{"id":17760,"date":"2024-04-11T16:06:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T21:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/\/?p=17760"},"modified":"2025-11-12T11:21:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T16:21:53","slug":"durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/applications\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Study: Durable Temperature Sensors for Waste-to-Energy Plant\u2019s Corrosive Incineration Chamber"},"content":{"rendered":"
Combusting cling wrap, Styrofoam, PVC, and other plastics produces highly corrosive gases that can damage measuring instruments and cause them to fail prematurely. WIKA recently came up with a customized solution that withstands the aggressive flue gases of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber.<\/strong><\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n

This article is the last of a three-part series on energy recovery plants<\/a> and measuring solutions for waste-to-energy facilities<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Recycling has diverted much of plastic waste from landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. However, municipal solid waste (MSW) still contains about 15% plastic by weight. When materials like\u00a0Styrofoam, PVC, and cling film are burned, they produce highly corrosive gases. Chlorides and hydrochloric acid, especially, attack the metals that high-temperature sensors are made of, including stainless steel and Inconel. Even thermowells are often insufficient protection in the extremely harsh environments found in most combustion chambers.<\/p>\n

Problem: Frequent sensor replacement meant frequent shutdowns<\/h2>\n

\n

\"\"

Corrosion at the tip of a competitor\u2019s protection tube<\/p><\/div>\n
\nA waste incineration facility was using thermocouples shielded by protection tubes made of Incoloy 800, a material widely used in combustion zones. But even though this alloy is designed for high-temperature corrosive environments, the operator found that corrosion developed fairly quickly at the tip, measuring 2\u20133 cm in length, and led to signal loss.<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n
To maintain reliable temperature monitoring, the plant had to shut down at least once every three months to replace not just the protection tubes, but also the thermocouples. This is an expensive, difficult, and time-consuming process. There is not just the expense of new temperature probes or the labor involved in replacing the units, but also the high cost of downtime due to lost production.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n

The EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) company involved in this WtE facility asked WIKA to find a solution that would extend the interval between thermowell replacements.<\/p>\n\n

WIKA\u2019s specially engineered protection tube<\/p><\/div>\n \n

Solution: Specialty materials and skillful welding<\/h2>\n

WIKA has extensive experience with high-temperature, high-corrosion applications. After investigating the issue, our temperature specialists identified a special material for the protection tubes. In-house testing showed that this alloy withstood the incineration chamber\u2018s high temperatures and exhibited greater insensitivity to aggressive flue gas.<\/p>\n

We welded together this special alloy with 310 stainless steel to form the tube that protruded into the combustion chamber. The weld seam and stainless steel pipe were placed behind the fireproof wall, protecting them from exposure to the flue gas. Our TC81 thermocouple, specially designed for flue gas temperature measurement, completed the assembly.<\/p>\n

The customer was delighted with this assembly, as our engineered solution<\/a> greatly extended the service life of the temperature measurement system. It has already been in use for 18 months and counting, a significant improvement over the three months that their previous assemblies lasted.<\/p>\n

WIKA, a Global Leader in Power Generation and High-Heat Applications<\/h2>\n

WIKA measurement technology and products are found in WtE plants around the world, helping cities and waste management companies responsibly dispose of MSW while putting the generated heat to good use. Contact WIKA USA for customized, long-lasting measuring instruments \u2013 for monitoring and controlling temperature, pressure, level, and flow \u2013 as well as calibration services<\/a>, in your power generation<\/a> facility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

