High Pressure Storage

Of
Permanent Gases

Everest Kanto Cylinder Limited P.M.Samvatsar

 Need for High Pressure
Storage
We need to store, handle and transport higher
quantity of gas in containers that are manageable.
Higher the pressure, larger is the quantity of gas
contained in same cylinder volume.

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Lighter the cylinder, more convenient and
economical it is to handle it and transport it.
Larger cylinders banks offer less joints to make leak
proof.

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There are certain requirements which just cannot
be serviced by liquefied gases.

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Why not Liquefied Gases?
Usually the liquefied gases containing, conveying
and transportation is full of limitations which have
so far kept them away from being universal
solutions.
They call for specialized cryogenic vessels which
need to be continuously monitored.

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They also need special care while handling, unlike
gas cylinders. This calls for persons with special
training and skills

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If the offtake of gas from cryo vessel is lower than
the gas being generated due to heat seepage then
the gas has to be released with resultant wastage.
Such release is not possible for flammable gases. 3
So, there are majority of applications where only
compressed gas cylinders are suitable.
 Why not Liquefied Gases?

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EFFICIENCY

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 Efficiency of Cylinders
The word Efficiency is used in cylinder industry for
the amount of gas content for unit weight of
cylinder.
So, cylinders which can contain higher pressure for

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lower weight are more efficient. They reduce the
transportation costs substantially.
Permanent gases follow the Gas Equation
o P1 x V1 / T1 = P2 x V2 / T2

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o So, for higher gas content in fixed volume of
cylinder, you need to get higher pressure in
cylinder.
For this the cylinders have to be with materials with 6
higher strength to get higher efficiency.
Effect of Material properties
on Gas Cylinders - 1
Technical Efficiency of Gas Cylinder
Gas Volume
Ratio of ---------------------------------
Cylinder Weight

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From the derivation given in the handout it would
be clear that for a given diameter and length of
cylinder, the

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Gas Volume is proportional to the pressure
Cylinder weight is also proportional to the
pressure 7
But
The cylinder weight depends on wall thickness
 Effect of Material properties
on Gas Cylinders 2
Conclusion : For a given water capacity and
diameter of cylinder, the ratio of gas volume /
cylinder weight i. e. technical efficiency remains
constant and shall only be affected by material

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properties and density.

So, to improve the technical efficiency of

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cylinders high strength steels have to be
employed, with their limitation of intolerance
for embrittling gases and stress corrosion
cracking. 8
Moving to Higher Pressures -
1
Advancements have come as a result of constant
human desire to do things in a better way.
As far as gas cylinders are concerned it meant
filling more gas in a cylinder.

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Since the gases follow the Gas Equation, it means
the cylinder has to be filled at increasingly higher
pressures. This gives rise to two challenges
o Developing suitable gas cylinders to work at these

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higher pressures.
o Developing infrastructure of gas filling stations who
are equipped to fill gas at these pressures.
The development has been slow due to
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interdependence of the above two challenges
Moving to Higher Pressures
-2
Advancement in related fields is another driver for
technology development. Aerospace imposed more
exacting specifications for weight per unit volume of
gas.

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Moving to Higher Pressures
Another important driver is the Oil Crisis in 1970.
Rising fuel costs required lighter cylinders with
higher technical efficiency i.e. Free Volume of Gas /

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Weight of Cylinder.

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 Cylinder Evolution- 1
Cylinder designs mainly depend on the
capability of manufacturing of the Seamless Steel
Tubes. The minimum thickness which could be
produced. Secondly they depend on the development

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of suitable steels. The evolution was as below:
Material of Cylinder Working pr Heat Treatment Year
o Carbon Steel: 70 to100 Bar Normalized 1910
o Carbon Mn Steel: 100 to 150 Bar Normalized/QT
1935-60

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o Chrome Moly Steel:150 to 200 Bar QT 1960
o Chrome Moly Steel: 200 to 300 Bar QT 1990
o High Strength Steel: 200 to 300 BarQT 1985
o High Strength Steel 300 to 400 Bar QT 1985 11
 Cylinder Evolution- 2
Heat treatment choice depends on the minimum
thickness available and working pressure required.
Even now, normalized cylinders are popular in
small sizes because hot rolled tubes of lower

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thickness are not available and for the thickness,
normalized steel can sustain the pressures
particularly for Co2. It makes cylinder more
economical too.

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Maneuverability is a consideration which drives the
move to higher strength steels and / or different
heat treatment.
50 ltr 300 Bar cylinder with standard CrMo steel 12
would weight 95 kg against 67 kg of high strength
steels.
 MATERIAL
EFFICIENCY

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 High Strength Steels
Considerations- 1
The 300 bar cylinders were introduced in 1980s,
they have become popular for certain applications
because.
o They could be used for majority of the gases which are
classified as Non-Embrittling gases like Air, Nitrogen,

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Argon, Helium etc.
o May need a VIPR Valves with integrated pressure
regulators to reduce pressure to 200 bar so that no change
of equipment is necessary for downstream equipment.

