Formed by chemical and bacterial reactions, black powder is an abrasive and reactive particulate contamination present in natural gas and most hydrocarbon transmission lines. This contamination is a serious concern in natural gas systems. Presence of black powder may cause severe damage to pump seals, meters, valves, compressor components, and other process equipment.
Currently, black powder is being separated from natural gas streams by using either conventional filters, or magnetic filters that must be cleaned manually. Traditional barrier filters typically show poor separation performance in removing black powder due to their size-exclusion nature. Filters are restricted by the pore size of the barrier, causing incomplete filtration or clogged pores. On the other hand, magnetic filters that must be cleaned manually are inconvenient and poses a fire hazard when the magnetic rods are scraped in the presence of light hydrocarbons.
Tartan's automated magnetic filter (patent pending) uses a fully-automated injection system to remove contaminants that collect in the interior of the vessel. The magnetic rods are enclosed in sleeves for equipment longevity and ease of cleaning. Once the magnets are ready to be cleaned, a platform lifts them out of their sleeves. The sleeves are then automatically sprayed with a suitable washing fluid from multiple injection nozzles. The contaminants will collect in a bag filter at the bottom of the vessel that can be isolated and removed at any time using a valve before the bag filter. The bag filter is connected to a washing liquid storage tank so the liquids can be recycled. This allows the process to operate continuously, reduce the waste and cost incurred from using consumable filters, and eliminate fire hazards caused by scraping magnetic filters which must be cleaned mechanically.