3 comprehensive

ranges included

Be safe and be sure!

Dry your natural gas to better than ISO 15403:2000(E)

Xebec is an active member of:

 Natural Gas Dryers
Why are natural
gas dryers
required for
todays NGV
fuelling stations?
Natural gas is clean burning and has been used as a fuel
for internal combustion engines for many years. Natural
gas now supplies more than 20% of the worlds primary
energy needs. Many governments actively promote this
gas because of the environmental benefits and target
emission levels agreed under the Kyoto Protocol. Fleet
operators are also changing to compressed natural gas
because of the economic viability and increased
availability as fuelling centres become more widespread.
Cover image:
Fully automatic Natural Gas Dryer type HRBNGX
1
The single most important
safety requirement
ISO 15403:2000(E) standard states (paragraph 5.1) :
The single most important safety requirement of
compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel is a very low
water dewpoint temperature to preclude the
formation of liquid water at any time. Liquid water
is the precursor to the formation of corrosive
compounds through combination with components
in natural gas, namely carbon dioxide and hydrogen
sulphide. The combination of corrosive agents, and
the pressure cycling, caused by fuel consumption
and subsequent refilling of the fuel storage
container, can result in crack growth in metals and
ultimately damage and failure. Also, liquid water
itself can be detrimental as it may cause blockages,
both liquid and solid, in the fuel system.
Thus, the water dewpoint of the fuel gas at the
fuelling station outlet shall be sufficiently below the
lowest ambient temperature in which the fuelling
station and vehicles will operate.
The terms and definitions taken from the ISO 15403:2000(E) are
reproduced with the permission of the International Organization
of Standardization (ISO). This standard can be obtained from any
ISO member and from the web site of the ISO Central Secretariat
at www.iso.org. Copyright remains with ISO.
So you think your gas is dry?
Since the effects of moisture in natural gas systems are not
always immediately evident, some NGV station builders have
been reluctant to recognise and address the importance of
installing desiccant dryer systems in CNG fuelling stations.
This is despite the fact that there are industry standards and
recommended practices for the required dewpoint of the
compressed natural gas used for fuelling stations, such as
the ISO 15403:2000(E).
It is understandable that the economics play a big factor in
such projects, however, there are a few important facts that
should be considered before deciding to have an efficient
installation in compliance with current standards or to save
as little as the price of a dryer.
The most common reason for not installing dryers in NGV
stations is the belief that the gas is already dry. Although it is
not unusual to have a gas dewpoint as low as -40C in the gas
pipeline at the pipe pressure, and drawing the conclusion that
no additional drying is required, however, the reasoning does
not take into account the effects of compression on the
dewpoint of the gas.
Laws of physics dictate that the dewpoint of the gas increases
as its pressure increases. Therefore, although the dewpoint
of the gas in a given pipeline may be very low when it reaches
the compressor, it will be significantly higher when the gas
leaves the compressor. This is why natural gas desiccant
dryers are required in the majority of NGV stations in order
to conform to the ISO 15403:2000(E) standard, specifically in
areas where lower temperatures are encountered during the
colder winter months.
You will need a Natural Gas Dryer also!
Lowest temp Daily winter
recorded temp range
LONDON
-10C -2C to +6C
PARIS
-15C +1C to +12C
MUNICH
-29C -5C to +9C
BEIJING
-23C -10C to +11C
Source: The World Weather Guide
Munich, a typical European example -
Let us assume that a given NGV station is installed at Munich, and
that the pressure of gas inside the storage vessels is 250 bar g. Let
us also assume that the moisture content of the natural gas
entering the compressor is 34C at a pipeline pressure of 1 bar g,
(equivalent to an atmospheric pressure dewpoint of 39C or 100
mg/Nm3) and that on any given winter day, the ambient
temperature in that area is 15C.
In this example, the compression ratio of the compressor is
approximately 125, which means that at the discharge of the
compressor, a given volume of gas contains 125 times the amount
of moisture than the same volume at the inlet. As a result, the
dewpoint of the gas at the discharge of the compressor becomes
+25C, which is significantly higher than the coldest ambient
temperature as required by the ISO standard.
This gap becomes even wider if the ambient temperature is lower,
or if the pressure of the gas at the discharge of the compressor
(ie. the pressure inside the storage vessels) is higher. In the
example, if the pressure inside the storage vessels was 350 bar g,
then the dewpoint of the gas would become +32C.
Operating an NGV station without a dryer at the conditions in the
above example will expose the station owner to many potential
risks, mainly the fact that the vehicle storage tanks will be exposed
to the risk of corrosion due to the presence of water itself, and also
other acids that can form in the vehicle storage tanks in the
presence of liquid water. Not to mention nuisance factors such as
freeze-up in the fuelling nozzles and compressor dispensers due to
the effect of expansion cooling and / or ambient temperatures, all
of which could result in customer dissatisfaction and the potential
decline of future NGV projects.
Natural Gas desiccant dryers can easily and economically eliminate
these potential risks and increase NGV customer satisfaction.
Lowest temp Daily winter
recorded temp range
MOSCOW
-32C -16C to 0C
ROME
-6C +5C to +15C
STOCKHOLM
-28C -5C to +3C
SAN FRANCISCO
-3C +7C to +16C
2
 Natural Gas Dryers
All Xebec NGX line compressed natural gas dryers are
designed for installation at the low pressure suction side
of the gas compressor. Each unit is sized and engineered
to ensure that the water dewpoint of the fuel gas at the
fuelling station outlet meets or exceeds the safety
requirements of ISO 15403:2000(E), as specified in
section 5, paragraph 5.1 water. High capacity molecular
sieve desiccant material specifically designed for natural
gas applications is used for both minimal pressure drop
and mercaptons co-adsorption. Stainless steel high
surface area desiccant support screens and inlet gas
diffusers are also used in all models to ensure excellent
flow distribution. Factory mounted and pre-piped inlet
and outlet filters complete with pressure differential
gauges are included in all packages. All carbon steel
surfaces are finished in a quality exterior grade high
temperature paint finish. Xebec NGX line Natural Gas
Dryers are designed to the latest European Pressure
Equipment Directive 97/23/EC and are manufactured
in accordance with ISO 9001 quality standards.

