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OGI sits down with Sean Turner of ENOTEC GmbH. He is here to educate readers on the importance of working with explosion-proof products, particularly in hazardous areas. It’s completely essential that when one works in a hazardous area, that the products they are using are of the highest possible safety standards, hence the use of ATEX certified products. Along with making it safer to work in combustible gas environments, ENOTEC’s analyzers can help with fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Ultimately these measures, when implemented, can provide the user cost savings, of which we learn more below.
COMTEC® 6000 GasEx O2/COe analyzers
OGI: Could you start by explaining ENOTEC‘s credentials and experience in terms of your products and services for the oil and gas sector? Could you tell our readers the breadth of your experience, how long the company has been active?
Turner: ENOTEC has been producing in-situ analyzers for process control and CEMS since 1980. From 1998 onwards, ENOTEC has produced ATEX-certified O2 analyzers, initially under the CENELEC certification and later ATEX / IECEx when the norm was changed. ENOTEC recognizes the absolute necessity to produce ATEX-certified equipment which conforms to the highest possible safety standards, given the nature of the analytical application. For this reason, ENOTEC’s Ex-approved analyzers have been certified under process similar conditions. This certification process confirms the high safety standard to which ENOTEC produces explosion-proof products.
OGI: What are the different products / services that you provide to the oil and gas industries and what reach does ENOTEC have in the oil and gas sector?
Turner: ENOTEC’s product range enables measurements in gas-Ex zones and non-Ex zones. For example, the explosion-protected COMTEC 6000 GasEx analysis system immediately reacts to changes in the flue gas composition and is ideal for the safe and precise measurement of O2 and COe in the exhaust gas of all combustion plants in refineries or similar areas with explosion risk (gas explosion zones 1/2). In addition to being certified for ATEX zones 1/2, ENOTEC’s analyzers are also certified to IECEx. Being certified to IECEx in addition to ATEX enables refineries in most countries to use ENOTEC products for increased safety.
OGI: How does ENOTEC help companies with fuel efficiency?
Turner: Measuring the excess O2 directly after a combustion process is necessary to control the air-fuel ratio. ENOTEC produces in situ probes with O2 sensors for the probe type OXITEC 5000. The O2 sensors are particularly robust and remain gas-tight, typically for 7 to 8 years in typical combustion-related applications.
In addition to the O2 sensor, ENOTEC incorporates an additional *COe sensor (* COe = sum of all combustible gas components -> CO. H2 , Cx Hy ) into the in-situ probes of the model COMTEC 6000. Additionally measuring COe enables fine-tuning of the combustion process as excess O2 and excess COe can be controlled down to a minimum. This translates directly to improved fuel efficiency and a reduction in costs.
OGI: And this can help reduce emissions for companies as well, could you explain?
Turner: ENOTEC produces leak-proof O2 sensors by utilizing a soldering process developed in-house. Most zirconia O2 sensor manufacturers use a high-temperature cement to glue their sensors into a steel holder. This cement glue is prone to cracking and developing leaks which result in an inaccurate sensor over time (ambient or reference air is measured in addition to process gas as the sensor is not gas tight). ENOTEC’s O2 sensors can thus measure and control a combustion process accurately over many years. Low excess O2 after combustion = better fuel efficiency and lowered fuel costs, resulting in lower NOx emissions. The additional COe measurement enables low excess CO after combustion which results in lower CO2 emissions. Another direct benefit of the low excess CO combustion is reduced wear and tear to plant infrastructure.
OGI: What are some of the advantages of using ENOTEC‘s monitoring systems?
Turner: ENOTEC’s analyzers conform to SIL2 in a 1oo1 configuration. This is testimony to the robustness and accuracy of the analyzers. The analyzers are highly configurable and can include a fully integrated pneumatic system which simplifies setup and use. In addition to being able to measure in high-temperature applications, the analyzers offer many options such as most industrial interfaces and the ability to perform time-based automatic calibrations. In Ex-zones, ENOTEC analyzers can be configured and controlled with an Ex-certified phone/tablet using the free ENOTEC remote app over a 128-bit secure communication. This enables uncomplicated analyzer control without the need to inert the installation point. The ATEX certification for ENOTEC analyzers was successfully carried out by a German testing institute and relates to all components of the analyzer, including those components located directly in the hot process gas. In addition to the analyzers, all optional components such as solenoid valves for automatic calibration are Ex-certified.
OXITEC® 5000 GasEx O2 analyzer.
OGI: What sets ENOTEC apart from its competitors in regards to its analytical products?
Turner: Apart from the reasons listed in the previous question:
- ENOTEC Ex certified in-situ probes are unique because the complete probe volume (from the terminal box to the sintered metal filter tip) is a flameproof enclosure and the complete structure has a T3 temperature range.
- ENOTEC Ex-approved analyzers include an HCU (Heater Control Unit) which is a redundant heater shut-off and a feature unique to ENOTEC.
- From an analytical perspective, what’s important is the gas-tight O2 sensor produced by ENOTEC as this ensures safe and accurate combustion and process control.
- The complete range of ENOTEC products and components are conceived, developed and manufactured in Germany
Learn More
Learn more about Westech Industrial’s ENOTEC products and how they can help with fuel efficiency and reducing emissions by visiting our website at https://bit.ly/3UodSUp or call us today at 1-800-912-9262.
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