PIROBLOC

Sol PIMA Plan for promoting energy rehabilitation of hotel industry

The reason for this blog is to inform all of you about the approval of Royal Decree 635/2013 of August, by which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, launched a new campaign to improving the facilities in the hotel sector, with the aim of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

Both PIROBLOC clients in this sector, such as hotel establishments with industrial boiler installation can count on our engineering department for studies on improving or streamlining their thermal oil and steam installations. This is achieved not only a performance improvement of the property, but also their energy savings. We invite you to visit the following link where you can read more about the referral program:
http://www.magrama.gob.es/es/cambio-climatico/temas/pima-sol.aspx#para3

The long experience in generator design and implementation of heat facilities enable us to carry out technical studies on compliance with the current requirements that the law requires for your facilities.

Do not miss this chance to improve, streamline or renovate their facilities taking advantage of such plan. Read More!

The importance of the film temperature in the boiler life

The film temperature is an important parameter in the design of the boiler. The durability of the boiler and the installation dependent on this one.

It is defined as the oil temperature at the inner surface of the coil tubes. The DIN 4754 standard provides its calculation. The most important parameters are:

Oil type.
Oil speed.
Dimensions of the coil.
Dimensions of the combustion chamber.
Heat flux.
Type of fuel.

This temperature should be low, uniform and stable.

Temperature curve in a tube (DIN 4754:1994-09)

PIROBLOC obtains film temperature values lower by coil design and optimized combustion chamber.

Manufacturing boilers with high performance and durability. Read More!

Target zero accidents

Safety is our main goal. We manufacture our boilers provided under this premise, offering the following solutions:

Detection system undesired flame inside the combustion chamber. Important to detect flame inside the chamber when the burner and pump are stopped. This system greatly reduces the risk of fire in the installation.
Automatic fire extinguishing. By injecting N2, air or steam inside the combustion chamber get control and eradicate the fire. Ideal complement for the detection system undesired flame.
Redundant securities. By the duplication of the temperature measuring elements (chimney, thermal oil) and pressure (high and differential) got safer boiler.

This equipment is available for both new and existing boilers on the market.

Shield your boiler with these solutions and eliminate hazards in your facility. Read More!

Pirobloc has renewed its ISO 9001:2008 certification

Pirobloc has renewed its ISO 9001:2008 certification until 2016.

The past March, the certification company TÜV has audited Pirobloc successfully, thus renewing the certificate ISO 9001:2008 in the field of design, manufacture and marketing of thermal fluid boilers and heat exchangers as well as, for marketing steam boilers.

This certification ensures that Pirobloc:

Plans the production of its products
Maintains constant communication with the client to determine all requirements
Homologates to its suppliers in terms of materials
Performs all activities of verification, validation, monitoring, measurement, inspection and testing to ensure the quality of its products
Makes an analysis of the customers feedback to ensure the continuous improvement
Manages all nonconformities, whether products, suppliers or internal ones

You can find more information on the ISO in previous articles:

Read More!

The versatility of a manufacturer of thermal oil boilers

The reason for this blog is to inform all of you that our company and its qualification to make engineering studies on improving or streamlining existing thermal oil installations, such as those carried out during 2012 for companies of the French food sector and chemical Belgian sector. The goal is to obtain a performance improvement of your facilities and the energy efficiency through the equipment you already have, being PIROBLOC or other brands, and even from disappeared brands of the market as KONUS.

PIROBLOC offers solutions for the expansion of the actors in any industry, even if they use other brands of thermal fluid boilers. PIROBLOC was pioneer introducing the thermal fluid systems in sectors where steam technology was a feud, such the industrial and hospital laundry.

The long experience in the design of such type of generators and the implementation of thermal fluid facilities enable us to attend to any technical question regarding compliance with the current requirements that the law demands and, on the use of equipment, studio of your initiatives, etc.

The proverb says that we must Adapt or …. or better renew and reinvent. Read More!

How extend the life of your heater

Every manufacturer has its own boiler design. Its technology will make the life of the boiler to be longer or shorter, as well as efficient in reference to the heated circuit.

