Hot dry air solution for testing liquid CO2 storage

October 8, 2020

In order to dry three tanks used for CO2 storage, Atlas Copco Rental provided a 100% oil-free and hot dry air solution that allowed operations to continue.

A collaboration that was meant to be

For over 100 years, the name Messer has been associated with everything related to industrial gases. Messer produces and supplies oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, welding shielding gases, specialty gases, medicinal gases, and an extensive range of gas mixtures. The Messer Group is one of the leading European industrial gas producers. Just like Atlas Copco, sustainability is in the Messer DNA.

In March 2020, Messer scheduled a full internal inspection of three liquid CO2 storage tanks (700 m3 each) at the CO2 recuperation unit bECO2 in the Port of Antwerp,which is a joint Venture between Messer and IJsfabriek Strombeek.  Prior to the actual inspection, the tanks needed to be emptied, depressurized, and flushed with air. Because the tanks are constantly kept at about -20°C, these needed to be flushed with hot and dry air. This allowed to achieve the fastest result (removing all residual CO2)  and remove the risk of condensation or worse ice formation from the equation. That’s why our  hot dry air solution came into play.

The magic number is 800

One of our most trailed and tested solutions is the PTS 800, and it proved to be the right tool for the job at Messer as well. The PTS 800 is designed to deliver reliable air quality for flows up to 800 cfm and pressure range of 0,5 to 10,3 bar. In the world where the importance of 100% oil-free air is only increasing, this means you are able to generate the matching airflow for your specific applications in any industry with optimal efficiency, whatever your required flow rate is. At the heart of the PTS 800 is an engine conform to the latest emission standards. This guarantees optimal fuel efficiency and offers full regulation compliance.

The only solution is a total solution

The total solution was designed by our team to provide “hot dry air “and consisted of the following equipment:

  • PTS 800 oil-free air compressor
  • CD 400 dryer
  • HD95 heat exchanger
  • FT 3000 Fuel tank 3000l
  • Adblue tank 1000l
  • Accessories

Hot dry air does the trick

All atmospheric air contains water vapor, but as air is being compressed, the relative humidity of water increases to 100%. To avoid problems caused by water precipitation in pipes and connected downstream equipment, compressed air must be dried. In an additional stage, the air is heated as well to further improve the drying process. A Dry Hot Air Solution with a PTS 800 looks like this:

Thanks to the coordination between Messer and our Rental Desk, Sales, Logistic, and Service teams, the site was operational again in no time!

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At Atlas Copco, we have been turning industrial ideas into business-critical benefits since 1873. By listening to our customers and knowing their needs, we deliver value and innovate with the future in mind. 

Great ideas reinforce sustainable development. At Atlas Copco Specialty Rental, we team up with our customers to set up state-of-the-art temporary air, flow, steam and nitrogen solutions. Our passionate experts have extensive application and equipment knowledge. We understand our customers' needs and can provide a total solution for any industry, no matter if it is for emergencies or planned projects. We are a division of the Power Technique business area, headquartered in Boom, Belgium and offer specialty rental solutions under several brands around the globe.