Major Middle Eastern Petrochemical Plant Chooses Gas Analysers for Cem and Safety Applications

A Saudi Arabian ethylene production (EO/EG) facility, which is reported to be the largest of its kind in the world, with a total annual capacity of over 1.6million tonnes plus 2million tonnes of derivative products such as polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene glycol has been equipped with Servomex (UK) gas analysers for both CEM (continuous emission monitoring) and safety-related applications.
The CEM analysers that were originally installed to monitor SO2 and NO were suffering badly from drift, which was having a small but appreciable impact on the plant`s profitability due to the plant running inefficiently. Although it is common practice in the Middle East to install analysers that use chemiluminescence technology,
Servomex suggested the site trial two 4900 analysers, which use photometric infra-red technology, confident that their solution could deliver improved long-term performance. At the end of the 12-month trial, the drift problem had been eliminated and the engineers at the plant have enjoyed additional benefits relating to operating efficiency, ease of use and maintenance.
Safety is another top priority at the site, and the plant`s owners have entrusted several safety-related functions to Servomex oxygen analysers, such as monitoring oxygen levels during ethylene oxide production. On the back of previous performance, Servomex secured an order for eight Servomex 2200 process oxygen analysers and sampling systems for use in controlling oxygen levels in the ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol (EO/EG) plant.
Servomex 2200 process oxygen analysers consist of a paramagnetic oxygen measurement transmitter and a microprocessor-based control unit. The analysers can measure oxygen content from 0-100 per cent with an
accuracy of 0.02 per cent and a repeatability of 0.02 per cent. Various models of transmitter and control unit are available, depending on the application, and ATEX, IEC Ex, FM and CSA certifications mean the analysers can be used in most global markets.
Up to six transmitters can be linked to a single control unit using twisted-pair cables for distances of up to 1000m.
Servomex 2200 process oxygen analysers provide digital data communications to high-level production control computers and offer all the key features needed by current and projected process plant control technologies.
Because of the exceptional characteristics of the transmitter`s fast, rugged, non-depleting paramagnetic sensor cell, zero drift is an extremely low 0.02 per cent per week, so calibration is typically only required every three months. Cost-of-ownership is further reduced through an auto-calibration facility with a multi-language text interface.