Worked with Waldron Engineering to help specify and provide pressure and temperature instrumentation for a large co-gen project in Guatemala. Some of the process conditions were high temp / high pressure natural gas operating at 100 bar (1450 PSI at 370°C (698°F).
Waldron Engineering and Generadora Electrica Del Norte (Genor) were in the process of building a large scale co-generation plant in Guatemala. The instrumentation required was very specialized, as the application was very high temperature super heated steam and water. The operating conditions were as high as 1500 PSI and at temperatures upwards of 700°F. These conditions pose unique challenges for pressure instrumentation. As these types of operating conditions can result in erroneous readings and significantly shorten the life of a pressure instrument, if it is not properly safeguarded. Some of the challenges and features that were necessary were as follows:
For the pressure gauges we provided Wika model 23X.34 Process Gauges and for the Pressure Transmitters we provided Endress+Hauser units. There were assembled to Wika L990.10 diaphragm seals with Silver plated spiral wound Inconel sealing gaskets (between the upper and lower housing). This would allow for the upper housing to be removed if future repair or replacement was necessary, as the lower housings were all 3/4″ Socket Weld connections, designed for permanent installation. On units with high temperatures an integral cooling element was utilized for heat dissipation. All high temp units had a special high temperature system fill rated for 750°F operating conditions.
