Training Aids

Plastic Drinks Bottle – Vacuum Pump

To show atmospheric pressure
Piston & Pressure Gauge
To show volume
pressure relationships
(calculations course)
Psi a & psi g
gauges
Difference
between psi a
and g
Pipeline & Specialty Services
Organizational Learning Series
Introduction to Nitrogen
Gas Calculations
This course will usually be run in conjunction with the Introduction to Nitrogen Services Course
Welcome

Your Trainer today is:

My background is….
Domestics

Fire Alarms

Find out where the toilets are.

Turn off mobile phones and pagers.

Urgent messages can be dealt with through reception.

Laptops and emails – only during breaks!

Smokers – know the rules!

Disabled delegates:
if you have any special requirements
please let your course leader know.
About you

• Your Name
• Your Home Country
• Your Job
• Your Background

• What is your level of mathematics?

– Degree
– High school
– Elementary school
 SI and Imperial Units

• Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units, first defined

in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined (until 1959)
and reduced.
• The units were introduced in the United Kingdom and its colonies, including
Commonwealth countries (most have since become officially metric, but
continue to use both Metric and Imperial), but excluding the then already
independent United States.
• The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French Le
Système international d'unités) is the modern form of the metric system and
is generally a system devised around the convenience of the number 10. It
is the world's most widely used system of units, both in everyday commerce
and in science.
Some info from Wikipedia…

• Symbols are written in upright Roman type (m for metres, l for

litres), so as to differentiate from the italic type used for
mathematical variables (m for mass, l for length).
• Symbols for units are written in lower case, except for
symbols derived from the name of a person. For example, the
unit of pressure is named after Blaise Pascal, so its symbol is
written "Pa" whereas the unit itself is written “pascal”
– The one exception is the litre, whose original symbol "l" is
unsuitably similar to the numeral "1" or the uppercase letter "i"
(depending on the typeface used), at least in many English-
speaking countries. The American National Institute of Standards
and Technology recommends that "L" be used instead, a usage
which is common in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
(but not elsewhere).
 Measuring

• We use many units in the oil and gas industry….

– Inches
– Millimeters When doing oil field math,
– Barrels the first thing you must be
familiar with is conversions
– Cubic meters
– Pounds per square inch 5 cm = 1.96804
– Bar inches
 Length

• The length of a thing is the distance between its ends.

• In the oil field length can be measured in:

• mm (millimeter)
• cm (meter)
• in (inch)
• ft (feet)
• m (meter)
• km (kilometer)
• mile
 Length

• Length Conversions
Using the table below we can perform length conversions

Q: How many cm in an inch?

mm cm in ft m km mile A: Reading
-3 10-3 10-6 6.214 x 10-7 down to the
1 0.1 0.0393701 3.2808 x 10
shaded 1 and
10-5 6.214 x 10-6 across we can
10 1 0.393701 0.032808 0.01

2.54 x 10-5 1.58 x 10-5

find that 1in
25.4 2.54 1 0.083333 0.0254
converts to
304.8 30.48 12 1 0.3048 3.048 x 10-4 1.894 x 10-4 2.54cm
10-3 6.34 x 10-4
1000 100 39.3701 3.28084 1

106 100000 39370.1 3280.84 1000 1 0.621371

1.60934 x 106 160934 63360 5280 1609.34 1.60934 1

 Length

• Using the length conversion table we can now

convert a person's height.
If they are 183 cm tall, but we want to know their height in feet we do the
following math:
From the table we know there are 2.54 cm in 1 inch so to convert from cm to inch we divide the 183 cm
by 2.54:

183 cm = 72 in
2.54 cm/in

and from the table we can see that 1 ft is equal to 12 inch so,

72 in = 6 ft tall
12 in/ft
 Area

• Oil field math includes calculating the areas of common

shapes.

Squares Circles Rectangles

• Area is a measure of two dimensions

(length squared) and can be measured in:
– mm2 (millimeter squared)
– cm2 (centimeter squared)
– in2 (inch squared)
– ft2 (feet squared)
– m2 (meter squared)
Area: Square or Rectangle

The area of a square or rectangle can be calculated by multiplying the width

by the length. The answer is given in the unit squared.

