MANUAL SAMPLING SYSTEMS

Autocontrol designs and manufactures custom-made sample collection devices for the Oil & Gas industry to meet the diverse needs of customers regarding the collection of representative samples of process fluids, liquids or gases, and to guarantee compliance with the local health and safety regulations, including the PED and ATEX directives.

In particular, we have developed standard or customised systems such as:

➢    Simple systems for taking samples of gases and liquids using cylinders of different volumes (from 50cc to 1 gallon) and materials (AISI 316, also coated internally with Teflon or treated for low sulphur levels, HC-276, Alloy-400).
The sampling is performed via a sample loop in a cylinder equipped with shut-off needle valve, quick connectors and suction tubes in the case of liquid sampling. On completion of the sampling operation, the operator, after discharging any overpressure, can disconnect the cylinder and send it to the laboratory for the required tests.
The sample connection device can be fitted with valves for purging and cleaning the system and with any other devices based on the customer’s requirements.

➢    Reinforced sample connection device, for heavy-duty use, equipped with manual connecting  system for canisters with various types of quick connectors chosen according to the product to be sampled. This type of sampling device has now become a reference standard for various national end users because it is very reliable, easy to use and strong. It comes with flanges at the battery limits which make it easy to integrate in any system.

➢    Needle sampling systems are designed to collect a sample into a glass bottle with porous septum, without modifying any original valve.
The sample is circulated in a pre-chamber made up of a cylinder in stainless steel (or another type of material depending on the application), and is then made to flow out through the needle, with a nitrogen purge, into a bottle equipped with porous septum. Only one manual operation is required to collect the sample.
This type of sample collection device allows drawing up hazardous substances without any risk to the operator because the vents are conveyed into a second needle that allows them to be discharged into a controlled atmosphere. The porous septum, soft, will close naturally after being pierced by the two needles.

LSRS

Liquid Sample Recovery Systems (LSRS) are designed specifically to collect process liquid effluent or spent sample from analyzers and return this to the process line, or any other suitable location in a fully controlled manner. The process sample is normally not suitable for disposal to sewer or atmosphere. This system is ideal for use in applications where it is undesirable to discharge chemicals or hydrocarbons into sewage drains. However, analyzers are often limited in pressure and temperature, so the required pressure reduction means that the spent sample cannot be returned to the process line from which it was taken. A consequence of this is that a sample collection system has to be installed which collects the sample. The liquid sample recovery system allows natural or pressure draining from the analyzer and the fast loop of the sample conditioning system outlets into the atmospheric recovery tank. The sample is returned to the process using pumps. By using these special collection vessels, the user spares the environment, avoids hazardous situations, creates a stable outlet condition for the analyzers and, by recovering spent samples, costly product is not lost but can be reprocessed.
A standard sample recovery system includes supporting rack, recovery tank, level gauge with high/high and low/low alarm level switches, local instruments, single or dual pump ADPE motor driven, valves and local panel with push buttons and selectors for local / remote control selection and for pump start/stop.
The system is always designed to process return requirements and can handle product characteristics such as pour point, viscosity, density and hazardous area classification. The size and shape of vessel can be adapted to local conditions.

ANALYZER LOCAL CABINETS

The analyzer cabinets are designed and manufactured to house various process analyzers such as gas chromatography (GC), continuous gas analyzer (CGA), moisture analyzers and/or other analyzers including sample conditioning systems (SCS), ventilation fans or air conditioner and cylinder racks. A variety of analyzer cabinets are mainly made of stainless steel (SS304 and SS316 grade plate) with or without insulation, electro-galvanized sheet steel (painted to specific painting specifications) with or without insulation. The analyzer cabinets with specific requirements (e.g. instrument air purging or vortex cooling) are also available. The dimensions of analyzer cabinets vary from 0.6W x 0.8D x 1.8H (m) up to 3.0W x 1.5D x 2.5H (m) subject to the quantities of process analyzers to be pre-installed.

ANALYZER SHELTERS

The design of the analyzer shelter must consider many factors. Local ambient conditions,
hazardous area classification, sample type, analyzer type together with client specifications will all influence the final design and content of the shelter.
The key elements of Autocontrol’s analyzer shelters are:
•    Construction made of Stainless Steel (SS304 and SS316 grade plate) with insulation, electro-galvanized sheet steel (painted to specific painting specifications) with insulation
•    Environmental control with Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Units
•    Safety with gas monitoring systems, safety interlock systems integrated with client system
Analyzer shelters are designed, manufactured and supplied in accordance with the applicable standards and area classifications: from unclassified locations to classified locations such as Zone 1 and 2; Class I, Division 1 or 2, Gas Group B, C and D.
The dimensions of analyzer shelters vary from 2.0L x 2.0W x 2.5H (m) up to 12.0L x 3.0W x 3.0H (m) subject to the quantities of process analyzers to be pre-installed.

SCS

Autocontrol produce sample conditioning equipment for continuous online analysis in process applications. We provide application engineering services for our customers to assist them in selecting an effective and reliable system or a combination of sample conditioning equipment and accessories to solve their sampling problems.

Our extensive experience in the design of sampling systems for all type of analyzers in many type of processes enable us to offer a complete solution package that will ensure all the benefits of the analysis are realized and reliably provided.

Sample Conditioning System (SCS) is the final stage to handle process samples, which are very important to ensure process analytical instruments or analyzer to work properly. It provides process sample fine filtration, temperature control, pressure control, fast loop and sample loop flow control and multi-streams switching. Most process analytical problems come from the design of SCS. The better understanding of both process and analyzer is critical in design and fabrication of SCS.

Sample pre-conditioning, fast loop and sample conditioning/validation units are designed and engineered according to Customer specifications, process fluid characteristics and hold-up time in order to provide significant sample to analyzer. Standard liquid calibration/validation facilities include sample drum with nitrogen driven piston, level control, double block & bleed stream selection, portable sample collection bottle with quick coupling. Also manufactured are water-cooled sample pre-coolers which can be used to cool gas and liquid samples. Components are selected on the basis of high performance and material compatibility.

The key points of a customized sampling systems based on application requirements are:
•    High performance total solutions
•    Low Maintenance
•    Robust Construction
•    Environmentally friendly
•    Proven and reliable technology
•    100% Availability

SPCS

Sample Pre-Conditioning System (SPCS) normally provides the functions of coarse filtration, temperature regulation (cooling or heating), pressure regulation (reducing or increasing) so as to ensure the process samples can be easily handled by SCS and further analyzed by process analytical instruments or analyzers. It could be simple as just one inline screen filter with one pressure regulator assembled on a metal plate but also could be complicated as a system including certified diaphragm gas or liquid pump, complex pore membrane filter, heated pressure regulating valve or vaporizer housed in an insulated enclosure.