C2i - Benefits

       

Benefits

Reduced Operating Costs

The costs associated with unexpected downtime can be substantial and far-reaching. As previously described, unacceptable leakage current levels in resistive heating elements can stop a thermal process dead in its tracks. As a result, unplanned maintenance and additional service are needed that will increase operating costs significantly. The following scenario is a real-world illustration of that impact:

After sitting idle for several months due to onsite construction delays, startup services began on a 400 kW immersion heater system that did not employ C2i™ Technology. As a result of improper storage by the end user, the elements began operating with extremely high current leakage levels due to excessive moisture in the elements. Attempts to dry out the heater through conventional means were proven unsuccessful. The only solution was to remove the heater and return it to the manufacturer for re-work. The extra unplanned service fees, shipping and rework charges as well as the revenue losses due to the unexpected downtime, cost the customer $53,200. By incorporating C2i™ Technology upfront to either prevent or correct the situation, the customer would have saved over $50,000 and production would have remained on schedule.

However, this particular case could have turned out much worse. When catastrophic electric heater element failure occurs due to internal arcing, temperature sensors and control systems can also be compromised. Ancillary process components such as pumps, valves and motors are typically integrated with heating systems and when the heater fails, collateral damage to these components frequently occurs. With C2i™ Technology, proprietary algorithms and engineered technologies provide continuous in-situ condition monitoring which alerts the operators of deteriorating conditions and properly mitigate the root cause. C2i™ Technology protects industrial heating systems, permits nonstop process uptime, allows for timely maintenance service scheduling and eliminates additional operational costs.

Improved Safety

In many industrial heating applications, element failure, due to unacceptable current leakage levels, cannot only cause irreparable heater damage but create unsafe working conditions. When the electrical heating element is damaged by internal arcing, short circuit events within the heater system can occur. Although equipment protection measures are required, these failure types can cause extremely dangerous electrical and physical safety hazards for workers and service personnel.

C2i™ Technology continuously monitors process and electrical variables such that the electric heater health is always known. Chromalox controllers with this technology will automatically initiate a controlled softstart at system startup or regulate output power during normal operation should the leakage current level violate programmed thresholds. This safely and efficiently dries out the heaters and avoids unsafe conditions due to element failures.

In-situ condition monitoring is an exclusive Chromalox C2i™ Technology which provides unmatched process integrity through true parameter predictability. As a result, operational costs are significantly reduced and system safety is greatly improved.

Lower Installation Costs

Wireless is rapidly becoming the preferred sensing technology in commercial and industrial systems due to continued technological advancements, feature enhancements, and the stabilization of standards within the Industrial Wireless industry. Wireless Temperature Sensing can greatly reduce installation costs and it can help solve structural and geographical challenges that often accompany complex installations such as those with multiple walls, excessive heights and distances, and extreme environments. By using wireless sensing technology, much of the engineering design content is removed and the material and labor installation costs directly attributed to sensor wire and conduit are all but eliminated.

Consider a standard 80 feet (25 meter) long run of heating cable, which includes the RTD sensor wire, hardware, fittings and conduit. The total saving for this one circuit is $1,225. In a moderately sized tank farm of 100 circuits, the owner will save over $120,000 in installation costs.

In addition to the installations cost savings that wireless technology provides, proprietary Chromalox C2i™ firmware seamlessly integrates wireless temperature sensing into its heat trace control systems. This maintains system integrity, eliminates the need for third party monitoring and further lowers installation costs.

Process Optimization

Quite often, thermal profiles in system piping do not meet design expectations. Hot and cold spots occur due to heat sources and heat sinks, vertical chases, environmental influences and insulation failures. Extreme temperatures can be detrimental to certain process fluids. This can reduce revenues due to equipment damage, unplanned downtime service costs, and production losses. Through developed C2i™ wireless temperature sensing technology, thermal troubleshooting can be efficiently executed.

The portability of wireless sensors permits infinite temperature data collection throughout piping networks, ensuring accurate thermal profiling. In addition, powerful C2i™ sensor mapping technology permits heater circuit output power to be based on the minimum, maximum, or average sensed temperature of multiple wired or wireless sensors. This provides additional system reliability and process integrity. These engineered C2i™ Technologies provide you with the necessary tools to ensure that your process is performing safely, accurately and within the intended design specifications.