NITROGEN FOR EXPLOSION PREVENTION IN EDIBLE OIL REFINERIES AND TANK FARMS IN THE ARABIAN GULF

SELF-GENERATED NITROGEN SECURES FOOD SUPPLIES

In the port of an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, a plant covering several hectares is currently being built for the production and storage of edible oils and fats. Refining and storage produce highly flammable vapor-air mixtures which can lead to fires and explosions. Nitrogen (N2), which is pumped into the head spaces of the storage and process tanks as well as the widely branched pipelines, prevents this. For this, N2 is required in large quantities. To ensure that the right amount of inert gas is supplied at all times, the nitrogen is produced in the new refinery with the help of two Inmatec nitrogen generators on site.

Most of the food consumed in the emirate is imported. A program was launched a few years ago to remedy this deficit. The aim of the program is to secure the food supply in the future. The new edible oil refinery will produce edible oils and fats in the future and provide space for storing large quantities of oil. The location directly at the port enables the delivery of preliminary products for production.

During the production and storage of oils and fats, vapors are generated which, in contact with oxygen, can lead to inflammation. Fats and oils can self-ignite when heated, even without a source of ignition. To avoid this, the production and storage containers as well as the pipes are blanketed with the inert medium nitrogen. This displaces the oxygen and thus efficiently prevents inflammations, fires and explosions. The nitrogen is also used in bottling and tank cleaning (CIP - Cleaning in Place). Another application of nitrogen is so-called “pigging”. Here, a pig that fills the cross-section of the pipe is sent through the pipelines under pressure (nitrogen) to clean them, dissolve blockages and ensure a clean separation of successive product batches.

In order to be able to supply the numerous tanks with a capacity of several million liters with a sufficient amount of nitrogen, two nitrogen generators from Inmatec are used in the new system. An IMT PNC 9920 generator with PSA technology generates 625 m3 of nitrogen per hour from the ambient air. This is pumped under pressure into the activated carbon molecular sieves of the generator. The nitrogen molecules are filtered out in this way and fed into a buffer tank with a volume of 20,000 liters. The nitrogen generated by the PSA generator has a high purity of 99.9% and is used for blanketing and bottle filling.

Another IMT LNX 2050 nitrogen generator with membrane technology generates another 745 m3 / h N2. The ambient air is sent under pressure through a membrane, which filters out N2 due to the different degrees of diffusion of the components contained in the air. The nitrogen produced is stored in a tank with a capacity of 24,000 liters. The nitrogen stored in the containers at a pressure of 8 bar has a total volume of 325,000 liters and provides a buffer for any maintenance work or power outages. The nitrogen produced by the membrane generator with a purity of 95% is used in particular for cleaning the tanks and pipelines. The generators and buffer storage have just been delivered to the emirate.

Nitrogen generator with PSA technology

The IMT PNC 9920 generator with PSA technology generates 625 m3 of nitrogen per hour from the ambient air.

Nitrogen generator with membrane technology

The IMT LNX 2050 nitrogen generator with membrane technology generates another 745 m3 / h N2 in the plant.