Gases:
Hycomp has been a proven solution for our customers’ gas compression needs for years because we cater to a wide range of gases.
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Nitrogen, Argon, Helium and other rare gases such as Krypton, Neon, and Xenon
Applications/Industries: welding, brazing, laser cutting, heat treating, metal processing, blanketing, electronics, carrying gas for solvent vapor recovery, leak testing, purging, semiconductor manufacturing, filling of incandescent, fluorescent and specialty bulbs, production of titanium and zirconium
- Use Hycomp ‘054’ proprietary polymer blend material for piston rings and gas packings. Standard Teflon based piston rings exhibit poor life expectancy in these applications.
- Helium is a special case because of the size of the molecule. Hycomp utilizes a three piece “L” style piston ring design that seals better than the standard one piece piston ring. Additional gas packings are also used to prevent leakage to the atmosphere.
- Helium, Argon, Krypton, Neon and Xenon have extremely high ratios of specific heats, and therefore develop excessive heat during compression. Low compression ratios of less than 2.5:1 and water cooling must be considered.
Natural Gas, Methane, Ethane, Propane, Propylene, Butanes, Pentanes, Hexanes
Applications/Industries: vapor recovery, coal bed methane & recovery, gas gathering, gas injection, gas lift, gas turbine boosting, landfill gas recovery, offloading, evacuation, liquid transfer, etc
- Use Hycomp ‘056’ Ryton and PTFE blend material for piston rings and gas packings.
- If the gas is sour all copper must be removed from the process stream and aluminum, iron, or lead trim should be used. Tungsten carbide coated piston rods should be considered for both sour and acidic gas service, and Hycomp’s stainless steel valves are suitable for corrosive gas service.
- Higher compression ratios may be allowed due to the low ratio of specific heats of these gases. However, care must be taken to prevent the volumetric efficiency from dropping too low.
- Venting of the packing case to a safe release area is usually acceptable as the leakage rates are minimal. Local OSHA & EPA authorities must be consulted before venting to atmosphere.
CO2 & CO
- Use Hycomp ‘056’ Ryton and PTFE blend material for both piston rings and gas packings.
- Moisture causes both gases to become acidic. Tungsten carbide coated piston rods should be considered, and stainless steel piping should be used.
- Purging of the packing case with nitrogen will prevent gas leakage into the atmosphere. Venting of the packing case to a safe release area may also be acceptable. Local OSHA & EPA authorities must be consulted before venting into the atmosphere.
- Carbon monoxide is flammable under the proper mixture ratios. Proper packaging requires attention to prevent leaks and maintain fire safety.
NH3
Applications/Industries: About 80% of all ammonia produced in the US is used in agriculture as a source of nitrogen. It is used in irrigation water and to produce solid fertilizer components. Ammonia is used to produce nitric acid, the principal derivative used in making explosives such as dynamite, nitroglycerin and TNT for demolition purposes, and nitrocellulose for propellant applications. It is also used in textile, pharmaceutical, and the plastics industry. Ammonia is the oldest, most efficient and most economical refrigerant gas. It is used in metal treating, annealing, brazing and sintering operations, as well as for pH control and treatment of acidic wastes.
Compressor Style: Utilize the ‘G’ Series gas compressors, with 4 to 5 gas packing sets per piston rod.
Compressor Design: Standard construction with the following modifications:
- Use Hycomp ‘056’ Ryton and PTFE blend material for piston rings and gas packings.
- Hycomp compressors designed for ammonia service will not utilize copper or copper alloys in the gas stream, as moist ammonia attacks copper, zinc and silver. Tungsten carbide coated piston rods should be considered, and stainless steel piping should be used.
- Purging of the packing case with nitrogen will prevent gas leakage into the atmosphere. Venting of the packing case to a safe release area may also be acceptable but local OSHA & EPA authorities must be consulted first.
Miscellaneous Gases
Applications/Industries: Many industrial gases are used in manufacturing, refrigeration, petroleum production and refining, medical and electrical industries.
Compressor Style: Usually the ‘B’ or ‘G’ Style arrangements are adequate for most industrial gases. The ‘H’ Style arrangement is used when superior leak control is required and purge/pad gas is available with a disposal method.
Compressor Design: Design depends upon many complex factors:
- Review of material compatibility with the gas, ring/packing material choice, corrosiveness of the gas, cost of the gas, safety issues involved with the gas, etc.
- When dealing with gas mixtures, it is important to examine not only the individual gas constituents and their individual effect on design, but also to examine the mixture as a whole as certain gases interact with others to become more corrosive, toxic or flammable than in their pure form.
- Hycomp has many years of experience, and relies on many resources and standards, to produce a compressor and compressor system that will be safe and reliable.
Hycomp In The News
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We are proud to announce DNV approval of Hycomp Oil Free Gas Compressors for applications in the Commercial Saturation Diving and Hyperbaric Industry. DNV (Det Norske Veritas) is a Norwegian based risk management foundation that certifies compliance to International Standards and Regulations.
