INERT GAS
GENERATOR
Alfa Laval
Gln 4500 - 0.15 FU
Working
Princible Inert gas is produced by stoichiometric
combustion of fuel oil with air. The fuel
oil is a hydrocarbon and the air a
mixture of mainly 79% nitrogen and
21% oxygen.
The combustion is a chemical reaction
between the hydrocarbon and the
oxygen, mainly giving carbon dioxide
and water. Some little rest quantities of
oxygen, carbon monoxide and hydrogen
also remain. The nitrogen leaves the
generator unchanged. The burner is not
ignited at air production.
The combustion air is supplied to the
burner under pressure. In the burner,
the fuel oil is atomised in such a way
that a perfect mixing of fuel and air is
achieved.
Consequently, a bright blue flame is
seen, that will not create any soot. Soot
Working Princible
The hot inert gas produced
mainly consists out of nitrogen
and carbon dioxide. The hot
combustion gases are cooled
directly and indirectly for the
best results.
The first indirectly cooling occurs
in the combustion chamber by a
cooling-water jacket. The main
cooling of the combustion gases
occurs in the cooling / washing
section of the combustion
chamber
Working Princible
At the end of the cooling section, the water droplets are
separated, as the gas passes through a demister.
The required final pressure of the generator is achieved by a
blower installed in front of the combustion chamber and a
pressure control valve in the inert gas line. This causes an
overpressure inside the combustion chamber and the gas
cooling section. A water seal under the cooling section
discharges the water, while at the same time maintaining the
required pressure and avoiding the escape of inert gas.
v
Combustion Air Supply
The combustion air is supplied to
the main burner by a centrifugal
blower or blower .The quantity of
combustion air to the burner is
adjusted via the burner lance.
I.G. generator is equipped with
two combustion air blowers
according the classification
requirements. Both blowers have
block valves at the outlet The
block valves are equipped with
limit switches for safe operation
and protection of the blowers. The
operator will not be able to start
the generator without having
these valves in the correct
Capacity control
The capacity of the inert gas generator can be
adjusted by the hand wheel on the main burner.
With this the burner gun (lance) can be moved
forward and backward in its casing. The
passages of the slots in the atomising ring round
the burner head will consequently get smaller or
bigger.
By applying these kinds of valves a reliable and
repeatable adjustment of the O2 content can be
obtained. The capacity will be automatically
adjusted via a hand wheel or cylinder (option) at
the main burner. If the fuel-oil/air ratio is not
correct over the whole of the capacity range,
then the fueloil/air ratio can be changed by the
pressure regulating valve .This change is advised
if the O2 content is too high/low over the whole
range. If the fuel oil pressure is high, the O2
content will be low. If the pressure is low the O2
Maxon Valve
The Maxon valve is
designed to regulate the
oil pressure on the burner
head and with this the
flow of oil that the burner
consumes.This intern will
influence the oxygen
level.If the oil pressure on
the burner head is
increased more oil will
flow through the burner
and the oxygen level will
go down.If the oil
pressure on the burner
head is reduced less oil
will flow through the
burner and the oxygen
Fuel oil supply
Fuel oil is sucked in and supplied at a
constant pressure by a fuel oil pump.
The fuel oil pump has a built in
pressure safety relief valve.
Prior to starting the ignition, and while
the pump is already running (pre-purge
time); all the fuel oil is pumped back
via the overflow valve.By means of this
valve, the operating pressure of the
pump is adjusted as well
The fuel oil flows to the nozzle of the
main burner via two valves and a
fueloil-regulating valve.
Pilot burner
The pilot burner is
ignited with the aid of a
spark generated by
means of a spark plug.
An ignition transformer
is supplying the high
voltage for the spark
plug.
The burning of the
flame is monitored by
an UVflame detector, in
conjunction with the
flame safeguard relay in
the electric system.
Main burner
The main burner is ignited by the pilot burner.
The fuel oil is atomised in two steps. First a spray
nozzle disperses the fuel oil. Then it is subjected
to the inside a tangential impulse flow of
combustion air, which added to the mainly axially
orientated impulse flow of the liquid itself, results
in an ultra-fine dispersion of the liquid.
The optimum gas quality is achieved by:
- The correct atomization by combustion air
- The burner cone that concentrates the heat,
resulting in a complete chemical reaction of fuel
and air
At a lower atomising pressure, the quality of
combustion will grow worse and soot could be
formed.
Effluent water seal
A water seal mounted under
the cooling section discharges
the cooling water and the
condensate from the generator,
at the same time maintaining
the required overpressure in
the generator and avoiding the
escape of gas or air.