The area of this

rectangle is:

= 4x5
4cm

= 20cm2

Count the squares

5cm
 Area: Regular

The area
The area of this of this
rectangle is 2 x 3, and rectangle
2 cm is 4 x 2,
the unit of length is
and the 4 ft
cm so the area is
6cm2 unit of
length is ft
so the area
3 cm is 8ft2

2 ft

Note: the area as 6cm2 means 6 square centimeters of 1cm by 1cm NOT 6cm by 6cm
 Area

• Area Conversion
Using the table below we can perform area conversions

Q: How many ft2 in a m2?

mm2 cm2 in2 ft2 m2 A: Reading

1.550 x 10-3 1.076 x 10-5 10-6 down to the
1 0.01
shaded 1 and
1.076 x 10-3 10-4
100 1 0.1550 across we can
6.944 x 10-3 6.452 x 10-4 find that 1 m2
645.16 6.4516 1
converts to
92903 929 144 1 0.09290 10.764 ft2
106 10000 1550 10.764 1
 Area: Circular

• So far we have looked at the area of regular squared

shapes but how do we work out the area of a circle?

Circle
 Area: Circular

• To calculate the area of a circle we need to use pi. This

is the ratio of a circles diameter to circumference - it is a
constant whatever the size of the circle and is used as
3.14159 or 22/7
• pi is represented by the symbol π

Diameter x pi = Circumference d x π=c

Circumference ÷ pi = Diameter c ÷ π=d

 Area: Circular

• The area of a circle can be calculated by multiplying the

square of the diameter by pi and then dividing by 4. The
answer is given in the unit squared.
d2 x π = area of a circle
4

π = pi = 3.14159
10 cm

If the circle has a diameter of

10 cm the sum would be:

(102 x pi) ÷ 4 = 78.55 cm2

 Area: Circular

• On the previous slide we worked out the area of a 10 cm

diameter circle to be 78.55 cm2, but what if we want that
in ft2?

mm2 cm2 in2 ft2 m2 Using the conversion table

1.550 x 10-3 1.076 x 10-5 10-6 1cm2 is equal to 1.076x10-3
1 0.01
or 0.001076ft2.
1.076 x 10-3 10-4
100 1 0.1550
10-3 means 0.001
6.944 x 10-3 6.452 x 10-4
645.16 6.4516 1 10-4 means 0.0001
92903 929 144 1 0.09290 The conversion is:
106 10000 1550 10.764 1 78.55cm2 x 0.001076
= 0.0845ft2
 Rule of Thumb

w x h = area of a square (rectangle)

d2 x π = area of a circle
4

d2 x 3.142 approx = d2 x 3
4 4

In this case w = d and h = d;

so
The area of the circle is This rule of thumb is given so that
approximately ¾ of the area of the you can cross check your answers.
square
Break Time
 Review

• Let’s look at what we learned before the break

 Volume

• Once you know the area of an item’s cross section, like a

pipe, you can then work out its volume.
• Volume is calculated using a shape’s cross sectional
area multiplied by it’s height or length.
 Volume

• Volume Conversion
Using the table below we can perform volume conversions

Q: How many in3 in a US gallon?

mm3 * ml in3 *l US gal UK gal ft3 m3 A:
Reading
1 10-3 6.1024 x 10-5 10-6 2.642 x 10-7 2.2 x 10-7 3.532 x 10-8 10-9
down to
1000 1 0.061024 10-3 2.642 x 10-4 2.2 x 10-4 3.532 x 10-5 10-6 the
shaded 1
16387 16.387 1 0.01639 4.329 x 10-3 3.605 x 10-3 5.787 x 10-4 1.639 x 10-5
and across
106 1000 61.024 1 0.26417 0.2200 0.03532 10-3 we can
find that 1
3.785 x 106 3785.4 231 3.7854 1 0.83267 0.13368 3.785 x 10-3 US gal
4.546 x 106 4546.1 277.42 4.5461 1.2010 1 0.1605 4.546 x 10-3
converts to
231 in3
2.832 x 107 28317 1728 28.317 7.4805 6.2288 1 0.02832

109 106 61024 1000 264.17 219.97 35.315 1

 Volume: Regular shaped

• The volume of a regular shaped container is a

calculation of the cross section multiplied by the height.

