Should a tar plunger pump be cleaned with steam?
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Dear sea friends: Is it necessary to clean the plunger pump with steam during shutdown?
In the tar system, it is necessary to perform pump purge; even after the heat exchanger has been purged with steam, it can still get clogged a few days later. The main issue is that the tar content is relatively high; when heated, it tends to deposit in certain areas. It’s similar to the deposition of heavy tar with a high asphalt content, and whatever gets blocked will remain so. It’s essential to ensure that everything is cleared completely when the vehicle is parked
Tar plunger pumps need to be cleaned with steam, especially after a long period of inactivity, and the tar at both the front and back of the pump must be completely removed.
Scavenging should be carried out, but it is difficult to do so with plunger pumps. Generally, the tar inside the pump is first removed, and then the bypass line of the pump is opened; the pump body along with the bypass line are then purged； Since tar is difficult to clean completely, the pump body should be heated before starting operation next time.
Yes, what was said upstairs is correct – it’s difficult to perform scavenging with plunger pumps, as the position of the plunger is uncertain after the pump stops, making scavenging challenging. In the design of some processes, it might be possible to use oils with a low freezing point for flushing the pump.