PURGE REQUIREMENT CALCULATIONS

Inerting and purging refer to replacing the atmosphere in a line, vessel or other area with an inert
atmosphere, eg the space above liquid fuel in a fuel tank, to reduce the likelihood of combustion.
Purging of supply lines, pipelines and tanks is a common step before commencing production or prior
to shutdown.
This can be done by using a pressure and depressure cycle or by continuous purging.
Following equation can be used to determine the number of cycles of pressure and depressure
required to lower the oxygen concentration in a space.

N=log (C1/C2)/ log (P2/P1)………………. (1)

C1 = % O2 initially in purged space, C2 = % O2 finally in purged space

P1 = Low (minimum) pressure in atm, P2 = High (maximum) pressure in atm
N = Number of pressure/depressure cycles
Considering purge gas is oxygen free

For example, assume a vessel at 1-atm pressure has an initial oxygen concentration of 19%. This
concentration must be lowered to 5% to stay below the critical oxygen concentration of a
hydrocarbon.
Inert gas is available for purging at 100 psig.

C1 = 20%, C2 = 5%, P1 = 1 atm

P2 = 100/14.7 + 1 = 7.8 atm

N=log (20/5)/ log (7.8/1)

N=1.39 / 2.054

N= 0.68 (This comes less than 1, it means that target

concentration can be achieve before completion of
one complete cycle).

We can also find what the concentration after one complete cycle by putting N=1

1=log (20/C2)/ log (7.8/1)

log (20/C2)= log (7.8/1)= 2.05;

C2= 20/e2.05 = 20/7.77 = 2.574

So, after one cycle concentration of O2 would be 2.57%

You can also use following equation to calculate the quantity of inert gas or nitrogen required to purge
a vessel to reduce the oxygen concentration.
eV = C1/ C2……………(2)
Considering purge gas is oxygen free
V = Ratio of purge gas volume to space volume
Using the same example as before:
eV = 20/5; eV = 4
V = log 4= 1.39
In this case 1.4 times the vessel volume of inert gas would lower the vessel concentration to 5%.