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Application Notes:
Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras in Petroleum and Petrochemical Processing |
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Today's escalating gasoline and fuel oil prices underscore how important it is for petroleum and petrochemical companies to maintain their production capacities. They must optimize crude oil production and transportation, refining and processing, and the delivery of products to market. And while no amount of human precaution can avert natural disasters, Fluke Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras will help.
Specifically, plant operations and maintenance personnel can use IR Cameras to maximize the reliability of production assets using predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques that monitor the condition of production assets while they operate.
On a commonality between many petrochemical production equipment failures, whether lubrication, valve failure, tank settling or electrical-related, is temperature. An abnormally hot or cold spot on process equipment will be found with thermal imaging cameras.
Whenever you use a thermal imager and find a problem, use the associated software to document your findings in a report that includes a digital photograph as well as a thermal image of the equipment. That's the best way to communicate the problems you find and to suggest repairs.
What to check?In refineries and petrochemical plants that already use thermography and IR Cameras, the lion's share of thermal imaging is devoted to electrical inspections. Such monitoring pinpoints potential problems with loose and corroded connections, electrical imbalance, failing transformers and switchgear and faults in motor control centers. However, there are many other kinds of equipment that you can profitably monitor using thermal imaging processes.
What to look for?In general, use your handheld thermal imaging camera to look for hot spots, cool spots and other anomalies. Be especially aware of similar kinds of equipment operating under similar conditions but at different apparent temperatures. Such conditions usually signal problems. A thermal imager is also a useful supplemental tool for use on equipment monitored by thermocouples. A thermal scan is more reliable for refractory monitoring.
What represents a "red alert"?Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the highest repair priority. However, the imminent failure of any piece of critical equipment constitutes a red alert. Use Infrared Thermal Imaging Cameras to avoid or reduce "Red Alerts."
What's the potential cost of failure?It's difficult to determine exact downtime costs in the petroleum refining and petrochemical sectors. In 2000, one source placed the cost...
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