Low Emission Spiral Wound Gasket
Growth of oil and gas, mining exploration and processing industry to produce energy during decade hasn’t come without controversy. This all kind of industrial development poses a variety of environmental risks. In addition to habitat disruption and impacts on local water and air quality, one of the most significant concerns is climate impact resulting from the “fugitive methane emissions” that escape into the atmosphere from various points along the processing of those resource supply chain.
Fugitive emissions are emissions of gases or vapors from pressurized equipment due to leaks and other unintended or irregular releases of gases, mostly from industrial activities. As well as the economic cost of lost commodities, fugitive emissions contribute to air pollution and climate change.
Fugitive emissions present other risks and hazards. Emissions of volatile organic compounds such as benzene from oil refineries and chemical plants pose a long term health risk to workers and local communities. In situations where large amounts of flammable liquids and gases are contained under pressure, leaks also increase the risk of fire and explosion. Leaks from pressurized process equipment generally occur through valves, pipe connections, mechanical seals, or related equipment.
Spiral wound gaskets are used worldwide in piping and equipment flanges and can be manufactured in several combinations of materials, and in wide range of dimensions, winding densities and shapes. Gaskets available in the market have the winding surface finish that varies from each manufacturer and also from the same manufacture. This characteristic is not subject to any standard specification. Experiments were performed changing the surface finish to evaluate is influence on the gasket sealability.
The authors Pressure Vessels & Piping 2011-2013 paper showed the importance of the winding density and filler protrusion to assure a sealability level that meets current EPA fugitive emissions requirements levels. The low-emission gaskets are made to answer the issue of fugitive emission in the oil and gas industry.
We, Tri Graha Sealisindo are answering this kind of environmental issue, since we are a leading gaskets and sealing product manufacturer in Indonesia, along with capabilities are developed a gaskets (spiral wound gasket) to meet the requirement of chevron fugitive emission gasket that performed in Yarmouth Research and Technology, is an independent testing laboratory for the manufacturers and end-users of chemical process equipment, such as valves, packing, gaskets, seals and other flow control products, last year.
The results shows the average and maximum leakage results shown below were calculated from the data shown.
