Process optimization and cost effective operation are now more important than ever before. KROHNE understands these challenges and is helping companies to increase their efficiency by offering world class process instrumentation, metering solutions and field services to unlock the full potential of an application.
KROHNE offers a complete portfolio of instrumentation for flow, level, pressure, temperature and process analytics for power generation plants. Measurements with temperatures up to +600°C / 1112°F and pressures up to 490 bar / 7107 psi are possible.
We provide custody transfer flowmeters, high accuracy flowmeters for feed water applications and dedicated products with high resistance to radiation and/or seismic disturbances. The products of KROHNE are complemented by services and measurement solutions. We cover a broad range of applications for example in coal and combined cycle power plants, district heating, waste incineration, solar thermal or Power-2-gas.
Renewable energy sources play an important role in the energy transition. KROHNE instrumentation is applied to ensure safe and efficient operation. For example, OPTISONIC 4400 HT ultrasonic flowmeters are used to measure the flow of molten salt up to 600 °C /1112 °F in concentrated solar plants. OPTIFLUX electromagnetic flowmeters are being used in, amongst others, the liquid cooling circuit of wind turbines.
• cooling of windturbines
• hydropower plants
• concentrated solar power plants
Hydrogen electrolysers are devices that use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. When electricity input to the electrolyser is obtained from renewable sources like wind and solar, then the hydrogen produced is called green hydrogen. For efficient and safe operation of electrolyser systems reliable process measurement is required. KROHNE products for process measurement of flow, level, pressure and temperature are applied for example to measure the water supply to the electrolyser, to measure the flow of electrolyte, to monitor the levels, pressure and temperature inside the electrolyser system.
Steam methane reforming (SMR) is a process in which methane from natural gas is heated, with steam, usually with a catalyst, to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
CH4+H20→CO + 3H2
With a subsequent water gas shift reaction the carbon monoxide reacts with steam to form carbon dioxide and more hydrogen.
CO +H20→CO2 + H2
In a final step called pressure swing absorption the carbon dioxide and other impurities are removed from the gas leaving essentially pure hydrogen. Since CO2 is released during this process it is referred to as grey hydrogen. In case SMR is combined with carbon capture and storage, it is referred to as blue hydrogen.
The KROHNE OPTIBAR DP flow, OPTISWIRL vortex and OPTISONIC ultrasonic process meters are ultimately suited for measuring the high temperature steam and gases.
Coal gasification is the process of converting coal into a gas by adding steam and oxygen under pressure. The coal is fed into a high‐ temperature pressurized container along with steam and a limited amount of oxygen to produce a gas. The gas is known as synthesis gas or syngas and mainly consists of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
3C (e.g. coal)+O2+ H2O → H2 + 3CO (syngas)
With a subsequent water gas shift reaction the carbon monoxide reacts with steam to form carbon dioxide and more hydrogen.
CO +H20→ CO2 + H2
In a final step called pressure swing absorption the carbon dioxide and other impurities (such as sulphur) are removed from the gas, leaving essentially pure hydrogen. Since CO2 is released during this process it is referred to as brown hydrogen. In case coal gasification is combined with carbon capture and storage, it is referred to as blue hydrogen.
The KROHNE OPTIBAR DP flow, OPTISWIRL vortex and OPTISONIC ultrasonic process meters are ultimately suited for measuring the high temperature steam and gases.
Industrial gases are produced to be used in industrial and manufacturing processes. Technical gases form a sub class of industrial gases and are distinguished by the degree of purity. The purity can be obtained by processing and extraction in process plants. Hydrogen is produced in a pressure swing absorption plant and the process consists of 4 stages: adsorption, depressurization, regeneration and repressurization.
The KROHNE OPTIBAR DP flow, OPTISWIRL vortex and OPTISONIC ultrasonic, VA meters and OPTIMASS Coriolis flowmeters are widely applied in PSA applications.
Carbon Capture and Storage is the process where CO2 is captured at power plants and industrial sites and subsequently transported to a site where the CO2 is either stored underground in for example depleted gas reservoir (CCS) or utilized as feedstock to produce for example synthetic hydrocarbons (CCUS). There are three basic types of capture processes: pre-combustion, post-combustion and oxyfuel with post-combustion. KROHNE equipment is applied to measure pressure, temperature and flow and level of the various fluids applied in the processes, such as steam, amines, hydrogen and CO2.
For transport and trading of CO2 custody transfer measurements are required. KROHNE supplies certified flowmeters as well as completer turnkey measurement systems for measurement of gaseous, liquid or supercritical CO2.
