Simple natural gas analysis in custody transfer etc.

Compact and cost-effective solution for custody transfer, carbon capture and other applications of traditional and non-traditional gases.

The Rosemount™ 470XA Gas Chromatograph, just released by Emerson, is designed to simplify natural gas analysis in custody transfer and other process applications.

As natural gas sources have evolved to include sustainable and renewable sources, such as landfill gas and biogas, the need to provide greater gas chromatograph flexibility has accelerated. Existing designs provide the needed capabilities, but a smaller form factor and a more cost-effective solution is needed.

The Rosemount 470XA addresses these and other needs with an analyzer design based on the versatile and industry-proven Rosemount™ 770XA Gas Chromatograph, known for its robustness and wide variety of applications. This opens a wider range of use cases for a product in this segment, such as for carbon capture utilisation and storage, renewable natural gas, and custom applications.

The 470XA provides the same reliable and accurate C6+ BTU/CV measurement that users have come to expect from decades of traditional Rosemont gas chromatograph technology, but now with the added benefit of being a more economical solution for a wider variety of emerging applications.

A full-colour LCD local operator interface and easy-to-use software reduces the need for specialised training by guiding operators through common operational and maintenance functions. Preinstalled Rosemount MON2020 software simplifies analyser configuration, maintenance, and data collection.

The 470XA doesn’t require a shelter for operation in most environments, lowering total cost of ownership. A fully serviceable module combines all critical functional parts in one assembly, allowing for quick and easy field replacement or repair.

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@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @HHC_Lewis #PAuto

Gas chromatograph in pipeline.

Qmicro by Sensirion supports MeterQ Solutions GmbH with its microGC technology. MeterQ, a solution provider in the natural gas industry, recently completed the world’s first installation of a process gas chromatograph directly in a natural gas pipeline. This achievement was realised thanks to Qmicro’s microGC technology, which is at the heart of the MeterQ solution.

MeterQ successfully installed the first ever process gas chromatograph (PGC) in a pipeline in a compressor station of one of its project partners near the German/Dutch border in northern Germany. The PGC measures 13 components of natural gas including C6+, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, with each separated by only one carrier gas (helium) in only 45 seconds. Thanks to the innovative microGC technology, the system could be designed without requiring a bypass channel. This means that natural gas emissions to the atmosphere are reduced by over approx. 95 % compared to conventional systems.

In addition to the ability to measure a wide range of gases at an ultra-fast measurement time, Qmicro’s microGC analysers offer long-term autonomy thanks to their low carrier gas consumption and automated re-calibration. The ultra-compact form and explosion-proof housing means they can be installed at virtually any location. In addition, the innovative cartridge system ensures that the replacement of consumables is fast and easy. All of these aspects make Qmicro products an ideal solution for applications where natural gas properties need to be analyzed, such as custody transfer, bio-methane injection, hydrogen blend stations, etc.

“Qmicro’s GC analyzers are ideal for us due to their compact form and fast measurement time. In addition, the use of only one carrier gas reduces the complexity of our system and simplifies maintenance,” says Achim Zajc, General Manager at MeterQ. He further adds: “Qmicro’s analyzer allows for a design where no bypass is required. This means that natural gas emissions to the atmosphere are reduced for the most part. This is relevant, as natural gas has a 21-times larger effect on the climate than CO₂.”

@sensirion #PAuto #Gas #Europe

Diamonds keep their shine!

LDetek, has developed a complete turnkey solution for producing synthetic diamonds. Using the combination of gas chromatograph with integrated stream selection and gas dilution, operators can speed up the process of growing high-quality cultured diamonds using chemical vapor deposition.

Large scale synthetic diamond production uses the high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) process as this is the most economical method to produce large quantities of synthetic diamonds. However, the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method produces the best grade of synthetic diamond possible in a relatively short time.

CVD creates a carbon plasma over a substrate onto which the carbon atoms deposit to form diamond. It allows for better control of characteristics and properties of the diamonds but requires good control of impurities in the hydrocarbon gases used, and this is where LDetek’s trace impurities system plays a vital role.

