An on-line viscometer from Hydramotion Ltd has significantly improved fuel oil burner performance for Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL) of India.

Since 1987 HOCL, a Government of India enterprise, has been producing cumene, phenol and acetone at its Kochi Unit in Ambalamugal in the southern Indian state of Kerala. At this Unit, the boilers use low sulphur heavy stack (LSHS) oil or low sulphur furnace oil (LSFO), which is fired in steam-atomised burners. These burners are designed to operate most efficiently when the fuel oil is at a certain specified viscosity, generally much lower than that at which it is supplied. The suppliers provide data on the nominal temperature at which the required viscosity is reached and the oil has to be preheated accordingly.

The problem was that undocumented variations in fuel composition were affecting the relationship between viscosity and temperature in ways that HOCL could not predict. Very often the fuel oil was not at the correct viscosity when heated to the temperature indicated by the data sheet. The company was faced with the problem of clinker formation at the burner tip.

To solve this problem, HOCL decided to install an on-line viscometer which would enable them to control the fuel oil viscosity directly. Information was collected on various viscosity meters and their suitability for the specific requirements of HOCL was carefully evaluated.

The choice was soon made. HOCL opted for the Hydramotion XL7, a versatile and powerful system for measuring the viscosity of any fluid in any process. The single solid-rod sensor is an all-welded 316L stainless steel construction with no seals, bearings or moving parts - a requirement of the HOCL specification.

The instrument went on-line in January 2007 and quickly proved its worth. Production engineers found the Hydramotion viscometer easy and simple to install and are very pleased with its performance. The fuel can now be preheated to exactly the desired viscosity, giving better control of the burner flame and more efficient burner performance and the burner tip needs less maintenance. Moreover, fuel oil can be sourced from different outlets.

Unaffected by plant vibration, gas breakout or flow rate, the Hydramotion XL7 viscometer can be installed in any location and in any orientation, using any process fitting. No special cooling is required for high-temperature applications. Since every model is available in an Intrinsically Safe version to EEx ia IIC T6, the XL7 can be used in the most hazardous Zone 0 (Class 1 Division 1 Group A) environments. With ATEX, CENELEC and TIIS certification, the XL7 gives excellent performance in the extreme conditions often encountered in the petrochemical industry.