smart sensors for lng

SMART SENSORS FOR LNGArjen Boersma & Huib Blokland

CONTENTS

Monitoring in LNG

Production

Transport

Use

Background & State of the Art

Sensing principles

LNG III Activities

Smart sensors for LNG 28 Oktober 20182

MONITORING DURING LNG PRODUCTION, TRANSPORT AND USE

Implementation of monitoring solutions depend on position in LNG chain

3 28 Oktober 2018Smart sensors for LNG

https://www.schott.com/epackaging/english/lft/lng_vessels.htmlhttp://interfaxenergy.com/gasdaily/article/32268/https://www.wartsila.com

Gas:

Pressure

Composition

Methane Number

Liquid:

Density

Temperature/pressure

Flow rate

Energy content

Power plantsTransport

LNG Engines

EXAMPLE LNG PRODUCTION PLANT

Australian Woodside Energy installed more than 200.000 sensors in its Pluto LNG plant

Mainly physical sensors

Temperature

Pressure

Valve integrity

Structural integrity

Vibrations

Foaming detection

Flow

Limited or no use of chemical or composition sensors


https://www.iothub.com.au/news/woodsides-pluto-big-data-project-uses-200k-sensors-415230https://www.afr.com/business/energy/oil/woodside-petroleum-breathes-new-life-into-pluto-lng-expansion-plans-20170222-guil2xhttps://www.itnews.com.au/news/woodside-deploys-iot-sensors-to-prevent-foaming-418730

COMPOSITION MONITORING

Quality monitoring during production: accurate feed and product analysis

Custody transfer: quality ensurance at transfer points

Power generation: optimizing combustion efficiency and reduce emission levels

Many locations in supply chain require gas composition and calorific value assessment:

Gas pretreatment facilities

Export and import locations

Storage tanks

Vaporization/condensing facilities

Composition fluctuations may have major influence on power generation [fuel cell, gas turbine, LNG engine] occur by:

Blending multiple sources

Removing heavier hydrocarbons

Changing Calorific Value


https://www.processonline.com.au/content/instrumentation/article/optical-sensor-for-natural-gas-composition-analysis-1105187018

STATE OF THE ART

Wobbe index meter / calorimeter

Combustion of the calorific gasses

Gas chromatography

FTIR / NDIR

Combination of IR-spectroscopy and thermal conductivity

RAMAN Spectroscopy

General draw backs

Large (dm3 - m3)

Expensive (10 - 50 k€ )

Influence on gas flow / not inline

Do not give full composition

High purity carrier gas (He or H2) required [GC]


www.etgrisorse.comwww.honeywellprocess.comwww.hobré.comwww.asap.nlwww.spectrasensors.com

CH4 C2H6 C3H8 C4H10POSSIBLE SENSOR PRINCIPLES

GC:

Infrared absorption:

Raman scattering:

Chemical interactions:


time

LNG III – SMART SENSOR DEVELOPMENT

Metrology for LNG III – Metrological support for LNG and LBG as a transport fuel

Goals: development and validation of sensors for deriving chemical parameters, relevant for engine operations


LNG Tank

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Capacitive sensor – TNO

Tunable filter sensor – VTT

FTIR – Reganosa

Naturgy

Mestrelab

METHANE NUMBER

Requirements set for the accuracy of the measurement of the Methane Number is ± 2 points

Methane number of fuel is measured in calibrated engine [see TUBS/PTB presentation]

Assessment of MN without direct engine experiments:

Direct correlation between MN and FTIR [ Reganosa/Naturgy/Mestrelab approach]

This requires many different LNG mixtures for training the algorithm

Calculate composition from sensor readings and convert data to MN [TNO and VTT approach]

This requires accurate conversion algorithm (e.g. NPL algorithm)

Accuracy required in composition


Gas Required accuracy

Methane 14.1%

Ethane 1.8%

Propane 0.68%

Butane 0.32%

Pentane 0.14%

Nitrogen 3.5%

TUNABLE FILTER INFRARED SENSOR

Tunable filter technology enables the miniaturization of NIR spectrometers to make them suitable as chemical sensors

IR absorption is measured in 40 cm temperature controlled gas cell


Spectral Engines

T-control

Sample

cell

Light

source

CAPACITIVE COMPOSITION SENSOR ARRAY

Array of 8-10 chips that measure the change in capacitance


Chip 1

Chip 2

Chip 3

Capacitance

8-10 coating must be developed for:

methane

ethane

propane

n & iso butane

n & iso pentane

nitrogen

carbon dioxide

water

COATING DEVELOPMENT – LOWER HYDROCARBONS

Development and results for lower hydrocarbons are obtained in previous projects

Huib Blokland presented results of field test using prototype sensor yesterday


∆CH4: 2 vol% ∆C2H6: 0.5 vol% ∆C3H8: 0.1 vol% ∆CO2: 0.5 vol%

Composition

CH4: 82%C2H6: 3%C3H8: 0.7%CO2: 3%

COATING DEVELOPMENT – HIGHER HYDROCARBONS

Porous particles in polymer coating are very suitable for absorbing larger hydrocarbons

