The impact of nitrogen and hydrogen operating conditions on compressors
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What are the effects of nitrogen operation and hydrogen operation on centrifuges and reciprocating machines? The normal design is for hydrogen operation. What impact does hydrogen purity have on the unit?
This is a great topic; I hope experts can offer some guidance! As far as I know, the molecular weight of hydrogen is 2, while that of nitrogen is 28; there is a significant difference between the molecular weights of the two. When using nitrogen, the exhaust temperature becomes very high
During the commissioning phase, it’s common to encounter situations where the hydrogen compressor needs to be pressurized with nitrogen to ensure airtightness – does no one know about this?
The centrifuge is unclear, but the reciprocating machine uses a nitrogen valve under nitrogen-operated conditions, and a hydrogen valve under normal operating conditions!
The centrifuge is unclear. Reciprocating machine: Hydrogen has a low molecular mass, while nitrogen has a high molecular mass. If the reciprocating machine is designed to produce hydrogen but actually produces nitrogen, the machine will overheat in a short period of time, until an alarm triggers and it shuts down. This is a very normal phenomenon. If nitrogen injection is necessary in the process, it is recommended to consult the manufacturer responsible for designing the reciprocating machine, to take this requirement into account during the design phase, and to have a dedicated nitrogen valve for injecting nitrogen.
It will also shorten the service life of the vulnerable components inside the valve, and may even cause damage to components such as connecting rods and piston rods (provided that the nitrogen operating conditions are not taken into account during design)
Is it necessary to replace the dedicated air valve even under low load conditions?
What is the basis for this claim? As I understand it, both hydrogen and nitrogen are diatomic molecules; under the same initial conditions, the compression temperature should be the same, as derived from the adiabatic compression equation.
Before introducing nitrogen, be sure to check the parameters related to the compressor, paying attention to the pressure and flow rates under nitrogen conditions. We have encountered situations where the centrifugal compressor did not start properly under nitrogen operation; the pressure was a bit high at that time. The turbine functioned fine at low speeds, but it became overloaded when the speed increased, causing abnormal behavior in the turbine. Once the pressure was reduced, everything returned to normal
As long as you are using nitrogen. It needs to be replaced (personal suggestion); the proportions are different, and this can cause damage to the air valves and the unit.
The air valve is worn out; the valve element inside it is made of tetrafluoroethylene. Injecting nitrogen raises the temperature of the air valve, and high temperatures can easily damage it