MGAprime H2 - Precise Measurement of Hydrogen Content in Flue Gases

As part of the energy transition, hydrogen as an energy carrier is gaining importance, ideally produced via electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources. To continue utilizing the installed infrastructure for gas distribution and usage, hydrogen can be used as a fuel gas in addition to other applications. In the near future, hydrogen blending with natural gas in the range of 10% to 30% is foreseeable. Additionally, the use of up to 100 Vol% hydrogen is being investigated in various combustion processes. The effects of these blends on infrastructure and, in particular, combustion itself is currently the subject of numerous studies.

Even when using conventional fossil fuels, flue gas from combustion can contain hydrogen concentrations up to several hundred ppm. It is expected that the range of possible hydrogen concentrations in exhaust gases will significantly increase when hydrogen is blended with fuel gas or when it consists entirely of hydrogen. Unburned portions of the fuel gas can lead to hydrogen slip, which can reach levels of several tens of thousands of ppm H2. To fully analyze combustion processes, flue gas measurement must account for this potential increase in hydrogen content.

Many gas analyzers for flue gas analysis use electrochemical sensors to measure the concentration of multiple gas types. However, the presence of high hydrogen concentrations limits the accuracy of these solutions. Significant signal drifts and cross-sensitivities occur, which can only be partially compensated. As a result, the measurement accuracy decreases when high hydrogen concentrations are present, affecting not only gas components such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) but also the hydrogen measurement itself.

The solution to this challenge is to determine the relevant flue gas components using measurement technology that is insensitive to hydrogen influences. The MGAprime H2 includes an NDIR measurement bench for up to 8 gas components, ranking among the most precise in the market. MRU’s proprietary infrared measurement technology is certified in the MGAprime Q model according to the stringent EN15267 QAL1 standards. In the MGAprime H2 model, this technology is supplemented by electrochemical H2 sensors, covering a large measurement range from 0 to 20,000 ppm. A paramagnetic O2 sensor covers the range from 0 to 25.00%. This unique combination of high-quality NDIR and reference measurement technology allows precise determination of all key flue gas components while compensating for cross-sensitivities.

Various independent test measurements have already confirmed that the MGAprime H2, equipped for hydrogen measurement, is a compact, precise, and reliable solution for determining the hydrogen slip in flue gases.

The MGAprime H2 exhaust gas analyzer by MRU was developed in 2022 as a portable automatic measuring system (P-AMS), making it one of the first systems of its kind on the market. This certified measurement system provides users with a complete solution for their measuring tasks and includes several key components. The gas sampling probe is a new development by MRU and features a heated gas filter. It also includes a heated gas extraction line, as well as the MGAprime H2 analyzer itself. The analyzer contains a complete gas processing system, including a gas dryer and filter, along with gas analysis modules. Both the gas drying unit and the NDIR measurement technology are fully developed in-house by MRU, ensuring a highly efficient and compact solution tailored to the measurement task.

This analyzer can measure ten gas components (H2, O2, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, N2O, SO2, CH4, C3H8) simultaneously, in part through the implementation of a standard reference method. It is therefore suitable for numerous emissions measurements from stationary sources. These include long-term emissions monitoring for industrial furnaces, large boiler systems, gas engines, and even small-scale combustion systems.

The large touch display enables easy operation and offers a variety of display options in both text and graphical formats.

In addition to innovative measurement technology and user-friendly operation, the modern all-metal housing design provides a significant advantage. The MGAprime H2 is designed as a compact all-in-one device, integrating gas sampling, gas processing, gas cooling, and measurement cells. This eliminates the common challenge of transporting extensive measuring equipment to difficult-to-access measurement points. The compact and portable all-in-one solution ensures a simple, quick, and efficient test setup.