Check Your Heat Transfer Fluid Consider a variety of tests to pre-empt problems

摘要

A MONITORING program for heat transfer fluid(HTF)often is essential,as I pointed up in a recent column,"Don't Hobble Your Heat Transfer Fluid,"https://bit.ly/37Fn000.So,let's now discuss what an HTF monitoring program might include.First,you must take the samples from the tight part of the system.You need samples from the flowing fluid in the system to get a true representation of its condition.Don't take samples from the expansion tank;in many systems,HTF in the expansion tank is nearly stagnant.You are looking for three sources of problems: oxidation,thermal cracking and contamination.Specific tests look at each area.The most important oxidation test is for total acid number(TAN).Thermal cracking tests include distillation range,viscosity and flash point.Contamination testing includes the Karl Fischer water test for checking for leaks into the system as well as metals tests.Particulate tests indicate both oxidation and thermal cracking.