×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

(OP)
Dear all,
I am doing some study on a platform which produces gas. If there is a leak from a gas pipeline (in which the gas is in high content of CO2 (30mol% to 65mol%)), would the gas burn as jet fire? Or it won't burn?
Thanks.
Regards,
SL.

RE: High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

You didn't say what the rest of the analysis was, but if you assume that it is 50% CO2 and 50% Methane (or 65% CO2 and 35% Methane) then you have either 500 BTU/SCF or 352 BTU/SCF.  The 500 BTU gas will definately burn and should ignite in about the same conditions that 100% methane would ignite.  The 352 BTU gas will require a hotter ignition source, but it will burn.  If the other constituents are heavier hydrocarbons then the mix will ignite easier and burn hotter.

The range of values you've provided is not that far from land-fill gas that runs engine-driven compressors just fine.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering
www.muleshoe-eng.com
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

The harder I work, the luckier I seem

RE: High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

(OP)
Thanks David for your response. I have two gas lines here:
a) 37% CO2, 49% Methane: estimate 490 BTU/SCF
b) 30% CO2, 16% Methane: estimate 167 BTU/SCF

So, the a) would burn when ignited rather than b). Am I correct to say that?

RE: High Content of CO2 in Gas Pipeline

"A" is close enought to what I calculated (you don't say what the missing 4% is, but 490 BTU/SCF should ignite just fine).

From the BTU content, the missing 54% on "B" must also be inert.  "B" would probably burn, but I would think that the ignition temp would be really hot (100% methane has an autoignition temp around 1,000F) and wouldn't be suprised to see that it had to be exposed to 1,500F for a prolonged period to ignite.  I'd be reluctant to try to run 167 BTU gas into an engine.

David

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources