COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE APR10

COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE

FOR THERMAL FLUID

INSTALLATIONS

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE APR10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................. 3

2 PRIOR TO COMMISSIONING .......................................................................... 3

3 FILLING PROCEDURES .................................................................................... 4

3.1 Flushing ....................................................................................................... 4
3.2 Vacuuming .................................................................................................. 4
3.3 Filling the system. ....................................................................................... 5
3.4 Venting the system ...................................................................................... 6
4 COLD COMMISSIONING .................................................................................. 7

5 HOT COMMISSIONING ..................................................................................... 8

5.1 Start up for fuel oil pumps, type BAS/ZAS ................................................ 8
5.1.1 Filling the pump with the fluid to be conveyed 8
5.1.2 Filling and venting the pump without attached filter 8
5.1.3 Filling and venting the pump with attached filter 8
5.2 Heating of the fluid to be pumped ............................................................... 8
5.3 Commissioning and adjustment of the burner ............................................. 8
5.3.1 General inspection 8
5.3.2 Adjustment of the burner 9
6 BOILING OUT PROCEDURE ............................................................................ 9

7 SEA TRIAL .......................................................................................................... 11

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

1 General
In order to guarantee a faultless functioning of the thermal fluid installation, the
following points are to be observed during the commissioning of these installations.

The yard/builder is expected to have taken care of the correct installation of the
various parts of the installation according to the procedures and recommendations
given to the customer in the approval/working drawings. The various pipe systems
are expected to have been installed according to the agreed (PI) diagrams.

The electrical installation is expected to have been executed according to the

electrical diagrams and according to the rules and requirements of the classification
society and local authorities. It should be noted that signal lines should not be
installed close to power lines or other sources, which may conduct a magnetic field,
which can disturb the normal operation.

The special types of heaters and installations must be observed. The operating staff
should be made familiar with the special piping diagrams, the installation scheme
and operating instructions for heater and auxiliary equipment before the start of the
operation and should be informed about the functioning of the whole plant by using
these instructions. There should be sufficient spare-parts available for maintenance
and repair.

2 Prior to commissioning
The total pipe network and the heat consumers should as far as possible be checked
for leak-tightness with dry air or nitrogen under low pressure (1.5 - 2 bar).
Then all flanges, weldings etc. have to be checked with soap or special fluid. After
filling the installation, the installation can be pressure tested with cold thermal fluid.

Our thermal fluid heaters and exhaust gas heat exchangers are already pressure
tested in our factory by the classification. The maximum working pressure of these
parts is 10 bar(g). The pressure test with thermal fluid has to be carried out with a
minimum pressure of 15 bar(g) or a pressure in accordance with the classification.

The heat consumers, pumps, containers, appliances and safeties for which the
expected test pressure could be too high or which have already been examined for
their leak-tightness are to be separated by blanking-off from the part of the plant
which has to be checked.

For instance: the circulation pumps, safety valves and the de-aerating line should be
blanked off and if there is a valve in the expansion line it should be closed, if there is
no valve on the line the expansion tank should also be blanked-off.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

Important: Check all measuring and control equipment carefully for their
maximum pressure tolerances and take protective measures to
keep them from damage

The blind flanges, pipeline blanking discs and shut-off devices, which had to be
installed for the leak and/or tightness test are to be removed after the test. Now
check whether all openings are tightly closed and whether the flange unions are
tightened.

The drain valves are to be shut and all other valves of the plant must be brought into
the right position for operating. The correct start-up positions can be found on the
flow diagrams

3 Filling procedures

Attention: Before filling remove all dirt, slag etc, and make sure that all blind
flanges, caps, plugs etc. are removed.

3.1 Flushing

It is not necessary or advisable to flush the system with flush oil. After flushing with
flush oil it is never possible to remove all flushing oil from the system. The
remaining flush oil will mix with the thermal fluid and will give a lot of gas and
starting up problems.

If you insist on flushing the system, we advise you to use the same thermal fluid for
flushing as for filling the system. In that case it is recommendable to use extra fine
meshed filter elements during flushing.

Never use acid for pickling and/or preservation. A little rust or dirt will not damage
the equipment; however acid will damage the thermal fluid and can be dangerous
when heated to higher temperatures.

3.2 Vacuuming

When there is a lot of water in the system, the time necessary for the filling and
boiling out procedures can be decreased by vacuuming the total system before
filling. Depending on the ambient temperature, vacuuming will remove most of the
remaining water and condensation from the system.

The vacuum has to be taken up to 98%-99% depending on the ambient temperature.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

Temperature saturated Absolute

steam (C) pressure (bar)
0 0.006107
5 0.008719
10 0.012271
15 0.017041
20 0.023368
25 0.031663
30 0.042418
35 0.056218
40 0.073750
45 0.095818

Note: When the ambient temperature is below 7C it is not possible to vacuum

the system.

The heat consumers, pumps, containers, appliances and safeties for which the
expected vacuum could be too low, are unable to maintain vacuum or which have
already been dried are to be separated by blanking-off from the part of the plant
which is to be vacuumed.

