Flow was improved inside the system , reducing the risk of failure and burst pipes that could harm workers on the vessel and improving efficiency .
workers against risks from fire , explosion and similar events arising from dangerous substances present in the workplace , such as thermal fluids .
It was noted that some parts of the system were not heating up , indicating that the system was blocked . Given the fluid condition , it was also noted that when a hot sample was collected , the fluid solidified as it cooled . Due to this the system could not be switched off as the system would completely fail .
Once the marine customer understood the severity of its fluid issues , it looked for support to ensure oil condition met acceptable parameters and had a consistent flow , ensuring the vessel and crew could operate efficiently and safely onboard .
FLUSHING AND REFILLING THE SYSTEM
Global Heat Transfer consulted with the marine customer and carried out multiple system flushes over several days to remove the degraded product . Due to the level of carbon fouling in the system , the risk of coils , pipework and components seizing if the fluid was cooled was too high . Instead , Global Heat Transfer engineers flushed the system at its regular operating temperature , and carefully managed the additional risks of working with a hot fluid .
Global Heat Transfer initially used cleaning and flushing fluid Globaltherm C1 , which is specially formulated to remove any harsh by-products of organic and most synthetic thermal fluids . This product cleans and flushes as it passes through the system . The system was then refilled with fresh Globaltherm M oil , which operates up to 320 degrees C for extended periods .
REGULAR TESTING IS KEY
After the whole system was cleaned and refilled , Global Heat Transfer took a sample that showed first viscosity levels were at 36.6 @ 40 degrees C mm2 / s ( est ), compared to the first measurable level of
142 . A typical system would expect a score of 32 for a mineral oil , like Globaltherm M oil , so considering the state of the system originally , this was a positive result .
The health and safety risks associated with the fluid drastically reduced . Flow was improved inside the system , reducing the risk of failure and burst pipes that could harm workers on the vessel and improving efficiency . The artificially low flash point of the fluid returned to a measurable and acceptable limit , significantly reducing the risk of fire .
To avoid issues like this in the future , the marine customer now routinely draws a live , hot circulating representative sample at operating temperature . The sample is then tested and analysed to ensure the oil is within safe and acceptable limits and maintenance is proactively carried out if needed .
Regular , proactive maintenance of thermal fluids will help marine vessels avoid any unexpected downtime and ensure their heat transfer system is reliable . By investing in regular fluid sampling , marine engineers will have the peace of mind that their system is running as efficiently as possible , reducing health and safety issues and costs .
To find out more about thermal fluid analysis and maintenance packages , visit the Global Heat Transfer website https :// globalhtf . com / thermal-fluid-lifecycle-maintenance .
For further information , please visit www . globalhtf . com
Issue 62 PECM 39