In addition to its design, other factors also influence in a long life of the thermal oil heater, such as the following:

To use an oil in good working conditions, and thus, in good heat transfer conditions. So, we recommend that you periodically do an analysis of its status. Remember that if you have to change the oil in the facility at the end of its useful life, there are companies in the market whose business is oil free collection and reusing of it.
To know and to pay attention to the alarms and controls of the boiler: it is not an option to by-pass the warnings and / or alarms. In case of alarm, ask the manufacturer of the boiler.
To perform a proper preventive maintenance and annual control of the heater, consisting on the control of the right combustion and the smoke composition, flue gas temperature, working pressures and temperatures, etc.
To control the consumption of the pump and the flow of service as well as, to check the heat transfer fluid leaks.
To check the condition of the insulation body of the boiler and installation of thermal fluid.
To keep clean of soot inside the boiler, pipes and / or exhaust gas grills: A good ventilation of the boiler is essential for its proper functioning.

We hope that these tips will be useful to work in the best conditions for a long time. Read More!

First company in the Spanish sector with quality ASME certification

Pirobloc, a manufacturer company of thermal oil heaters for industrial use, has recently obtained the ASME quality certification (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), while in possession of the quality certification according to ISO 9001: 2008.

The first step to reach the certification (as said in the previous blog), is to decide which of our processes you would like to certify under such standard of quality, since the ASME classifies equipment or products in Sections and Divisions, finally granting:

a metal Stamp, to be used to mark with a letter the technical nameplate contained in products manufactured under the chosen design code, which can be "R", "S", "U", etc... , and
a Certificate of authorization to manufacture under the corresponding design code.

So, to buy a boiler manufactured according to ASME stamp, involves the certification of the following qualities:

Manufacturing under the standards of the "x" design code
A qualified and certified staff to carry out the work
The traceability of the materials used in the manufacture of the product subject to certification
The realization of non-destructive tests during the manufacturing of the stamped products
Registration of non-conformities
Monitoring of standards during the manufacturing processes

See you on the next publication. Read More!

The ASME certificate

After a long absence, due to the daily work and the projects in which our company has been involved, we have been preparing new contents that we believe they will be of your maximum interest.

So, this is the first in a series of blogs dedicated to obtaining the ASME certificate of quality, which means that the ASME institution AUTORIZES to a manufacturer to be able to use its seal on their products.

ASME stands for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This association has generated from its appearance a code of design, manufacture and inspection for pressure equipment, recognized and accepted not only in America but also in countries in other continents.

The interest to be able to manufacture a product under the ASME regulations lies in the fact of access to the American market, as well as, to open the possibility of offering your products to potential clients situated in any part of the world that based its standards of quality in the mentioned legislation.

Advantages of an ASME certification

International market of more than 113 countries
Authorization to manufacture equipments under the ASME stamp
Publication in the ASME authorized manufacturer registry
Competence for the use of the ASME code
Responsibility as ASME manufacturer
The confidence of a design and manufacturing under quality ASME
Implement of the quality requirements
Enable to compare, to expand and/or to include ASME processes to your own standards

In our next blog, we will talk about the parameters of quality certified by the ASME stamp. Read More!

MODULATING BURNERS

Although, it is certain that at present many equipment of new acquisition incorporates this type of burners. In fact, Pirobloc always implements them without additional cost in all gas equipment. They still even exist many facilities with burners of two steps or, for low powers, at one step.

Each process of manufacture is different, but the habitual fact is that the heat consumer does not even require all the power at any moment. Also, in certain cases, the consumption is null or low. In those cases of variable processes and, still considering an optimal regulation, the burner will go out. Opposite to the appearances, this action does not contribute to any economic saving. From a point of view of energetics efficiency, when the burner starts again, it will take place the relative "blowing" of the combustion chamber, producing an unnecessary cooling of it.

With a correct sizing and the supplying of modulating burners, when the demand of power is low, the modulation of the burner complies consequently with that low demand, avoiding complete unemployment and the cooling of the combustion chamber for, immediately afterwards, returning to warm up it. That is to say, useless fuel consumption.

See you in our next appointment.

Read More!

Fuel Saving

¿DID YOU KNOW…?

That in a heating process with thermal fluid fuel consumption is between 20 and 25% lower than with steam.

Of course you did. Despite and maybe because not everybody did, I’m not get bored to repeat. Nowadays energy and industry are focused in the climatic change, fuel fossil exhaustion and in its consequent price increase. Then, to choose the suitable technological option to heat up a process becomes the key not just for our planet but also for our pocket.

Still there are many companies and process burning more than 20% strictly needed. The global efficiency of one indirect heating installation is 65 - 70%. That is to say more than 30% of the energy is get lost. Third part of it is getting lost by the chimney. Exhaust recovery has to be develop notably in the coming years. But this is not the topic of today. The worst is the other 20% of the whole burnt fuel. Condensates and steam traps are in charge of it.

