for hazardous environments, including the entire instrument, the transmitter and the NEMA 4X/IP67 rated enclosure. In addition to SIL-1, approvals include ATEX, IECEx, FM and FMc.
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