Thermal oxidation apparatus, control, and associated methods

Abstract

Example thermal oxidation apparatus, control, and associated methods are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a pump fluidly couplable to a pipe, the pump including a nozzle at a first end of the pump, a second end of the pump open to atmosphere, an air compressor fluidly coupled to the nozzle, and a thermal oxidizer disposed in the pump between the first end and the second end, the air compressor to provide air to the nozzle to cause suction of gas from the pipe, the thermal oxidizer to convert methane in the gas to carbon dioxide and water vapor to be vented from the second end of the pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a pump fluidly couplable to a pipe, the pump including a nozzle at a first end of the pump, a second end of the pump open to atmosphere;   an air compressor fluidly coupled to the nozzle; and   a thermal oxidizer disposed in the pump between the first end and the second end, the air compressor to provide air to the nozzle to cause suction of gas from the pipe, the thermal oxidizer to convert methane in the gas to carbon dioxide and water vapor to be vented from the second end of the pump.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including an elbow fluidly couplable between the pump and the pipe. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal oxidizer includes ceramic material disposed in the pump. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the thermal oxidizer includes conductive coils, electrical current to pass through the conductive coils to heat the ceramic material to a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes a tapered portion, a diameter of the nozzle decreasing along the tapered portion toward the second end of the pump. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a meter operatively couplable to the pipe, the meter to measure at least one of a pressure or a concentration of the gas in the pipe, the thermal oxidizer and the air compressor to operate based on the measured at least one of the pressure or the concentration. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a fluid evacuation system operatively couplable to the pipe, the fluid evacuation system to evacuate an amount of the gas from the pipe prior to operation of the thermal oxidizer and the air compressor. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 meter interface circuitry to determine, based on data from a meter operatively couplable to a pipe, a parameter of gas in the pipe;   air controller circuitry to cause an air compressor to provide air to a nozzle, the nozzle at a first end of a pump fluidly couplable to the pipe, a second end of the pump open to atmosphere, the air to cause suction of the gas from the pipe; and   oxidizer controller circuitry to cause operation of a thermal oxidizer disposed in the pump between the first and second ends, the thermal oxidizer to convert methane in the gas to carbon dioxide and water vapor to be vented from the second end of the pump.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the parameter of the gas includes at least one of a pressure of the gas or a concentration of the gas in the pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the air controller circuitry is to cause the air compressor to provide the air in response to the meter interface circuitry determining that the parameter of the gas does not satisfy a threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the air controller circuitry is to shut off the air compressor in response to the meter interface circuitry determining that the parameter of the gas satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the oxidizer controller circuitry is to cause operation of the thermal oxidizer by causing an electrical current to pass through coils of the thermal oxidizer, the coils to heat ceramic material of the thermal oxidizer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the air controller circuitry is to cause the air compressor to provide the air in response to the oxidizer controller circuitry determining that a temperature of the ceramic material satisfies a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the air controller circuitry is to cause the air compressor to provide the air in response to a fluid evacuation system evacuating an amount of the gas from the pipe. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 determining, based on data from a meter operatively couplable to a pipe, a parameter of gas in the pipe;   causing an air compressor to provide air to a nozzle, the nozzle at a first end of a pump fluidly couplable to the pipe, a second end of the pump open to atmosphere, the air to cause suction of the gas from the pipe; and   causing operation of a thermal oxidizer disposed in the pump between the first and second ends, the thermal oxidizer to convert methane in the gas to carbon dioxide and water vapor to be vented from the second end of the pump.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the parameter of the gas includes at least one of a pressure of the gas or a concentration of the gas in the pipe. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further including causing the air compressor to provide the air in response to determining that the parameter of the gas does not satisfy a threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including shutting off the air compressor in response to determining that the parameter of the gas satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further including causing operation of the thermal oxidizer by causing an electrical current to pass through coils of the thermal oxidizer, the coils to heat ceramic material of the thermal oxidizer. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further including causing the air compressor to provide the air in response to determining that a temperature of the ceramic material satisfies a threshold temperature.