Three convenient and

cost effective solutions
1. STVNGX - Basic Single Tower Natural Gas Dryers
A low cost, low capacity range of single tower dryers that are
supplied as basic packages. Each model requires Xebec specialist
external regeneration or desiccant replacement when a fixed
capacity (dependent upon water loading, operating hours and
regeneration intervals), is reached. AutoDew is a highly recommended
option that will signal when regeneration is required.

Adsorption Capacity
(approx) Inlet Gas Flow (approx)* Dimensions
Nm3/hr (scfm) Weight mm (in)
Model No Pipe Size
m3 x 106 @ MMSCF @ Kg (lbs)
110 mg/Nm3 7 lbs H2O /
0.7 bar g 3.5 bar g 7 bar g 10 bar g 16 bar g 25 bar g
H2O loading MMSCF (10 psi g) (50 psi g) (100 psi g) (145 psi g) (232 psi g) (363 psi g) Height Width Depth

G /2
1
22 57 100 140 216 330 64 1676 406 356
STV6NGX 0.01 0.43
1
/2 NPT (13) (35) (62) (87) (134) (205) (140) (66) (16) (14)
G1 49 127 226 314 486 743 100 1524 483 559
STV8NGX 0.02 0.64
1 NPT (30) (79) (140) (196) (302) (462) (220) (60) (19) (22)
G1 81 212 376 524 809 1238 150 2286 483 610
STV10NGX 0.04 1.45
1 NPT (50) (132) (234) ( 326) (503) (770) (330) (90) (19) (24)
DN40 135 354 627 873 1349 2063 500 2286 965 813
STV14NGX 0.08 2.90
11/2 FLG (84) (220) (390) (543) (839) (1283) (1100) (90) (38) (32)
DN40 176 460 815 1135 1754 2682 591 2388 965 965
STV18NGX 0.13 4.70
11/2 FLG (109) (286) (507) (706) (1091) (1668) (1300) (94) (38) (38)
DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 682 2388 1092 1067
STV20NGX 0.18 6.30
2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (1500) (94) (43) (42)
DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 864 2413 1118 1067
STV24NGX-2 0.27 9.40
2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (1900) (95) (44) (42)
DN80 540 1415 2509 3493 5396 8251 1045 2540 1575 1346
STV24NGX-3 0.27 9.40
3 FLG (336) (880) (1561) (2173) (3356) (5132) (2300) (100) (62) (53)
DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 1136 2718 1118 1168
STV30NGX-2 0.40 14.30
2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (2500) (107) (44) (46)
DN80 540 1415 2509 3493 5396 8251 1364 2896 1575 1422
STV30NGX-3 0.40 14.30
3 FLG (336) (880) (1561) (2173) (3356) (5132) (3000) (114) (62) (56)
*Higher pressure units are also available.

