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Re: Dehydrating Heavily Water Laden Systems The King 01-13-2009
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Posted by The King on January 13, 2009, 6:16 pm
On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:34:42 -0800 (PST), "Marc O'Brien"

>With new installations we would ordinarily start the pre-commissioning
>tests with a strength pressure test, perhaps for 30 mins, followed by
>a 24hr tightness. Then there is a 24hr vacuum finished off with a 30
>minute vacuum rise test for moisture.
>Is this similar to your procedures?
Yup yup except I use a micron gauge to gauge the evacuation time.

>Assuming the piping system inadvertently took on say a pint of water
>with out you knowing. What would you expect to see on the Torr gauge
>after a 24 hr vacuum.

Five gallons of used vaccum pump oil and a micron gauge reading of
25000. :)
>I have done a few calculations and have recently made a discovery
>which I'd like to share but first I ask the above to set a benchmark
>against which to discover what is common practice and what might
>become new practice.

Marc I had a chiller barrel leak and it took me damn near a week to
de-hyrdrate the system after I replaced the barrel and it was only a
50 ton machine.

One of my favorite things to do is put a small amount of water in a
sealed glass jar and observe the process of moisture removal with an
apprentice. Its fun to watch the micron gauge to see at what level
things take place.

At first the water boils violently then it turns to ice then it
sublimes and disappears.

Posted by on January 14, 2009, 8:45 am
> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:34:42 -0800 (PST), "Marc O'Brien"
> >With new installations we would ordinarily start the pre-commissioning
> >tests with a strength pressure test, perhaps for 30 mins, followed by
> >a 24hr tightness. Then there is a 24hr vacuum finished off with a 30
> >minute vacuum rise test for moisture.
> >Is this similar to your procedures?
> Yup yup except I use a micron gauge to gauge the evacuation time.
> >Assuming the piping system inadvertently took on say a pint of water
> >with out you knowing. What would you expect to see on the Torr gauge
> >after a 24 hr vacuum.
> Five gallons of used vaccum pump oil and a micron gauge reading of
> 25000. =A0:)
> >I have done a few calculations and have recently made a discovery
> >which I'd like to share but first I ask the above to set a benchmark
> >against which to discover what is common practice and what might
> >become new practice.
> Marc I had a chiller barrel leak and it took me damn near a week to
> de-hyrdrate the system after I replaced the barrel and it was only a
> 50 ton machine.


My next article in the UK industry magazine I write routinely for will
be on how I insist that the industry's traditional moisture checking
method be changed. I believe it is flawed. I don't want to give all
the details right now because I first want to be sure that no one else
known to me is aware of the flaw I have identified.

In your chiller case above the best process would have been a
combination of triple vac and deep vac. Triple vac does not remove
water but does remove vapour contaminants by compounding percentage
reductions - 4% is left in the system after the first vac and then 4%
of 4% after the second and finally 4% of 4% of 4% on the third vac and
so on. Only a deep vac with multiple vac oil changes can remove water.
The more heat the better and the better your cold trap the less often
you have to change the oil. But we cleaned a large system up pretty
quick finishing yesterday after 4 days of alternate deep vac and warm
nitrogen purging to about 30psi each time. The nitrogen was put into
the system through a length of copper pipe heated by hand with a blow
torch. The nitrogen was going in each time at about 40=B0C. Warm
nitrogen is an old trick of mine I chose to do on my own as an
apprentice years back.

My question everyone is really - at what point after a vacuum do you
check for moisture and how is it you know you have no moisture - what
instruments and what time frames do you use. This is for piping on new
installations.

> One of my favorite things to do is put a small amount of water in a
> sealed glass jar and observe the process of moisture removal with an
> apprentice. =A0 Its fun to watch the micron gauge to see at what level
> things take place. =A0
> At first the water boils violently then it turns to ice then it
> sublimes and disappears. =A0

How much water do you use? How long does it take to sublime away? I'm
assuming this is all done at room temperature and the glass jar is not
sat on a heat source warmer than the room.

