The global process manufacturing sector can now save up to 80% of the cost of maintaining the quality of the thermal oil used in processing, with the launch by Thermal Fluid Solutions (TFS) of the first filtration system capable of removing hard to reach contaminants that compromise performance and result in excessive energy consumption.
TFS is an international provider of thermal fluid system support, maintenance and risk services, with clients including chemical companies Dow, Lanxess, Indorama and petrochemical firm Total.
Thermal fluid systems are used to transfer heat around process manufacturing plants to facilitate production. Synthetic thermal oils are used in industries such as chemicals and petrochemicals where the liquid needs to be maintained at high temperatures of around 300-4000C. In this heat, “high boiler” contaminants (so-called because they have a higher boiling point than the original fluid) can develop.
These contaminants form solids which compromise the oil’s flow rate, reducing its heat transfer capability and leading to mechanical failure. Electricity consumption rises as the equipment works harder to maintain the necessary rate of flow. High boiler removal is vital to maintain an efficient, long-lasting heat transfer system that incurs only minimal energy costs.
Until now, the only way for process manufacturers to remove high boiler contaminants was to shut down their manufacturing systems and replace the liquid. The already considerable expense of thermal fluid has recently increased since a rise in the price of synthetic oil by around 25% since the beginning of 2022.
TFS’ new Dynamic Thermal Filtration System (DTFS) is the only filtration solution to preclude the need to replace fluid. The secondary system runs as a side stream to live thermal fluid operations, lowering the oil’s temperature. Contaminants previously held in solution or suspension are then able to be filtered out. TFS estimates that filtration is 80% cheaper than the cost of replacement oil.
Live plant trials of the DTFS began in 2019, and the final solution was launched in spring 2022. It has already been used by Eastern Refinery Limited (ERL) and panelboard firms Sonae Arauco - Portugal and West Fraser.
Replacing TFS’ existing depositional filtration method, the DTFS is suitable for thermal fluid systems up to in excess of 600 litre capacity and is appropriate for lower temperature organic oils as well as hot synthetic ones.
Said Richard Franklin, managing director of TFS, which has offices in both the UK and the US: “Process manufacturing costs are soaring, in part due to the rapidly rising cost of synthetic thermal fluids. Our pioneering DTFS will for the first time enable customers to limit the effect of these price rises by enabling them to maintain their systems without the need to regularly replace oil.”