Levels of N₂ must be carefully controlled, along with trace O₂ and H₂O to confirm the purity of the hydrogen, methane and other additive gases.

Trace N₂ from sub ppb to few hundred ppm is measured with the LDetek PlasmaDetek2 detector mounted in the MultiDetek2 gas chromatograph. Optional H2O-NH2 and O2 analysis can be added in the same instrument when required by the process. LDetek’s LDGSS stream selector system ensures the automatic switching sequence for analysis between H₂/CH₂ and the different additive gases, while the LDGDSA automatic dilution system can be added to accurately calibrate for gases in parts per billion.

Synthetic diamonds – also referred to as cultivated diamonds – are created all over the world and used in the same way as naturally occurring diamonds. This includes jewelry, electronics, machine and cutting tools, thermal conductors and optical materials. For industry, synthetic diamonds are less costly but valued as a highly ethical product since there is little humanitarian or environmental impact involved in their production. For jewelry, other advantages include the ability to produce shapes not possible in nature and better control over the quality of the stones.

• The complete, detailed application note includes information on lower detection limits and chromatograms of the measurements.

@ProcessSensing #PAuto 

First transmitter-style gas chromatograph.

Emerson’s Rosemount 700XA gas chromatograph reduces costs by as much as 50% and footprint by as much as 40% for natural gas applications

The Rosemount™ 700XA gas chromatograph (GC) from Emerson,  is the industry’s first single-analyser solution to provide measurement of sulphur compounds as well as energy content of natural gas, delivering a cost-effective approach to meet gas quality and heating value requirements for pipeline distribution, processing of liquified natural gas (LNG), mixed and high-purity natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as international LNG commerce. It also satisfies operational and safety standards that protect pipelines, processing facilities, distribution systems and workers using a single, compact, transmitter-style GC.

While previous generations of gas chromatographs have required the purchase of separate analysers for sulphur measurement and heating value analysis, the new Rosemount 700XA gas chromatograph is equipped with a micro flame photometric detector (FPD) allowing customers to reduce initial equipment cost by as much as 50% and footprint requirements by up to 40%.

The field-mountable and transmitter-type configuration of the Rosemount 700XA makes it a far more flexible gas chromatograph because it allows close-to-tap mounting, reducing sample lines and delivering faster response. In addition, the 700XA is a Class 1, Division 1, explosion-proof, ATEX/IECEX safety-rated analyser, eliminating instrument air requirements for purging or the need for additional protection. This enhances the analyser’s safety profile and allows it to fit in challenging, space-constrained environments without costly infrastructure, delivering significant installation and operational savings.

“It is critical to measure hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and other mercaptans to meet quality specifications in natural gas purity applications, protect pipelines from corrosion and meet contractual agreements. Any uncontrolled variance can have costly impacts for the suppliers and processing plants, including shutdowns,” said Asad Tahir, product management director for Rosemount gas chromatographs at Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “Using traditional H2S analysers that rely on lead acetate tape with mechanical systems and short-lived sensors requires a great deal of maintenance, cost and proper handling of lead. In addition, needing two standalone analysers to measure the sulphur and provide heating value analysis separately is a wasteful strategy for operators. That’s why Emerson is providing customers with what they need – a single, compact, cost-effective solution that measures both.”

The Rosemount 700XA GC is not only a practical solution to hydrogen sulphide and energy content measurement, it can also provide hydrocarbon dew point calculations for accurate energy content reporting in two-phase gas flow streams, as well as deliver speciation and quantification of total sulphur compounds to trace levels. This allows operators to replace up to four analysers with one gas chromatograph in specific applications, simplifying the scope of analysers and reducing overall cost and footprint.

@EMR_Automation @Rosemount_News @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto 

Silica particles for chromotography.

Nanologica AB  has entered into a service agreement with global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Sterling Pharma Solutions for the large-scale production of silica particles.

The partnership is the latest step in the development of a new business venture for Nanologica, which specialises in the development and manufacture of silica for application in drug delivery and chromatography.

Using Nanologica's technology,  Sterling Pharma Solutions will produce the large volumes of NLAB Saga™ chromatography material needed to perform preparative chromatography.