Water Loading Correction Factors

Water Content
mg/Nm3 33 47 63 80 95 110 158 238 330 480 630 800
Water Content
ppm (v) 44 62 84 104 125 148 210 315 440 638 840 1040
Water Content
lbs / MMSCF 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 15 20 30 40 50
Correction Factor
(multiply by) 2.27 1.82 1.49 1.25 1.11 1.00 0.70 0.50 0.39 0.32 0.21 0.17

3
2. STRNGX - Regenerable Single Tower Natural Gas Dryers
A comprehensive range of rugged, skid mounted single tower
regenerable Natural Gas Dryers. All models have closed loop, operator
initiated, heat reactivated regeneration cycles for reliable dryer
regeneration control and shutdown. AutoDew is a standard feature
and will signal when regeneration is required.
A duplex version is also available that has an additional drying tower
to eliminate downtime when regeneration is necessary.

Adsorption Capacity
(approx) Inlet Gas Flow (approx)* Dimensions
Nm3/hr (scfm) Weight mm (in)
Model No Pipe Size
m3 x 106 @ MMSCF @ Kg (lbs)
110 mg/Nm3 7 lbs H2O /
0.7 bar g 3.5 bar g 7 bar g 10 bar g 16 bar g 25 bar g
H2O loading MMSCF (10 psi g) (50 psi g) (100 psi g) (145 psi g) (232 psi g) (363 psi g) Height Width Depth

STR18NGX DN40 176 460 815 1135 1754 2682 1727 2413 1427 2032
0.13 4.70
AutoDew 11/2 FLG (109) (286) (507) (706) (1091) (1668) (3800) (95) (68) (80)

STR20NGX DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 2000 2413 1427 2032
0.18 6.30
AutoDew 2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (4400) (95) (68) (80)

STR24NGX-2 DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 2273 2413 1427 2032
0.27 9.40
AutoDew 2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (5000) (95) (68) (80)

STR24NGX-3 DN80 540 1415 2509 3493 5396 8251 2454 2413 1427 2184
0.27 9.40
AutoDew 3 FLG (336) (880) (1561) (2173) (3356) (5132) (5400) (95) (68) (86)

STR30NGX-2 DN50 324 849 1505 2096 3238 4951 2545 2845 1427 2032
0.40 14.30
AutoDew 2 FLG (202) (528) (936) (1304) (2014) (3079) (5600) (112) (68) (80)

STR30NGX-3 DN80 540 1415 2509 3493 5396 8251 2727 2845 1427 2184
0.40 14.30
AutoDew 3 FLG (336) (880) (1561) (2173) (3356) (5132) (6000) (112) (68) (86)

*Higher pressure units are also available.

Adsorption Cycle Regeneration Cycle Heating Phase

4
 3. HRBNGX - Fully Automatic Heat Reactivated
Twin Tower Natural Gas Dryers
Designed and engineered for large flow and continuous duty
cycles. HRBNGX dryers are fully automatic and maximise
desiccant regeneration, dewpoint performance and energy
efficiency. A large LCD text display shows dryer status and
alarms at all times.

Inlet Gas Flow (approx)* Dimensions

Nm3/hr (scfm) Weight mm (in)
Model No Pipe Size
Kg (lbs)
0.7 bar g 3.5 bar g 7 bar g 10 bar g 16 bar g 25 bar g
(10 psi g) (50 psi g) (100 psi g) (145 psi g) (232 psi g) (363 psi g)
Height Width Depth

DN50 216 566 1004 1397 2159 3300 3182 2540 1905 3048
80HRBNGX
2 FLG (134) (352) (624) (869) (1343) (2053) (7000) (100) (75) (120)
DN80 540 1415 2509 3493 5396 8251 4091 3277 2235 3454
200HRBNGX
3 FLG (336) (880) (1561) (2173) (3356) (5132) (9000) (129) (88) (136)
DN100 810 2123 3763 5240 8094 12376 5682 3251 2438 3454
300HRBNGX
4 FLG (504) (1320) (2341) (3259) (5035) (7698) (12500) (128) (96) (136)
DN100 1081 2831 5018 6987 10793 16502 6227 3581 2438 3454
400HRBNGX
4 FLG (672) (1761) (3121) (4346) (6713) (10264) (13700) (141) (96) (136)
DN150 1351 3538 6272 873 13491 20627 6818 3708 2438 3454
500HRBNGX
6 FLG (840) (2201) (3901) (5432) (8391) (12830) (15000) (146) (96) (136)
DN150 1621 4246 7527 10480 16189 24753 7727 3302 2438 3454
600HRBNGX
6 FLG (1008) (2641) (4682) (6518) (10069) (15396) (17000) (130) (96) (136)