Important: Check all measuring and control equipment carefully for their
minimum pressure tolerances and take protective measures to keep
them from damage

The system is now ready to be inspected by an Aalborg commissioning engineer.

3.3 Filling the system.

When the system is still under vacuum we advise to fill the system with the correct
thermal fluid, from a low point in the system, for example the drain valve near the
suction side of the circulation pump.

When the system is dry and vacuuming is not needed we recommend filling the
thermal fluid system through the expansion tank, by using the filling pump (when
available) or by using an external pump.

Fill the plant, i.e. the total heating system, including the heater and heat consumers,
with a heat transfer fluid of the correct specifications. The plant can be filled from
the drain/storage tank and then fill the system by using the filling pump or by filling
the thermal fluid directly into the expansion vessel.

All parts of the pipe work and all heat consumers are to be vented carefully at the
vent valves during filling until heat transfer fluid emerges. The thermal fluid heater
is de-aerated at the vent valve on the heater outlet (de-aerating pipe).

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

Fill the plant with heat transfer fluid until the electrical contact of the level float
switch in the expansion vessel is closed.

Before the first start of the filling pump:

Step A: Ensure that the sealing chamber of the filling pump is filled with thermal
fluid.

Step B: Open all circulation line valves in the system where filling is needed and
close the by-pass valve (minimal flow valve).

Warning: The filling pump is a displacement pump. Displacement pumps must

never be operated against closed valves, since the uncontrollable
pressure heads which occur could lead to damage to the pump and
system.

The filling must be continued until the thermal fluid level in the expansion tank has
risen to just past the LOW LOW LEVEL switch.

3.4 Venting the system

When the installation has been filled with thermal fluid, the following items should
be checked/performed before the circulation pumps can be started:
Step A: Open up the de-aerator plugs of the circulation pump(s) and de-aerate the
pump(s) until they are completely filled with thermal fluid.

Step B: Check the thermal safeties and the rotation direction of the pump(s). For
more details on this see the separate instructions for the circulation
pumps.

Step C: Check that all gauge cocks are opened to pressure sensing instruments
(i.e. gauges, switches and transmitters) and gauge pipes are properly
vented.
Now the circulation pump can be started and the thermal fluid system can be vented
according to the following:
Step D: Close the valve on the pressure side of the circulation pump.

Step E: Start the pump, the outlet valve should be opened slowly and the pressure
must be kept at least 3 bar (g) to avoid cavitation . If necessary, due to
overload caused by cold thermal fluid the flow can be temporarily
reduced by throttling the pumps outlet valve.

The delivery pressure of the pump will fluctuate because a mixture of oil, gases and
air is passing through. Keep the pressure above 3 bar(g) by throttling the valve at the
pumps supply side to prevent cavitation.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

After starting the circulation pump, an increase in differential pressure must be

registered at the differential pressure gauge of the flow monitor. The absolute
volume of the pressure depends on the heat transfer fluid, its temperature and the
type of the heater. With cold transfer fluid (inlet temperature below 70C) the
necessary differential pressure at the flow monitor for the automatic release of the
burner control is, in some cases, even in the case of correct operation of the
circulation pump, not obtained, due to physical characteristics of the transfer fluid.

Air will escape trough the de-aerating pipe (located in the suction line of the pump)
to the top of the expansion tank.

After some time the outlet pressure will increase (6-7 bar(g) and it will be possible
to open up the outlet valve slowly.

Note: During the filling procedure, the filters are provided with fine filter
inserts. Therefore, when running the circulation pumps for the first
time, it is important to check the pressure gauge at the pumps suction
side. When suction pressure is below zero, the filter has to be cleaned.

Step F: Run the circulation pump until all air has been vented and the filters are
clean when inspected.

When the system is fully de-aerated the pressure gauges and the flow device should
show a steady pressure.

Step G: Stop the circulation pump and repeat the procedure for the second or
stand-by pump(s).

Step H: Observe the fluid level in the expansion tank (about 30 cm above LOW
LOW level) and top up if necessary.

4 Cold commissioning
The purpose of the cold commissioning is to ensure that all components connected
to the control system have been connected correctly and are able to function as
intended. Pre-adjustments of the pressure switches, transmitters and other
components are done in accordance to the set point list and electrical drawings.

For all warning, alarm and shutdown functions it must be checked that they are
coming through to the control system, remote systems and ECR or PLC systems.

All thermal protections (relays) for motors, timers and controllers are pre-adjusted
according to the set-point list/electrical drawings. All motors must be checked for
correct rotation directions and coupling alignment.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

5 Hot commissioning

5.1 Start up for fuel oil pumps, type BAS/ZAS

5.1.1 Filling the pump with the fluid to be conveyed

Prior to initial operation, the screw pumps must be filled with the fluid to be
conveyed. At the same time the sealing required for suction is imparted to the
spindles. The pump must not run dry.
5.1.2 Filling and venting the pump without attached filter
The fluid to be pumped is filled in through a filling hole at the suction flange of the
pump. For these purposes the screw plug with the joint ring must be removed
(see separate manual). The pump must be topped up with the fluid to be pumped
until it emerges air-free at the venting bore of the pressure flange.

