Chlorine Cylinder Problem

Warm the cylinder up.

Hi PWSlack,

This operates in a small town in the middle of nowhere well almost...what would the weather do it does not get cold..well cold for the locals 25c and they go for a wrap...your suggestion is to put a drum warmer type of system around the cylinder?

Would you furnish an explanation...

many thanks

Robert

Is there a problem with the chlorinator? Is there problems with the injectors on the chlorine supply lines?

Hi Bet Green,

We have been asked to quote for the supply of a new chlorinator and have done so we await an order and we will se.BUT how can the chlorinator go wrong...and what should I look for.

Hi Bet Green,

Thank you for the feedback.

I am new at this...so how would I know if there is a problem with the chlorinator?

i am hoping to supply them a new unit and then I will check/service the old one.

Injectors on the supply line....? Please tell me more and how I could check for that.

Best

Robert Ferreiro

Could they be depressurizing the cylinder too quickly and cooling the chlorine to the point that it liquifies? I assume it is a gaseous chlorine cylinder.

What is the size of the container?

Smaller cylinder have one outlet only. Bigger container (around one ton) have two valves. Which one is your's.

Small cylinders are to be kept up-right position. Ton containers are to be kept horizontally in a position such that the two valves are to be in vertical position. These two valves have internal tubes extending close to the cylinder wall. The outlet has to be lined up to the top valve, so that it only sends gas. If lined to bottom, naturally liquid will come.

You have indicated that initially you are getting gas. This could be because the supply system (tubes etc) are wormer. Once they get chilled up, the liquid is sent as such.

Primarily you should ensure the supply system do get liquid at all.

Do not heat (worming could be ok, but just to remove the frost) the cylinder externally, this could lead to uncontrolled expansion of gas and could end up in nasty accident.

Hi yesyen,

Thank you for the corntribution....

900 kg container....

connection correct... regal mounted to the top outlet...

could the gas be getting warm in the tubes and becoming liquid...

I am going to site in the morning and will take tempretures.

best

Robert Ferreiro

If you have connected to the top outlet there is no chance for the liquid Chlorine to escape. Nor it can get condensed down the line...

At NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure) the boiling point of Chlorine is - 34.5 deg C. You ambient can not be around this, right?

How do you sense that you are getting liquid Chlorine? If at all you got liquid Chlorine, down the line it will expand to a unmanageable huge gaseous volume. Please discuss more on your experience.

Hi betomachine.

thanks for the feedback

The filling is done in Dubai and then shipped to me in Tanzania via Kenya.

So the filling is unknown for now.

The product is liquid..and becomes a gas....

best

Robert Ferreiro

Two possible things.....one is that the outlet elevation allows liquid chlorine to exit, but the most likely is that you are cooling the remaining gas, and chlorine becomes liquid at about -34F, so it is probably condensing after some gas release. If the outlet is always on the highest point, this should not occur, since there would always be a point where liquid turns into vapor again at or near the top.

Presumably a cylinder with 900kg of Cl2 has the Cl2 stored as liquid.

If the use rate is too high, liquid can be fed into the stream, or (more likely), the gas stream will cool to the point where Cl2 will liquefy at that pressure and temperature.

It is possible that the pressure supplied to the chlorinators is too high, in which case when the line cools a mixture of gas and liquid will emerge from the chlorinator as the liquid which has formed in the line hasn't had time to evaporate.

A similar problem occurs with LPG. The lines cool as liquid evaporates and finally liquid is being discharged. It is possible that the heaters fitted to LPG supplies can be used. (I am not familiar with the detailed construction of these heaters or their materials of construction, but liquid Cl2 is an excellent solvent for all sorts of things as well as being chemically aggressive).

If the lines get very cold during use, this may account for your liquid discharge.

If lines aren't cooling excessively, then the valving must be incorrect otherwise liquid could not discharge directly from the cylinder.

It appears your ambient temperatures are high enough that cold nights will not be a problem, and that a reasonable run of discharge pipe with a reasonably small flow rate will ensure that any liquid is evaporated before it gets to the chlorinator itself.

Is it possible that the lines are under size? By having high flow rates you don't allow enough time for ambient temperature to warm the Cl2 enough to ensure it cannot liquefy.

Hope these ramblings are of some help.

Good luck

To ALL that have been of assistance.....I am going to site this weekend and will look at all angles to see if I can give you better feedback.

Best

Robert