DN200 2026 5307 9409 13100 20236 30941

750HRBNGX
8 FLG (1260) (3301) (5852) (8148) (12587) (19245)
CONSULT FACTORY
DN200 2701 7076 12545 17466 26982 41254
1000HRBNGX
8 FLG (1680) (4401) (7803) (10864) (16782) (25660)
*Higher pressure units are also available.

Typical Flow Schematic

Water Loading Correction Factors

Water Content
mg/Nm3 33 47 63 80 95 110 158 238 330 480 630 800
Water Content
ppm (v) 44 62 84 104 125 148 210 315 440 638 840 1040
Water Content
lbs / MMSCF 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 15 20 30 40 50
Correction Factor
(multiply by) 2.27 1.82 1.49 1.25 1.11 1.00 0.70 0.50 0.39 0.32 0.21 0.17
5
AutoDew - precision moisture
measurement and control
The Xebec AutoDew is designed to provide continuous monitoring and display
of dewpoint. Comprehensive capabilities with secondary logging and alarms
are also provided. The gas dryer regeneration requirement is dependent
upon the actual inlet gas flow, pressure and water load-three variables that
are continually changing each day within the operation of the gas drying
system. This means that a pre-determined fixed operating dryer cycle could
be wasting valuable energy.
The Xebec AutoDew measures the dryer outlet dewpoint on a continuous
basis and controls the initiation of the regeneration cycle accordingly.
Eliminating unnecessary regeneration cycles, significantly reduces the dryer
operating costs and extends the life of the desiccant and dryer components.

Precision gas dewpoint monitor housed in a NEMA 4,7 Diecast Aluminum

enclosure with a backlit LCD screen that displays dewpoint indication in units
of C or F. Two (2) form C dry contacts and two (2) alarm status LED
indications are provided to signal deteriorating dewpoint performance and
when regeneration is required. A 4-20 mA output is also provided. The
AutoDew is electrically classified for use in a Class I, Div. I, Group D area and
is UL listed. All common single-phase 50 or 60 Hz voltages are available.

AutoDew Sensing Probe

6
Unrivalled experience
in Natural Gas Drying
Xebec Inc is part of the domnick hunter Group PLC which
has collective experience of over 100 years in the design
and manufacture of filtration, purification and separation
equipment for compressed air, gases and liquids.
Xebec operates from a new 4,200m2 (45,000ft2) state of the
art manufacturing facility located in Blainville, Quebec and
since 1963 has specialised in the design and fabrication
of regenerative desiccant dryers which are capable of
achieving pressure dewpoints as low as 70C (-100F)
and operating conditions up to 25,350m3/hr (15,000 cfm)
and 345 bar g (5000 psi g).
Xebec is also a world leader in drying natural gas for
vehicle fuelling stations. It has supplied over 600
Natural Gas Dryers to North America and the Far East
for this rapidly expanding market alone.
All of the Xebec dryers and filters are manufactured
to the most stringent quality specifications and can
be provided in accordance with many pressure vessel
design codes.
In addition to the Xebec facility in Canada,
domnick hunter Group also has modern
manufacturing plants in the UK, Germany and Italy.

Xebec Blainville, Quebec

ASME VIII National Board

CRN
China

IMPORTANT: For factory sizing and application assistance, please obtain precise sizing
criteria including inlet flow, pressure ranges, inlet waterload, duty cycle, preferred
regeneration cycle interval and required effluent dewpoint for your Natural Gas dryer XEBEC INC
applications. Please visit our website at www.xebecinc.com for more information on 730, Boul. Industriel
other Xebec products.
Blainville, Quebec
Canada J7C 3V4
Toll Free: 1-877-GO-XEBEC
Tel.: (450) 979-8700
Fax: (450) 979-7869
Email: sales@xebecinc.com
www.xebecinc.com
Xebec is a wholly owned subsidiary of the domnick hunter Group plc, U.K. Copyright Xebec inc 2002
Publication Reference: NGX/AP 9/02 UK