Andreas Bhagwani, CEO of Nanologica said:  "Sterling has 50 years of experience in cGMP manufacturing for the pharmaceutical industry and a very strong process knowledge. This new partnership will allow us to scale production to completely different volumes than what is possible from our own site in Södertälje, Sweden. In practice, this means that our capacity increases from tens of kilograms to tens of tonnes.”

Nanologica announced in February 2018 that it will start manufacturing preparatory chromatography media. Preparative chromatography is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing to "purify" peptides, specifically insulin. Vastly greater amounts of silica are used in preparative chromatography than in analytical chromatography, where Nanologica is active today.

Andreas continued: “We can now engage in detailed negotiations with two potential customers regarding our preparative chromatography offering. The goal is to finalise long-term supply agreements that will provide us with profitability relatively quickly.”

Kevin Cook, CEO of Sterling Pharma Solutions said: “Sterling is delighted to be working with Nanologica on this exciting and innovative opportunity. Sterling has rich experience in the development and scale-up of complex synthesis in a fully cGMP environment. The combination of the Nanolologica expertise and technology, together with Sterling’s manufacturing capabilities, provides the required combination for successful commercialisation.”

@nanologica @sterling_pharma #Pharma @ramarketingpr 

Gas chromatographs for China.

The Chinese subsidiary of Yokogawa has won an order to supply the gas chromatographs for the first phase of a project to construct an integrated refinery and petrochemical production complex that is being undertaken by Zhejiang Petrochemical Co., Ltd. at a new industrial site in the Zhoushan archipelago.

Zhejiang Petrochemical was established on June 2015 as a limited partnership between Rongsheng Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Juhua Group, Zhejiang Tongkun Holding Group Co., Ltd., and Zhoushan Ocean Comprehensive Development and Investment Co., Ltd. It is a private holding, state-owned joint-stock company. The company is mainly engaged in crude oil import and export, oil refining, petrochemical production, and the sales, storage, and transportation of its products.

This new, large-scale integrated refining and petrochemical complex that is being built by Zhejiang Petrochemical will eventually have an overall refining capacity of 40 million tons per year. The facilities that are being built include a crude oil terminal, oil refining and petrochemical production process units, storage tanks, and transport and service installations. The units constructed in the first phase will have the capacity to refine 20 million tons per year of crude oil and produce 1.4 million tons per year of ethylene. The first phase of this project is expected to be completed and put into production by the end of December 2018.

For the first phase of this project, Yokogawa China will supply 190 Yokogawa GC8000 process gas chromatographs. This is Yokogawa’s largest order to date for the GC8000, an analyser that separates and measures the density of the components in gases and volatile liquids.

Yokogawa was able to win this order thanks to the excellent quality of the GC8000 and the company’s good track record in working with Chinese refineries and chemical plants. Yokogawa now plans to expand the sale of its process analyser systems and further develop its process analyser systems integration business, and based on its corporate brand slogan of ‘Co-innovating tomorrow®’ will help its customers improve their product quality.

 @YokogawaIA  #PAuto #China

Analysers for petrochemical complex in Oman.

Yokogawa has received an order to supply an analyser package solution for the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex, which is being built for Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic), a company owned and operated by the Oman government.

The Liwa Plastics Industries Complex is being built in Sohar, on Oman’s northern coast. This package order is for 15 analyser houses and associated analysis systems consisting of process analysers and sampling instruments. The client is a joint venture between Chicago Bridge & Iron Company N.V. (CB&I, a major US construction company) and CTCI Corporation (a major Taiwanese engineering company) that is responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of an approximately 800,000 ton per annum naphtha cracker and related utility facilities at this complex.

The analysis systems for this steam cracker and its off-site utility facilities will rely on the GC8000 process gas chromatographs to separate mixed gases and volatile liquids into their respective components and measure their concentrations.

