Industrial drying systems always harbor an increased risk of fires and explosions. The fire properties of the media change as a result of the removal of moisture. Especially in spray dryers, caking occurs due to the very high entry moisture in case of suboptimal process control. This caking can heat up in the course of operation up to the so-called Maillard reaction. This leads to an exothermal reaction between protein, carbohydrates and water. The resulting heat cannot be dissipated and accumulates until the medium starts a self-combustion. If such glowing embers loosens or opens, it can ignite existing explosive atmospheres and mixtures. The carbon monoxide (CO) concentration in the process is used as a parameter for early detection of such a situation.
The CO.Pilot is a detection system for monitoring of CO concentration in drying plants based on the tunable Laser absorption spectroscopy.
With the help of the CO.Pilot, Maillard reactions, smoldering embers and fires within the processes and systems are detected at an early stage in order to prevent them out as an ignition source for a fire and an explosion. In addition to monitoring the CO concentration, the system also provides information about the moisture content of the process air so that your process can always be optimally controlled.
