In last month’s TipSheet we discussed the importance of proper shutdown procedures for thermal fluid systems. However, significant damage to fluids — and equipment – can also occur if the system is started improperly. All thermal fluids become less viscous as temperature increases. As the fluid gets thinner, its efficiency (heat transfer coefficient) increases dramatically. At temperatures […]
Removing Water From The System The performance and operating life of your heat transfer fluid can be maximized if you pay close attention to system shutdown procedures. Otherwise the fluid can be overheated and “bruised,” and the system itself may ultimately be damaged. During operation, the heater’s refractory and structural metal get almost as hot as the […]
Your hot oil system is designed to handle very high temperatures. If heated fluid from a small leak in your system is permitted to wick through porous insulation, its oxidative breakdown creates additional internal heat which can cause spontaneous ignition. Therefore, regularly checking valves, gaskets, welds, instrument ports or other connection points where leaks may occur […]
Tuning Your System — Maintaining your thermal fluid system’s design flow rate is critical for system performance. Quantitative output can be provided by flowmeters, but for a simpler and less costly method of tuning a system, users should consider the installation of pressure gauges.While pressure gauges don’t provide the data for actual flow calculations, they […]
Regular Fluid Analysis Helps Assure Proper System Functioning An effective preventive maintenance program should always include regularly scheduled analysis of heat transfer fluids. However, the response these fluids have to adverse conditions is different from the response of lubricating oils, so users need to collect different analytical data. The three most critical tests to track […]
Draining Systems — Before draining your system, have the fluid analyzed by the manufacturer to determine if flushing or cleaning is actually necessary. If it is, you’ll get more of the crud out by keeping the fluid as hot as possible (200ºF — 210ºF) while draining. Also, run the pump until cavitation occurs…this keeps system contaminants […]
Water in Thermal Fluid Systems: Part 3 of 3 Water is everywhere. Three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is water. About 60% of the average human body is water. All that water could be hard to keep out of a thermal fluid system. But even minimal precautions help keep the water at bay. Make that, in the bay. […]
Water in Thermal Fluid Systems: Part 2 of 3 You found out the hard way that you have water in the system. You tracked down and eliminated the source. If you had significant free-liquid water, you drained as much as possible from the system low points. So you run with the vent open until the pump stops cavitating and […]
Water in Thermal Fluid Systems: Part 1 of 3 There are laboratory procedures that can measure water in thermal fluids. However, they are really only useful for fluid that hasn’t been charged into the system. Once water is in the system, it is relatively easy to detect. Small water infiltrations (less than 300-400 ppm) show up as pump pressure […]
Thermal Fluid Leakage: Part 1 of 3 Detection One of the simplest leak detectors for thermal fluid is the smoke that shows up when the hot fluid is exposed to air. The amount of smoke depends on the size of the leak, the temperature of the fluid and to some extent the airflow in the area. […]
