Our Christmas present

According with the success of the thematic of the last posts and the dates in which we are, we want to do a gift to you.

Following with our policy to share the knowledge, we have the pleasure to announce to you that we have put at the disposal of all you in our Website and concretely in the section of Technology, some formulas of calculation that can be useful for the future professionals in our sector of activity and also for our clients.

Also, we are thinking especially about our readers who are not engineering specialists: When they will need a heating generator for a thermal fluid circuit, they will be able to have a priori more comprehensible specific parameters, which they will receive from their suppliers.

We hope that this gift serves to make easy your future decisions of investment in heating systems. As Goethe said: “The love and the joy are wings for the new projects”.

Merry Christmas from PIROBLOC. Read More!

Our third anniversary

Three years ago, we published the first blog in google.

Lapsed that time, we have been object of a study next to other companies, we have received some consultations and we hope to have contributed with enough information on the technology that we develop, technical points of view and to have helped to decide on the convenience or not of its use in the investment projects of the people in charge of industrial plants.

By our part, we are thankful for the visits to our blog and about the received comments of the readers.

PIROBLOC born in the secondary sector and oriented its activity to the national market as well as to the foreign one, using this blog and other tools at disposal today for everybody, to continue transferring knowledge and technology to which wants to continue reading us.

We hope to be able to continue receiving your visits and your consultations, to improve and to grow in all the industrial sectors in which our long experience is a guarantee. Read More!

Election of the fuel for your process

At the beginning of its activity or during the same, a company must choose the fuel whereupon to work in its processes and other many they are submitted to the provision that they have at disposal.

The factors that affect the election of the fuel are different according to the point of view from which they are studied:

• The availability in the zone.
• The initial investment to realise:
• The price of the burner, being the most expensive dual burners (able to burn 2 or most fuels), burner of H.F.O. (heavy fuel oil); those of gas and finally those of light oil.
• The necessary cost of the pipeline of fuel provision till the burner, vessels, safety measures, etc. This point has major incidence that the previous one.
• The considered consumption derivative of the activity: The election in this case, can depend on the hours of process and the calorific necessity of the same. The ideal is to do a comparison by unit of calorific power like kilocalories or thermia (1000 kcal) necessary in its process: The product of the multiplication by the PCI of each fuel and the cost in kg, liter or m3 of each, will give to you the cost by thermia and therefore, what fuel is the most convenient for your activity. In the following table appear the PCI's of the more current conventional fuels:

Type of fuel	Calorific power
	Inferior	Superior
Natural gas	9.270 kcal/m3
Liquefied petroleum gases
Comercial Propane	11.082 Kcal/Kg	12.052 Kcal/Kg.
Methane	5.500 kcal/m3
Commercial butane	10.938 Kcal/Kg	11.867Kcal/Kg.
Light oil type C	10.100 kcal/kg
Biodiesel	It depends on his composition
H. Fuel oil	9.400 kcal/kg

You can visit a web about Liquefied petroleum gases in which there is an example about the equivalence of 1 kg of propane in reference to the energy provided by:
1,24 ms ³ of natural gas;
1,20 lt. of H. fuel-oil;
3 ms ³ of citizen gas;
1,30 lt. of light oíl;
3 to 6 kg of firewood (generic data);
14 kWh of electricity;
to 2 kg of coal.

• On the basis of the tariffs that propose to you: With an approximate calculation of the consumption you will obtain the supply tariff of your gas and electricity suppliers, whose prices are very tie to the zone in which you are located.
• On the basis of the maintenance: The burners with gaseous fuels always have a simpler maintenance than those of light oil and heavy fuel-oil (being used these last ones in boilers and furnaces of major heat ratings), because gases have a cleaner combustion.
• On the basis of the environment: Companies located in cities, laboratories or other companies of nonpolluting character, are forced in many occasions to use the electricity to avoid emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere.

Read More!

Comparison between thermal fluid and steam

In previous posts we informed on the thermal fluid transmitters that can be used in an industrial installation. In this blog we want to make a comparison between the use of the thermal fluid versus the steam, both perhaps the most extended systems world-wide.

