Experimental Study of Natural Gas Humidity Control Device

Abstract

The means of measuring humidity based on the use of the ultrahigh frequency method have been recently gaining widespread use, because of its simple, robust construction and high measuring accuracy. We used the advanced waveguide ultrahigh frequency method of measuring the moisture content of natural gas which, in contrast to the known the use of a traveling wave in a waveguide, is proposed. In this case, the interaction with waves of the ultrahigh frequency range changes the dielectric properties of the gas, and this change is registered. On the basis of an improved ultrahigh frequency method of humidity measurement, a device for natural gas humidity control using a traveling wave in a waveguide is proposed. The investigations have shown that a comparative channel increased the measurement accuracy, as a two-channel system – in contrast to a single-channel – eliminates the instability of the value of the input signal supplied to the generator. The principle of operation of a natural gas humidity control device that contains an ultrahigh frequency generator, attenuators, waveguide tees, a waveguide section for comparison, temperature sensor and pressure switches for the comparative and measuring channels, a measuring cuvette, amplifier, microprocessor, and display unit is described. A mathematical model of a natural gas humidity control device, which takes into account the values of the dielectric permittivity of the measuring gas and reference channels and contains correction factors for temperature, the use of which increases the accuracy of humidity measurement, is proposed. The lower and upper calibration points of the natural gas humidity control device are defined. The influence of correction factors for the temperature at the measurement error of the humidity is analyzed.