A total of 75 GC8000 units have been ordered, and this is Yokogawa’s largest single project order to date for this product. Yokogawa Electric Korea will have overall responsibility for analyser house fabrication, system integration and site commissioning services. As both Yokogawa Electric International and Yokogawa Europe Solutions B.V. have extensive experience in constructing analyser houses, Yokogawa Electric International will manage the engineering, delivery, and commissioning of these  solutions, and Yokogawa Europe Solutions B.V. will provide project execution support. The analyser houses will be delivered by the third quarter of 2018, and the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex is scheduled to start operation in the first quarter of 2020.

It is believed that Yokogawa won this large order because the customer highly evaluated the company’s advanced knowledge of gas analysers and liquid analysers, expertise in the construction of analyser houses, and track record in supplying gas chromatographs to oil refineries and chemical plants all around the world. In recent years, there is an increasing need to improve product quality in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries by using gas chromatographs for analysing gas components. Backed by this order, Yokogawa will expand sales of its GC8000 and other process analysis solutions, grow the process analyser system integration business, and help customers improve the quality of their products.

 @YokogawaIA  #PAuto #Oman

Smarter, simpler, easy-to-use gas chromatograph!

High accuracy measurement with a maintainable module design that simplifies operation and reduces the total cost of ownership

Emerson Process Management has released the Danalyzer 370XA Gas Chromatograph (GC). Providing reliable measurement accuracy, minimal maintenance and greater ease-of-use, the Danalyzer 370XA is designed for continuous online analysis of natural gas for applications such as custody transfer, power generation, and burner fuel/air ratio control.

The Danalyzer 370XA provides a C6+ analysis similar to legacy Danalyzer GCs, but in a much smaller and simpler form.  New and experienced users alike will appreciate the latest advances in technology, improved diagnostics, and intuitive local operator interface (LOI), all of which come as standard.

A unique advantage of the Danalyzer 370XA is the Maintainable Module™, which incorporates the analytical components in an easily removable module. The Maintainable Module can be replaced in the field in approximately two hours (including warm-up and purge), and can be maintained at the component level for cost-effective repair. Easy-to-use software assistants on the full-colour LCD local operator interface reduce the need for specialised training by providing a step-by-step walk through of common operational and maintenance functions such as changing calibration gas, auto-valve timing and module replacement. The Danalyzer 370XA can be pole-mounted, wall-mounted or floor-mounted. No shelter is required for most environments.

“Emerson has pioneered gas measurement analysis for over 30 years,” said Shane Hale, product marketing manager for Emerson, Rosemount Analytical. “Today, we continue to develop and perfect gas chromatography with the XA Series. With the addition of the Danalyzer 370XA, Emerson addresses more of our customer’s needs by introducing a reliable, accurate, and operator friendly GC that lowers the cost of ownership.”

Gas chromatograph update!

The Siemens Industry Automation Division is offering a new modular oven and a new operator panel with a color display for its Maxum Edition II gas chromatographs. Siemens is offering a small modular oven with space for an analysis module as well as a larger version designed for a combi-module or two small modules. This modular approach increases the average availability of the gas chromatograph, while at the same time reducing maintenance overhead and operating costs. The new operator panel has a large 10-inch color touch display, which makes it much easier to use the analyser. It is backward compatible and can also be retrofitted to older systems.

The new graphical interface provides significantly improved and intuitive menu navigation. This makes it simple and transparent to operate the Maxum Edition II, especially with regard to routine tasks. For example, users can enter data more easily in large pop-up dialog boxes, and all frequently used functions can be reached directly by additional navigation points. Chromatograms are easy to edit using the touch screen. The new operating structure is based on the familiar menus of the previous black and white displays, so personnel trained on the Maxum Edition II can convert easily. As previously, the user can still also operate all analyzers connected within the network with no restrictions using the new operator panel. The touch screen is also certified for use in hazardous areas according to CSA Div. I and ATEX Zone 1.

With its 'modular ovens' option, Siemens is presenting a second essential significant innovation for its gas chromatographs. This expands the previous oven configurations for analyzing gaseous samples with versions for exchangeable analysis modules. The design allows the new analysis modules to be quickly and easily replaced simply by releasing a screw, so that maintenance only takes a few minutes and modules are soon ready for use again. For users, this increases the average availability of the chromatograph for making measurements and, in turn, that of the entire system, while at the same time reducing maintenance costs. Another benefit is lower operating costs as a result of the high energy efficiency of the analyzer and low media consumption.

