INDUSTRY FOCUS Oil & Gas
operators become used to their engine cutting out as often as 10 or 12 times a day, and simply restart it and carry on. But the long-term damage this causes to the engine can be irreparable. Potential causes of drops in gas
pressure include flaring or a blockage in the gas line or filter. By monitoring the gas pressure and noting any drops, operators can better identify the cause of any unexpected shutdown and take preventative action to protect their CHP.
2. Gas quality AD feedstocks are notoriously variable; inputs can differ both regionally and seasonally, producing bio-gas of varying quality. Such changes will affect an engine’s performance, particularly if harmful contaminants such as H2
S are
allowed to build up. By monitoring gas composition, operators can spot any corresponding trends in engine performance and alter their feedstock as necessary before their CHP becomes adversely affected.
3. Emissions
Monitoring emissions is not just a case of meeting the relevant criteria, it’s
also a sure-fire way of determining the overall health of an AD plant and spotting any issues that have the potential to damage your CHP engine. The ComAp IGS-LOG provides 24/7 emission analysis, enabling an operator to fine-tune their engine. Operating without this vital piece of information is like a chef not tasting their food. It allows the operator to see if their engine is running rich or lean – a rich engine will be running hot and wasting energy, whereas a lean engine runs the risk of misfiring – and take the necessary steps to address any issues before they present a serious risk.
4. Water pressure
Another common cause of a hard engine shutdown is a change in water pressure. While an operator would certainly notice the resulting interruption to their CHP’s performance, they would be unable to prove it was caused by water pressure and stop it from recurring unless the pressure was being monitored. Constant analysis of water pressure therefore helps an operator to avoid the peaks and troughs that can result in performance issues and promotes smooth and reliable operation.
5. Kilovolts Finally, live kilovolt monitoring can protect your CHP from long-term damage caused by ignition. An increase in kilovolts indicates a deterioration in spark-plug performance, as the spark has to work harder to ‘jump’ the gap to create the initial spark. While it’s common for operators to gap and clean their spark plugs when they change the oil, this could be too late. An operator will often become used to hearing a tiny jump when their engine starts and dismiss it as a quirk of their engine, without realising that this noise is actually the sound of the engine misfiring. Every time this misfire occurs, it sends a shudder throughout the whole cylinder, placing additional stress on every part of the CHP. Live monitoring will highlight a rise in kilovolts or erratic KV readings, warning the operator of a potential issue with their ignition system or spark plugs and prompting them to take pre-emptive action to protect their CHP.
CONTACT:
Gen-C
www.gen-c.co.uk
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