Temperature measurement points in the thermal processes of the bulk solids processing industry is a special challenge for measurement technology. Besides high temperatures, erosion is also a problem that has to be taken into consideration. Typically, users will find high temperatures in the cement process, but they will also find that chemically aggressive gas components are present in such abrasive process conditions; these are just a few challenges.
For this environment Endress+Hauser has successfully tested and reengineered thermometers for its temperature family (TAF). In tests, thermowells made of high-tech materials showed significant benefits for the user:
• Longer operating life of the measurement points under extreme conditions.
• Reduced maintenance effort and thus reduced lifecycle costs.
• Improved product quality through more stable measurements.
The thermometers TAF11 and TAF16 are now modularly designed, allowing an exchange of the parts that are exposed to erosion to be realised in an easy and cost-effective way. The assembly groups: thermowell, measurement insert, process connection, electronics and terminal heads are separately available as standardised spare parts. Thereby with the help of a reorder and the ‘E+H spare parts finder’ it becomes easy. The exact order codes of the subassemblies can be called up online within a few seconds by entering the serial number of the thermometer. Then the appropriate spare part can either be ordered directly via the e-shop or via traditional sales channels (www.za.endress.com/e-direct).
The new thermowells are made of composite materials that are individually adjusted to the requirements. An optimum of high temperature resistance and erosion resistance is achieved through the application of exclusive high-tech materials. The existing broad range of metallic and ceramic thermowell materials was supplemented with a multitude of materials:
• Inconel 601.
• Incoloy 800HT.
• Kanthal AF.
• Kanthal Super.
• Silicon carbide.
In tests, two special materials outperformed the already optimised performance of the above-named material. They seem to be the best choice especially in the cement area and in combustion processes. These materials are a special silicon nitride ceramic with the internal abbreviation SiN and a special alloy with the main components nickel and cobalt (NiCo).
Depending on the application, these materials exceeded the average operating life of the thermowell materials that were used up to now (like e.g. AISI310) and can last for up to 20-times longer. For the customer this means significant benefit with regard to plant stability, maintenance effort and lifecycle costs.
Amongst others, the sensors have successfully submitted evidence in various cement plants in critical application positions:
• In the clinker cooler at temperatures of approximately 1300°C.
• In the secondary/tertiary air conduit as well as on the last cyclone preheater level in temperatures of up to 1300°C, chemically aggressive atmospheres as well as strongly abrasive environments.
The revised temperature sensors TAF11 and TAF16 of the Omnigrad S family thus not only offer a significant benefit to this industry. They can also be applied in other areas with similar profiles of requirements like for example in combustion processes of waste incineration plants or biogas reactors. Everywhere, where high temperatures, abrasion and chemically aggressive process conditions dominate, these new special materials promise markedly increased performance. Visit http://bit.ly/2ayIM6K.
For more information contact Benjamin Mlangeni, Endress+Hauser, +27 (0)11 262 8000, [email protected], www.za.endress.com
| Tel: | +27 11 262 8000 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
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