If you work in the natural gas industry or are an industrial user of natural gas, water dewpoint is not only a quality measurement but also a big concern. Water condensate presents serious challenges and issues for your process. It is highly corrosive and will form hydrates, which are ice-like solid molecules that can block the flow of gas in pipelines. In cold weather, it will also freeze reducing the pipe pressure.
Topics: Moisture Measurement Solutions, Analytical Solutions, AMETEK Process Instruments, Analyzer
Meeting the Challenge of Portable Moisture Measurements
If you’re a user of moisture analyzers, you’ve probably experienced challenges in performing a quick, accurate measurement using a portable instrument. Portable moisture analyzers are typically used to verify the moisture reading of a fixed-installation instrument or to conduct spot-sampling measurements at remote sites which lack a permanently installed device. In my experience performing portable measurements, I’ve seen several common obstacles a user may encounter:
Topics: Moisture Measurement Solutions, AMETEK Process Instruments
Measuring Water Vapor in Hydrocarbon Streams
Extracted from a variety of different sources, natural gas is composed of many different hydrocarbons and includes other, less desirable, impurities. These impurities – such as water, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide – are removed due to adverse effects, including:
- Reducing the heating value of the natural gas
- Damaging piping and other mechanical hardware due to freezing or corrosion
- Meeting tariff limits associated with transaction contracts
Topics: Moisture Measurement Solutions, AMETEK Process Instruments
Aluminum Oxide Sensors in Trace Moisture Applications: NINE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING MOISTURE MEASUREMENTS IN GASES
Trace moisture measurements in gas applications often appear to be simple and straight forward because the theory is relatively well understood; however, when the analyzer system is in service and we see unexpected measurement results, the head scratching begins.
Electrically everything appears to be correct so we assume the probe/sensor must be out of specification, right???
Topics: Moisture Measurement Solutions