Posted by The King on January 14, 2009, 4:56 pm
On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:45:42 -0800 (PST), mobrien.acrtc@googlemail.com
wrote:

>> On Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:34:42 -0800 (PST), "Marc O'Brien"
>> >With new installations we would ordinarily start the pre-commissioning
>> >tests with a strength pressure test, perhaps for 30 mins, followed by
>> >a 24hr tightness. Then there is a 24hr vacuum finished off with a 30
>> >minute vacuum rise test for moisture.
>> >Is this similar to your procedures?
>> Yup yup except I use a micron gauge to gauge the evacuation time.
>> >Assuming the piping system inadvertently took on say a pint of water
>> >with out you knowing. What would you expect to see on the Torr gauge
>> >after a 24 hr vacuum.
>> Five gallons of used vaccum pump oil and a micron gauge reading of
>> 25000.  :)
>> >I have done a few calculations and have recently made a discovery
>> >which I'd like to share but first I ask the above to set a benchmark
>> >against which to discover what is common practice and what might
>> >become new practice.
>> Marc I had a chiller barrel leak and it took me damn near a week to
>> de-hyrdrate the system after I replaced the barrel and it was only a
>> 50 ton machine.
>My next article in the UK industry magazine I write routinely for will
>be on how I insist that the industry's traditional moisture checking
>method be changed. I believe it is flawed. I don't want to give all
>the details right now because I first want to be sure that no one else
>known to me is aware of the flaw I have identified.
I cant wait.

>In your chiller case above the best process would have been a
>combination of triple vac and deep vac. Triple vac does not remove
>water but does remove vapour contaminants by compounding percentage
>reductions - 4% is left in the system after the first vac and then 4%
>of 4% after the second and finally 4% of 4% of 4% on the third vac and
>so on. Only a deep vac with multiple vac oil changes can remove water.
>The more heat the better and the better your cold trap the less often
>you have to change the oil. But we cleaned a large system up pretty
>quick finishing yesterday after 4 days of alternate deep vac and warm
>nitrogen purging to about 30psi each time. The nitrogen was put into
>the system through a length of copper pipe heated by hand with a blow
>torch. The nitrogen was going in each time at about 40°C. Warm
>nitrogen is an old trick of mine I chose to do on my own as an
>apprentice years back.
>My question everyone is really - at what point after a vacuum do you
>check for moisture and how is it you know you have no moisture - what
>instruments and what time frames do you use. This is for piping on new
>installations.
>> One of my favorite things to do is put a small amount of water in a
>> sealed glass jar and observe the process of moisture removal with an
>> apprentice.   Its fun to watch the micron gauge to see at what level
>> things take place.  
>> At first the water boils violently then it turns to ice then it
>> sublimes and disappears.  
>How much water do you use?

About a table spoon.

>How long does it take to sublime away?

Its been a while since I've done it but it wasn't long. All the
visible water had sublimed well before 400 microns. I think it was in
the neighborhood of 1400 microns but I may be misremembering. :)

>I'm assuming this is all done at room temperature and the glass jar is not
>sat on a heat source warmer than the room.

Correct.


Cool video by the way. What was that black stuff in the ice.

Posted by Marc O'Brien - ACRTC on January 14, 2009, 6:03 pm
> Cool video by the way. =A0What was that black stuff in the ice. =A0- Hide=
quoted text -

I guessed the black was a little copper oxide from a few joints the
guys might have soldred without nitrogen purging.

I am just the methods consultant on this project. I have asked them to
install temporary replaceable drier cores starting off with a few
changes of Molecular Sieve and then to finish off with a few changes
of a Activated Alumina to remove the acids that would have been
generated by the oil/water reactions.

Posted by The King on January 14, 2009, 6:23 pm
On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:03:07 -0800 (PST), "Marc O'Brien - ACRTC"

>> Cool video by the way.  What was that black stuff in the ice.  - Hide quoted
text -
>I guessed the black was a little copper oxide from a few joints the
>guys might have soldred without nitrogen purging.
>I am just the methods consultant on this project. I have asked them to
>install temporary replaceable drier cores starting off with a few
>changes of Molecular Sieve and then to finish off with a few changes
>of a Activated Alumina to remove the acids that would have been
>generated by the oil/water reactions.

Sounds reasonable to me. What refrigerant?

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