PLANT MANAGEMENT
MAINTAINING THERMAL FLUID QUALITY
Dave Dyer explains how to prevent water ingress when storing and using thermal fl uid
manufacturers focus on maintaining thermal fl uid once it enters the system, how they maintain the oil beforehand is also vital to operations. Businesses commonly store thermal fl uid containers on site to maintain uptime by ensuring they can access oil immediately when they need to top up or refi ll the system. Storing the oil correctly is key to ensuring that once a heat transfer fl uid enters the system it will work as eff ectively as possible throughout its lifespan. Water ingress is one of the main reasons why oil can become unusable during storage, so knowing how to avoid it is key.
Y
CAUSES OF WATER INGRESS Where businesses store oil will impact its effi ciency once introduced to the system. When storing barrels or intermediate bulk containers (IBC) outside, for example, rainwater can collect on top of storage containers. As the temperature changes, oil containers will expand and contract, causing a vacuum, especially if they were stored in a warehouse and then are left outside for any period of time. T is may syphon water from the top of the barrel, even if the barrel or IBC is sealed, making the oil unusable. Even if the barrels are covered, the condensation on the inside of the cover can cause the same issue, but to a lesser extent. T e greater the temperature change, the larger the expansion and contraction, so extreme weather or changing storage conditions will create the most damage. If, by any chance, a mixture of oil and water does enter the system, it will fl ash off as it gets up to temperature. One litre of water creates between one and 1.5m2
of
steam, drastically increasing the pressure inside the system, increasing the risk of
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ou may have heard the saying “oil and water never mix” – and this is true when working with thermal fl uids. Although many
Storing thermal fl uid eff ectively can positively impact its lifespan
incidents. As pressure increases it pushes the oil into the expansion tank, out of the vent and into the dump tank, where it vents at the running temperature of the thermal fl uid, potentially creating a risk that could be easily avoided with a little extra care and attention.
KEEP IT INSIDE T e most eff ective storage method is keeping the new oil inside, away from weather and extreme temperature changes. Placing it safely away from forklift trucks and machinery that could damage the containers will reduce the chance of the oil being spilt onsite. Storing oil in a bunded area, a short wall of brick, concrete or other non-porous material that creates a barrier, means that if an accident occurs, the area prevents oil from spilling into waterways or sewers, reducing the impact of spilt oil. Taking steps to safely and eff ectively
store thermal fl uid enables manufacturers to prevent water ingress and maintain the quality of the oil, reducing costs and waste. However, if water does compromise the heat transfer fl uid, businesses should take measures to restore the oil to its original condition. Engineers can work with thermal fl uid experts to carry out thermal
fl uid analysis that will tell them if water has compromised the fl uid. If water is present engineers can try and boil the water off the fl uid by keeping it at a lower operating temperature, reducing the risk to employees working on the site. T is process can take days, increasing periods of costly downtime while the oil condition is restored. If there is only a little water in the system, businesses can also get an expert to commission a light ends removal kit (LERK) to draw the water off the oil. T ermal fl uid analysis and light ends removal can be carried out as part of a preventative maintenance strategy such as thermal fl uid maintenance programme T ermocare. T ere are times when water and oil
don’t mix and thermal fl uid systems are a perfect example of why they shouldn’t. When working with thermal fl uid systems that operate at high temperatures, keeping oil and water separate is vital to keeping employees safe and reducing downtime.
Dave Dyer is with Global Heat Transfer.
www.ght.com
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