Q: What is the volume of this container which is

2.5m wide, 5m long, and has a height of 3m?

A: The area of a regular cross

section is width x length:
2.5 x 5 = 12.5m2
The volume of a regular cross
section container is area x height:
12.5m2 x 3m = 37.5m3
 Volume: Circular Tank

• Here is a cylindrical tank approximately 22 ft wide

and 12 ft high.

Q: What is the volume of the tank in ft3 (cubic feet)?

A: We work out the cross sectional

area of the tank. Because the cross
section is a circle we use the formula
for area of a circle.

d2 x π = area of a circle
4

and then multiply it by the height of

the tank.
 Volume: Circular Tank

• The volume of the 22 ft wide and 12 ft high tank is:

First we work out the cross sectional area,

Cross sectional area of a circle:

222 x 3.14159 = 380.132 ft2
4

then we use the area to work out the volume.

Volume = cross sectional area of a circle x height

380.132 x 12 = 4561.584 ft3 (cubic feet)
 Volume: Spherical

• The volume of a sphere is a calculation of the diameter3,

multiplied by pi, all divided by 6.
• This is written as:

d3 x π = volume of a sphere
6

π = pi = 3.14159
 Volume: Spherical

• Here is a spherical storage tank of height 55ft.

Q: What is the volume of the tank in ft3 (cubic feet)?

A: Using the formula for volume of a sphere,

d3 x π = volume of a sphere
6

we can work out the volume of the tank,

(55x55x55) x 3.14159 = 87113.6727 ft3

6
 Volume: Conical

• The volume of a cone is calculated by using the

expression: Volume = 0.2618 x d2 x h

Where d = diameter
h = height
and 0.2168 is a constant regardless of the
size of the cone.

For example, if a tank has a conical roof 20

feet in diameter and 6 feet high then the
volume of the roof can be calculated as
follows:
Volume = 0.2168 x 20 x 20 x 6
= 520.32 ft3
 Volume: Part of a Sphere

• The volume of a spherical segment is calculated by using

the expression:

h
Volume =
c

Where c = is the width at the base

h = height

Note: The calculation inside the

brackets must be completed first.
 Volume: Part of a Sphere

• This storage tank dome has a width of 30ft and a height

of 8ft.
Q: What is the volume of the dome on this storage tank?

A: The volume of the dome can be calculated as

follows:
c = 30
h=8

volume = π x 8 x (30 x 30 + 8 x 8)
8 6
volume = 3.14159 x 8 (112.5 + 10.66)
= 25.13272 x (112.5 + 10.66)
= 3095.3458 ft3
π = pi = 3.14159
 Volume: Domed Tank

• Now we know how to work out the volume of a cylinder and the
volume of a spherical segment, we can combine both to calculate
the whole volume of a domed tank.
 Volume: Domed Tank

• The side walls are 40 ft, the diameter is 30 ft and the center height is
48 ft.

Q: What is the volume of this domed storage tank?

A: To work out the volume we need to

B combine the results from the calculations
for volume of a cylinder and volume of a
domed segment.
Volume of a cylinder = (d x π ) x height
3
A
6
Volume of a spherical segment =
 Volume: Domed Tank

• Volume of the tank cylinder

The cylinder height is 40 ft (h) and diameter 30 ft (d)

A Volume of a cylinder = (d3x π ) x h

6

(303x 3.14159) x 40
So the volume =
6
= 565486.2 ft3
 Volume: Domed Tank

• Volume of the tank dome

B The volume of the dome can be calculated as

follows:
c = 30
h=8

volume = π x 8 x (30 x 30 + 8 x 8)
8 6
volume = 3.14159 x 8 (112.5 + 10.66)
= 25.13272 x (112.5 + 10.66)
= 3095.3458 ft3
 Volume: Domed Tank

• Total Volume of the domed storage tank.

