Commissioning & Start-Up Application
Temporary cone strainers provide a practical method of protecting pumps, valves, meters, heat exchangers and other critical equipment from construction and pipeline debris during commissioning, flushing, start-up and post-maintenance cleaning.
Monarch Asia Pacific designs and manufactures temporary cone strainers in Australia, with custom dimensions, materials, perforations, mesh linings and reinforcement to suit the application.
New or modified pipework is rarely completely free from debris. Fabrication, welding, coating, transport, installation and maintenance can leave foreign material inside the pipeline that may be carried downstream when the system is first flushed or placed into service.
Common contamination includes weld slag, rust, mill scale, gasket fragments, construction debris, coating particles and other loose solids. If this material reaches critical equipment it can damage impellers, valve seats, meters, spray nozzles, seals and heat-transfer surfaces.
A temporary cone strainer provides a removable mechanical barrier between the source of contamination and the equipment being protected. It can be installed during the cleaning and commissioning phase, inspected and cleaned as required, and removed once acceptable system cleanliness has been established.
Temporary cone strainers are commonly used whenever pipeline cleanliness needs to be established before normal plant operation.
Capture construction and fabrication debris while new pipework is progressively brought into service.
Protect pumps, valves, meters and other equipment during initial operation while system cleanliness is being confirmed.
Collect loose material displaced during water, process-fluid or other approved system flushing procedures.
Provide temporary equipment protection where debris may be mobilised during hydrotesting and system cleaning.
Reduce contamination risk after plant shutdowns, equipment replacement, maintenance work or pipeline modifications.
Protect existing equipment where new pipework, branch lines or modified systems are connected to operating plant.
Operating Principle
A temporary cone strainer is generally installed between pipeline flanges with the screen positioned in the flow path. Fluid passes through the perforated or mesh-lined cone while particles larger than the screen openings are retained.
The conical form provides significantly more screening surface than a flat plate installed within the same pipe bore. This greater area can help reduce clean pressure drop, increase debris-holding capacity and extend the interval between inspection or cleaning.
During commissioning, the strainer is inspected and cleaned at intervals determined by debris loading, pressure drop and the project cleaning procedure. Once the system has reached the required cleanliness standard, the temporary element can normally be removed.
Image: Cone strainer with an inverted section to increase available open area where spool length is restricted.
Correct performance depends on effective open area, debris characteristics, mechanical strength and the allowable pressure drop.
Strong, simple construction for coarse debris retention where the required opening can be achieved with perforated sheet alone.
A structural perforated cone supports a finer woven-wire layer where smaller particles need to be retained.
Support rings, heavier backing or additional reinforcement can be incorporated where differential-pressure or size demands require increased mechanical strength.
A conventional full cone is not always the most practical geometry. Available space, required filtration area and project installation details may favour an alternative temporary strainer arrangement.
Temporary strainers should form part of the overall cleaning and commissioning procedure rather than being treated as a fit-and-forget item.
Fit the approved strainer in the designated location before critical downstream equipment is exposed to flow.
Establish flow gradually and monitor operating conditions and differential pressure where available.
Remove accumulated debris at intervals appropriate to the loading and allowable pressure drop.
Once cleanliness criteria are achieved, remove the temporary element or replace it with the permanent protection specified for normal operation.
Temporary strainers are often project-specific. Providing the process and mechanical information at the enquiry stage helps ensure the cone has adequate area, strength and installation fit.
Monarch can work from project datasheets, drawings, sketches, existing strainer details or defined operating conditions.
Australian Manufacture + Engineering Support
Monarch Asia Pacific manufactures temporary cone strainers from our Brendale workshop, allowing us to support standard project requirements as well as non-standard sizes, urgent replacement work and specialised commissioning duties.
In-house fabrication capability allows the cone geometry, support construction, mesh lining, reinforcing and flange arrangement to be tailored to the application rather than forcing the project to suit a standard catalogue design.
Send Monarch Asia Pacific your line sizes, flange details, process conditions and screen requirements for review and quotation.
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