Odorizing Mixture for Natural Gas Fuel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current odorants for odourless gaseous fuels, such as natural gas, pose environmental concerns due to sulphur dioxide emissions and require complex logistics with separate storage and injection systems, increasing costs and risks of undetected leaks.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising 0.1-49.9% alkyl sulphide, 50-99.8% alkyl acrylate, and 0.001-0.1% stable nitroxide radical inhibitor, allowing for high odorant power, reduced sulphur dioxide emissions, and simplified logistics with single-tank, single-pump, single-head injection systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alkyl sulphide is used as odorant, then gas leak detection is effective, but sulphur dioxide emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines alkyl acrylate and alkyl sulphide into a single odorant mixture that achieves effective gas leak detection while reducing sulphur dioxide emissions. The alkyl acrylate component (50-99.8%) provides the bulk of the odorant effect, while the alkyl sulphide (0.1-49.9%) provides the characteristic gas odor, creating a synergistic mixture that balances detection effectiveness with environmental benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameters of the odorant components to optimize the balance between detection effectiveness and sulphur dioxide emissions. By controlling the ratio of alkyl acrylate (50-99.8%) to alkyl sulphide (0.1-49.9%), the invention achieves sufficient odorant power for leak detection while minimizing the formation of harmful sulphur dioxide during combustion.
2Stability of the object's composition
If separate storage tanks and injection pumps are used for each odorant component, then chemical stability is maintained, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage and injection systems for alkyl acrylate and alkyl sulphide into a single integrated system. The odorant mixture can be stored in one tank and injected through a single pump and head, eliminating the need for separate storage tanks and injection equipment for each component, thereby reducing device complexity and operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The single storage tank and injection system serve multiple functions by handling both alkyl acrylate and alkyl sulphide components simultaneously. This universal system performs the odorization function for both components through one integrated setup, reducing the number of equipment pieces needed while maintaining chemical stability through proper mixture formulation.
Data Source
AI summary
Composition which can be used in particular as odorant for a gaseous fuel, more particularly natural gas, comprising:from 0.1 to 49.9% of an alkyl sulphide (I) of formula:R1—S—R2 in which R1 and R2, which are identical or different, represent:an alkyl radical comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; orR1 and R2, taken with the sulphur atom to which they are attached, represent a saturated or unsaturated ring comprising from 3 to 5 carbon atoms which is optionally substituted by a C1-C4 alkyl or C1-C4 alkenyl radical;from 50 to 99.8% of an alkyl acrylate (II), the alkyl radical of which comprises from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 8;from 0.001 to 0.1 part by weight of a compound (III) which inhibits the polymerization of the alkyl acrylate (II).