Inert gas extraction: please keep it cool!
The Messer Group extracts inert gases such as neon, xenon and helium from air at temperatures of down to -196 °C. This demands high-performance cooling. And it only works with cooling water of optimal quality – thanks to ProMinent.
Until the air freezes
The international Messer Group produces gases for industrial and medicinal use, including inert gases such as neon, argon and krypton. Inert gases are particularly slow to react, which is why they are often used as blanket gases in industry. Messer extracts inert gases out of normal ambient air in air separation plants. Air is gradually cooled, under pressure, to -196 °C with heat exchangers. In this process the different gases in the air change from their gaseous into their liquid state at varying temperatures. They fall to the ground as drops and can then be "harvested", for example, argon changes state at -186 °C. The be-all and end-all of high-performance cooling is optimum cooling water and faultless pipes free from biofilm and corrosion. Since 2009, ProMinent technology has been ensuring the quality of the cooling water at Messer's location in Siegen.
Key figures
- Cooling system for air separation plants: prevention of deposits and corrosion
- Tailor-made, connection-ready metering and control system from ProMinent
- Solenoid driven metering pump delta® meters biocides and corrosion inhibitors
- pH and conductivity sensors, integrated corrosion measuring section
- The controller DULCOMETER® regulates metering
Pure cooling water for pure inert gases
Messer installed a ProMinent metering and controlling device with an integrated corrosion measuring section to manage all tasks – tailor-made, precisely and fully automatically. DULCOTEST® sensors measure the pH and conductivity. The data that is collected concerning the water quality is sent to the controller DULCOMETER® which then determines the correct metering of corrosion inhibitor, and chlorine and bromine as biocides. They prevent the growth of algae, bacteria and fungi which can lead to the formation of a biofilm in the pipes. Any water that is required is metered out, even in the smallest of quantities, by the solenoid driven metering pump delta® and – thanks to the optoDrive® – this occurs in a constant flow, which ensures good mixing in the water. The ProMinent device guarantees optimum cooling water at any given time and also contributes towards reducing costs.
Perfect water, low-maintenance operation, low costs
- Reliable and fully automatic cooling water treatment
- Convenient project development: tailor-made, connection-ready equipment, all components from one company
- Precise measurements, precise metering
- Virtually maintenance-free system operation
- Costs reduced by wear-free operation, minimal chemical consumption, low requirement for fresh water