Session: CT-03-01 Leak Tightness and Fugitive Emissions

Paper Number: 152780

152780 - Correlation Study for Different Test Medias Used in Fugitive Emission Packings 

Abstract: 

Fugitive emissions refer to the unintended or uncontrolled release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and greenhouse gases (GHGs) from industrial equipment, contributing to approximately 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the oil and gas industry, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60% of these emissions originate from valve compression packings. The proper design, testing, and selection of valve packings play a crucial role in minimizing leaks, ensuring regulatory compliance, reducing environmental impact, and improving plant efficiency.

The most widely used standards for certifying packings in low fugitive emissions applications are API 622 and ISO 15848-1. API 622 requires the packing to pass through 1510 mechanical cycles and 5 thermal cycles in a test rig based on a shutoff valve. Despite being a straightforward test, it only permits testing with methane. ISO 15848-1, on the other hand, offers a wider range of mechanical and thermal cycling procedures and also allows testing with both helium and methane. Despite the possibility of using different test media, the standard clearly states that there is no intended performance correlation between the two gases.

Hydrogen's growing role as a clean energy carrier in the global shift toward decarbonization highlights its critical importance for the sealing industry. As hydrogen infrastructure rapidly expands, covering production, storage, and transportation, the need for reliable sealing solutions becomes more urgent. Currently, there is no globally accepted test standard to evaluate packing performance with hydrogen. Due to hydrogen's small molecular size and high diffusivity, it raises significant challenges to traditional sealing materials and designs.

This paper aims to compare different test medias used to evaluate the performance of compression packings. A static sealability test based on the EN13555 standard is proposed to obtain sealability levels on valve packings, and the influence of the test media used is discussed comparing helium, methane and hydrogen. Additionally, a fugitive emission test is performed using the ISO 15848-1 cycling procedure, further comparing the behavior of packings with different gases.

Presenting Author: Carlos D. Girão Teadit

Presenting Author Biography: Carlos D. Girão is a Professional Mechanical Engineer with a Master of Science from the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Senior executive with leadership roles in the Americas, Europe, and India, he has been in the Fluid Sealing Industry for the past sixteen years. Mr. Girão has published several papers, patents and championed studies for standard setting organizations and conferences. He currently holds the position of Technical Director for the Teadit Group.

Authors:

Carlos D. Girão Teadit
João H. Pontes Teadit