Introduction of Kagla’s Ammonia (Anhydrous Ammonia) vaporizer

Characteristics of Ammonia (NH3)

Ammonia, which does not generate carbon dioxide when burned, is attracting attention as a gas suitable for environmental protection.
Due to its characteristics, its use in gas turbines and engines for ships and cars is being studied as a next-generation eco-friendly fuel.
Other applications include chemical raw materials, refrigerants, fuels for thermal power generation, hydrogen storage substances, denitration, etc., and their applications and possibilities are wide-ranging.
For industrial use, it is often used for heat treatment of metal surfaces such as Nitriding.
As mentioned above, ammonia is a substance with various potentials, but there are some aspects that need to be handled with care, such as toxicity to living organisms and corrosiveness.
In addition, when used for heat treatment, etc., a stable supply of gas is required, but since ammonia has a high boiling point, it may not be possible to vaporize an amount that satisfies the gas consumption by natural vaporization. Frost on cylinders and tanks is common in equipment that consumes ammonia by natural vaporization. And thus Ammonia Vaporizer is required.

Kagla’s Ammonia vaporizer – solution for stable supply of Ammonia vapor

Based on more than 60 years of knowledge and experience in the manufacture and sale of LPG vaporizers, Kagla has developed a dedicated ammonia vaporizer that provides a stable supply of ammonia vapor.
While sharing the safety mechanism and operational stability with the LPG vaporizer, all the routes of ammonia gas are made of Stainless Steel, which is corrosion resistant, all welded construction, all flange connection structure.
EVA-AX5 is designed exclusively for ammonia gas users.

Advantages of Electric Water Bath type Ammonia vaporizer

Advantages of Electric Water Bath type vaporizer is its controllability, vaporization stability and safety. Electric heater warms the water in the bath. And this hot water indirectly heats the liquid Ammonia running through the heat exchanger tube.
As the heat source is hot water with a gradual temperature change, the vaporization ability is stable and controllable. And even if there is a problem with the heat source, the vaporization ability can be exerted while the water is warm.

• Water temperature controlled between 75-85℃
• Spiral shape heat exchanger tube for smooth and stable vaporization
• Patented technology of Float Valve + Magnet system to prevent liquid carry over
• External Electrical Control panel for monitoring and Self-Diagnosis function

As the Liquid Ammonia (NH3) is heated indirectly by the hot water, it is safer than Direct Fire type vaporizers. And generally, Electric Water Bath type can be installed much closer to the tank / cylinders. And its operation is noiseless.

Features

VAPORIZER DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR AMMONIA

Ammonia vaporizer EVA-AX5 has the corrosion-resistant structure consisted of stainless steel, rubber and valves including safety relief valve for regular material component in order to deal with the corrosive nature of Ammonia Gas.
Material on all gas route are stainless steel, all welded construction, all flange connection structure.

ADVANCED SAFETY MECHANISM

• FLOAT VALVE with built-in magnet (KAGLA’s Patented Technology) prevents Ammonia liquid carryover.
  **1. Please refer operation principle in the picture below.
• WATER LEVEL SWITCH and SAFETY THERMOSTAT prevents over-heating of water bath

USER FRIENDLY INTERFACE

• Multi function electric control panel with digital indicator equipped.
  **2. See below for more details

SPACE SAVING COMPACT BODY

• Compact body size with Maximum Function designed upon long term experience of KAGLA since 1958.

EASY MAINTENANCE STRUCTURE

• Head cover of AX5 is removable for easy maintenance and overhaul.

WIDE RANGE OF SELECTIONS

• 6 different vaporization capacity models from 20kg/hr to 170kg/hr.

DRAINAGE MEASURE

• Structure designed to minimize drainage to accumulate inside.

Vaporization mechanism of KAGLA Electric Water Bath type vaporizers

Function of Float Valve system (**1) – KAGLA patented technology

FLOAT VALVE is a safety function to prevent Ammonia liquid carryover to the downstream.

1) Float Valve shut off mechanism

Float Valve is a safety mechanism to prevent Liquid Carryover to the downstream.
When the gas consumption exceeds the vaporization capacity of the vaporizer, vaporization of Ammonia liquid may not catch up with gas consumption by the combustion equipment.
In this case, the non-vaporized liquid Ammonia will come into the gas chamber.
Then KAGLA Float Valve inside the gas chamber will be lifted upwards by the liquid and shut off the valve tightly with magnet connection.
Due to the phenomenon that the liquid pushes up the float, the gas chamber outlet is closed by the valve at the top of the float and prevent the Ammonia liquid from flowing to the downstream. Since it does not require external power sources such as electricity or pilot air, it is a system that operates reliably under all circumstances.
It also works in cases such as electric blackout, heater disconnection and others.

