CUI Global Sells VE Technology to Linde for LNG Processing Plant

CUI Global announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Orbital Gas Systems, has received an order for three sampling systems using its proprietary VE Technology from The Linde Group.  The units are being ordered for installation into a Norwegian liquid natural gas processing facility.

The initial order is for three specially designed probe/thermowells and has a value of $410,000.

The VE units will be used to optimize the costly, but vital regeneration of drier beds in a large LNG processing plant. Drier beds are required to remove all moisture from the natural gas before liquefaction. If moisture is allowed to break through these beds the facility may have to be shut down for essential maintenance works, often costing millions of dollars. Moisture breaks through the beds as they become saturated over time. A regeneration process involving blowing thousands of tons of hot gas back through the beds is periodically required to keep beds functioning effectively. The trouble with this process is that monitoring and controlling the regeneration process is extremely difficult and the consequences of not having accurate visibility of the state of saturation can cost thousands or even millions of dollars in terms of wasteful or deficient regeneration.

Specially modified VE sample probes will be made from Inconel, a so-called “super-alloy” specifically designed for high temperature applications. The units will have special VE probe tips and small bore sample lines. The units will also include the VE pressure reduction system mounted on the head of the probe for precise filtration, pressure and flow control. The VE probe and sample systems are designed for ultra-fast, accurate transport of trace components (such as moisture) to an analyzer – other systems simply cannot deliver the sample as fast or as accurate and are, therefore, not suitable for process control.

Linde has also opted for the additional VE Technology benefit of including precise temperature measurement at the probe tip. This unique feature (in addition to the obvious benefits of combining two products into one) will allow, not only better control of the plant (maximize efficiency, avoid maintenance), but will also allow a better understanding of the processes within the drier bed to allow for further development.

As explained by Orbital Global Solution’s head of operations, Tom Knight, “Using our patented VE Technology, we were able to offer a highly effective and bespoke solution allowing measurement inside the bed itself. The extremely challenging environment (high temperatures, high pressures, difficult media, drier bed material, ppm or ppb levels of moisture) is the reason that current technology has always struggled with this application.”

“The fact that this facility is inside the Arctic Circle makes the challenge even greater,” Knight continued, “using VE Technology, Orbital has developed the optimum solution from the ground up to deliver the best possible sample system without being restricted by conventional techniques.”

CUI Global’s president & CEO, William Clough, stated that, “This initial order for such a critical application of our proprietary VE Technology is yet another market channel in which we hope to expand our reach and increase our revenues.”

“Moreover, a partnership with such an industry giant as The Linde Group to provide a sampling solution with such broad application across the LNG process market reinforces the continuing value of our recent acquisition of Orbital and the VE Technology,” Clough concluded.

[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, December 02, 2013