PROPANE WITH ODORANT-GAS REFRIGERATION PROCESS 2

[Monagas]

Dear friends. We are operating a Natural gas dew point control plant (NGL Plant), with mechanical refrigeration process using 97 % propane without odorant as a refrigeration media

Our propane supplier, stated that they can not sell us propane with odorant anymore, because they need to mix it with odorant (Mercaptanes), and we dont know if it can upset the process

I would like to know if someone here has experience using propane with odorant and if it is absolutely safe for the equipments.

Any comments will be appreciated

Saludos !!

 

[dcasto]

BS on he can't sell it, we still put unodorized refrigerant grade propane on trucks all day long. Refrigeranat grade is usually 98.5% propane. If you are useing fuel grade propane, it's 208 RVP which is about 95% propane.

In a pinch I've used odorized propane in a refrigeration system. The odorant will settle out in the chiller overtime and become nearly solid. The odorant will be a constant reminder to the plant people that valves leak. They will become nearly immune to its smell and will not be able to find leaks after a while. You will find the odorant plating out on compressor suction valves if you have a low temperature suction.

Find a new supplier.

 

[Montemayor]

Monagas:

I think where you state: "Our propane supplier, stated that they can not sell us propane with odorant anymore" you really meant to write "...can not sell us propane without odorant anymore".

Everything dcasto has told you about the propane refrigerant specs and how odorant will affect your process is true. The part about the BS may also be true; there are 2 other possibilities regarding your vendor: either he's totally ignorant about what he's selling or he is a liar and wants to dump some bad propane. Of course I'm assuming that you are in the USA and subject to local customary specs and standards - such as ASHRAE and CGA gas/refrigerant specifications.

In any event, you are doing the right thing in challenging your vendor. You can really mess up your system if you are adding a lot of make-up propane refrigerant due to leaks or other process misgivings. I would not allow odorant to get into the closed refrigeration cycle.

 

[Monagas]

Dear Mr Dcasto & Mr Montemayor

Thanks for your reply

Im sorry about my bad spelling. Im still learning english. I am in Venezuela

Our supplier is the same that supply natural gas for domestic use. The Venezuelan standards demands the use odorant for domestics porpouse, and we are the only costumer of them that use propane for others applications

Taking advantage of your recommendations, now is time to deal directly with the fractionation plant of PDVSA.

Thank you very much my friends

 

[dcasto]

At Santa Barbara?

 

[Monagas]

No, is not Santa Barbara,

The plant that we are operating is a 35 MMSCFD Dew Point Control Plant located at BARE field. 160 km from Santa Barbara.

The plant that produces propane is the JOSE Fractionation Plant.