Cement and steel industry are examples of industries where high temperature heat is applied. Traditionally fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal are used as fuel for the kilns and furnaces. In order to decarbonize, these industries move away from fossil fuels. However, the required high temperatures (in some cases above 1000ºC/1832ºF) cannot be supplied by green electricity and consequently hydrogen is considered as alternative fuel.
For the steel industry the CO2 emission can be reduced further when hydrogen is applied for direct reduction of the iron; in this process H2O is formed instead of CO2. KROHNE VA meters are used control the hydrogen injection rate in the blast furnace. In the cement industry, 60% of the CO2 emission comes from the chemical process where limestone is decarbonized. Therefore, application of CCS to cement production can reduce the CO2 emission even further. KROHNE OPTIMASS Coriolis meters and OPTISONIC ultrasonic meters are used for process and Custody Transfer measurement of hydrogen and CO2.
Ammonia is widely applied as chemical feedstock in for example fertilizer production and is foreseen to play an important role in the future as fuel or energy carrier. The benefit of NH3 as energy carrier is the high energy density per unit volume and the relatively mild conditions under which it can be transported as liquid (-32°C at atmospheric pressure). As a fuel NH3 does not release CO2 to the atmosphere upon combustion.
Most commonly the Haber-Bosch process is applied to produce ammonia by combining nitrogen with hydrogen.
N2+3H2 ⇄ 2NH3
When the required hydrogen is formed by means of steam methane reforming, CO2 is emitted to the atmosphere. By combining the ammonia production with CCS, blue ammonia is produced. When the required hydrogen is produced from water electrolysis with renewable energy, and the process is heated by green electricity, the ammonia can be produced without CO2 emission resulting in green ammonia.
KROHNE offers level, temperature, pressure and flow instrumentation to control the process of ammonia production.
In the chemical industry hydrogen is used as feedstock in chemical process as well as it is produced as by-product in other chemical processes.
Feedstock: Most hydrogen is consumed in the production of ammonia and methanol. There are other smaller consumers of hydrogen as well such as hydrogen peroxide production or the use of hydrogen as reduction agent.
By-product: Hydrogen is produced as by-product during the steam cracking of hydrocarbons to produce high value chemicals (HVC) which are applied in the production of plastics, and in chlor-alkali electrolysis where hydrogen is a by-product in the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide. The produced hydrogen can be re-used on site or made available to other industries.
For the distribution network of hydrogen gas at a chemical site the OPTIMASS 6400 can be applied. In case the hydrogen is traded with a nearby industrial site the ALTOSONIC V12 can be used for the custody transfer measurement.
KROHNE has a full portfolio of flow, level, pressure and temperature transmitters for the chemical industry, including the measurement of hydrogen and associated products.
Refineries are industrial process plants where crude oil is transformed and refined into useful products like gasoline, diesel, kerosene and naphtha. Refineries are both consuming hydrogen as feedstock, as well as producing hydrogen as a (by-)product.
Hydrogen consumption: Several process consume hydrogen, such as hydrocracking where the hydrocarbons in crude oil are broken into simpler molecules such as gasoline and kerosine by the addition of hydrogen under high pressure. Another example of a process where hydrogen is consumed is desulpherisation or hydrotreatment; sulphur and other components such as nitrogen and aromatics are removed from the hydrocarbons by reaction with hydrogen at elevated temperatures.
Hydrogen production:
The required hydrogen in refineries can be produced on site via steam methane reforming, but there are also refinery processes where hydrogen is produced as a by-product. An example of such proces is catalyc naphta reforming, where a naphtha stream is converted in to reformate, which is blending component for high octane gasoline.
Note that there are process schematics for these refinery processes on the KROHE website
Building and building construction are responsible for approximately 30% of the total energy consumption in the world. Traditionally, fossil fuels are applied for heating of buildings. All electric and hydrogen solutions can be a valid option to decarbonize this application, both having their specific benefits and drawbacks. A hydrogen-ready boiler is a gas-fired heating boiler which is capable of burning either natural gas or pure (100%) hydrogen. Hydrogen-ready boilers enable conversion of the existing gas distribution networks from natural gas (which is mostly methane) to hydrogen. The KROHNE portfolio for flow, pressure and temperature measurement can be applied to natural gas, pure hydrogen or mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen that are delivered to larger industrial buildings.
