In early 2019, two outbreaks of scabies in correctional facilities hit the international news, one at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, Michigan, the other at Polmont Young Offenders Institution near Falkirk, UK. Highly contagious diseases such as scabies can more easily spread in facilities where hundreds of people, often in vulnerable health conditions, share the same spaces, such as in hospitals and prisons. One way to help prevent the spread of infection is to wash laundry frequently and at high temperatures. Here Clive Jones, managing director of thermal fluid specialist Global Heat Transfer, discusses best practice for maintaining efficient…
Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) can be used at very high temperatures (around 400 degrees Celsius is the standard in concentrated solar power plants). With prolonged use these fluids will start to degrade and the by-products that form need to be actively managed to help maintain a safe operating environment and to simply extend the fluid’s operating life. Indeed, few companies understand that regularly servicing a HTF and HTF systems can help sustain their longevity. Global Heat Transfer examines how the build-up of short-chain hydrocarbons, a by-product of HTF thermal degradation, can be managed. Ennis [1] described the process of thermal…
Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) can be used at very high temperatures (around 400 degrees Celsius is the standard in concentrated solar power plants). With prolonged use these fluids will start to degrade and the by-products that form need to be actively managed to help maintain a safe operating environment and to simply extend the fluid’s operating life. Indeed, few companies understand that regularly servicing a HTF and HTF systems can help sustain their longevity. Global Heat Transfer examines how the build-up of short-chain hydrocarbons, a by-product of HTF thermal degradation, can be managed. Ennis [1] described the process of thermal…
The use of standardised test methods enables thermal decomposition products of a Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) to be quantified accurately. For test results to be meaningful (ie predictive), however, it is important to gain a representative HTF sample, which is done whilst the HTF is hot and circulating in the heat transfer system. It is good practice to take representative HTF samples on a regular basis (as frequently as is feasibly possible) and to monitor the decomposition of a HTF over time to reduce the potential of finding false negative or false positive results (read more about this in a previous…
The use of standardised test methods enables thermal decomposition products of a Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) to be quantified accurately. For test results to be meaningful (ie predictive), however, it is important to gain a representative HTF sample, which is done whilst the HTF is hot and circulating in the heat transfer system. It is good practice to take representative HTF samples on a regular basis (as frequently as is feasibly possible) and to monitor the decomposition of a HTF over time to reduce the potential of finding false negative or false positive results (read more about understanding thermal fluid…
Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) analysis begins with collecting a representative sample of the HTF in order to get an accurate picture of overall condition and suitability for continued use and comply with Health and Safety Regulations, including DSEAR and ATEX. Prior to taking a sample, ensure there is safe access to all ports of the sample device and that the sampling area is safe. Ensure you have a clear standing area with unobstructed access to the sampling site. The height of the sampling port should be below chest height to avoid any potential risk of splashes to the upper-body; the…
Heat transfer fluid (HTF) systems use HTFs as a heat carrier that circulates through a closed system that starts with a heater and ends with an object being heated. The process of heat transfer refers to the transfer of heat from a higher temperature object to a relatively lower temperature object. This process is maintained until the object being heated reaches thermal stability, and is vital in the process of generating homogenous end products, from processed foods to thermoplastic polymer resin used to make fibres for clothing, and containers for liquids and foods. As you might expect, there are many…
The Oxford Electric Bell has been ringing constantly for over 175 years – so much so, that the apparatus has been dubbed the world’s most durable battery. But after all this time, it is still a scientific mystery how the bell has functioned for so long. For operators of thermal fluid systems, keeping operations running doesn’t have to be a mystery. Here, Clive Jones, managing director of heat transfer fluid specialists, Global Heat Transfer, gives three considerations for manufacturers operating thermal fluid heat transfer systems to safeguard the system’s future for the long term. In chemical processes that require indirect…
Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are chemicals and therefore interaction with the internal components of a HTF system. Dr Chris I Wright highlights some of the key considerations when buying O-rings. It is a fact that HTFs and O-Rings will degrade over time. The objective of any buying decision, however, is to avoid their accelerated ageing, which can be monitored through a well-designed preventative maintenance plan. When selecting a new O-Ring it is advisable to work with reputable suppliers and manufacturers as they should be able to provide technical data for every O-ring and more specifically their elastomer properties and characteristics.…
In a previous blog it was assumed that the operation life of a plant can be extended to 25 years. Dr Chris I Wright examines proven technologies to maximise a plant’s operating life. It is a fact that a plant’s life can be shortened by the thermal degradation of a heat transfer fluids (HTF), which includes a wide range of mineral (e.g. Globatherm M) and synthetic-based fluids (Globaltherm Omnitech). Knowing that a fluid will degrade and that fluid cleanliness is related to component life, it seems logical that a system’s (i.e., pump, heater, internal pipework) life can be extended by slowing…
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