The requirements for the steam facilities are more restrictive than those of thermal fluid:

• Steam boilers of a certain size and water volume have to be installed in a separate boiler room. In many countries the boiler room cannot be located within the main building or production site, but has to be separated at a certain minimum distance. Moreover, protection walls of such boiler room have to be of a minimum thickness, depending on the category of the boiler.
• Water treatment is an absolute requirement for every type of steam boiler, whether of the coil type, water tube or fire tubes. Water treatment consists of a water softening plant (which should be a twin system in most of the cases) in combination with a chemical treatment of pH control and oxygen scavenger. A water softener “Twin” system consists of two cylinders to hold the resin in order to allow a regeneration of one column whilst the other resin column remains in service. A twin softener is an absolute must in production plants with a continuous operating cycle of 24/24 h.
• Oxygen removal and pH control can be done by means of a chemical dosing system (dosing pump with dosing tank). With some type of boilers, especially of the coil type, special care has to be given during “stand-still” periods. If no measures have been taken to keep the coil either completely dry or completely filled by means of a time controlled “post-run” system, the risk of oxygen corrosion during standstill period is very high. (Note: Post-run means that the water pump has to remain in operation to keep the coil filled with water whilst the system cools down, in order to prevent air pockets to be formed in the upper part of the heating coil which would introduce oxygen in the heating coil and cause a typical form of “pit corrosion”).
•  With too much concentration of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), a carry over of chemicals will take place. Too high concentration of dissolved solids (example over 3.000 mg/l) can be caused either when blow down periods are not being strictly adhered to or during “peak-loads” which demand momentarily more steam than the average nominal capacity of the boiler size. This carry-over will result into wet steam and the chemicals which will remain in “wet steam” can block steam traps, steam regulating valves etc. Hence, high maintenance costs and waste of energy in case steam traps do not function properly and do not shut off properly.
• Some more details are referred to in the section “Corrosion” hereafter. Especially in fire tube boilers, because of the larger water content, explosion risk remains despite added automation on modern boilers.

Efficiency

The thermal fluid does not require any special treatment once the installation has been filled up. Its life oscillates between 10 and 12 years. This means that the cost of this element is really insignificant.

The thermal fluid, which comes out of equipment after having heated it, will enter into the generator with only 1 or 2 ºC less temperature. This shows that the loss of heat during its way in the line is situated at the minimum.

There has to be taken into account, that the outcoming steam of a purge has an average temperature of 120 ºC, whereas when it reaches the tank of condensed it usually does not exceed 90 ºC, and in many occasions it does not even reach this low temperature. On the other hand it should also be taken into account, that there always remain a flow of steam in the purges which gets lost through evaporation and these calories are never more recovered.

Thermal fluid systems suffer none of the above-described losses.

Legal requirements

These are generators working WITHOUT HIGH PRESSURE. This fact exonerates them of the walls, distances to neighborhood, and all the other norms which have to be taken inTO account and accomplished for the steam type boilers. Thermal fluid boilers may be installed in any place, even just besides the manufacturing machines.

Corrosion

Neither the generator nor the pipeline suffer from wearing away, as the function is done with lubrication liquid, NOT CORROSIVE like water.

Maintenance

Any kind of dragging, such as for water, of salts, of oxides, or of any other indissoluble solids is not necessary. This means that nothing can affect the goodness of heat transmission through thermal oil. This type of installations are practically free of maintenance.

Fuel saving

When heating is done through thermal fluid, we are able to obtain a level of temperature regulation till ± 2 ºC in the machines. When using steam heating this is completely unthinkable, as the differences in a normal installation are situated around ± 10 ºC.

This is of course also a very important factor in saving fuel, as it allows organizing a very regular temperature average, without any fear that the quality of the product may get spoiled due to the ups and downs which could occur when treated with steam.

The sum of the related factors results on a fuel saving around a minimum 12 to 18% according to concrete data taken in facilities which are working for a long time to total satisfaction of our clients.