– Volume of the tank cylinder = 565486.2 ft3

– Volume of the tank dome = 3095.3458 ft3

– So the total volume is:

565486.2 + 3095.3458 = 568581.5458 ft3

Break Time
 Review

• Let’s look at what we learned before the break

 Pressure

• Pressure is the force (or weight) acting on an area.

• Mathematically it is defined as:

force
pressure = area

The same force applied over different size

areas changes the amount of pressure being
exerted
 Pressure

• The same force applied over different size areas

changes the amount of pressure being exerted
Q: Which 2kg weight is exerting the most pressure?

A: in both cases the weight

(or force) is the same, 2kg
which is equal to 4.4lb.
In the first picture the 4.4lb
is being exerted over the
area of the pin point, approx
1/1000in2.
In the second picture the
4.4lb is being exerted over
the area of the base of the
weight, approx 7in2.
 Pressure

• Pressure = force divided by area

Pressure = 4.4lb ÷ 1/1000in2 Pressure = 4.4lb ÷ 7in2

= 4.4 = 4.4
0.001 7

= 4400 lb/in2 (psi) = 0.628 lb/in2 (psi)

 Pressure

• Pressure Conversion
Using the table below we can perform pressure conversions

kn/m2
n/m2 mm Hg lb/in2
mbar in H20 (kilopascal * kgf/cm2 bar atm
(pascal pa) (torr) (psi)
kpa)
1 0.0100 7.501 x 10-3 4.015 x 10-3 10-3 1.450 x 10-4 1.020 x 10-5 10-5 9.869 x 10-6

100 1 0.75006 0.40146 0.1 0.01450 1.020 x 10-3 10-3 9.869 x 10-4

133.32 1.3332 1 0.53524 0.13332 0.01934 1.360 x 10-3 1.333 x 10-3 1.316 x 10-3

249.09 2.4909 1.8683 1 0.24909 0.03613 2.540 x 10-3 2.491 x 10-3 2.458 x 10-3

1000 10 7.5006 4.0146 1 0.14504 0.01020 0.01 9.869 x 10-3

6894.8 68.948 51.715 27.680 6.8948 1 0.07031 0.06895 0.06805

98067 980.67 735.56 393.70 98.067 14.223 1 0.98067 0.96784

105 1000 750.06 401.46 100 14.504 1.0197 1 0.98692

1.013 x 105 1013.3 760.00 406.78 101.33 14.696 1.0332 1.0133 1

 Pressure

• Pressure Conversion
Using the table below we can perform pressure conversions

Q: Convert 1 inch H2O to psi.

kn/m2 A: Reading down the in H2O

lb/in2
in H20 (kilopascal * kgf/cm2
kpa)
(psi) column to 1 and across to the psi
column we see that 1 in H2O
4.015 x 10-3 10-3 1.450 x 10-4 1.020 x 10-5
equals 0.03613 psi
0.40146 0.1 0.01450 1.020 x 10-3

0.53524 0.13332 0.01934 1.360 x 10-3

1 0.24909 0.03613 2.540 x 10-3

4.0146 1 0.14504 0.01020

27.680 6.8948 1 0.07031

393.70 98.067 14.223 1

 Volume rate of flow

• Gas and liquid flow can be measured in volumetric or

mass flow rates, such as liters per second.
• It is the volume which passes through a given surface
per unit time.
 Volume rate of flow

• Volume rate of flow (volume/time)

