Corrosion Control in Distributed Control System Rooms

Corrosion Control for Electronic in DCS Rooms

Distributed Control Systems (DCS) are dedicated systems used to control manufacturing processes that are continuous or batch-oriented, such as oil refining, petrochemicals, central station power generation, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage manufacturing, cement production, steel making, and paper making. Apart from DCS, servers and control rooms have critical equipment for BPOs, IT/ITEs, etc. The presence of corrosive gases in the facilities mentioned above causes micro-corrosion. Electronic corrosion in DCS rooms, if left untreated for a long time, is responsible for electronic malfunction, reduced performance, and, under extreme circumstances, even electronic equipment failure, leading to server failure and downtime losses.

While temperature and humidity controls are often in place, corrosion control in DCS rooms must also address gaseous contamination. This contamination, if overlooked, can significantly impact the longevity and performance of electronic systems.

How is Electronic corrosion caused?

The sensitive electronic process equipment is vulnerable to degradation, by even small traces of corrosive gases. Chemical and fertiliser plants generate large quantities of gases. Higher than permissible amounts of gaseous contaminants like sulphur compounds present in the form of H₂S, SO₂, and SO₃, nitrogen compounds such as NO, NO₂, NO₃, Cl₂ and ammonia cause the electronic corrosion process. These react with the metal on ICs, and other electronic and electrical parts and form a non-conducting layer which resists current flow leading to failures. The severity of damage depends on the kind of gaseous contaminant.

Corrosion of metals leading to malfunction or failure of critical control and safety systems. This results in downtime, loss of production, a drop in revenue, and costly replacements. 

ISA Environment Classes, Relative Humidity Less < 50%

Class Definitions

G1: Mild – An environment sufficiently well controlled that corrosion is not a factor in determining equipment reliability.

G2: Moderate – An environment in which the effects of corrosion are measurable and may be a factor in determining equipment reliability.

G3: Harsh – An environment in which there is a high probability that a corrosive attack will occur. These harsh levels should prompt further evaluation resulting in environmental controls or specially designed and packaged equipment.

GX: Severe – Ambient electronic/electrical equipment is not expected to survive in these conditions.

The Most Effective Way of Corrosion Control for Electronic in DCS Rooms

To achieve effective corrosion control for electronic in DCS rooms, Bry-Air offers advanced Gas Phase Filtration Systems. It reduces downtime by removing corrosive gases through the process of adsorption and chemisorption. It is designed to maintain the ANSI/ISA-71.04-2013 standard, IEC standards and various other environmental standards followed by electronics manufacturers.

These GPF systems also neutralise odourous gases and make the environment comfortable for humans.

Bry-Air: A Step Ahead, Always

Bry-Air is the only Gas Phase Filtration Company in India having its own R&D and Testing Lab for granular media and chemical filters. Backed by world-class technology and systems, the laboratory is capable of testing the performance of impregnated/non-impregnated loose granular media and impregnated/non-impregnated air cleaning devices such as chemical filters, under one roof. The tests are conducted as per ISO/ASHRAE Standard 145.1 and BSR/ASHRAE Standard 145.2/ISO Standard 11155-2 guidelines. The core objectives of the tests are to assess the performance and efficiency of loose granular sorptive media and chemical filters in any particular application, ensuring effective corrosion control for electronic in DCS rooms.

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