Challenge
Improve Mixing Ratio Control of Feed Gases for Methanation
Methanation is a technology for synthesizing methane, the main component of natural gas, from hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). By utilizing recovered CO2 from industrial facilities as a feedstock, methanation enables carbon recycling.
Reliable monitoring and control of the methane synthesis process are essential for scaling up methanation plants to industrial-scale production.
- Efficient methane synthesis requires maintaining the CO2/H2 feed ratio of 1:4.
However, flow-based control can result in gas feed rate errors and fluctuations of several percent. - The H2 feed rate should be adjusted in response to fluctuations in recovered CO2 to maintain the target CO2/H2 ratio. However, conventional process gas analyzers used to measure H2 and CO2 concentrations typically require more than one minute to respond, resulting in delayed feedback control.
Gas density-based gas mixing ratio analysis helps improve production efficiency with a simple and cost-effective measurement solution.
Value
- Simplify instrumentation configuration and reduce operating cost with a single gas density analyzer.
- Enhance synthetic methane purity and ensure consistent product quality with fast-response gas ratio feedback control.
Installation and Operation Concept
Conventional measurement systems require separate analyzers for each gas component. Since the methanation feed gas consists only of clean CO2 and H2, the gas mixing ratio can be accurately estimated from gas density measurements.
With a repeatability of ±0.5% and a response time of approximately 5 seconds, Yokogawa’s gas density meter GD series enables rapid process condition monitoring and responsive feedback control based on the gas mixing ratio.
Process Overview and Measurement Points
Applications of Gas Density Meter to Methanation Process Monitoring
| Measurement point | Monitoring objective | Measurement target |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feed CO2 purity | CO2 / air |
| 2 | Feed H2 purity | H2 / air |
| 3 | Methane conversion rate | CO2 / H2 / methane |
Les produits et solutions liés
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Gas Density Meter GD80, GD802G, GD802S
Fast-response gas density measurement for safe and stable operation. More than density, monitor gas concentration, molecular weight, specific gravity, hydrogen purity, and replacement concentration.
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Gas Density/Hydrogen Purity Analyzer
Gas density analyzers and detectors provide continuous measurement of gas density as well as several other valuable parameters, including specific gravity and percent concentration.