There are many considerations for selecting the optimum light to illuminate your process vessel. This online guide walks you through the steps.
Often process vessels have two sight glass windows: one port for viewing and a separate port for the light. The light is typically mounted directly over the light port. To save cost or space, some vessels combine light and sight at one window. The light is typically mounted with a bracket, although sight glasses are available with integrated lights (combo style).
Traditional halogen lights use trusted incandescent light bulbs. LED lights offer brighter light, lower energy consumption, and longer life (lower maintenance costs.) Halogen light brightness is selected by wattage: 5 to 100 Watts, with 50 Watts typical. LED light brightness is selected by lumens: 1000 to 3000 lumens.
Some industrial environments require explosion proof lights (ex lights) that are sealed so they cannot introduce a spark into the atmosphere. The widest selection of ex lights are halogen style, although explosion proof LED lights are also available.
Stainless Steel or Aluminum Housing
Virtually all sight glass lights use stainless steel housings. A few ex light models are available with aluminum housing, lowering their cost while removing heat more efficiently.
Most lights are available in a range of voltage options. Make sure that the model you select will work with the power you have available: 120 VAC, 24 VDC/VAC, 230 VAC, 12 VDC/VAC.
L.J. Star’s Sight Glass Lighting Handbook is a convenient reference for experienced engineers and a great primer for those new to sight glass lighting. This 20-page guide offers a full overview of lights used to illuminate chemical and pharmaceutical processes, including:
Some applications require safe, high-intensity illumination for sight glasses, ports, or general applications in hazardous (classified) locations. L.J. Star, the process observation equipment and technology specialist, provides Lumiglas Ex Lights (explosion proof lights) directly from stock.
Especially suitable for use in pharmaceutical, chemical and food processing applications, our Lumiglas® Ex Lights provide illumination of interiors of normally closed vessels such as storage tanks, columns, reactors, mixers as well as visual flow indicators that can be used in virtually any hazardous area.
Our explosion-proof luminaries are ideally suited as a source of glare-free illumination and are available in many different sizes and options to suit your needs. They are available with aluminum or stainless steel construction and, depending on the size and wattage, can be equipped with momentary pushbutton switches for safety and longevity. Remote or pneumatic timers and pushbutton switches are also available. And if a port is too small to utilize one of our standard lights, L.J. Star’s explosion-proof fiber optic lighting can fit even the tiniest of ports.
L.J. Star is expert at helping companies remove the risk of catastrophic failure associated with sight glasses. We specialize in working with engineers to significantly improve safety, reliability, and quality in process applications. And we can help you determine the best ex lighting for your application.
