This month we are looking back to one of our Best Paper Award winners and a presentation from Tony Wimpenny, Orbital Gas Systems:

"(More) Effective Contaminant Measurement in LNG Processing"

Tony Wimpenny provided a great reference for the importance of sampling system design and the impact it can have on correctly identifying contaminants by good or poor sample system design and the consequent impact on analyser function and performance.

"Safe and efficient gas processing requires a detailed understanding of the characteristics of the gas prior to treatment, and verification that the treatment has been completed to the required specification. In processing natural gas to LNG, it is a necessity to ensure that moisture is removed to very low levels, id ice build-up in the cryogenic refrigeration plant. Similarly, mercury must be completely removed as it can progressively eat through aluminium heat exchangers in a destructive and potentially catastrophic self-propagating chemical process. Unscheduled plant shutdown or maintenance operations cost millions of dollars every year, and the potential threat to personnel health due to mercury exposure makes the issue even more critical. Typically, pre- and post- bed removal conditions are monitored by very accurate analysers. However, both moisture and mercury are notoriously difficult to measure at trace levels due to their tendency to adhere to any rough surfaces, contamination or other substrates not purpose-built for the application. This paper looks at the challenges measurement impose on a sampling system and a number of techniques that can be employed to mitigate problems."

Presented at the GPA Europe Spring Conference, May 2017.