Technology

Another advantage when using thermal fluid, is that all problems concerning passing preferences, as usually they appear in steam installations, are completely cancelled: When working with steam all the machines, which are located nearer to the boilers, they will receive the full amount of flow which they need. Those machines which are at a greater distance very often have a lack of flow.

With the thermal fluid and through our system of ballast check valves we assure to each individual machine the whole quantity of necessary hot oil, ensuring a temperature stability.

Safety

No risk of explosion, because there is no high pressure inside and neither hot oil storage.

Cavitations do not appear in the recirculating pump of thermal oil.

In steam installations they may arise when the feeding water which is recovered from the condensed surpasses a temperature of 90 ºC, at that stage either it is cooled down with water entering in the line or part of the condensed are thrown away, but this last supposition is really absurd in view of the cost of the fuel.

With the details we have mentioned above, we intend to offer you a global view on the subject of the thermal fluid installations. However in order to get a more precise knowledge it is necessary to enter deeper in this kind of equipment, for this purpose we remain at your entire disposition. Read More!

Important aspects about ISO 9001

In our previous article about how it repels in the client the certificate of quality ISO 9001, we commented several aspects that we will extend next.

We have observed an important interest by this subject and for this reason we will deepen in the following aspects that we consider of great relevance in the norm ISO 9001:

1. Planning of the production of the product: PIROBLOC plans and develops the necessary processes for the accomplishment of the product. These processes determine:
1. Objectives of the quality and the requirements for the product.
2. Required activities of verification, validation, pursuit, measurement, inspection and tests.
3. Registry of all the activities to demonstrate the fulfill of all the requirements.

Read More!

How does it help the certificate of quality ISO 9001 to the customers?

PIROBLOC has the certificate of quality ISO 9001:2008 and this fact has repercussions on our clients satisfaction thanks to the implanted quality management system.

So, what is the ISO 9001:2008?
It is a norm elaborated by the Technical Committee ISO/TC176 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), that specifics the requirements for a good management system of the quality, which must tender to the obtaining of an improvement in the satisfaction of the client.

Read More!

Spanish aids for technological R+D

To apply the innovation to our processes is essential for our enterprise fabric, not only like source of creation of new companies with singular products or services, but also to make sure a certain competitive level in the existing global market and within the sector where the company works, in the medium or long-term. Basically it is essential to contribute with new ideas, creative and differential ones, commit with external and internal communication channels at disposition.

In order to support the costs of this activity, the Public Administrations offer several programs of financial support, directly or through specific institutions, to which you must to present essentially the following documents :

• Explanatory memory that shapes the newness contributed to the market, not being permissible like innovation, the contribution of a change to an already existing machine.
• The project must be calculated in terms of technological risk costs (operation tests, simulations, etc.).
• Countable memory.
• The manufacture must follow the “rules of the art”.
• The industry councils of the CC.AA as well as the respective Chambers of Commerce can inform to you directly into the different subsidies that the Public Administration offers through Mº de Ciencia y Tecnología or the ICO. All them offer subvention programs for technological development .

On the other hand, the fiscal deduction of 8% maximum in the Impuesto de Sociedades (corporation tax) is another possible way from which the innovating company can benefit.

We invited to you to visit the web of Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial or call to the Depto. de Promoción Tecnológica, tel +34 91 581 55 18.

You can also visit the site of Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

Read More!

How being more sustainable

With the change of century, the Spanish public institutions promoted the development and investigation of renewable energies.

Today an agenda could be established on its promotion: Some years ago they began with the wind power which continues its expansion gradually; it is nowadays continued with the promotion of the manufacture and consumption of bio-fuels, to which many companies are added by the incentives promised by the Spanish government. To finish, it seems that the solar energy is the great bargain now. On the other hand, Spanish companies are really well internationally positioned in reference to the treatment of the water and its operation.

As the main technology of our company is based on the thermal oil as heat transmission vehicle, we always advised to our clients that once the useful life of the oil is finished, this one be sent to recycling plants. In that way. they still valorize it for being used in very specific motors of electrical production plants.