In case of supply pressure, manual topping-up is not required. The pump is topped
up via the supply pipeline and vented via the filling and venting hole.
5.1.3 Filling and venting the pump with attached filter
Pumps in horizontal installation with attached filter are topped up via the filling hole
in the (filter) casing cover until the fluid pumped emerges air-free at the venting hole
of the pressure flange.

For these purposes the screw plugs and with the joint rings and must be removed.

Pumps in vertical installation with attached filter are topped up with the fluid to be
pumped via the filling and venting holes in the pump casing as described above.

5.2 Heating of the fluid to be pumped

When pumping heavy fuel oils or other fluids to be pumped congealing when
getting cold, it is necessary to provide a heating system in the plant (e.g. pipe
tracing).

At the time of pump starting the fluid to be pumped must have sufficient viscosity to
flow and be pumped around without damaging the pump.

Prior to the pump start-up, heavy fuel oil, for example, must be heated to at least
10C above the solidifying point.

5.3 Commissioning and adjustment of the burner

5.3.1 General inspection

Before commissioning can commence, the entire plant must be handed over ready
for operation by the installer.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

The solenoid valves fitted on the burner and the isolating valves in the oil supply
should be tested for correct operation.

The burner motor rotation should be verified before commissioning. With control
circuit and operating switch closed, the burner is briefly actuated by the burner
control switch. The rotation of the burner motor must be anti clockwise when
looking at the motor cooling fan. Note the arrow direction on the motor flange.
5.3.2 Adjustment of the burner
Flue gas measurements are necessary to obtain good and economic operation. The
CO2 content must be as high as possible and the smoke number as favourable as
possible. There must be no ingress of uncontrolled air into the system. The draught
conditions should be reasonably constant, or a draught regulator should be used if
necessary.
For economic operation the flue gas temperature should be limited. It must be noted
that depending on chimney type, height and cross section a minimum temperature is
required to prevent flue gas temperatures falling below dew point.

6 Boiling out procedure

After filling and venting the installation and the pre-adjustments on the burner, it is
possible to start the boiling out procedure. The boiling out procedure is necessary to
remove the remaining water (condensation inside the piping before filling) from the
system and to remove the lighter fractions from the thermal fluid.

The time necessary for the boiling out procedure can be decreased by vacuuming the
total system before filling. Depending on the ambient temperature, vacuuming will
remove most of the remaining water and condensation from the system.

Boiling out is required:

At the first start up of the system.
When the thermal fluid installation has not been used for 3 months or longer.
After replacement of the thermal fluid.
When water has entered the system.

Procedure:
Step A: Start a circulation pump and wait for the flow to reach the sufficient level
(At indication 0.05bar P the flow alarm releases the burner.) Open the
valves of the heat consumers that will be boiled out.

Step B: Adjusted the burner controller to 90C and start the burner in partial load.
After 30 minutes you can increase the temperature set point with 5C.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

Step C: As long as the system pressure and flow stay steady, the temperature set
point can be increased every15 minutes.

During this procedure we advise to check the temperature of the heat consumer
return lines to make sure that oil is running through.

Step D: If the system pressure or flow becomes unstable, the boiling out valve
(situated at the boilers outlet side) can be opened a little (1 turn), in order
to create a flow over the expansion tank where the water drops can settle.
The temperature set point has to be decreased 10C.

Go back to step C.

Step E: Once the return temperature to the oil fired heater exceeds 130C, the
system is free from water. The set point can be increased slowly (10C)
up to the design temperature. The return temperature can be checked by
pressing the button once.

Note: When the temperature on the controller has reached 100C, please take
into account that at the pumps suction side the return temperature will
be approx. 20C less than shown on the controller and further boiling
out is required.

The heat consumers that could not be boiled out during the first boiling out
procedure should be boiled out separately.

Step F: Let the system temperature cool down to approx. 90C before opening the
valves (slowly) of these heat consumers and repeat the boiling out
procedure.

Important: For an extended durability of the thermal fluid it is only allowed to

open the boiling out valve during the first start-up period, until all
the gases have escaped. To prevent oxidation of the thermal fluid in
the expansion tank, the valve must be closed directly after the
boiling out procedure.

Attention: When the system is heated to the operating temperature the

alignment of the circulation pumps must be checked. The coupling
parts on the pump and motor side should be concentric and not
have any angular displacement. For further details see separate
manual for circulation pumps.

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 COMMISSIONING PROCEDURE OCT09

7 Sea trial
When the complete system is ready and operational a full-scale test is conducted and
all controllers and other equipment are adjusted to suit operational conditions.

During, or at the end of the hot commissioning there would normally be a

presentation / test made for the owner and class.

For plants including exhaust gas heaters (economisers) and other equipment which
can be tested under sea trial only for example final adjustment at full load conditions
or use under ordinary sea going conditions, adjustments and tests must be performed
under actual or simulated conditions.

It is important to obtain normal expected operation conditions when the plants

various controllers are optimised. The set point lists are filled in with actual values,
when the settings are modified.

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