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o They are already meeting additional tests to ascertain
behaviour with flaw e.g. Flawed fatigue and burst test due
to almost 50% higher stored energy leading to higher
hazard level. They offer the same safety level as that of
lower pressure cylinders in use. 14
o While choosing the application the user has to understand
that higher tensile and yield strengths affect the following
 High Strength Steels
Considerations- 2
To meet these demands on steel they have to be
o Refined ESR and Re-melted steels
o Addition of certain alloying elements
o Close range of tolerances for each element in chemistry

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Should have:
o Very low gas content
o Very low Sulphur, Phosphorus, and Tin Content.
o Fine grain
o Very low inclusion rating

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Should be processed and tested with
o Closely controlled heat treatment cycles
o Ultrasonic flaw detection and other NDT techniques
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 High Strength Steels
Considerations- 3
The manufacturer and the user has to take special
care of the cylinder as the wall thickness is reduced
with respect to the pressure and the margins are

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reduced so the tolerable flaw sizes also need to be
limited to avoid accidents.

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 Composite Cylinders
Considering the limitations of embrittling gases and
weight issues normally what comes to mind is the
option of using composite cylinders type 2, 3 and 4.
o Type 1:All Steel
o Type 2:Metal Liner with Hoop Wound Fiber Wrap

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o Type3: Metal Liner with Fully Wound Fiber Wrap
o Type 4:Non Metal Liner with Fully Wound Fiber Wrap

However Composite Cylinders is not a panacea.

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They have limitations
Higher cost, Careful handling or mounting
Gas permeability
Therefore they are not popular even though they 17
are easily available.
Bulk Transportation of Gases
Fora safer and economical transportation of larger
quantity of gases the cylinder bundles and cascades
have emerged.
The cylinder assemblies are grouped as
o Cylinder bundles portable or floor mounted

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o Jumbo skids
The user always desires the least number of
probable leak points to have utmost reliability. This
could be achieved by using individual cylinder of

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large capacity e.g. The jumbo tubes which could
have individual water capacity of 3000 ltr. Most
popular is 2200 ltr 200/250 bar. 18
Bulk Transportation of Gases

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EKC TUBE
TRAILER
 Bulk Transportation of Gases

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JOURNEY OF DEVELOPMENT
We have come a long way in means used for
gas storage
Animal Bladders
Hammered and riveted vessels
Carbon steel seamless cylinders

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Chromium Molybdenum steel seamless cylinders
High strength steel seamless cylinders
Composite cylinders

Who comes out as a trustworthy workhorse is of course is the

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STEEL
CYLINDER
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 Techno Economic
Considerations -1
Gas Carrying Comparison Chart
Total Gas
Cylind No. of Transpor % Extra
Water Technical
Pressu Gas er Cyls ted in Gas
Capaci Efficienc
re Capaci Weigh in 16T Carried
ty y

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(Bar) ty (m3) t 16T truck vis-a-vis
(Litre) m3/kg
(kg) truck (m )
3
150 Bar

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
46.7 150 7.00 52 308 2156 - 0.135

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46.7 200 9.34 54 296 2767 28.3 0.173
50.0 200 10.0 57 280 2880 29.87 0.175
50.0 300 15.0 78 205 3075 42 0.192

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 Techno Economic
Considerations -2
Investment Cost Comparison with 46.7 Litres 150 Bar
Cylinders
With various Cylinders Pressure Ratings
Water Pressure Gas Investme Investment /

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Capacity Bar Capacit nt per m3of Gas % Advantage
(Litre) y (m3) cyl (Rs) (Rs)
1 2 3 4 5 6
46.7 150 7.00 6000 857 -

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46.7 200 9.34 7000 749 12.5
50.0 200 10.0 7500 750 12.5
50.0 300 15.0 10000 667 22.2

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Cylinder Bundles / Quads /
Cascades - 1
When two or more cylinders are held together in
a frame and are also interconnected and
connected to the outlet through manifold piping
they are called Bundles, Quads, Cascades, Skids.
They offer following advantages.

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No labour is required for loading and
unloading.
Cylinder valve or cylinder will not get damaged

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Cylinder tracking/accounting will be easy and
cylinders will not be lost
Cylinders can be easily identified for next test
due date. 24

Cylinder Bundles / Quads /

Cascades - 2
50 Ltr 200 Bar Cylinders are very economical as
compared to 46.7 Ltr 150 Bar cylinders. We get
10 m3 gas as against 7 m3 (based on what gas
we fill)
Each bundle contains 12 cylinders so 120 m 3

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gas. (in case of 46.7 ltr x 150 bar we get only 84
m3 i.e. 43% more.
Ease of filling 12 cylinders with single

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connection
No frequent cylinder changing by user

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 Cylinder Bundles/ Quads /
Cascades 3

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 Cascades 3
Cylinder Bundles / Quads /

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 Cylinder Bundles/ Quads /
Cascades 3

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 Cylinder Bundles/ Quads /
Cascades 3

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 Cylinder Bundles/ Quads /
Cascades 3

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 Gas Delivery
.

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Thanks for making a beginning over 1 century ago.
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Thanks for patient