Gayesco Flex-O™ Multipoint Thermometer: Ideal for Temperature Monitoring in Reactor Pipewells

Technicians need an accurate temperature profile of a reactor or fuel depot for safe, efficient operations. However, these high-temperature applications pose challenges for many temperature monitoring instruments. Multipoint thermometers also tend to be unwieldy, making them difficult to install and remove. The Gayesco Flex-O™ multipoint thermometer rises to meet the challenging conditions found in many oil and gas applications.

As its name suggests, the Gayesco Flex-O™ multipoint thermometer by WIKA is a flexible, versatile instrument that rises to meet the challenging conditions found in high-temperature applications. This short video gives a visual representation of the temperature monitoring instrument’s many innovative design features. Here’s a quick overview:

Challenge #1: Curved Piping

Metals change properties when heated. In a hot reactor, a metal pipewell naturally expands. Because catalyst completely surrounds the pipe and does not give, this expansion occurs only in the void space at the top of the vessel. The result is a warped pipe.

Traditional temperature monitoring devices have trouble dealing with curves in a pipewell. The Gayesco Flex-O™, however, has bimetallic strips that deflect and remain in continuous contact with the pipe wall, even when it bends in extremely high temperatures. All points of the Gayesco Flex-O™ remain in touch with the inner pipe wall to constantly and quickly monitor changes in temperature.

Challenge #2: Installation and Removal

Depending on the application and length of the pipewell, a multipoint temperature sensor can be very long. The length is necessary, but it makes the instrument tricky to ship, install, remove, and store.

Indeed, the Gayesco Flex-O™ has a customizable insertion length that can reach up to 40 meters (131 feet). But thanks to a flexible design, WIKA’s multipoint thermometer can be coiled for easy packing and shipping. Installation is also uncomplicated: A cable with a flexible center guide can follow any bends in piping to reach the exact spots for temperature measurement and monitoring.

When the reactor cools, the bimetallic strips return to their original undeflected state, making the entire assembly easy to remove. The Gayesco Flex-O™ eliminates the need for a double-high crane. The instrument can then be recoiled and stored until it is needed again.

Challenge #3: Contaminants and Corrosion

Many reactors and fuel depots are found along the coast. This means water, salt, and chemicals frequently find their way into pipewells. The contaminated gas filling the pipe can then condensate due to the differences in temperature between the hot tip and the nozzle of the pipewell. When this occurs, the results could be inaccurate temperature measurements and corrosion from chloride deposits.

The Gayesco Flex-O™ comes with an optional purge feature that allows technicians to blow out contaminants using a clean gas like nitrogen. This purging can be done once before turning on the reactor (and followed by closing the pipe with valves), or continuously during operations.

A Truly Flexible Multipoint Thermometer

Gayesco Flex-O™ Multipoint Thermometer, Model TR96-O

In short, WIKA’s Gayesco Flex-O™ is the ideal temperature monitoring solution for reactor pipewells. This multipoint thermometer:

• Can handle warped and curved piping.
• Features a bendable design that facilitates installation, removal, and storage.
• Has an optional gas-purging feature to remove contaminants and prevent corrosion.

WIKA has more than 50 years of experience in temperature measurement and monitoring solutions for the oil and gas industry. An expert engineering team designed the Gayesco Flex-O™ and customizes each new assembly. Quality assurance specialists then inspect and test each device at WIKA’s ISO-9001 certified facility in Houston before packing the coiled multipoint thermometer in a wooden crate and shipping it to the customer.

Contact the temperature measurement experts at WIKA USA for more information about the Gayesco Flex-O™ and other innovative solutions in the Gayesco line.