Instrument Gas Conditioning System for Remote Pipelines
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Solution Overview
Problem
In remote natural gas pipeline fields, compressed air is either unavailable or costly, making it difficult to condition natural gas for use in instrumentation, which requires clean and dry gas.
Innovation Solution
A gas conditioning system that filters, dries, heats, and regulates natural gas using a series of filters, heaters, and regulators to produce a suitable gas stream for instrumentation, potentially including redundant components for continuous operation and serviceability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compressed air is used to run instrumentation, then clean and dry gas is available, but it is unavailable or costly in remote natural gas pipeline fields
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (filter-heater-regulator assembly) that processes locally available natural gas to produce clean, dry instrument-grade gas. The filter removes particulates, the heater eliminates condensation, and the regulator controls pressure, together creating a mediator that transforms raw natural gas into suitable instrument gas without requiring compressed air infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by using the locally available natural gas itself as the source material for instrument gas, eliminating dependence on external compressed air supplies. The natural gas field serves its own instrumentation needs through the conditioning system, making the remote location self-sufficient
2Ease of manufacture
If natural gas is used directly in instrumentation, then cost effectiveness is improved, but the gas contains impurities that can damage instrumentation
Solution Approach 1:
The filter component extracts and removes particulate impurities from the natural gas stream before it reaches the instrumentation. By taking out the harmful particulates while retaining the useful natural gas, the system maintains cost effectiveness while eliminating damage risks to instruments
3Use of energy by moving object
If unheated natural gas is used in instrumentation, then energy consumption is reduced, but condensation forms in cold weather damaging instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The heater modifies the temperature parameter of the natural gas, raising it above the dew point to prevent condensation formation. This parameter change eliminates the harmful condensation effect while maintaining reasonable energy consumption by heating only to the minimum required temperature
4Device complexity
If high pressure natural gas is used directly, then system complexity is reduced, but the pressure is too high for instrumentation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator acts as an intermediary pressure-control device between the high-pressure natural gas source and the instrumentation. It mediates the pressure difference by reducing high pressure to the appropriate lower pressure level required by instruments, enabling direct connection without complex pressure management systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively conditions natural gas by removing impurities, controlling temperature and pressure, and ensuring continuous operation, addressing the lack of compressed air in remote locations.
Implementation Method 1
The filtered gas stream may be heated in a heater
Implementation Method 2
The filtered, heated, regulated, and, optionally dried, gas stream may be used as instrumentation gas
Data Source
AI summary
An instrument gas conditioning system is provided. The system includes filtering, and optionally drying, a gas stream to obtain a filtered, and optionally dried, gas stream. The filtered, and optionally dried, gas stream is heated in a heater and then regulated through a regulator. The filtered, heated, regulated, and, optionally dried, gas stream may be used as instrumentation gas.