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There are several items that should be performed in preparation of cold weather to ensure your oxidizer will operate without issues. The following is a description of some of the things that should be considered: these items should be considered as routine maintenance items throughout the year, not only during cold weather.
The following preventive steps should be considered as routine maintenance throughout the year, but especially during cold weather conditions.
- Compresses Air-consider installing a desiccant-style compresses air dryer on the supply line to the oxidizer.
- Pressure Sensing Lines-check integrity of the line for condensate or debris buildup, holes, cracks or splits.
- Panel Heaters-test for proper operation.
- Spare Parts-keep spare parts on hand to reduce equipment downtime.
- Preventive Maintenance-perform annual PM to ensure efficient operation.
By taking these preventive measures now, you can help avoid downtime due to changes in temperature.
Compressed air
Oxidizers systems typically use compressed air as a utility in their operation. There may be pneumatically controlled actuators, solenoid valves, pressure switches or cylinders. These components are susceptible to failure if moisture or ice is in the compressed air supply.
To minimize contamination of the compressed air system, MEGTEC Systems recommends a desiccant style compressed air dryer be installed on the supply line. The desiccant style air dryer will provide dry air to a dew point to –40 degrees F. It is important to maintain the air dryer to ensure it is operating as designed. A good measure of the integrity of the compressed air dryer is to periodically drain compressed air accumulator tanks to ensure they are free of moisture build-up (especially before it gets cold). If moisture is present the airline, air dryer, or supply needs to be inspected/repaired.
To further minimize the impact of cold weather on an oxidizer, it is a good practice to ensure that the pneumatic components are in proper working order. The main focus is to replace or rebuild pneumatic components on a routine basis to ensure the seals inside these components are in proper working order. The seals will degrade over time even when contaminant free compressed air is supplied to the system. Make sure to follow the component manufacturers recommendations for rebuild procedures and frequency of maintenance.
Pressure Sensing Lines
Pressure sensing lines are typically installed throughout the oxidizer system. The sensing lines are in most cases a stainless steel or copper line. The sensing lines can be a point for condensation or debris to gather. If build up occurs in the sensing lines, it will affect the operation of the instrumentation that is connected to the oxidizer or process by the sensing line, therefore it will impact the operation of the oxidizer.
The integrity of the line needs to be investigated on a regular basis. It is important to check the entirety of the line for holes, cracks, or splits. These can form over time due to various reasons, and any lines that are found defective need to be replaced.
It is also important to make sure that all connection points in the sensing line are tight and sealed. The sensing lines are designed to monitor a pressure, and not to allow air to flow. If air is allowed to flow through the line, condensation will occur.
When the oxidizer is shutdown, it is a good practice to remove the entire sensing line from the instrumentation, and apply compressed air to the end of the line. This will ensure that any blockage that has accumulated over time will be blown back into the process duct or oxidizer.
A simple item to check on a routine basis is to open the “drip leg” assemblies to ensure that any condensation that has accumulated is drained from the system.
Panel Heaters
The instrumentation and electrical panels may have heaters installed in them to ensure the electronic components can function properly in cold weather. Prior to the arrival of cold weather, make sure to test the operation of those heaters to ensure they will work when needed.
Spare Parts
As with any good maintenance practices, it is a good insurance policy to keep a supply of spare parts on hand and available should you need them.
Components have a life cycle and will eventually fail. The best method to prevent downtime is to understand the life cycle of the components and replace or rebuild them prior to failure. Keeping a back up component on your shelf will ensure that you have the component available during the predictive maintenance, and during an emergency down situation.
Maintenance
As with any piece of industrial equipment, proper maintenance is required to keep an oxidizer in good working order. MEGTEC Systems recommends customers follow all maintenance and safety guidelines in the product manual and vendor literature. In addition to this, MEGTEC Systems recommends that once per year, a MEGTEC Systems representative performs an annual preventive maintenance visit to ensure the oxidizer is operating per design, and that any issues may be corrected before they turn into an emergency down situation.
To schedule a Preventive Maintenance visit, please contact your local MEGTEC office.
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