Dryers for CNG and BIOGAS
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CNG Dryers
ISO 15403:2000(E) states that "the single most important safety requirement of compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel is a very low water dew-point temperature to preclude the formation of liquid water at any time."
A key safety feature in the construction of CNG filling stations will be the incorporation of proper compressor/dryer packages to ensure compliance of the CNG. GTC is already supplying numerous on-line and portable intrinsically safe hygrometers for the measurement and control of CNG dryer performance, and is set to become the de-facto standard supplier for this burgeoning market.
Improving the environment
CNG is widely regarded as the green fuel of the future; Greenpeace research shows 24% less CO2 and 61% less NOx emissions than petrol, which means that it is kind on the climate, and it has no particulates whatever so reducing pollution. Another environmental benefit of CNG is that vehicles powered by this fuel are far quieter than petrol and diesel vehicles.
Click here to see graph showing that CNG is the cleanest of all available vehicle fuels, including liquid petroleum gas.
Government incentives
A major motivating force Worldwide in the development of the market for Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) and therefore the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations, is the Kyoto protocol. In the UK the Government has dramatically reduced tax on CNG, and is offering grants and incentives for vehicle conversion via its cleaner fuel body, Downshift.
Some Statistics
Currently there are some 2.8 million vehicles around the World that are equipped to run on natural gas, mostly in South America, Eastern Europe and Asia. However the USA in particular has taken to this new technology and has almost a quarter of the World's 6500 CNG filling stations serving it's population of more than 100,000 NGVs, with more and more stations and vehicles being made CNG compatible every day.
Italy is also a keen supporter of CNG with some 300,000 NGVs on its roads today.
New Developments
Although CNG filling stations currently number only 20 in the UK, 11 more are planned in the near future, and British Gas are currently researching "home filling stations" which will allow everyone to refuel in their own garages using their domestic gas supply.
Many district councils and private companies already use NGV buses and vehicles, including Ipswich Borough Council, Hampshire County Council, Safeways Supermarkets, Body Shop, Eastern Electricity and British Gas.
The importance of dew point
CNG filling stations use network natural gas supplies that are typically at 1 to 1.5 bar g and have a dew point of somewhere between -30 and -20 oC. NGVs operate on a full tank of CNG at around 200 to 250 bar g. Therefore the natural gas must be compressed by a factor of between 133 and 250 times prior to filling. This compression leads to an increase in the pressure dew point that in most cases will leave the natural gas saturated with water and often with liquid condensate. So first of all the condensate must be removed by a suitable drain and then, in order to comply with ISO 15403:2000(E), the natural gas must be dried to give a pressure dew-point significantly lower than the lowest ambient temperature that will be experienced either at the filling station or in the vehicle in subsequent use.
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