High Pressure in Renewable Energy Processes

Industrial High Pressure Apf ications Processes, Equipment and Safety, First Edition. Edited by Rudolf E ers. 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA. Published 2012 by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA. 

Element Natural gas Crude oil Lignite Black coal Biomass 

The different process routes, in particular with reference to pressure applications, will now be described in more detail. Hydrothermal conversion of highly water-containing biomasses will be described in a different section, due to the special features of these processes. 

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I JO High Pressure in Renewable Energy Processes Fixed bed gasifier Counter current... 

The renewable energy processes will be monitored and controlled by small, fast, and economical detectors, and fiber optics will play a major role in their designs. The operation and applications of fiber-optic probes have already been discussed in connection with Figure 3.2, so only a brief summary is provided here. Fiber-optic probes can be installed in situ, whereas their readout instruments can be several hundred meters from the probe. The probe can be located in toxic, corrosive, radioactive, explosive, high- or low-temperature/ pressure, and noisy environments. Because the measurement signal is optical, the cables are immune to microwave or electromagnetic interference. 

Some of the renewable energy processes operate under high pressures (Fy, and others such as thermal solar systems circulate oils under high temperatures. In these and many other applications, leakage in tanks (under- or aboveground), valves, steam traps, or pipes must be detected. Table 3.107 lists the detectable leak rates of some common gases, including H2. 

In the renewable energy processes, particularly in the GH2 storage and transportation applications, accurate measurement of high pressures is required. The term "high pressure" is relative, but for the purposes of this discussion, pressures exceeding 1,000 bar (15,000 psig) are considered to be high. 

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