The smallest modular oven unit comprises a small, isothermal oven which is large enough to house a chromatographic analysis module. Configurations with one larger oven chamber for two separate modules or one double module are also possible. Both oven space types can also be combined in a single device. If required, maintenance personnel can service and repair the analysis modules on site themselves. Alternatively, Siemens can handle the entire service and maintenance work for the modules. The company also offers preset back-up modules for specific applications. The new design of the Maxum Edition II is fully compatible with existing Maxum networks, maintenance stations and plant control systems. Typical areas of use include natural gas applications as well as petrochemical processes involving the production of ethylene or olefins.

Integrated instrument control with multi-vendor compatibility

Thermo Fisher Scientific adds new Atlas CDS Software Control for Shimadzu Prominence HPLC

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the availability of a new Thermo Scientific Atlas Chromatography Data System (CDS) instrument control software for the Shimadzu Prominence® and Prominence XR HPLC. Seamless control of Shimadzu's Prominence is now possible at no extra cost as no connection license is required. Award-winning Atlas CDST provides chromatographers with a client/server chromatography-based software solution available for controlling multi-vendor instruments.

Within regulated industries, data management is a crucial part of the quality control process. Consequently, there is great demand for a single CDS that can integrate chromatographs from a variety of manufacturers. In response to customer needs and current market demand, Thermo Fisher and Shimadzu have collaborated to provide full instrument control and chromatography data handling within Atlas for the Shimadzu Prominence; a network-ready HPLC.

"This collaboration combines the strengths of both companies and will benefit customers by providing a truly integrated solution for users that require multi-vendor compatibility," said Dave Champagne, vice president and general manager for Thermo Fisher's Informatics business. "The Shimadzu Prominence (20A) LC control delivers added functionality to allow multiple instruments to be controlled on one PC. The integrated auditing capabilities of Atlas provide full audit trails of all instrument methods and data processing actions. This gives users confidence that our systems will enable them to satisfy applicable compliance regulations such as GMP and 21 CFR Part 11."

The new Shimadzu Prominence (20A) LC control allows the Shimadzu Prominence systems to be used with Atlas software with seamless control, supporting up to four instruments per 247 IC or DataServer. The Shimadzu Prominence (20A) control provides an instrument status screen, delivering direct feedback to the user on current instrument conditions. Developed with the Atlas DDK (device development kit), the control follows the user interface design followed by the Shimadzu VP instruments. The Shimadzu Prominence is a LAN-based instrument and can be connected to the laboratory network or private instrument network to provide data integrity by network buffering.

"We have received numerous requests from customers who use our LC and GC systems to enable control with Atlas CDS. I am pleased to see that control of Prominence is now possible through collaboration between Thermo Fisher and Shimadzu. This milestone will certainly benefit our mutual customers, and we look forward to continuing our relationship to further extend the control capability," said Teruhisa Ueda, Ph.D., corporate officer and deputy general manager, Analytical and Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation.

Thermo Scientific Atlas CDS provides a highly scalable client/server environment for laboratory LAN and WAN networks in pharmaceutical drug development, discovery, QA/QC laboratories and academia, as well as process industries such as oil and gas, food and beverage safety, water and wastewater treatment and chemicals manufacturing. Designed as a multi-user, multi-instrument data system, it enables remote network access to many instruments so data can be fully collected, secured and protected - enabling organizations to make more informed decisions faster. In addition, Atlas CDS provides seamless integration of results with enterprise-wide laboratory informatics management systems applications including the full range of Thermo Scientific LIMS.

GC/FTIR interface

AABSPEC has introduced a new, high performance GC/FTIR Interface, the IX10-8B.

This no-compromise design has as its heart a solid gold light-pipe formed from pure gold using newly developed manufacturing methods. It provides very low flow rate capability for excellent capillary chromatography plus extreme inertness for the most demanding sample types.

Additional new technology has been developed enabling higher upper temperature operating limits. The resulting product offers unmatched excellence in Capillary GC/FTIR. The IX10-8B is available now.