The good new is that this same process heated up by hot oil will have a global efficiency of 90%. The other 10% is getting lost again by the stack. But that’s all. Is not phase change, nor condensates recovery, nor steam traps. It’s just a closed circuit. Read More!

The heat insulation in a thermal oil installation

The technology of the heating through thermal oil has like basic characteristics the possibility of working at high temperatures (180-280ºC), not generating high pressures as it happens in steam installations.

This is due to the fact that there is not a change of phase from its liquid form and to the fact to work in a closed circuit.

But, today we want to focus ourselves in the type of specific heat insulation recommended to isolate the thermal fluid facilities, existing in the market multiple products for it, between which the mineral wools (rock wool), the plastic foams, products with cellulose, etc., all of them with the basic characteristic to avoid losses of heat from the heating fluid, to guarantee the yield and good operation of the installation, avoiding accidents and expensive energy losses, avoiding a greater environmental contamination and global heating.

In our case, it is important to consider the working temperature of the process and the diameter of the installation piping, recommending the following:
We will use casting dies in pipes of small and medium diameter, due to the concentric disposition of fibers. Therefore, the thickness of the casting dies would not have to be inferior to 60 mm for the pipe until DN-65, being of 80 mm for the pipe of greater diameter. The use of the rock wool is recommended in higher diameters of the previously mentioned ones, and for working temperatures over 200ºC.

In order to extend the previous information, you can consult the norm UNE 9310 that applies in Spain and that informs into the minimum thicknesses of isolation according to the diameters and temperatures of work.

Please, remember that it is not necessary to isolate the expansion and collecting tanks in the thermal oil facilities.
Please, also remember that the insulating wools use noninflammable materials and of a minimum calorific power, being against the propagation of fires. If we have high working temperatures or increases of temperature in an installation, will have to choose high density (HD) rock wools for our insulation.

To finish, as habitual norm and with the object of calculations, it is used the following reference: the temperature of wall of a heat consumer machine, of a thermal oil heater, of the piping, etc., does not have to surpass in 30ºC the room temperature.
See you next time. Read More!

Thermal fluid heater: the best location

In the present article we would like to give some advices to consider at the moment of the constitution, possible construction and start up of a new production line or a new plant. These advices can result in a more efficient and rational way to raise the positioning of your production sources, such as the thermal fluid heater:

In the case of a new industrial plant in which the roof does not still exist and the heater has important dimensions, people usually takes advantage of the nonexistence roof to enter the heater. Please, consider to make an opening in the plant of the dimensions of the boiler, for possible future repairs or even for the moment in which the heater will be dismantled and in order to avoid to disassemble part of the tile roof in the future.
At the time of the thermal oil heater definitive positioning, it can be located near the consumer and/or of the working area of the staff in charge of its maintenance and monitoring. This action will revert in an economic saving as far as materials of installation and time used by that staff in the control of the boiler.
You must remember that we have boilers with vertical and horizontal design to save any difficulty of space you can have.
In reference to the fuel to be used in the burner of the boiler, you should remember that:

In case of using natural gas, you should avoid the placement of the heater in cellars. In this way, you would not have to make a forced ventilation installation, necessary to facilitate the combustion of the gas burner if placed in such places.
In case of use light oil or heavy fuel oil, you will need a storage tank for these fuels, reason why you can save the installation of an intermediate vessel if you install the heater the closest possible of the main fuel storage tank.

In reference to the necessary elements for the good operation of a thermal oil circuit, you should take into account one expansion and one collecting tanks of certain dimensions.
To finish and speaking about the chimney, remember that it must exceed minimum 1 meter over the surrounding buildings within a radius of 10 meters with respect to the axis of the chimney.

We are at your disposal to answer to your questions and commentaries. Read More!

The most interesting published subjects

Three years ago, we published the first post in this blog. After this lapsed time, we have stated that some subjects have been more visited and interesting than others and for that reason, following you can find them:

The day to day and just the short time at disposition, they do that our readers receive by RSS the new publications on the blog, but we receive very little commentaries.

Thanks to your commentaries, we could know what information is more interesting to you than other of each subject, and thus we can develop it or answer to you.

We invite to you to comment and in any case, we promise to always answer.

Good year to all! Read More!

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:

Planning of the production of the product: PIROBLOC plans and develops the necessary processes for the accomplishment of the product. These processes determine:

Objectives of the quality and the requirements for the product.
Required activities of verification, validation, pursuit, measurement, inspection and tests.
Registry of all the activities to demonstrate the fulfill of all the requirements.

Read More!

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!