The increasing demand for renewable energy has intensified the need for products to protect people, process equipment, and the environment. Protectoseal recognizes this need and has developed a market-leading range of safety products to protect commercial, industrial, and on-farm anaerobic digestion plants.

Protectoseal recommends the products below across all anaerobic digestion plants.

1. The Cowhorn Arrangement

The Protectoseal Cowhorn Arrangement attaches pairs of Flame Arresters and Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents to a 3-way valve, allowing the operator to switch between sets when operational or maintenance needs require. The practical duty/standby arrangement allows continuous operation with zero downtime and minimum disruption to anaerobic digestion.

Protectoseal’s patent-protected Flame Arresters protect anaerobic digesters against fire and explosion while allowing gases and vapors to flow under normal operating conditions. Meanwhile, the Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents protect digesters against overpressure and limit product loss.

2. Flame Arresters

The greatest danger during anaerobic digestion is the ignition of the flammable vapor, resulting in fire or explosion. Protectoseal has developed a patent-protected range of Flame Arresters that allow gases and vapors to flow under normal operating conditions while preventing flame transmission.

UCA Series: In-line Detonation Flame Arresters

The Protectoseal UCA Series of In-line Detonation Flame Arresters prevent gas and vapor explosions in digester pipeline systems under the most severe conditions of unstable detonation, stable detonation, and deflagration.

The UCA Series integrates Protectoseal’s globally recognized High Energy Dissipation System (HEDS™) and Enhanced-Flow Technology (E-Flow™), resulting in a lightweight, easy-to-maintain Flame Arrester with higher flow rates and reduced pressure drop.

HEDS™ improves flow rates and operating energy savings by up to 30%, considerably more than traditional Flame Arresters. This innovative system utilizes Protectoseal’s pioneering orifice plate design and optimized crimped ribbon element, allowing gases and vapors to pass through the Flame Arrester while attenuating the shock wave, dissipating heat, and significantly reducing the intensity of explosions.

EVA Series: End-of-line Deflagration Flame Arresters

The Protectoseal EVA Series of End-of-line Deflagration Flame Arresters protect digesters against atmospheric deflagrations where the ignition source originates outside the pipeline systems.

The EVA Series integrates Protectoseal’s E-Flow™ Technology and is optimized using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to ensure exceptional flow rates and minimal pressure drop.

The innovative design of the EVA Series also incorporates easy-clean, replaceable, crimped-ribbon elements that are less susceptible to fouling and clogging than competitors’ equivalent models.

LEA Series: In-line Deflagration Flame Arresters

The Protectoseal LEA Series of In-line Deflagration Flame Arresters prevent the propagation of flames within digester piping systems. Any flames and explosions are confined to the immediate area when installed near the potential ignition source.

For a deflagration with no stabilized flame, the combustion products are cooled by heat dissipation at the surface of the Flame Arrester element, preventing the combustion process from continuing. If a flame stabilizes on the component, a sudden increase in temperature will activate secondary protection measures to prevent the flammable mixture’s flow.

The LEA Series is available in high pressure, high temperature, and short-time burn variants.

3. Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents

The Protectoseal range of Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents protect anaerobic digesters against excessive pressure and vacuum. Flow through the vents is controlled by weight-loaded or spring-loaded pallets. The pallet’s weight or spring force keeps the device closed, and once the pressure or vacuum in the digester reaches the closing force, the pallet will lift off the seat and allow flow through the vent.

The Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents integrate Protectoseal’s innovative Air-Cushioned Sealing Technology, limiting product loss and environmental discharges, alongside bespoke weatherhoods to protect the pressure vent port and mesh screens to prevent foreign matter intrusion.

The geometry of the Pressure/Vacuum Relief Vents provides exceptional flow capacity in a single compact, lightweight, and easy-to-handle unit.

Contact Protectoseal for Further Information

Protectoseal’s Flame Arresters and Pressure Protection Equipment are in high demand. Contact us today to secure an on-site Safety Survey with a member of our Technical Team.