Natural Gas...

The Fuel of the Future

For superior NGV performance...
Pioneer CNG Purifier

Why Dry Natural Gas? 

As the pipeline quality natural gas with a moisture content of 7 lbs/MMSCF is compressed to 3600 PSIG it has a dewpoint of 52°F/11°C. When compressed natural gas (CNG) equipment is subjected to temperatures below 52°F/11°C, the moisture begins to condense. When the temperature falls below 32°F/0°C, the moisture freezes, causing malfunction of equipment and interrupting CNG delivery.

When mixed with moisture, impurities in natural gas, especially H2S and CO2, form a corrosive mixture that destroys equipment. The presence of moisture also affects accurate delivery measurement. 

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Benefits of Drying Compressed Natural Gas

    1.    Enhanced reliability

    2.    Corrosion prevention

    3.    Accurate CNG measurement

    4.    No methanol required - since it is a corrosive substance, the SAE J1616 recommends that no methanol

            be added.

Why dry Natural Gas? -- A simpler explanation: 

7 lbs/MMSCF (moisture in natural gas pipeline) = 52°F/11°C PDP @ 3600 PSIG/250 Bar G

It means:

    1.    Condensation at temperatures below 52°F/11°C.

    2.    Freeze-ups at temperatures below 32°F/0°C.

    3.    Freeze-ups during gas expansion.

    4.    Liquid water + natural gas impurities = corrosive mixture in piping and equipment (premature failure).

    5.    CNG + moisture = inaccurate measurement readings.

How dry? 

SAE J1616 recommends drying natural gas to PDP of 10°F/ 5.6°C below location’s low dry bulb temperature.  Use clean, dry, oil-free (1 PPM or less) compressed natural gas for efficient and reliable operation.

 Typical per gallon costs: 

Interested in the bottom line? Check natural gas!

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Refueling NGV

 Dryer Locations:

    1.    At compressor inlet (LCNG purifier)

    2.    Between compressor stages or interstage (LCNG or special-built purifier)

    3.    At compressor outlet (HCNG purifier)

 Selection considerations:

    1.    Capacity at specific pressure

    2.    Maximum pressure

    3.    Duty cycle

    4.    Availability of electricity

    5.    Local climate (lowest temperature, PDP required)

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How Dry?

The SAE J1616 recommends drying CNG to 10°F/5-6°C (at pressure) below location’s low dry bulb temperature. Dew Point is an important consideration because natural gas is generally stored and dispensed under pressure.

 Example:

If the refueling station location’s low temperature is -10°F/-23°C, then the natural gas shall be dried to -20°F/-29°C at 3600 PSIG/250 BarG.

The pressure at which the drying is done also affects the level of drying required. In the above example, there are three choices:

    1.    Dry natural gas at 3600 PSIG/250 BarG to -20°F/-29°C PDP (HCNG at outlet).

    2.    Dry natural gas at 200 PSIG/14 BarG to -55°F/-48°C PDP (special interstage purifier).

    3.    Dry natural gas at 5 PSIG/.35 BarG to -86°F/-66°C ( LCNG at inlet). 

Quote Information 

For quick and accurate response, please provide the following information:

    1.    Maximum Gas Flow_________________SCFM/NM3HR

    2.    Inlet or Pipeline moisture content _______________ #/MMscf/MMncm

    3.    Inlet Pressure to booster comp.___________________ PSIG/BarG

    4.    Cumulative Gas Flow _________________________

    5.    Operation time ______________________ Hrs/Day

    6.    Available Voltage __________

    7.    Storage Pressure __________

    8.    Regeneration Preference A. _____________ Continuous B. _____________ Periodic

How often? ________________

    1.    Low temperature at site _____ °F/°C

    2.    PDP Required ___________ °F/°C 

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Custom-Built Purifiers

Over 50% of our business is building equipment to a customer’s specifications.

For example:

Medium pressure CNG purifiers: over 150 PSIG/10.35 BarG for NGV industry... ideal for interstage purifying.

Flue Gas: Shown below is a flue or natural gas dryer built to Aramco specifications for an off-shore platform.

Over 50,000 Pioneer air and gas systems in field, for such customers as:

American Natural Gas Power, Houston, TX

EDO/ANGI, Milton, WI

Tri-Fuels, Inc., Edmonton, OK

Natural Gas Transportation Co., South Charleston, WV

Columbia Gas Co., of Ohio, Columbus, OH

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One Year Limited Warranty

 PIONEER standard dryers are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment (15 months for distributor stock units), provided the equipment is used according to the company’s recommended usage. Liability is limited to the repair, refund, or replacement in kind at the company’s sole option. In no event shall PIONEER be liable or responsible for incidental and consequential damages, even if the possibility of such has been made known to the company. The usual maintenance and replacement-type products are not covered by this warranty. To protect the warranty, use genuine PIONEER accessories and spare parts. One year mechanical parts only warranty applies to equipment outside the U.S.A., Mexico, and Canada.

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