The Problem With Moisture
The sample conditioning system of the Continuous Emission Monitor (CEM) is designed to remove moisture from the sample gas by chilling the gas and condensing the water. Liquid water before the chiller, in the sample line or at the primary filter, is too heavy for the sample pump to move. In other words, water before the chiller acts like a soft plug and greatly reduces or stops flow to the analyzers. The sample conditioning system has several self-checks that prevent liquid water being pumped into the analyzers. The status of a self-check is displayed by a light on either side of the icon. A red light indicates a failure or stoppage whereas a yellow light means the check is OK. The top icon is for the chiller. If the chiller is not cold enough the pump will be shut down. The second icon is gas flow, a red light means no or too low flow. The third icon is the moisture sensor, a red light means water is on the sensor. The pump will be off and the 2nd icon light will also be red. These checks are mirrored in the Evaps control room and show as analyzer faults on the control screen. |