LineVu reveals contamination in high pressure natural gas systems that until now has been un-detected. Despite commercial and legal contracts requiring that no liquids or solids should enter a gas network, it is common to find that liquid contamination is the cause of damage to power stations and other plant all over the world.
LineVu
Description
LineVu reveals contamination in high pressure natural gas systems that until now has been un-detected. Despite commercial and legal contracts requiring that no liquids or solids should enter a gas network, it is common to find that liquid contamination is the cause of damage to power stations and other plant all over the world. LineVu is a camera system that can be permanently installed on high pressure natural gas systems. When installed downstream of a gas/liquid separator it provides a live video stream of the gas leaving the separator system. Image processing is used to provide operators with a highly sensitive alarm if there is a break-through that contaminates the gas stream. By monitoring the efficiency of gas/liquid separation systems LineVu provides game-changing safety and financial benefits.
Improving Foam Management in Gas Treatment
Liquid carryover in gas treatment causes foaming in amine and glycol contactors. Normal practice is to use de-foamer to recover from a foaming event. This often requires a reduction in gas flow rate until the foam is under control. Current practice is to monitor pressure drop across the contactor. Now, with LineVu reporting a carryover event before foaming starts, de-foamer can be added to prevent foam rather than recover from it, without loss of production.
Improving Condensate Recovery
After gas treatment, it is important to recover as much of the premium condensate from the gas as possible. Processing liquids (usually glycol) can be carried over from gas treatment and freeze in the dew pointing equipment. This causes temperature control problems and can partially block the liquid removal process, and a combination of glycol and condensate are lost down the gas export line. When LineVu reveals liquid carryover from gas treatment, flows can be adjusted to find the optimum flow until the problem is diagnosed and repaired.
Flow Assurance
Using LineVu at custody transfer points improves accountability for pipeline contamination incidents. Gas is bought and sold at custody transfer points on a dry gas basis. LineVu is revealing glycol and compressor oil carryover that, up to now, passed on-line gas analysers without tripping an alarm. With the extra knowledge that the gas is wet, flow computers can be corrected, operators can make better decisions regarding the acceptability of gas, and pigging operations can be optimised.
The Camera Can in the LineVu system is mounted above a pipeline, normally behind a double block and bleed valve, thereby providing a “stand-off”, meaning that any contamination present in the gas flow does not foul the optics of the instrument.
The data from the Camera Can can be fed to one of three possible user interfaces:
LineVu Local
Monitoring natural gas contamination events as a process control parameter, the Camera Can is cable linked to a safe area controller, where image processing provides a live video stream and local alarm. This system may provide video and data to the site local network.
Up to 48 Camera Cans may be connected to the site controller installed in a safe area.
Application example
Improving operational excellence and plant productivity by monitoring liquid carry-over at gas treatment plant both upstream and downstream of the treatment plant to.
LineVu Remote
Monitoring either single site or multiple sites, LineVu Remote includes an uplink to a secure server (either Process Vision’s or the Client’s server) allowing both remote and local access to live streamed video. This system encrypts and compresses both video and data, and splits it into three sections for transmission via one or more mobile phone networks. An encrypted user interface is available to password protected users who may be a central technical resource, a control centre (for unmanned sites), or the users client (in the case of custody transfer).
Application example
Ensuring correct calibration of fiscal flow metering, optimising pigging events and improving safety at compressor stations in a pipeline network monitoring multiple custody transfer points and compressor stations.
LineVu Mobile
LineVu mobile is used for temporary installations for surveys and de-bottlenecking projects. It combines the previous two versions. The Camera Can is cable linked to a Pelicase-mounted controller and uplink system giving the user a choice to store locally or live stream to store video and data on a remote server.
Application example
Evaluating separator performance and helping to diagnose process failures in a temporary installation.
