LNG LINE BLOCKAGES: CAUSES, PREVENTIONS AND CURES

摘要

LNG peak-shaving facilities will occasionally develop a blockage within their fill line that prevents LNG from being added to the tank until the blockage is removed. The typical historical method for removing a blockage is the use of a vacuum pump to pull a vacuum on the fill line, thereby removing the offending plug material. Removing a blockage can take as little as a few hours, but generally takes weeks to months and sometimes even years depending upon conditions within the blockage and the surrounding area. We will discuss the results of blockage component analysis, theories on blockage formation, what an LNG Peak-shaving facility can do to help prevent blockage formation, and finally, in the event that a blockage of the fill line does occur, a method which has been reliably used several times in multiple plants that has consistently cleared the blockage in minutes to hours instead of weeks to months; is inexpensive and generally easy to implement using parts and supplies normally found at an LNG facility.