The mobility sector is a sector where energy consumption is growing year over year. Hydrogen is a valid option to decarbonize this sector. Hydrogen can react with oxygen in fuel cell to power an electric motor, or less commonly hydrogen can be burned in an internal combustion engine. For small vehicles hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles face heavy competition for battery electric vehicles, it is generally believed that for long range road transportation (buses) and heavy transport (trucks) hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be a viable solution. For ships hydrogen can serve as a fuel, although derived fuels like for example ammonia (NH3) are considered as option as well. In air transportation hydrogen can replace kerosene as a fuel, although synthetic kerosene which is formed out of green hydrogen and (captured) CO2 can be a solution with less impact on current infrastructure and supply chain.
The KROHNE portfolio for flow, level, pressure and temperature can be applied to the measurement of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuels such as synthetic kerosine of synthetic diesel. Based on vast experience in the oil & gas and chemical industry, KROHNE can offer range of instrumentation and metering system for the mobility sector.
Power-to-X is a commonly used term for the conversion of electricity to other energy carriers or chemicals, generally through hydrogen produced by the electrolysis of water. The “X” can stand for any resulting fuel, chemical, power or heat. For example, power-to-gas refers to the production of electrolytic hydrogen itself or synthetic methane produced from electrolytic hydrogen combined with CO2. Likewise, power-to-liquids refers to the production of hydrogen-based liquid fuels. Together, hydrogen-based fuels that integrate electrolytic hydrogen are sometimes referred to as “electrofuels” or, in the very specific case of power from solar energy, solar fuels. In the Jupiter 1000 power-to-gas project in France the OPTIMASS 6400 is applied to measure the green hydrogen and synthetic methane, the OPTISWIRL 4200 vortex meter is applied to measure the captured CO2 and the OPTISONIC 7300 ultrasonic gas flowmeter is applied to measure the flow of natural gas.
Hydrogen can be transported and stored as gas as well as liquid.
Gaseous hydrogen is typically transported via pipelines or via tube trailers (compressed hydrogen). The pipelines can be operated with pure hydrogen, or with blends of hydrogen with natural gas. For custody transfer measurement in pipeline transportation, KROHNE supplies the SUMMIT 8800 flow computer and the ALTOSONIC V12 ultrasonic flowmeter which are both suitable for pure hydrogen as well as for blends of hydrogen with natural gas. Additionally complete turnkey custody transfer metering systems for hydrogen are supplied by KROHNE.
Underground storage of hydrogen in salt caverns is being applied to store large quantities of hydrogen over longer periods of time. This allows for so-called seasonal storage to buffer renewable energy which is produced in summer to be consumed in winter. It also allows for shorter storage cycles to compensate ‘dunkelflaute’ where during a few days less renewable energy is generated due to lack of sunshine or wind.
Liquid hydrogen has a temparature of -253°C (-423°F) which is only 20 °C (36°F) above absolute zero. The infrastructure for liquid hydrogen transportation and storage shows great resemblance to that for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The main differences are related to the lower temperature -253°C versus -160°C (-423°F versus -265°F) which puts more stringent requirements on the instrumentation. KROHNE offers the OPTIBAR pressure portfolio which is suited for differential pressure flow and level measurement, as well as for process pressure measurement for liquid hydrogen.
Alternative methods for transport and storage of hydrogen is to use molecules which are rich in hydrogen such as ammonia (NH3) and methanol (CH30H). The conditions for transport and storage for these fluids are less demanding than for liquid hydrogen. At the destination ammonia and methanol can be consumed directly or can be re-converted to hydrogen. Also Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) can be applied for storage and transport of hydrogen. LOHC are organic compounds that can absorb and release hydrogen throught chemical reactions.
In addition to the use as feedstock in the industry or as combustible fuel, hydrogen can be re-converted into electricity by means of fuel cells. A fuel cell can be considered as a battery which is running on hydrogen, where hydrogen is converted into electricity and heat. Fuel cells can be used to power off-grid locations or can be combined with seasonal storage of hydrogen to provide electricity when production from renewable energy sources is low.
Ammonia and methanol fuel cells exist as well. In these fuel cells ammonia or methanol is re-converted directly into electricity and heat. The benefit of this type of re-conversion is the relative ease of transportation of the fluids.
In case hydrogen has been transported or stored by means of a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC), the hydrogen needs to be released from the LOHC at the end destination. This takes place by means of a chemical dehydreganation process, which requires heat to release the hydrogen from the carrier.
KROHNE is a leading system provider in the field of industrial process measurement instrumentation. Employing over 4,000 people worldwide, KROHNE provides complete solutions for flow, level, pressure and temperature measurement, as well as for process analysis. In addition to these measurement devices, KROHNE offers commissioning, calibration and maintenance services. The name KROHNE stands for innovation, reliability and high-quality products.
