Mass-Based Propane Odorant Injection System

by Wesley Sund, Brooks Instrument, LLC

The details of a mass-based chemical injection

system for an application that requires critical dosing
of a trace chemical into a continuous flowing fluid.
In 1937, a natural gas leak at a school in Texas killed 237 students. The gas
leak in the school was not detected even though it had been leaking for a long
time. To solve the problem of detecting odorless hydrocarbon gaseous fuels,
laws were passed that required natural gas and propane to be odorized, so
they can be detected by the average human nose at 1/5 the lower explosive
limit in air.

Ethyl mercaptan is required to be added to propane to meet DOT

requirements for safe transportation and usage.
Propane is primarily sourced as a byproduct of the production of natural gas.
To maintain the heating value of natural gas within a narrow range, heavier
components (natural gas liquids) are removed from the natural gas near the
production well. The liquids are sent to an additional plant where these liquids
are separated for higher value uses. Propane is sold as a fuel and is
distributed throughout the country via pipeline or rail car.
Mercaptans are sulfur-containing analogs of alcohols (oxygen replaced by
sulfur), and the human nose is sensitive to these chemicals. A skunk's smell,
for instance, is a mixture of methyl and butyl mercaptans. For propane, the
most common mercaptan used for odorization is ethyl mercaptan, which

matches the vapor pressure of propane but is also resistant to decomposition.

Ethyl mercaptan must be added to propane to meet Department of
Transportation standards for over-the-road shipment at a minimum of 1 pound
per 10,000 gallons of propane.
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Propane Odorization
To efficiently handle the distribution of propane from a single pipeline across a
wide geographical area, pipeline storage terminals are built along the pipeline.
At periodic intervals, propane is withdrawn from the pipeline and stored in
large horizontal cylinders. The delivery window to withdraw from the pipeline is
fixed, and it is critical that all delivery equipment be in good operating
condition to take the delivery. Any equipment failure can interrupt or stop
delivery. Lost propane deliveries equals lost sales . . . resulting in lost profits
for the terminal operator.
Propane is odorized as the propane is withdrawn from the pipeline. Odorant
injection equipment operating perfectly is critical to the terminal operation's
financial health. This is the primary reason why a propane terminal operator in
the upper Midwest invested in a more accurate, reliable and consistent
propane odorization system.
Positive displacement dosing pumps have been the traditional method for
metering odorant into propane. A flowmeter measures the propane delivered
to the terminal, and a control system commands the metering pump to
periodically inject a known quantity of mercaptan in the propane at a
frequency to meet the desired dosing rate. The stroke detector on the pump
sends a signal back to the control system as confirmation that odorant is
being injected.
If after a number of commands to stroke the pump there is no signal indicating
stroking, the terminal control system will stop delivery of propane. Problems
with the injection pump might put the delivery of propane into jeopardy.
Metering pump system seals must be replaced on a periodic basis. Pumpbased systems are typically set to overdose to compensate for any
inaccuracies, with the result being higher operating costs to purchase odorant.
A better solution was sought that would provide the following benefits:

 Higher accuracy to minimize odorant consumption

No moving parts for reliable operation, minimal maintenance
Documentation of actual odorant dosing rates

Mass-Based Odorant Injection

A liquid mass flow controller based on Coriolis technology was selected as a
technology that would provide these desired benefits. The operating concept
of a mass flow controller-based odorization system is simple. The odorant
injection control system takes a reading from the propane delivery meter and
calculates the flow set point required to meet the odorant mass/propane
volume ratio specification. The flow controller is sized to meet a wide variation
in propane delivery rates experienced from summer to winter.

Mass flow injector designed to be mounted in hazardous environment

associated with propane terminal operations.

The key technology in the liquid mass flow controller is the Coriolis sensor
tube. Coriolis sensor technology has been used in process flow metering
since the 1970s, but only recently has the technology been reduced in size to
meet the lower flow requirements for injection of chemicals like odorant.
Coriolis mass flow measurement technology is simply a momentum metering
device to determine fluid mass flow rate. A vibrating tube acts as the sensor.
The momentum of the fluid flowing through the tube will change the shape of
the tube as it vibrates. Detectors are used to measure the change in shape
and, when calibrated, a linear relationship exists between the degree of tube
twist and the fluid's mass flow rate.
Coriolis devices accurately measure fluid mass flow independent of fluid
properties such as viscosity and density. Water is used as the calibrating fluid
at the factory, and there is no change in accuracy when measuring
mercaptans. The measurement accuracy is better than 0.5 percent of rate,
and calibration can be NIST traceable. The controller system contains an
integrated control valve, which is sized to control the flow of odorant over the
range of delivery rates from summer to winter, 0.25 to 25 pounds of
odorant/hour.
To drive the fluid through the injector system, the mercaptan must be
pressurized to at least 60 psig above line pressure. Nitrogen gas
pressurization is not acceptable due to the volume of gas required and the
difficulty of disposing the mercaptan saturated gas during odorant tank
refilling.

The solution design uses a positive displacement pump in a recirculation loop

with a back pressure regulator as a source of pressurized liquid to drive the
liquid through the controller and into the propane. A three stage diaphragm
pump was selected for this application. Mercaptan is a non-lubricating fluid,
and this particular pump design uses an elastomeric seal to isolate the
pumping pistons from the mercaptan.
A critical device that maintains a constant differential pressure across the flow
controller from summer to winter operation is a dome-loaded differential
pressure tracking regulator. The dome of a regulator is connected to the
propane pressure, and the regulator will maintain a constant downstream
pressure as the propane pressure varies with ambient temperature.
Documenting that the correct amount of mercaptan has been injected in the
propane was an important consideration in designing the new system. The
previous injector-based system could not provide a positive confirmation of
actual odorant delivery. The new system with the flow sensor is capable of
providing a printed report of actual odorant injection mass versus propane
delivered volume. An integrated printer generates a report detailing the
delivery specifics.

Conclusion
The business results for the new system are positive. There have been no
propane delivery stoppages due to odorization equipment failures since

installation. The injection rate of odorant has been reduced from 1.5 to 1.2
pounds per 10,000 gallons due to the higher accuracy of the system. This has
resulted in chemical savings. The system provides a high level of
documentation that can be used to prove propane was odorized to meet DOT
minimum standards. Finally, the pump pressurization system has saved the
purchase cost and handling of nitrogen cylinders.
The basic design of this mass-based chemical injection system could be
applied to any application that requires critical dosing of a trace chemical into
a continuous flowing fluid.
Pumps & Systems, October 2010
About the Author
Wesley Sund is a marketing manager for Brooks Instrument LLC. Contact him
at wesley.sund@brooksinstrument.com.