6519_25_1_08_Industrial Gas Compressor Guide

Page 1/9 25/01/2008

Industrial Gas Compressor Guide “CompAir, A total solution approach to industrial gas compression”

Page 2/9 25/01/2008

Technical Data With a broad scope of air and water cooled compressors supplying gas up to 1700m3/hr at 414 bar g

with inlet pressures from 0.015 to 18 bar (gas dependent), the Reavell range is able to reliably

compress many common and specialist gases.

Hydrogen

Inlet Pressure Max Pressure FAD Drive Model Bar PSI Bar PSI m³/hr CFM kW HP

5212 H2 0.04 0.58 35 500 51.7 30.4 12.1 16.2

5217 H2 0.04 0.58 40 580 114.3 67.2 26.7 35.8

5236 H2 0.04 0.58 40 580 273 161 57.8 77.5

5407 H2 0.04 0.58 350 5000 12 7 5.5 7.3

5409 H2 0.04 0.58 350 5000 33.3 19.6 14.3 19

5417 H2 0.04 0.58 350 5000 51.2 30.1 20.2 27

5437 H2 0.04 0.58 350 5000 130.9 77.9 49.8 66.8

5450 H2 0.04 0.58 350 5000 270 159 92.1 123.5

5470 H2 1.2 17.4 250 3500 508 300 150 200

** Machines and Performance figures above are typical and based on previous CompAir Hydrogen

projects. Other performance requirements are available on request. **

Helium


5407 HE 0.4 5.8 350 5000 24 14.1 11 15

5409 HE 1.013 14.6 180 2600 29 17 18.5 25

5417 HE 1.013 14.6 220 3190 36 21 30 40

5437 HE 0.55 8 330 4786 176 103.5 75 100

** Machines and Performance figures above are typical and based on previous CompAir Helium


Page 3/9 25/01/2008

Argon


5337 AR 1.05 15.2 60 870 95 56 37 49.6

5437 AR 2 29 240 3480 100 58.8 55 73.7

** Machines and Performance figures above are typical and based on previous CompAir Argon


Other industrial gases not mentioned above, but shown in the table below, can be considered on request

For Biomethane & Methane applications please refer to CompAir’s CNG Vehicle Refuelling Solutions.

For Nitrogen Applications please refer to the CompAir Nitrogen Compressor Guide.

Industries & Applications

Hydrogen

INDUSTRIES: Oils & Fat hydrogenation, Glass & Ceramics, Chemical, Electronics, Transportation,

Gas Companies, Nuclear & Thermal Power, Meteorological, Metallurgical, Pharmaceutical

APPLICATIONS:

• Hydrogenation of edible oils and fatty acids

• Producing protective atmosphere for heat treatment of metals

• Production of chemicals and plastics

• Protective atmosphere for manufacture of electronic components and float glass casting

• Annealing furnaces for steel production

• Argon purification, cylinder gas distribution

• Corrosion control and alternator cooling in Nuclear / Thermal Power Plants

• Observation balloon filling

• Alternative fuel for vehicles

� Biomethane � Carbon Dioxide � Carbon Monoxide

� Ethane � Ethylene � Methane

� Neon � Nitrous Oxide � Sulphur Hexafluoride � Xenon

Page 4/9 25/01/2008

Helium

INDUSTRIES: Universities, Aerospace, Diving, Gas Companies, Laboratories, Cryogenics,

Meteorological, Leak Testing, Chemical

APPLICATIONS:

• Leak Testing

• Supersonic wind tunnels

• Cylinder gas

• Cryogenics plants

• Observation Balloon filling

• Heliox

• Gas Transfer & Reclaimer systems

• Growing silicon crystals for semi-conductor manufacture

Argon

INDUSTRIES: Metallurgy

APPLICATIONS:

• Gas Atomisation

• Growing silicon crystals for semi-conductor manufacture

• Filler gas for light bulbs

Page 5/9 25/01/2008

Industrial Gas Overview

The Industrial Gas Market has a range of specialist applications in a wide variety of industries, often

with limited customers for each segment. The Reavell range of compressors is well suited to the

requirements of these demanding markets with high quality, reliable high pressure gas and the ability

to provide custom engineering to meet special customer needs.

The basic definition of gases CompAir can compress is:-

- Non explosive under compression

- Non corrosive

- Does not liquefy

What we need to know:-

- Gas inlet pressure

- Gas inlet temperature

- Gas composition

- Gas dewpoint

- Required Capacity

- Required discharge pressure

Gas Types

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the most abundant of the chemical elements, constituting roughly 75% of the universe’s

elemental mass, as stars in the main are composed of hydrogen in its plasma state. Elemental

hydrogen is relatively rare on earth and is therefore industrially produced from hydrocarbons such as

methane / natural gas. After its production most of this hydrogen is used locally at the production site.

The largest markets in this case are divided between fossil fuel upgrading e.g. Hydrocracking and

Ammonia production, mostly for the fertilizer market.

Hydrogen can also be produced from water using electrolysis but this is significantly more expensive

commercially than hydrogen production from natural gas.

