Green energy gas flow measurement guide

Process and plant engineers responsible for green energy production, co-generation electric power, pollution monitoring or environmental compliance will find the Green Energy Gas Flow Measurement Application guide from Fluid Components International (FCI) provides unique solutions to meeting the challenges of precise air/gas flow measurement in clean, wet or dry hydrocarbon-based gases.

FCI’s flowmeters and flow switches feature a no-moving-parts design with no orifices to plug or foul. They are good in traditional and alternative energy process control, pollution monitoring and environmental management applications. The instruments provide data for regulatory compliance and carbon trading as well as greenhouse gas reduction incentives and credits.

Thermal dispersion technology mass flowmeters and flow switches are designed for operation in rugged, wet and dirty gas environments. They measure mixed composition gases in explosive environments over a wide range from low-flow to high-pressure environments with rapid turndowns.

Ethanol production is a distillation process that requires boilers whose efficiency is optimised with the control of their air-to-fuel ratio using thermal type flowmeters. In addition to producing ethanol, this process generates greenhouse gases or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that must be monitored. The precise measurement of fuel gas, air and waste gases flowing in small to large lines under variable temperatures, flow rates and less than optimum flow profiles is essential for efficient ethanol production with the lowest carbon pollution footprint. The recovery of methane (CH₄) gas from coal mining operations is creating a new energy resource. The three major sources of coal mine methane (CMM) are degasification systems (drainage type), both pre-mine and gob, ventilation air (VAM) and abandoned or closed mines. Thermal dispersion type flowmeters are suitable for operations in co-gen engines or methane oxidiser systems, as well as providing data for incentive credits.

Decomposing waste on dairy cow farms, cattle feed lots, poultry ranches and other livestock operations produces extensive amounts of biogas that can be harvested as fuel gases. Rather than emit dangerous CH₄ and other greenhouse gases, operators are capturing this with gas to power plant operations and/or export to the public power grid. Accurate thermal technology air/gas flowmeters ensure the efficiency of such operations.

Landfill gases are a mixture of CH₄ and carbon dioxide CO₂ with trace gases that also include N₂, O₂ and others. Thermal instruments accurately measure gas flow for environmental reporting to regulatory agencies. These gases can also be supplied for co-generation electric power, which can be used for power needs at the landfill site as well as the public power grid.

Organic waste from fruit and vegetable peelings or meat preparation in the food and beverage processing industries is digested under anaerobic conditions in a reactor tank or fermentation tower. The gas output is a mixture of CH₄, CO₂ water and trace amounts of H₂S that is measured with thermal instruments. The gas mixture is either flared off or supplied to a plant electric go-generation station for plant energy purposes or exported to the public power grid.

In municipal waste treatment plants, anaerobic digesters produce biogas measured with thermal flowmeters. The biogas is a dangerous combination of CH₄ and CO₂, with smaller percentages of H₂S and other gases. The gas flow varies widely too — based on fluctuating plant demands and seasonal variations in temperature and humidity.