Using the table below we can perform volume/time conversions

l/min gal/min m3/h ft3/min l/s ft3/s m3/s

1 0.2200 0.0600 0.03531 0.01667 5.886 x 10-4 1.667 x 10-5

4.546 1 0.2728 0.1605 0.07577 2.676 x 10-3 7.577 x 10-5

16.67 3.666 1 0.5886 0.2778 9.810 x 10-3 2.778 x 10-4

28.31 6.229 1.699 1 0.4719 0.01667 4.719 x 10-4

60 13.20 3.6 2.119 1 0.03531 10-3

1699 373.7 101.9 60 28.32 1 0.02832

6 x 104 1.320 x 104 3600 2119 1000 35.31 1

Purging Calculations
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• Let’s start with Pressure Cycle Purging because it’s

relatively easy
Pressure Cycle Purging
Pressure Cycle Purging - Theory

100% 100%
50%
75% N2 / 50%
66.6% 25% CH4
33.3% CH4
Nitrogen – N2 Methane - CH4

2
1
3 Vessel Volumes of Nitrogen
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• With Pressure Cycle Purging we need to convert all

pressures to Atmospheres. So if you are working in psi,
bar, or kpa the first thing you must do is convert your
numbers.

kn/m2 lb/in2
bar atm
Using the chart, reading across
(kilopascal kpa) (psi)
from 1 Atmosphere, we can see
1 0.14504 0.01 9.869 x 10-3
that 1 ATM is equal to:
• 1.0133 bar
6.8948 1 0.06895 0.06805
• 14.696 psi
100 14.504 1 0.98692
• 101.33 kpa
101.33 14.696 1.0133 1
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• Pressure Conversion

Example 1: If you have a vessel at 100 psi and need to convert it to atmospheres then you
do a division calculation: 100  14.696  6.805 atmospheres

Example 2: If you have a vessel at 1200 kpa and need to convert it to atmospheres then you do
a division calculation: 1200  101.33  11.842 atmospheres

Example 3: If you have a vessel at 7 bar and need to convert it to atmospheres then you do a
multiplication calculation: 7  1.0133  6.908 atmospheres

kn/m2 lb/in2
bar atm
Using the chart, reading across
(kilopascal kpa) (psi)
from 1 Atmosphere, we can see
1 0.14504 0.01 9.869 x 10-3
that 1 ATM is equal to:
• 1.0133 bar
6.8948 1 0.06895 0.06805
• 14.696 psi
100 14.504 1 0.98692
• 101.33 kpa
101.33 14.696 1.0133 1
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• But what is an atmosphere and what is Absolute pressure?

The Earth’s atmosphere contains air at a nominal or average pressure of 14.7psi, or 1013 mbar
or 1 Atmosphere. Often we refer to a pressure in a system neglecting the Earth’s atmospheric
pressure, this is called gauge pressure (psi g).
When doing Pressure Cycle Purging calculations we need to always convert back to
Absolute Atmospheres (psi a, bar a, kPa a).

Example 1: If the pressure in a system is 14.7 psi atmospheric

measured at the gauge as being 27 psi g, to pressure acting on the vessel
convert this to psi a we have to add on the
Earth’s atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi.
Absolute Pressure = Gauge Pressure +
Atmospheric Pressure
27 psi
Absolute Pressure = 27 + 14.7 = 41.7 psi a
gauge pressure
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• Calculating % Concentrations

Q1: If you have one vessel volume of methane at atmospheric pressure and you
inject one vessel volume of Nitrogen into it what is the % concentration of methane?

A: To calculate the final

concentration of methane in
the vessel volume we use
the formula:
Final concentration = initial
concentration divided by
cycle pressure.
Cycle pressure = 2 vessel
volumes

Initial concentration
Final concentration = = 100 = 50% Methane
Cycle Pressure 2
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• Calculating % Concentrations

Q2: What is the % concentration of methane if we now inject 2 vessel volumes into
the 1 vessel volume of Methane?

Initial concentration
Final concentration = = 100 = 33.33% Methane
Cycle Pressure 3

Have you noticed that the volume of the vessel (m3)

does not matter in the final concentration calculation?
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• Calculating % Concentrations

Q3: A vessel is at atmospheric pressure and contains air (21% O2). Now pressurize
the vessel to 100psi. What is the concentration of O2?