13 additives screened for response to propane, n-butane and n-pentane: 5 gave sufficient response

New polymer introduced to immobilize additives on electrodes: faster response & more stable signal

Most new coatings respond similar to iso & n-alkanes,

Array of 10 coatings is defined for the composition analysis of LNG:

CH4, C2H6, C3H8, n-C4H10, n-C5H12, N2, CO2, H2O [requirement for iso and n will be tested]28 Oktober 2018Smart sensors for LNG

N2CH4

C3H8C4H10 C5H12

N2CH4

C3H8C4H10 C5H12

5 vol% C3H8

4 vol% n-C4H10

1 vol% n-C5H12

13

COMPARISON SENSITIVITY

Comparing sensitivity of two solutions:

Capacitive sensing of higher hydrocarbons shows much higher sensitivity than lower hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide

Infrared sensing of higher hydrocarbons is only slightly more sensitive than lower hydrocarbons; nitrogen cannot be detected

Sensitivity of FTIR can be enhanced by increasing path length, and can be sensitive to 10 -100 ppm

Sensitivity of capacitive sensor can only be increased using more selective coatings and can be sensitive to 100-1000 ppm


Component Capacitive Infrared

Methane 1 1

Ethane 20 0.5

Propane 136 1.5

N-butane 250 1.9

N-pentane 1150 2.5

Carbon dioxide 12 3

Nitrogen 0.5 -

Relative sensitivity

PRELIMINARY SENSITIVITY CAPACITIVE SENSOR

Field tests of first demonstrator have shown sensitivities and accuracies very compatible with requirements for MN accuracy of ± 2


Gas Required accuracy

Experimental accuracy

Methane 14.1% 0.6%

Ethane 1.8% 0.3%

Propane 0.68% 0.04%

Butane 0.32% -

Pentane 0.14% -

Nitrogen 3.5% 0.6%

CO2 ? 0.3%

HARDWARE

New design hardware for the read-out of 10 signals (= 5 chips)

5 chips instead of 4

Repositioning of pressure and temperature sensor

Adapted data processing algorithms

First batch is manufactured

Adaptation of gas exposure system to 8 gasses simultaneously

28 Oktober 2018Smart sensors for LNG16

TNO ENGINE TESTSDUAL-FUEL COMBUSTION ON 6 CYLINDER TRUCK ENGINE

17

Objectives

Validation of the gas composition sensor in an environment that is typical for present and future heavy-duty gas engines:

• Sensor accuracy for pressure variations;

• Sensor accuracy for concentration variations

Outlook towards the meaning and value of MN for advanced dual-fuel combustion concept RCCI

Potential assessment of sensor signals for control purposes in dual-fuel applications.

Engine test fuels

4 different natural gas compositions;

i. Pure methane (G20), MN = 100;

ii. Dutch natural gas, MNcalculated1 ≈ 85;

iii. Equivalent natural gas mixture for Dutch natural gas composed of reference gases (determined based on input from PTB RCM work in this WP)

iv. Tailored gas mixture, MNcalculated = 70;

Diesel fuel type: EN590;

FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES – FIBER OPTIC CHEMICAL SENSING

Coated Fiber Bragg Grating sensor sensors have specific benefits w.r.t. electronic solutions:

Suitable for sensing in remote inaccessible locations (> 10 km)

Small size of fiber (< 500 µm thick)

Possibility of multipoint or distribution in single optical fiber

Insensitive for electromagnetic radiation

Applicable at high temperatures and pressures


λ1λ0

FIBER OPTIC SENSING

Glass fibers are coated with porous ceramic particles, polymers, or mixtures

Makes glass fibers suitable for hydrocarbon sensing


Porous ceramic particles

grown onto glass fiberCoated fiber exposed to ethane,

propane and butane at 25 °C and 1 bar

ZSM-5 coated fiber exposed to

propane at 260 °C and 200 bar

FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES - INTEGRATE IR AND COATINGS

Amplifying the Infrared response using coatings that concentrate the gases

Coating of porous ceramic particles is deposited on IR transparent substrate

Suitable for low concentrations of methane in exhaust gas (Methane Slip)


IR source

IR detectorAIR in AIR out

Benzene, 10 ppm, 50 mm gas cell

Benzene, 25 ppb, 400 nm coating: amplification of > 106 times

Porous coating on

transparent substrate

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Bronkhorst High Tech – integration of device

Alliander - field test in gas grid

Enexis - field test in gas grid

Venne Electronics – development electronics

NXP / EKL– chip design and supply

Xensor Integration – chip packaging

28 Oktober 2018Smart sensors for LNG21

Huib BloklandProject manager

[email protected]

+31 (0)6513 502 84

www.tno.nl

Dr. Arjen BoersmaSenior scientist

[email protected]

+31 (0)88 866 57 13

www.tno.nl

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION

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smart sensors for lng

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