Moisture Control & Measurement Ltd (MCM) applications
A variety of bottled gases are certified for resale as "calibration gases ", specifying the concentration of contaminants in each bottle. Often the water content is specified, and this must be monitored with precision both by the supplier and consumer.
A reliable supply of breathing air is critical for applications in the military, medical and fire fighting sectors. The presence of excess moisture in breathing air can lead to freezing in the pressure regulator and ice blocking the orifice, causing an interruption to the supply of air to the user. Such freezing effects have caused the loss of life and equipment in submarines and aircraft.
Foil-wrapped foods are often sealed with air, or an inert gas. It is possible to extend the storage life of the food if the air trapped between the foil and the food is replaced with nitrogen of very low moisture content .
Hydrogen is used to cool large, stationary generators because of its high heat capacity and low viscosity, and must be kept dry to maintain both of these properties. Ambient moisture is considered a contaminant, which will reduce the heat capacity and increase the viscosity of the cooling hydrogen.
The presence of humidity in a blanketing gas for sensitive instruments can cause corrosion problems, rapid changes incalibration and loss of sensitivity. The presence of oil contamination in compressors can cause similar problems.
The presence of moisture in high-pressure natural gas from production wells causes pipelines and associated valves to freeze. High moisture content also leads to the formation of hydrates of the liquid hydrocarbons present, thus causing further difficulties. The moisture content of the gas also adversely affects the calorific value of the gas, thus lowering the quality and value of the product. Moisture is therefore measured at the point of extraction, at export stations, at gas storage locations and in the transmission grid. As natural gas often contains high levels of contaminants, more complex systems are required to maintain instrument performance over prolonged periods and to verify data collected in spot-check moisture analysis.
The Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor uses carbon dioxide gas to transfer heat from the nuclear fission core to the water boiler for steam generation. The moisture content needs to be monitored to avoid corrosion damage, and continuous moisture monitoring acts as a boiler leak detector or bulk moisture meter.
Optimal performance of petrochemical reforming catalysts depends upon maintaining an optimal moisture / chloride ratio within the reforming reactor. When moisture and chloride are out of balance, catalysts suffer from higher deactivation rates and decreased yields. The cost of inadequately controlling the moisture / chloride ratio can be very high in terms of yield losses, off-spec product, increased catalyst regeneration , early catalyst replacement , processing upsets and / or increased downtime.