Industrial plants, especially those with large-scale industrial systems, are full of equipment and machinery that run around the clock, so they consume large amounts of energy. This energy use must always be controlled and measured to avoid excessive waste, which could also endanger people in the plant and the operation of its machinery. Combustion is one of the most important chemical reactions in industrial systems.
That’s why having the right measuring instruments in an industrial plant is essential for safety and efficient operations. Let’s take a look at what they are.
What Is Combustion?
Combustion is a chemical process that occurs when a substance or fuel, such as wood, oil, or gas, is heated and reacts with oxygen in the air, producing heat and light. It also releases carbon dioxide (CO2), which in excessive amounts can become a harmful gas for people.
Checking Combustion with Essential Industrial Measuring Instruments
Combustion Efficiency Analyzer
A combustion efficiency analyzer measures the combustion of fuel. The main values considered are temperature, percentage of excess oxygen, carbon monoxide levels, and nitrogen oxide levels.
Boilers are one type of equipment that should be checked with a combustion analyzer. It is necessary to measure the percentage of oxygen in the flue gas, the flue gas temperature, and the calorific value of the fuel, so the data can be used to analyze boiler efficiency and heat loss from combustion. Boiler surface temperature, ambient temperature, surface area, and thermal emissivity are measured to analyze heat loss through the boiler shell, while flow rate and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are measured to analyze heat loss from blowdown.
Besides a combustion analyzer, other instruments are also needed when checking boilers, such as water quality analyzers, temperature and relative humidity meters, and contact thermometers.
Temperature and Relative Humidity Meter
This instrument is used to check many types of equipment in industrial processes. One example is the steam distribution system, where a temperature and relative humidity meter is used together with a contact thermometer to measure the surface temperature and area of steam pipes, valves and flanges, ambient temperature, the thermal emissivity of surfaces, and the condition of the insulation. All these measurements are used to assess heat loss in the steam distribution system.
Pyrometer
A pyrometer works together with a combustion analyzer and an air temperature and relative humidity meter to check the operation of industrial furnaces. The main values to be measured are the percentage of oxygen in the flue gas, the flue gas temperature, and the calorific value of the fuel, which are used to analyze furnace efficiency and heat loss from combustion. Furnace surface temperature, ambient temperature, surface area, and thermal emissivity are measured to analyze heat loss through the furnace walls, while the flow rate and temperature of the cooling water are measured to analyze heat lost to the cooling water. In addition, the inspector must survey other supporting data for the analysis, such as fuel consumption rate and fuel temperature, production rate, the temperature of the air before it enters the combustion chamber, the condition of the insulation, and operating hours.
Contact Thermometer
This instrument is used together with a combustion analyzer and a temperature and relative humidity meter to check the operation of thermal oil heaters. The main values considered are the percentage of oxygen in the flue gas, combustion efficiency testing and measurement, the flue gas temperature control system, and the calorific value of the fuel. These are used to analyze the performance of the thermal oil heater, heat loss from combustion, and the condition of the combustion chamber and equipment. The thermal oil heater’s surface temperature, ambient temperature, surface area, and thermal emissivity are measured to analyze heat loss through the heater’s shell.
In addition to these measurements, the inspector must survey other data to support the analysis, such as fuel consumption and fuel temperature, thermal oil production rate, thermal oil temperature, operating hours, and other relevant factors.
These measuring instruments and combustion analyzers should be used by experts who understand how the systems inside an industrial plant work, to ensure safety and accurate results.
Posted: June 18, 2020