Gas transport (technology)
Gas transport is a specialty of technical plant construction as well as transport logistics .
Gases are more difficult to transport and store than liquid or solid substances or bulk . Gas transport is just as relevant for the long-distance transport of energy gases as it is for all other gases commonly used in the economy, and since energy gases (like natural gas ) are also important primary raw materials in the chemical industry, the two aspects are hardly separated.
Gases can be liquefied for the purpose of transport, they can be transported in a gaseous state, or they can be bound to carriers. The more you compress a gas (high density ), the greater the amount of gas that can be filled into a container or stored there. At the same time, however, the technical demands on the container are increasing: Pressure containers are an independent subject area with extensive technical standards and legal regulations. Cylindrical or spherical pressure vessels (e.g. gas cylinders ) are more pressure-resistant than other geometric shapes.
Gases can be transported by pipeline ( pipeline traffic , pipeline transport ) or in a container, whereby the transport is only economical in the following variants:
- compressed under high pressure, e.g. B. with natural gas
- cryogenic, ie liquefied by cooling, z. B. with carbon dioxide or nitrogen
- liquefied at normal temperature, e.g. B. with liquid gas
Important gas transport systems are pipelines , either for long-distance transport or as a pipe system within refineries or chemical plants . Railway tank cars , tank containers , gas tankers and trucks (almost always tank trailers ) are important for gas transport (and also its temporary storage ).