Pressure Reduction Services: How Natural Gas is Compressed

Jun 18, 2021 | Compressed Natural Gas

After it is mined, how is natural gas compressed to make it suitable for a vast range of applications? The compression helps to allow more fuel to get stored per volume. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is kept under high pressures in its vaporous form for easy transport or storage for future use. Compressed natural gas is methane.

Gas compressors are comparable to pumps, where both upsurges the pressure on a fluid and can transfer the fluid via pipes. Since gases are compressible, the compressor also lessens the volume of a gas. While liquids, being incompressible, get the energy of motion that pushes them through a pipe.

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Pressure is Key

When gas companies put pressure on pipeline gas, it becomes CNG. The pounds per square inch increment decreases its volume to less than one percent of its original state. The gas must be first dried and cleaned of contaminants before it is compressed. In this form, the compressed gas remains non-corrosive, odorless, and transparent.

Stages of the Compression

Compressed natural gas uses many compression stages to meet a target pressure of 4,500 pounds per square inch gauge. Compressors use several stages to compress the gas. Each stage uses a smaller cylinder than the last to increase the pressure put on the gas.

For example, a tandem cylinder is set up to four compression stages. This aids in dropping discharge temperature and prolonging the component lifespan. Fewer stages and fewer horsepower are essential to yield the same standard cubic feet per minute of flow.

The next stage concludes compression to 3600 pounds per square inch gauge (PSIG). The natural gas and hydraulic fluid never blend because they are at the same pressure at the piston ring. Possible benefits include minimal maintenance, a reduced footprint, and lesser expenses than conventional reciprocating technology.

Uses of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Natural gas is a multipurpose, clean-burning, and adequate fuel used in an extensive range of applications. First, CNG is overly used in most domestic and commercial buildings, ordinarily for space, water heating, and cooking. Natural gas can also yield both heat and power concurrently via a technology known as cogeneration.

Compressed natural gas boasts a broader range of uses in industries as a source of heat and electricity. Apart from being used for transportation in public vehicles, CNG is also used to produce chemicals and plastics.

Sapphire Natural Gas Manufacturing

It is now clear how natural gas is compressed. The use of compressed natural gas, especially as a transport fuel, is a technology used in various parts of the world, including the United States. The gas is clean with low zero emissions, hence refining the quality of air.

Contact us and understand more about natural compressed gas.