Infrared laser technology for detecting fire/explosion risks

COTECTOR®

By continuously monitoring carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the spray dryer, the patented COTECTOR® system from GEA offers a level of safety assurance above that of the state-of-the-art temperature surveillance and fire/explosion control solutions that are installed as standard in GEA spray drying plants.

COTECTOR® monitoring & detection system
GEA has developed the innovative COTECTOR® technology to help prevent fires and explosions in food and dairy spray drying plants. The majority of fires in spray dryers are caused when hot powder lumps form and fall into the lower chamber, where they can break apart and act as an ignition source for explosive dust-air mixes. These heated lumps also release CO, and the COTECTOR® technology directly assesses CO levels in the drying chamber, as an early warning to the presence of smoldering powder deposits.

Multiple sensors for continuous monitoring

Multiple COTECTOR® sensors continuously measure CO at each spray dryer air inlet, and at each air outlet, and the system uses these to calculate CO levels in the spray drying chamber, in real time. Tests indicate that by taking into account fluctuating or transiently high levels of CO that might enter the plant, this approach of continuous measurement is highly accurate, and more precise than alternative technologies. 

In contrast with other CO monitoring systems, COTECTOR® measures CO in inlet and outlet air directly, and so there is no need to transport discrete samples of air to a measurement device. Inherently simpler, and more reliable than alternative technologies, the self-calibrating COTECTOR® platform is also less expensive to install and does not require yearly maintenance. 

Configure for new spray drying plants, or retrofit

GEA can install the COTECTOR® system as part of a new spray drying plant, or retrofit the technology into an existing GEA spray drying facility. The system can be configured to provide three levels of warning, which sequentially alert operators if the chamber CO levels are elevated above normal, and, if required, trigger automatic plant shutdown when CO levels exceed the safety threshold. 

COTECTOR® plus GEA SRAYEYE® Dual camera for optimum plant safety

COTECTOR® can also be used in parallel with the unique GEA SPRAYEYE® Dual camera system, which combines digital visual spray nozzle monitoring with patented infrared (IR) thermal surveillance, to detect potentially dangerous powder build-up, temperature hotspots, and lump formation in the dryer nozzles.

COTECTOR® at a glance

  • Configurable, self-calibrating system
  • Simple set up: inlet and outlet CO concentrations are compared in the unit’s user-friendly SIL 3 certified PLC
  • Easy start up, installation and low maintenance 
  • Can be integrated into plant’s standard safety management system
  • Can be installed into new spray drying plants, or retrofit into existing facilities

COTECTOR® benefits

  • Reliability, accuracy and precision for increased confidence in spray drying processes and equipment
  • Real-time, continuous measurement supports proactive, rather than remedial actions
  • Reduced plant downtime 
  • Adds an additional level of surveillance above standard temperature monitoring, fire/explosion safety systems
  • Compatible with GEA remote assistance and support

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