02 November 2010

One of the downstream products produced in the sugar milling process is furfural. This product is combined with hydrogen in a reactor and this process produces furfuryl alcohol, used for manufacture of industrial resins among other applications. The furfural is produced after the sugar process from the conversion of bagasse.

The hydrogen gas required for this process is generated in electrolysers that use electrolysis to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Although these generators are relatively low-maintenance, they do require an overhaul every seven to eight years. Tshwane-based Rand Technical Services (RTS), is the only Southern African company which is fully-licensed, and possessing the expertise and resources to offer this service. This is according to RTS Managing Director, Ian Fraser.

Says Fraser: “Illovo operates two large electrolysers which supply hydrogen for the process. RTS has overhauled both of these electrolysers on several occasions. Scheduled overhauls take place at up to seven year intervals.

A complete overhaul of the Norsk Hydro (Hydrogen Technolgies) electrolyser has just been completed A local team were under the supervision of our experienced RTS management. Actual site work was completed within a period of just two weeks.”

Hydrogen generators produce hydrogen and oxygen through the electrolysis of water. This chemical transformation occurs in an electrolytic cell. If an electrical current is passed through the cell, electrochemical separation of water (H2O) into its two components, oxygen and Hydrogen, takes place. These two gases are generated at the electrodes, and are separated and captured in the gas separators. The oxygen is returned to the atmosphere and the hydrogen is processed and fed to the process.

“During operation, the cells and diaphragms which generate the hydrogen can become damaged due to arcing, or torn due to mechanical stresses. The overhaul process involves dismantling the cell bank into all the components, cleaning and inspection of all material, and replacement of damaged, sub-standard electrodes and diaphragms. All feed and output manifolds are dismantled, cleaned and re-fitted with new gasket material”, Fraser explains. In this particular case, a full refit of all cell material was carried out – using the latest development in cell frames that have integral gaskets, consequently eliminating the complications of loose gaskets.

RTS also supply hydrogen (and oxygen) generating plants to meet client specifications in terms of capacity, purity, pressure and storage. The capacity of the electrolyser is determined by the number of cells employed, and plants can be designed for easy future expansion. The maximum output capacity of one single electrolyser cell block is 485 Nm3/hr of hydrogen and 242,5 Nm3 /hr of oxygen. Larger capacity plants are readily obtained by using multiple cell blocks in groups.

“The market for this type of overhaul service is increasing, as power plants also use hydrogen generators, and South Africa’s power capacity is set to increase as capital is made available for new or refurbished power stations. Our principals in Norway, Hydrogen Technologies – a division of Statoil – have furthermore indicated that they intend to use RTS’s expertise to service installations in other countries in Africa.

Our reliability, mobility, resources and expertise make us the ideal service provider in this regard, and we are able to serve the Southern African market as well should this be required.” concludes RTS’s Ian Fraser.

-Ends-

( 539 words)

Note to Editors

Rand Technical Services, or RTS, is a specialised, Tshwane-based company offering innovative technologies and solutions to industrial problems.

Run by Managing Director Ian Fraser since its inception in the early 1990’s, the company offers globally-sourced, quality products such as continuous belt weighers without load cells, laser-based gas detection devices for hot or corrosive areas, and electrolysers for hydrogen production.

Product delivery and technical consultation by highly-trained staff is offered throughout Southern Africa to a range of clients in industry sectors such as mining, glass, steel and energy.

Editorial Contacts

Richard Cooper
Marketing manager
Rand Technical Services
012 - 993 9620
info@rtsafrica.co.za
www.rtsafrica.co.za

Kendal Hunt
PR Consultant and Writer
Kendal Hunt Communications
011 – 7045649 or kenh@mweb.co.za