THE REFURBISHMENT OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS

THE REFURBISHMENT OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS

ABSTRACT

A temperature control apparatus an “Armfield model was refurbished.  The methodology employed were to detect the pulty parts of the equipment especially in the sump where leakages were observed.  In the repair, the water in the sump was drained off, corrosion and rusting in the tank were scraped off, the sump was washed and allowed to dry.  A homogenous mixture of crown filler and hardener mixed in the ratio of 5.1 was used to coat the inner surface of the tank.

Antirust protection was applied all over the inner surface of the tank in order to avoid further corrosion and rusting.   Metallic parts of the apparatus including the sump were painted with carlux 842 paint so as to avoid the development of pricklings, pittings, roughness or cracks which promote corrosion when in contact with air, water or chemical attack.  Pipes, air-hoses, dips, nuts and values of the temperature control apparatus were also serviced.

After refurbishment, the equipment functioned effectively when operated and it is recommended that it be used for further practical in the pilot plant laboratory.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       Introduction

Armfield temperature control appara [tus is a pilot plant scale apparatus for the study of heat transfer, process control fluid mechanism and thermodynamics by chemical Engineering students in various institutions of higher learning.

The apparatus consists of two heaters, with voltage between 220-240 and 6kw of power.  The heaters has thermostatic range from 38⁰C-82C⁰, heat transfer area (A) of the heat exchanger is 0.64m² (0.059fts²) ALFA-LAVAL. Four thermo walls, each fitted at the inlet and outlet points on the heat exchanger for insertion of thermometers for temperature measurement.  It has a sump tank of capacity of 70 litres, three flow meters (Rotameters), two of variable area type, a pump of power 0.23kw and capacity of 55litres/min at 1.5m and 9 litres/min at 6m. a control valve (air regulator) of ½ inch, PID (Honey well) controller, two pen chart recorder, temperature sensor, electronic controller etc.  as the name applies it is used to control or measure temperature.

In industries in order to avoid wastes during production of goods, even in pilot plant where production of good are in small scale, there is need for control system which gives more stable (Uniform) process and higher quality products.  Certain variables like temperature applied to fluid or rather dictated from body, fluid flow rate, pressure etc which causes loss of valuable materials during production.  Some of the above mentioned variable can be corrected using temperature control apparatus.

Heat exchange is one of the most frequent operations mainly in process industries.  A large number of processes proceed at a much faster rate as the temperature is raised and it is economically advantageous to use as high a temperature as possible.  Chemical reaction rates are approximately doubled for every 10⁰rise in temperature.

THE REFURBISHMENT OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS