A ground-breaking project which prevents major power industry problems caused by ‘black powder’ in gas pipes has been developed by Warwick business Magnom Corporation.
Specialist filter and separator manufacturer Magnom Corporation is renowned for its innovation in designing magnetics to clean fluids and gas with its clients ranging from Ferrari’s F1 cars to Ducati Moto GP team, and JCB to Caterpillar vehicles, along with many other OEMs.
Its products are manufactured in the UK and China and sold by distributors across the world.
Magnom has been a long-standing tenant at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Innovation Centre in Warwick where their design, finance and intellectual property staff are based, and has recently formed a partnership with a major Dutch gas system provider, Petrogas.
Jobey Marlowe, joint-founder and business development and technical director of Magnom Corporation, said they have developed a highly innovative magnetic product which viably removes black powder from gas pipes, which is a particular problem for the industry as a whole.
He said: “When you pump gas it is laden with impurities like hydrogen sulphide and when the gas is transmitted over large distances, it is travelling in temperatures which change from day to night.
“In the Middle East for example the temperature can plunge to -20 degrees at night and go as high as +50 degrees during the day which produces a lot of condensation.
“When that is mixed with hydrogen sulphide, you generate hydrochloric acid which corrodes pipes and storage vessels and that forms black powder (Magnetite) which is a massive problem for the gas industry, and causes a wide range of problems
“Sometimes the powder can be so dense it becomes trapped and restricts the system while other times it gets into critical components, like compressors and turbines, causing catastrophic failures.
“We believe we have developed the only viable magnetic system for removing black powder efficiently from gas systems. Lab tests as well as live testing with customers experiencing problems in the Middle East have provided truly outstanding results.
“When you compare our units fitted before any conventional filters and inspect them after testing, the conventional filters are completely clean, where traditionally they would be laden and restricted with black powder which would normally require expensive replacement of the conventional filters, the Magnom technology having removed the ‘Black Powder’ first, also the Magnom technology is cleanable and gets re-used, time and time again.
“This is a huge development for Magnom technology, and underpins our continued success in the lubrication and hydraulics markets, and that’s why we have partnered with a company with global reach already in the gas industry.”
Karen Aston, centre manager at the Warwick Innovation Centre, said this was an exciting time for Magnom Corporation.
“A Gas industry partnership could revolutionise this element of the Power Gen industry where energy is transported over large countries and continents,” she said.
“Magnom Corporation is one of our longest serving tenants and they are continuing to innovate and expand thanks to their talented team.”
Karen Aston from the Warwick Innovation Centre with Jobey Marlowe from the Magnom Corporation