Don’t forget that psi a = psi g + 14.7

psi a = 100 + 14.7
psi a = 114.7

How many Atmospheres of pressure did we inject?

Atm a = psi a = 114.7 = 7.80

14.7 14.7

Initial concentration 21
Final concentration = = = 2.69% O2 in N2
Cycle Pressure 7.80
 Pressure Cycle Purging

• We can also calculate how to Pressure Cycle Purge

using more than one cycle, for example when we cannot
increase the pressure of a vessel over a certain level.

Q4: The initial concentration is 21% O2, but this time the vessel can only withstand
15 psi pressure - what will be the final concentration after 3 x 15 psi g pressure
cycles?
The formula to use is:
Final concentration = Initial concentration
Cycle pressure (atm a) (no of cycles)
Pressure Cycle Purging

Q4: The initial concentration is 21% O2, but this time the vessel can only withstand
15 psi pressure - what will be the final concentration after 3 x 15 psi g pressure
cycles?
The formula to use is:
Final concentration = Initial concentration
Cycle pressure (atm a) (no of cycles)
We always convert to Absolute Pressure (add 14.7 psi for atmospheric pressure)
15 psi g = 29.7 psi a = 2.02 Atm a

Final concentration = 100 = 21

2.023 2.02 x 2.02 x 2.02

= 21 = 2.548 % oxygen in Nitrogen

8.242
 Volumes of gas

• We must know the vessel (system) volume prior to

performing the above calculations, so calculating how
much N2 we will need is easy for Pressure Cycle
Purging.
Dilution / Displacement
Purging
 Purging Theory

• As part of Dilution Purging there are 2 things we often need to know:

– 1) What level of gas concentration will be left if we purge a number of cubic
meters through a vessel;
– 2) How much nitrogen we might need to complete a purge.

The following calculations will look complex but as long as you follow the basics
they should be quite simple.

Don’t worry about ‘Logs’, this is a mathematical function which has been found to
work with this calculation. It is a little like pi in that you can safely treat it is an
accepted factor or constant.
 Purging Theory

• In Dilution Purging, Nitrogen is passed

continuously in to the vessel or system at one
point, while the air or gas being purged leaves
from another point.
 Purging Theory

• Calculation of Dilution Purging is done using the

following formula:

initial concentration
Final concentration =
en

where e = 2.718 (a given constant)

where n = the number of vessel volumes
e.g if your vessel volume is 100 but you have 200 volumes
of gas then n = 2
• it would take 2 vessels to hold the 200 volumes of gas.
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 1

A cylindrical vessel has inlet and outlet points. The vessel contains an atmosphere of 100%
methane at atmospheric pressure. The volume of the vessel is 50m3.

Q: Calculate the theoretical gas concentration after 150m3 of nitrogen has passed through
the vessel.

Use the dilution purging formula to calculate the final concentration.

Nitrogen Methane
100%
?%
Methane
 Purging Theory

• Purging Theory calculation 1

A: Final concentration = initial concentration 100% 100%
= = = 4.975%
en 2.718 3 20.1
where initial concentration = 100
where e = 2.718 (a given constant)
where n = vessel volumes = 150 ÷ 50 = 3

Therefore the final concentration of Methane after 150m3 of

Nitrogen has been passed through the vessel is 4.975%.

Nitrogen Methane
4.975%
?%
Methane
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 2

Now take the same 50m3 vessel, but this time it contains 100% air and we have 100m3 of
Nitrogen for the dilution purge.

Q: Calculate the final concentration of Oxygen.

Note: Air is made up of approx 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gases

Nitrogen Oxygen
?%
21%
Oxygen
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 2

A: Final concentration = initial concentration 21% 21%

= = = 2.84%
en 2.718 2
7.39
where initial concentration = 21%
where e = 2.718 (a given constant)
where n = vessel volumes = 100 ÷ 50 = 2

Therefore the final concentration of Oxygen after 100m3 of

Nitrogen has been passed through the vessel is 2.84%.

