Intertec Refinery and Plant Field Protection Solutions

Intertec supplies environmental protection and temperature-regulation solutions for receptive field equipment such as cabinets and shelters, field enclosures and accessories, including heating and cooling components.

The company’s products include all common field equipment environmental protection needs such as explosion-proof areas, impact-resistance, temperature regulation, and protection against UV, frost, condensation and corrosive media.

GRP enclosures for field equipment protection in the hydrocarbons industry

Intertec provides enclosures that protect field equipment at modern refineries and gas processing plants.

Intertec’s glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) products offer high corrosion-resistance as the material does not rust or degrade in any significant way. It is immune to the corrosive effects of most petrochemical media. The exceptional level of insulation that Intertec’s enclosure designs and the applicable composite adaptations mean that enclosures provide a stable internal environment to ensure accurate and reliable operation, with protective qualities optimised for any specific location and climate.

Other special needs, such as blast proofing or fire-resistance, are all available by Intertec’s customisable range and its turnkey services.

Turnkey services for field-based plant instrumentation

Intertec’s SAFE LINK turnkey configuration and design service offers comprehensive, pre-fabricated ‘hook-ups’ for field-based plant instrumentation. SAFE LINK covers the concept-to-installation process, including engineering design, assembly and onsite delivery.

A typical application is an instrumentation node such as a process transmitter, complete with manifold, tubing connections, plus the appropriate enclosure style and environmental protection.

Intertec will configure protection to deal with requirements from simple freeze protection to extreme climates such as the -40°C to 40°C temperatures in Kazakhstan.

Other common turnkey solutions include sample conditioning systems for analysers, and ‘hot boxes’ to prevent condensation and/or crystallisation of media at instrumentation points.

Intertec offers seven types of instrumentation-sized enclosures with different features to suit various operational specifications, including style of opening. A wide range of larger cabinets and shelters are also available.

This turnkey approach typically improves the performance and reduces the lifecycle costs, of field instrumentation because of the proven nature of the designs used, and the use of modular building-block components. The protection systems are fabricated using layout principles that reduce the variability of instrument installation and provide a site standard, which greatly simplifies maintenance, spares holdings and training to lower total cost of ownership.

Temperature-resistant GRP shelters and enclosures

Intertec fabricates enclosures and shelters using high-grade GRP, due to its high-performance in extreme conditions, as well as its durability and stability in temperatures as low as -100°C.

GRP’s fire-retardant and thermal insulation features can also be customised to provide extreme protection against high-temperature fires.

During Intertec’s 50 years of activity, the company has used GRP in thousands of solutions for its clients’ protection requirements, which include Arctic-grade climates, long-term fire-resistance, passive cooling and energy efficiency, non-toxic fumes / smoke during a fire, and protection against high wind or blast forces.

Onshore and offshore environment protection solutions

Intertec is experienced in resolving protection problems that occur on offshore and onshore environments, including:

• Blast-proofing: structure is strengthened easily to absorb pressure waves with minimal additional weight
• Corrosion: resistant to corrosive effects of sulphur from oil or gas, chlorine from offshore locations
• Fireproofing: ‘sandwich’ structures with mineral wool for hydrocarbon fire-resistance, with internal temperature maintenance below 60ºC
• Improving explosion-proof enclosure reliability: traditional metal EX-d enclosures can be prone to corrosion. Alternative EX-e and EX-p enclosures are available in GRP
• Lightness: GRP is approximately 25% of the weight of metal
• Long lifecycle: durability of GRP for extra-long lifecycles is field-proven
• Offshore wind, cyclones and typhoons: GRP ‘sandwich’ composite structures can be designed with appropriate stability
• Separating hazardous and non-hazardous areas: fire-resistance, gas tightness and explosion-proofing
• Wireless networking: GRP (and foam insulation) do not damp electromagnetic signals

About Intertec

Intertec has designed and shipped more than a million enclosures since 1965, providing equipment protection for adverse conditions.

Many of Intertec’s specialists are experienced in creating and configuring environmental protection solutions, and the company has production sites and support offices worldwide.