• It is a normal operation state where the hot water temperature is appropriate and heat exchange with the Ammonia liquid is properly performed. Since there is only Ammonia vapor in the gas chamber, the float is seated at the bottom position and thus the float valve is open.
• When the temperature of hot water drops and heat exchange does not occur properly, unvaporized Ammonia liquid flows into the chamber. Then the liquid accumulated in the chamber pushes the float valve upwards.
• If gas consumption continues in this state, the float valve will be forcibly closed by the powerful magnet placed on the top of the float valve.
  The flow switch mounted on the side of the chamber detects that the float valve is closed, and the error code No. 3 is displayed on the control panel.

2) Procedure to reset the float valve shutoff

Self-diagnosis Function – Display on Electric Control Panel (**2.)

• Operation status of vaporizer can be monitored on the electric control panel from remote place.
• Combination of “lighting on” and “flashing on/off” indicate both the operation status and the cause of the problem.
• When the numbers 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 are displayed, operation of the vaporizer is interrupted.

Cause of the problem and Countermeasure

• No.2 displayed : Low Water Warning.
  Detects and warns that the water level is falling. Add water to the water vessel.
  *The operation of the vaporizer does not stop at the warning stage.
• No.3 displayed (lighting) : Float Valve Shutoff (overload / heater defective). Float Valve Shutoff
  (caused by：i)overload / heater defective or ii)heater disconnection)
  i) Do not consume gas exceeding the vaporization capacity of the vaporizer. Please change to a vaporizer with higher vaporization capacity or add another vaporizer to cover the shortage.
  ii) Check the three-phase power supply of the heater(s).
• No.3 displayed (flashing) : Float Valve Shutoff (thermostat defective)

  Float Valve Shutoff　（caused by：thermostat defective)<by：thermostat> Please replace thermostat.

• No.4 displayed : Low Water Level Shutdown
  If the water is not filled in when the water level warning (No.2) was displayed and the water level drops further, the vaporizer will shut down.
  Add water to the water vessel and restart.
• No.5 displayed (lighting) : High Water Temperature Shutdown
  (control circuit defective / magnet switch welded)
  Vaporizer shutdown due to abnormal temperature (water temperature 90℃) detection.
  Control circuit failure or magnet switch welding (need part replacement).
• No.5 displayed (flashing) : High Water Temperature Shutdown (thermostat defective)
  Vaporizer shutdown due to abnormal temperature (water temperature 90℃) detection.
  Thermostat failure (need part replacement).
• No.6 displayed : Float Valve Shutoff by blackout (not a defect)
  Float Valve Shutoff (caused by： Blackout – water temperature drops)
  After the power is restored, restart the vaporizer, vaporize the liquid in the chamber, release the pressure in the chamber / heat exchanger, and then reset the float to restore the gas supply.

Specification

 

Sample installation image

Product Link-1: Medium pressure Ammonia regulator Kagla KR-A series

Product Link-2: Liquid changeover for Ammonia Kagla LR-A series

Product Link-3: Dry-Electric Ammonia vaporizer Kagla EVA-10DX

Application example of Ammonia : METAL NITRIDING (METAL HEAT TREATMENT)

Operation image of Ammonia vaporizer for nitriding

Gas Nitriding is a heat treatment that infiltrates active nitrogen into the metal surface to increase hardness.
In this process, ammonia is flowed into the Nitriding furnace as atmospheric gas.
In the high temperature Nitriding furnace above 500℃, ammonia is decomposed into nitrogen and hydrogen on the steel surface, and the active nitrogen soaks into the steel surface.
Active nitrogen reacts with aluminum, chromium, etc. inside the steel to form a strong nitrogen compound.
In addition to hardening parts that require high hardness, such as metal parts used in automobile engines, it is also applied to surface coatings that prevent frying pans from burning.

Application example of Ammonia : AMMONIA CRACKER

Ammonia as Hydrogen carrier : Ammonia Cracking technology to extract Hydrogen from Ammonia

As countries around the world advocate carbon-free clean energy, Hydrogen is attracting attention as a next-generation carbon-free fuel.
However, the storage and transportation of Hydrogen gas, which is not easy to compress and liquefy, is a major issue.

On the other hand, Ammonia, which also has carbon-free characteristics and can be easily liquefied unlike Hydrogen, is a gas composed of Nitrogen and Hydrogen in a ratio of 1:3 and is used as an easy and efficient Hydrogen carrier.

Ammonia Cracking is a technology that decomposes vaporized Ammonia gas into Nitrogen and Hydrogen with a high-temperature catalyst, making it possible to efficiently extract Hydrogen from liquefied ammonia gas.
Ammonia vaporizer is used to vaporize liquefied ammonia with high vaporization heat in a stable manner.

Download