Recent technological developments in fuel cells and alternative energy sources have pushed

Hydrogen to the forefront of the sustainable, zero emission fuel debate. Long used for numerous

Industrial processes, the importance of Hydrogen as a key fuel for the future is clear. At the heart of

this growing Hydrogen Industry is Compression Technology.

Page 6/9 25/01/2008

Helium

Helium is the second most abundant and second lightest element in the known universe, and is

created as a result of the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. On earth Helium is rare, and almost all

of that which exists was created by the radioactive decay of much heavier elements. After its creation,

part of it was trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume, from which it is extracted

commercially by fractional distillation. As helium has a lower boiling point than any other element, low

temperature and high pressure are used to liquefy nearly all the other gases (mostly Nitrogen &

Methane). The resulting crude Helium gas is purified by successive exposures to lowering

temperatures, in which all of the remaining Nitrogen and other gases are precipitated out of the

gaseous mixture. Activated charcoal is used as a final purification step resulting in 99.995% pure

Helium. Most of the Helium that is produced is liquefied by a cryogenic process. This is necessary for

not only applications requiring liquid Helium but also to reduce the cost of long distance transportation

for Helium suppliers.

In 2005, One hundred and sixty million cubic meters of Helium were extracted from Natural Gas or

withdrawn from Helium reserves, this was approximately broken down geographical as per below:-

- 83% United States (most extracted from Natural gas in Kansas ands Texas)

- 11% Algeria

- 6% mostly from Russia & Poland

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is the 7th most abundant chemical element in the universe and is the single largest

constituent of the Earth’s atmosphere (78% by volume of dry air and 75.3% by weight in dry air).

Nitrogen is present in all living organisms in proteins, nucleic acids and other molecules. It is a large

component of animal waste, usually in the form of urea, uric acid, ammonium compounds, which are

essential nutrients for all plants

Nitrogen is also widely used for Blanketing applications. The list of products blanketed is extensive -

adhesives, catalyst, chemicals, fats and oils, foods, fuels, inks, pharmaceuticals, photographic

chemicals, soaps, and water. Blanketing can prevent oxidation and contamination or help to reduce

the moisture content of a product. In shipping it is often used to maintain the atmosphere in “empty” oil

tanks in order to reduce the ignition potential. In most cases the blanketing gas is nitrogen, although

other gases may be used.

Page 7/9 25/01/2008

Argon

For most people Argon is a gas familiar to them only from their school days as the chemical element

with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18.

This gas, which forms less than 1% of the earth’s atmosphere, is however, a member of a group of

gases known as “noble” or “inert”. This total inertness means Argon is widely used in critical industrial

processes such as growing silicon crystals for semi-conductor manufacture, as a filler gas for light

bulbs and in the manufacture of gas atomised metal powders for Metal Injection Moulding.

Industrial Gas Compressor Standard Specification

A standard specification set typically incorporates the following (where applicable):

• Single or multi stage compression depending upon system pressures

• Gas inlet solenoid valve

• Gas inlet pulsation vessel (where appropriate)

• High & low gas inlet pressure protection switches

• Gas inlet pressure gauge and relief valve

• Pressure gauges on all compression stages

• Relief valves on all stages

• Integral inter and aftercoolers with separators on each stage of compression

• Automatic isolating valve on cooling water inlet (water cooled only)

• Electrically controlled automatic unloader/drainage (solenoid valve operated)

• Forced or splash lubrication oil pressure gauge (model dependent)

• Gas type crankshaft oil seal assembly

• Gas type oil filler assembly

• Gas type crankcase breather piped back to suction

• Corrosion rods and safety bursting disc in cooling water jacket (water cooled only)

• Compressor non return valve

• Controlling pressure switch, (supplied loose)

• Drive arrangement – vee belt drive or direct coupled

• TEFV, IP55 electric motor

• Anti-vibration mounts

Standard instruments are conventional switch devices. As an alternative, transmitter devices (4 – 20

mA) can be quoted for on request.

The “Standard” specification listed above typically indicates the scope of supply for a typical industrial

gas compressor. Machines that are configured for specific duties may differ slightly in scope of

supply.

Page 8/9 25/01/2008

Hydrogen

As well as the specification above a typical Hydrogen compressor may also include:-

- Specially rated electrical equipment for safety in a hazardous area

- Low lift suction / delivery valves – for low density gas compression

- Gas type crank case assembly at illustrated inlet pressures

Helium

As well as the specification above a typical Helium compressor may also include:-

- Low lift suction / delivery valves – for low density gas compression


5417 HE

5212 H2

Page 9/9 25/01/2008

Argon

As well as the specification above a typical Helium compressor may also include:-


Fully Packaged sets

The following ancillary items are typically available for packaged gas compressor sets where suitable:

• Starter / control panel

• Oil removal filtration system / Dryer

• Gas inlet buffer vessel

• Unloader Demister

• Unloader Gas recovery systems

• High pressure storage

5437 AR

5236 H2 PACKAGED SET

Documents

6519_25_1_08_Industrial Gas Compressor Guide