Thermal Fluid Process Leak Detection System

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WTE’s Thermal Fluid Leak Detection System collects oil leaked across the mechanical seal. It has a multi-stage alarm system to indicate that the vessel needs to be drained or to shut the pumps off in the event of a catastrophic seal failure- the event that most commonly causes thermal oil pump fires. Preventative maintenance can be scheduled as the interval between alarms grows smaller as the seal wears. The Leak Detection System is equipped with a temperature switch that adds redundancy to the pump shutoff. 

 

Pump fires can be extremely costly, spreading to other pumps, and potentially losing the pump room or the entire plant in the fire, let alone the danger it presents to your most valuable asset- your personnel. Monitoring the mechanical seals of your thermal oil pumps is one of the single most important things you can do to prevent pump fires at your plant. 

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The primary culprit of fires at plants with thermal oil systems is the thermal oil pumps--specifically the mechanical seal. The mechanical seal provides a barrier between the process fluid and the external rotating equipment. During normal operation, the seal passes a small amount of oil across it to lubricate the rotating parts. As the seal wears from use, the amount of oil leaking across the seal increases. 

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The amount of fluid leaking across the mechanical seal is one of the key indicators of a pump’s health. More fluid leaking across the seal means that the seal is worn, and this creates an environment in which a pump fire will occur. Collecting and measuring the rate at which this fluid leaks across the seal is paramount in preventing these fires. 

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The Leak Detection System can be implemented as a standalone system, and it makes the perfect complement to WTE’s PumpGuard Pump Protection System, which adds active foam suppression to thermal oil pump fires should they occur.