[contact-form-7 id=”14552″ title=”Blog Contact Form”]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Combusting cling wrap, Styrofoam, PVC, and other plastics produces highly corrosive gases that can damage measuring instruments and cause them to fail prematurely. WIKA recently came up with a customized solution that withstands the aggressive flue gases of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber. \u00a0 This article is the last of a three-part series on energy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":17764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[232,5,221],"tags":[155,830,819,323],"class_list":["post-17760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-applications","category-knowhow","category-temperature-products","tag-corrosion","tag-high-temperature","tag-power-generation","tag-thermocouple"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDurable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Durable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WIKA blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"838\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"471\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Gabriel Gonzales\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Gabriel Gonzales\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Gabriel Gonzales\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280\"},\"headline\":\"Case Study: Durable Temperature Sensors for Waste-to-Energy Plant\u2019s Corrosive Incineration Chamber\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-11T21:06:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-12T16:21:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\"},\"wordCount\":549,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Corrosion\",\"high temperature\",\"power generation\",\"Thermocouple\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Applications\",\"Know-how\",\"Temperature\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\",\"name\":\"Durable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-11T21:06:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-12T16:21:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280\"},\"description\":\"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg\",\"width\":838,\"height\":471,\"caption\":\"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Case Study: Durable Temperature Sensors for Waste-to-Energy Plant\u2019s Corrosive Incineration Chamber\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"WIKA blog\",\"description\":\"Our blog offers many interesting articles on pressure, temperature, level, flow measurement calibration technology and provides insights into the WIKA Group.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280\",\"name\":\"Gabriel Gonzales\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Gabriel Gonzales\"},\"description\":\"I have been with WIKA Group since 2005 while steadily advancing through a variety of technical and sales-oriented roles, honing expertise in temperature and pressure products for the oil and gas industry. Over the years, I have developed innovative sales strategies, led product specialists, and engineered technological solutions to meet client needs. In 2023, I assumed the role of Product Manager \u2013 ETM Process Instrumentation, spearheading initiatives to enhance product management and drive market growth. I earned a degree in Instrumentation and Process Technology, AAS from San Jacinto College, equipping myself with the knowledge and skills to excel in industrial marketing and engineering.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/author\/ggonzales\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Durable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog","description":"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Durable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog","og_description":"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.","og_url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/","og_site_name":"WIKA blog","og_image":[{"width":838,"height":471,"url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Gabriel Gonzales","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Gabriel Gonzales","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/"},"author":{"name":"Gabriel Gonzales","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280"},"headline":"Case Study: Durable Temperature Sensors for Waste-to-Energy Plant\u2019s Corrosive Incineration Chamber","datePublished":"2024-04-11T21:06:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-12T16:21:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/"},"wordCount":549,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg","keywords":["Corrosion","high temperature","power generation","Thermocouple"],"articleSection":["Applications","Know-how","Temperature"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/","url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/","name":"Durable Temperature Sensor for Waste-to-Energy Plants - WIKA blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-11T21:06:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-12T16:21:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280"},"description":"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2024\/04\/durable-temperature-sensors-for-waste-to-energy-plant_shutterstock_48053353.jpg","width":838,"height":471,"caption":"The flue gas of a waste incinerator\u2019s combustion chamber caused corrosion on their temperature sensors. WIKA came up with a better solution."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/knowhow\/durable-temperature-sensor-waste-to-energy-plants\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Case Study: Durable Temperature Sensors for Waste-to-Energy Plant\u2019s Corrosive Incineration Chamber"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/","name":"WIKA blog","description":"Our blog offers many interesting articles on pressure, temperature, level, flow measurement calibration technology and provides insights into the WIKA Group.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/e34259b854b19ecb70ef67d7cd06d280","name":"Gabriel Gonzales","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg","url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/files\/2025\/02\/gabrielgonzales117-3-120x120.jpg","caption":"Gabriel Gonzales"},"description":"I have been with WIKA Group since 2005 while steadily advancing through a variety of technical and sales-oriented roles, honing expertise in temperature and pressure products for the oil and gas industry. Over the years, I have developed innovative sales strategies, led product specialists, and engineered technological solutions to meet client needs. In 2023, I assumed the role of Product Manager \u2013 ETM Process Instrumentation, spearheading initiatives to enhance product management and drive market growth. I earned a degree in Instrumentation and Process Technology, AAS from San Jacinto College, equipping myself with the knowledge and skills to excel in industrial marketing and engineering.","url":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/author\/ggonzales\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17760"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17769,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17760\/revisions\/17769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}