Skip to Content

4333 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N., Suite 100 Houston, TX 77043 | D: +1 713 300-2700 | TF: 800 619-2861 | F: +1 713 856-6623

SS2100 - H2O Ethylene Purity (Product or Polymer Feed) Analyzer Solution

Ethylene is one of the most important feedstocks for the petrochemical industry. Since it is used in the manufacture of a wide range of compounds, Ethylene has very stringent purity specifications especially for Polymer Grade Ethylene as water poisons polyethylene catalysts.  Sample points for water in Polymer Grade Ethylene are either in the Ethylene plant product  or in a Polyethylene plant feed.  Large quantities of Ethylene are transported via pipelines and stored in underground salt caverns.  In both cases, the purity of the Ethylene must be verified at the point of custody transfer.
Product Code: 55001
 
 
 
 
 

Application Note

Water Control and Reduction
As Ethylene is separated from Ethane in a cryogenic distillation, the cracked gas must be dried, typically over Molecular Sieves and the Ethylene product is quite dry. However, from that point on, Ethylene can pick of traces of water from transportation in pipelines and ships, storage in salt caverns, and other handling. Molecular Sieve dryers can be used to dry off-spec Ethylene.

Traditional Measurement Solutions

Vibrating crystal, AlO3 capacitance probes and electrolytic moisture analyzers have been the traditional methods for monitoring the levels of water in Polymer Grade Ethylene. These methods suffer from slow wet-up and dry-down time, slow drift in calibration and sensitivity to contamination Due to the very short residence times in Ethylene feed storage vessels and the desired to measure Ethylene in flowing pipelines, the delay in measurements can easily lead to excursions in concentrations before it is detected.

SpectraSensors' Solution

The SpectraSensors SS2100 is the ideal solution for Ethylene purity applications. The use of Tunable Diode Laser technology means that analysis results can be updated every second. Furthermore, the high resolution that is inherent to the laser eliminates errors due to interferences which have hampered other spectrometric approaches. Also, the non-contact nature of the measurement with no moving parts in the analyzer means that the analyzer is simple to operate and little routine maintenance is needed.

SpectraSensors applies differential spectroscopy where the sample is dried using a metal getter technology and the background spectrum of the sample is collected. The dryer is then bypassed and the wet sample spectrum is collected. The dry spectrum is subtracted from the wet spectrum to get a sensitive measurement free of background gas interferences. The dryer has a typical lifetime greater than 18 months, and is the only consumable part of the analyzer. See Fig. 3 for typical calibration performance. In addition to water, trace Acetylene measurements can be made using TDL technology.
 

Typical Stream Composition

Component

Unit

Typical Concentration

Min. for Application

Max. for Applicaiton

Ethylene (C2H4)

Mole%

99.95

99.9

100

Water

ppmw

<1

0

5

Acetylene (C2H2)

ppmw

<1

0

5

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

ppmw

0.5

0

 

3

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

ppmw

< 1.0

0

5

Hydrogen (H2)

ppmw

<1

0

 

5

 

“Light Inerts”

(C1+C2+N2)

ppmv

100 - 200

0

1000

Propylene (C2H6)+

ppmw

3000

0

10

Total

Mole%

100

 

 



 

« Previous | Next »

Data Sheet


Performance

Target Components

Water in Pure Ethylene

Typical Measurement Ranges

0 – 10 ppm*

Typical Precision

 ± 0.05 ppm or 2% of Full Scale
(whichever is greater)*

Measurement Response Time

1 to ~60 sec*

Principle of Measurement

Differential Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy
(H2O Scrubber included)

Environmental Temperature Range

-20º to 50ºC (-4º to 122ºF)
-10º to 60ºC (14º to 140ºF) optional

Sample Inlet Pressure

70 kPag (10 psig) typical

210 kPag (30 psig) maximum


Cell Temperature

Maintain at 50ºC +/- 0.2ºC

Maximum Cell Pressure

70 kPag (10 PSIg)

Sample Flow Rate
3 - 4 L/min (6.4 to 8.5 scfh)*
 
Validation
A certified blend of H2O in Nitrogen balance
is diluted with dried sample in the sample
conditioning system under flow control
 

Electrical

Power

100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz standard

Max Current

Controller: 1 A @ 120 VAC

Controller to Cell Cable Length

1m standard (3m, 5m & 10m available optionally)

Communication

Current Loop Output 4-20 mA Isolated, 1200 ohms @ 24 VDC max load
Serial: ASCII Text RS232C standard
Modbus RS232C
Digital Outputs
4 ea. 12 VDC for valve operations
Scrubber (if required), Process/Val, Val 1, Val 2
5 SPDT (Form C) Dry Contact Alarms
Common Fault, Val 1 Active, Val 2 Active, Val Fail,
one user-assignable to any alarm 
LCD Display
Concentration, Cell Pressure and Temperature, Diagnostic Data
 

Physical

Controller Enclosure

NEMA 4X - 304 Stainless Steel standard

Controller Dimensions

343mm H x 305mm W x 165mm H
(13.5" H x 12" W x 6-7/16" D)*

Weight Approximately

13.1 Kg (28.6 lbs)*

Sample Cell Dimensions

28m cell for ranges <100 ppm
559 mm H × 127 mm W
(22” H × 5” W)

Sample Cell Construction

316L Series Polished Stainless Steel standard
Siltek® coated
Number of Sample Cells
1 (single channel SS2100) or
2 (dual channel SS2100)
Area Classification
CSA Certified for Class I, Division 2,
Groups ABCD Temp Code T3C
 ll 2G Ex d llB+H2 T5; Tamb : -20 ÷ +60 °C
Dimensions with Sample System 1678 mm H x 613 mm W x 427 mm D
(66” H x 24-1/8” W x 16-13/16” D)
Weight with Sample System (approx.) 68 kg (150 lbs.)

* Application specific; consult factory

« Previous | Next »

Drawings


 

Typical Accessories


SS2100 ARM9 Electronics
 

80000-02199

Temperature Control Board

23000-00030

4-20 mA Current Loop Board
 

80000-02203

Power Supply Assembly, 120/240 VAC 50/60 Hz
 

80000-02300

Power Supply Assembly, 24 VDC
 

01902-17106 External Serial Output Cable

01902-30011 Keypad Assembly

24601-00002
Display Assembly
 
02203-13100
Daughter Board
 
45000-02002
Relay, DC12V SPDT 3 A/120 VAC
 

Herriott Cell (8m & 28m)
02101-17102
Pressure Transducer Assembly
 
02101-17103
Thermistor Assembly
 
02199-00006
Spares Kit (o-rings, fuses), AC, Viton
 
02199-00007
Cleaning Kit (domestic only)
 
 
 
 

Photos

 
 

« Previous | Next »

Request a quote

To request a quote online, please enter the following and we'll get back to you promptly:

Your Name*
Company
Email*
Address*
Address Line 2
City*
State
Zip Code
Country*
Phone
Product Code
Application Name / Stream Details
Measurement Range
Comments and Questions

« Previous | Next »