The thermal oils, being of mineral or synthetic origin, they can not be used in the manufacture of bio-diesel as inform to us a manager of one of the main production plants at national level. Although its recovery is a very minority activity, it is a small step for the environmental sustainability that all the user companies of these oils can make.

Other oils, like vegetable for frying, they are used in the process of production of bio-diesel for the car industry, although the quantity of bio-fuel produced from them represents a very small percentage with respect to the rest of the production, which is based on oily plants.

From year 2007, the production of bio-fuels has been increased and the market has matured. Today, the industry is in a phase of debate on the efficiency of the different biomasses and applicable technologies.

We invited to you to visit the following link to the Directive 2009/28/CE, on requirements of sustainability and promotion of the use of renewable sources energy. Read More!

Study on our blog

We are proud to inform you about the study on new tools of communication for companies, made by staff of the Basque Country University  and titleholder “blog like communication and marketing tool”, in which blogs of 50 companies of diverse economic sectors have been analyzed, between which it is ours.

We hope that it is so useful to you as to us, as a consultation tool and like a vehicle to draw your own conclusions.

As we have already said few months ago, publishing our ideas and technology in a blog, it seemed to us from the beginning a good method to illustrate to own and other people's on a sector and product that sometimes seem distant, but they are not as much.

Please, remember: The technique moves the world, although always thanks to a few on it enthusiastic people. Read More!

Heat transmission fluids (2)

SMOKE or GASES. This source of heat is used generally when a surplus of energy in the form of smoke or hot gases exists.

In those cases, it is profitable to invest in a recovery unit or economizer that helps to reuse the heat that those smokes contain. Its design will be adjusted to the final application to which the residual heat will be destined. To do this, the recovery unit has coils, chambers, etc. through which water, air or any other fluid that it is interesting to warm up for other subsidiary process in the plant, will be forced to circulate.

Applications: Fuel saving by an industrial burner as a result of the preheating of the air used by it, for example, or, as a central heating or air conditioning of a plant, etc.

Water heating, steam production, etc.

The recovery systems are usually provided with a by-pass or diverter, to interrupt or to turn aside the smoke flow of its passage by the economizer or heat recovery unit.



THERMAL OIL. There are two types, synthetic and mineral, being different marks and models in the market, to work to different temperature ranks. We wrote about in a old post about the thermal fluid transmitters of heat.

The main characteristic of the oil is that it does not change of state when working over 100ºC under absolute pressure, reason why the circuit pressure that it generates it is not as high as the generated by other fluids.

We advise about the use of the thermal oil in processes in which it is needed indirect heat and high working temperatures (from 150 to 300 ºC).

Please remember that at the end of the useful life of the thermal oil, the user must recycle it, but about that we will speak in the next blogs. Read More!

New video about a boiler

I know that all you hope to read more on the heat transfer fluids but before continuing with that subject, I make this small interjection to inform to you that you already can see how it is our new electrical steam boiler, without having to move to our company:



We thank you for you visit in advance.

See you within fifteen days. Read More!

Heat transmission fluids

Following with the thematic developed in our last blogs of year 2009 and to start correctly the present new year, we will speak now about the heat transmission fluids, being the most common:

• Water
• Steam
• Smoke or stack gases
• Glycerin
• Thermal oil
  

WATER and STEAM. The water used in hot water boilers and steam ones (to produce this one) normally needs a previous treatment of decalcification, etc. to preserve the life of the boiler in which they are used, besides, sometimes, continuous purges of muds and foam that the process generates, which derives in energy losses. On the other hand, it usually is at the disposal of the users with facility and in abundance.

Basic characteristics: The water changes of state under atmospheric pressure at 100ºC, reason why if you wish to work with it over that temperature, you will have to increase the pressure, obtaining a product called High Pressure Hot Water.

Something similar it happens to the steam, with a result of the pressure-temperature saturation curve of steam (as example: 150ºC 5 bar a), obtaining in this case High Pressure Steam.

The design of the boilers can be PIROTUBULAR or ACQUATUBULAR, based on what is circulating through the tubes: if there are smokes or water.

In our next blog we will speak about the rest of heat transfer fluids. Read More!