Nitrogen Oxygen
2.84%
21%
Oxygen
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 3

A vessel contains an initial atmosphere of 70% methane 30% nitrogen at
atmospheric pressure. The gas volume of the vessel is 50m3.

Q: Calculate the theoretical gas concentration after 163m3 of nitrogen has passed
through the vessel.

Assume that the nitrogen can be injected through suitable internal pipe work that will
ensure total mixing of gases and there is an adequate vent point on top of the vessel
that will prevent any build up of pressure. However, on real operations, never
assume – find out!
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 3

initial concentration
Final concentration =
en

where initial concentration = 70

where e = 2.718 (a given constant)
where n = vessel volumes = 163 ÷ 50 = 3.26
 Purging Theory

• This calculation can be done on a calculator:

1. Input 70 into the calculator

2. Press the division key

3. Input 2.718

4. Press the Yx function key

5. Input 3.26

6. Press the equal key and the answer

of 2.688 should be displayed.

Therefore the final concentration of methane after 163m3 of

nitrogen has been passed through the vessel is 2.688%.
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 4

Now take the same 50m3 vessel, but this time the client tells us the final concentration
required, 4% Methane.

Q: Calculate the number of vessel volumes required to achieve 4% Methane in Nitrogen.

This will require that the formula be re-arranged, as we need to calculate n

initial concentration
Final concentration =
en

initial concentration
Log
Final concentration
n=
Log (e)
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 4

Now take the same 50m3 vessel, but this time the client tells us the final concentration
required, 4% Methane.

Q: Calculate the number of vessel volumes required to achieve 4% Methane in Nitrogen.

initial concentration
Using the new re-arranged formula: Log
Final concentration
n=
Log (e)

n = Log (100  4) = Log25 = 1.40 = 3.219

Log 2.718 Log 2.718 0.43

So we need 3.219 vessel volumes of nitrogen to achieve a final concentration

of 4% Methane. The volume is 50m3 so we need 3.219 x 50m3 = 160.96m3 of
Nitrogen to achieve the 4% concentration
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 4 - on your calculator

• Enter 100
• Press divide
• Enter 4
• Press Equals
• Press Log
• Press divide
• Enter 2.718
• Press log
• Press Equals

So we need 3.219 vessel volumes of nitrogen to achieve a final concentration

of 4% Methane. The volume is 50m3 so we need 3.219 x 50m3 = 160.96m3 of
Nitrogen to achieve the 4% concentration
 Purging Theory

• Dilution Purging calculation 5

Now take the same 50m3 vessel, but this time the client tells us to reduce the Oxygen
concentration from 21% to 2.5%.

Q: Calculate the number of vessel volumes required to achieve 2.5% Oxygen.

Using the new re-arranged formula: initial concentration

Log
n= Final concentration
Log (e)

n = Log (21  2.5) = Log 8.4 = 0.92 = 2.19

Log 2.718 Log 2.718 0.43

So we need 2.19 vessel volumes of nitrogen to achieve a final concentration of

2.5% Oxygen. The volume is 50m3 so we need 2.19 x 50m3 = 107m3 of
Nitrogen to achieve the 2.5% concentration
 Vacuum Cycle Purging

• Vacuum Cycle Purging is a more efficient method of

purging in that it uses low volumes of Nitrogen compared
with pressure cycle or dilution purging.
• (Although it’s often not as fast).
• It is very important to make sure that the vessel is
capable of withstanding a vacuum.
 Vacuum Cycle Purging

Example 1: A vessel contains air and we’ll pull a vacuum of 10 mbar, then replace
that vacuum with Nitrogen at 0.5 bar g. What will be the final O2 concentration?
Final concentration = initial pressure x initial concentration
final pressure
Initial Pressure = 10 mbar a
Final Pressure = 0.5 bar g = 500 mbar g = 1500 mbar a (1 bar = 1000 mbar)
Initial concentration = 21% O2 in air
Final Concentration = 10 x 21 = 0.14 %
1500
So the final Oxygen in Nitrogen concentration is 0.14%