The height of the water seal
smoothly follows the pressure
in the generator. In conjunction
with the (optional) pressure
control system of the generator
a constant and stable pressure
can be maintained. Therefore a
constant combustion air supply
and thus a constant oxygen
percentage is obtained.
Generator pressure
control system
• The pressure inside
the generator should
be kept constant at
0.15 bar.
• This insures a proper
combustion with a
constant quantity of
combustion air at a
given capacity. The
pressure is held
constant by the
pressure control valve
(6001)
Generator delivery
pressure
• The air quantity delivered by the blower
depends both on the difference between
the blower pressure and the generator
back pressure and on the passage of the
slots in the atomising ring of the main
burner.
• If the back pressure deviates from the set
value the quantity of combustion air at
the adjusted capacity position will be too
high or too low to match the fuel supply
adjusted and thus the oxygen content will
be influenced.
• The quality of combustion depends on the
pressure difference (about 0.1 bar) over
the atomising ring of the main burner.
• If this pressure becomes too low, the
quality of combustion will decrease with
Purge / excess vent valve and
delivery valve
• The delivery valve (6041) is a pneumatic stop valve in the delivery line of the generator. The
delivery valve is closed by a spring in fail safe position. It is controlled via a solenoid valve
(6044) in the instrument airline to the valve actuator (6042).
• The purge/excess gas valve (6021) is a pneumatic valve in the purge line. The purge valve is
normally opened by a spring in fail safe position. The function of the purge valve is to purge
air to the outside during the start-up and to control the deck main pressure.
• When the delivery valve is opened, the purge valve will automatically start controlling the
deck main pressure.
• In case of the mode ‘INERT GAS PRODUCTION’, the purge air and (after ignition) the initially
produced inert gas, are blown off to the outside air for about 5 minutes until the inert gas
quality has stabilised.
• Provided no alarms are indicated the inert gas can be led to the cargo tanks. On the LCRP,
the operator must operate the ‘GENERATOR STAND-BY’ switch. The inert gas delivery valve
can now be opened via the CCRP.
Deck main pressure control
The purge / excess gas vent valve protects the tanks against overpressure during inerting of
the tanks. If the capacity of the generator is larger than the capacity of the cargo pumps, a
part of the inert gas will be blown to the atmosphere.
Alfa Laval Aalborg Nijmegen B.V. delivers a deck main pressure monitoring set standard with
the installation. This set comprises of two pressure transmitters (6306, 6304), and a pressure
indicator (6302). The signal from pressure transmitter (6306) is used by controller (8008) for
the control of the purge valve during inerting and indicating and recording the deck main
pressure at the CCRP. The signal from the pressure transmitter also provides a signal for the
deck main pressure alarms (high or low). The high and low alarms are also available when the
generator is not in operation. The high alarm will put the generator in purge mode. The low
deck main pressure alarm is a pre-alarm. In case of a low alarm the generator must be started
or the capacity of the generator must be increased or the cargo pumps capacity should be
decreased etc. In case of low alarm, there is still a safe situation, but immediate action should
be taken.
Low-low deck main pressure alarm formed by pressure transmitter (6304) in combination with
a switching module (control panel). Potential free contacts are provided by Alfa Laval Aalborg
Measurement and
safeguarding of the oxygen
content
• The oxygen analyser (7001) constantly
measures the oxygen content in the inert
gas and will effect an alarm if a set
maximum or minimum quantity of
oxygen is exceeded
• The maximum value is fixed by the
application of the inert gas (normally
about. 4 vol. % O2). The minimum value
protects against understoichiometric
combustion (a too high content of
combustibles CO + H2 with the risk of
soot), normally set at 2 vol. % O2.
• In case of an O2 alarm the O2 content
can be changed by supplying either
more or less fuel oil to the main burner.
This has to be controlled manually by the
pressure-regulating valve (1071) in the
fuel oil supply line. This can be
necessary e.g. at temperature variations
Adjusting Oxygen
Content
• BE SURE, THAT THE FUEL OIL PUMP DELIVERY
PRESSURE, INDICATED ON THE MANOMETER
(1003), DOES NOT EXCEED A PRESSURE OF 20
bar. This to prevent a back flow of oil in the
pump via a built-in overflow valve.
• Adjust with small steps, this due to the
response time of the measuring system.
• In case an excess of fuel is supplied in
proportion to the combustion air (O2- content
measured below minimum setting) or the
atomising pressure is too low, the risk exists
that soot is being formed. Soot can foul and
damage the equipment. An indication for this
phenomenon is the flame becoming yellow.
• The fuel pressure on the main burner will not
always have the same value for certain oxygen
contents this depends on the fuel temperature,
the viscosity and the quality (see technical
specifications).
• The blower takes in a constant volume of
combustion air at a certain burner position
