Black powder in NG pipework 4

[op9]

Over many years of working with both the old Towns gas and natural gas for industrial burners I would find a fine black powder in filter elements. This has recently become a big issue with natural gas here (Brisbane Australia)where the load on the distribution network has increased over the years and they have had to recently increase gas pressure at the gate station. The black powder (like talcolm powder consistency)is being carried through. I am trying to commission a 70 MM Btu/hr asphalt plant burner which happens to be at one end of the distribution main. This is choking the meter station filters and worse bypassing it into the customer's pipework where it clogs the gas train filter. This happens at least every second day but has happened within hours. The increased flow is obviously scouring the inside surface of the distribution main of this deposit. What is it? IT IS MAGNETIC so obviously coming from the steel. I have a meeting with the gas utility people tomorrow. I feel they need to install a larger surface area "basket type" filter which will trap and hold at least a few days worth AND more importantly not "leak" past into our main. Would appreciate any comments.
Rod.

Rod Nissen.
Combustion & Engineering Diagnostics

 

[vzeos]

http://www.gmrc.org/PDFs/REPORTS/97-4bl.pdf

 

[dcasto]

The old guys call it Black Rust, not to be confused with Red Rust. The report by vzeos gives the details. I can attest that the section on filtering is correct. You'll never get it all out, so you will need to set a criteria you can stand in your burners and stop with that size. 10 micron my be good enough.

Getting to the root cause and stopping it from being formed is going to be a challange, or it is in the US anyway. Everyone will point fingers. The distribution company to the transport company the transport to the producer.....

Buried in a contract or public records you may find language on who will be responsible. But, it normally comes back to the gas buyer not the supplier.

What you will most likely find is that you are sweeping out the nasty stuff right now and eventually you will get into an "eqaulibrium" point where the amount made equals what is coming in and that your filters will last for months, sometime in the near future I'd suspect.

If you want to get the distribution companys goat (or tease them), tell them you'll sell the iron they are loseing back to them so they can glue it back in place.

 

[STYMIEDPIPER]

Although I am not involved in the gas industry, I found the article referenced by vzeos very interesting and informative. I was intrigued by the MIC.
The description of the chemical analysis was a bit out of my league,however this is Good reading for all the pipers.