Note how little N2 we used – just half a vessel volume

 Vacuum Cycle Purging

Example 2: Now our vessel contains 100% methane at 100 mbar, then replace
that vacuum with Nitrogen at 1 bar a.
Final concentration = initial pressure x initial concentration
final pressure
Initial Pressure = 100 mbar a
Final Pressure = 1000 mbar a
Initial concentration = 100 %
Final Concentration = 100 x 100 = 10 %
1000
So the final methane in nitrogen concentration is 10%

Note how we didn’t pull the vacuum as low AND we only ‘broke’ the vacuum with 1
bar a of nitrogen – not 1 bar g.
 Nitrogen Volumes

• Nitrogen volume calculations are some of the most

important that you will face, you’d do well to practice
them.

1. Every time you add one vessel volume of gas to a system, you increase
the pressure by 14.7 psi or 1 Atmosphere or 1.013 bar or even 101.325
kPa
2. If we continue to use our original vessel which is 50m3 in volume, each
time we inject 50 m3 of N2 (or any gas) we will increase the pressure by
1 Atm (approx 1 bar).
3. So if we inject 500 m3 of N2 we will increase the pressure by 500/50 = 10
Atm
 Nitrogen Volumes

• Working in psi is slightly more complex.

How much N2 would we use if we increase the pressure in our vessel by 75 psi
g?

(75 psi + 14.7 psi) / 14.7 psi = 6.10 volumes (to convert to absolute atmospheres)

6.10 x 50 = 305 m3

If you’re working in Bar, you don’t need to convert to Atm (unless your
client demands the utmost accuracy).
Break Time
 Review

• Let’s look at what we learned before the break

Advanced Calculations
You are not expected to do this now, you will
just preview the calculations.
 Gas Fundamentals

• Boyle’s Law
At a fixed temperature the volume of a given gas will vary inversely to the absolute pressure.
Symbolically:

Where P = pressure in psia (psig + atmospheric pressure)

V = Volume in cubic feet
T = temperature in oR (oF + 460)
K1 = constant
We are generally interested in the gas volume at a changed pressure and Boyle’s Law can the be
written as:
 Gas Fundamentals

• Boyle’s Law continued

Q: 2000 ft3 of a given gas is at a pressure of 250 psig. What volume will it occupy if
compressed to a pressure of 1000 psig at the same temperature?

Substituting in:

Note:
The pressure terms in the equation are in absolute pressure (psia) and the
pressures given in the problem are gauge pressures. The atmospheric
pressure must therefore be added to the gauge pressure before using the
formula.
 Gas Fundamentals

• Charles’ Law
At a fixed pressure the volume of a fixed quantity of gas will vary directly with the
absolute temperature. Alternatively, if the volume of a given quantity of gas is fixed
then the absolute pressure will vary directly with the absolute temperature.

Symbolically:

Charles’ Law can be written in more convenient forms as follows:

 Gas Fundamentals

• Charles’ Law continued.

Q: A given weight of gas has a volume of 1500 cubic feet at a temperature of 500F and a pressure of
120 psig. Keeping the pressure constant and raising the temperature to 1500F what change is
there in volume?

A: From Charles’ Law the volume change can be calculated. Note that the temperature should be
absolute (0F + 540)0R.

Substituting in:
 Gas Fundamentals

• Charles’ Law continued

If the volume in the previous problem remained constant and the temperature changed
from 500F to 1500F the pressure increase could be calculated thus:

Note the addition of 14.7 to convert the gauge reading to absolute pressure.
 Gas Fundamentals

• Combined Gas Law

– In reality simultaneous changes in pressure, volume and
temperature often occur and Boyle’s and Charles’ laws can be
combined and expressed mathematically as follows:

– Substituting known values into the equation will enable one

unknown value to be determined.
 Gas Fundamentals

• Combined Gas Law continued

Q: What volume will 25000 cubic feet of gas at a temperature of 700F and a pressure of 14.7 psia
occupy when subjected to a temperature of 1400F and a pressure of 2500 psig.

Note that all gauge pressures and all temperatures have been changed to absolute.
Review