Eliminate Glass Tube Level Gauge Maintenance Costs


Magnetic Level Indicators
Courtesy Orion Instruments
Industrial process control often requires the accurate measurement of liquid level within a tank or other vessel. There are numerous device technologies and vendors from which to choose. A recent post on this blog detailed one of the available methodologies, the magnetic level indicator. I urge you to review that short post to familiarize yourself with the operating principles and advantages of applying a magnetic level indicator, not only on future projects, but as a possible replacement of some of your existing level indication instruments.

Orion Instruments, a Magnetrol company, has authored a case study showing how the replacement of glass tube level gauges with magnetic level indicators can reap substantial cost savings over the product lifetime. The case study, included below, takes but one minute of your time to read, and delivers a compelling incentive to consider magnetic level indicators (MLI) for your new projects, even as cost saving replacements for existing glass tube level gauges.

Read the case study. Contact a product specialist to discuss your application for new or replacement level indicators.



Magnetic Level Indicators - Knowledge Base and Selection Guide

Orion Instruments Magnetic Level Indicators
Magnetic Level Indicators
Courtesy Orion Instruments
Industrial process control frequently involves the storage of liquid in vessels or tanks. Continuous and accurate indication of liquid level within the tank is an essential data point for safety and process management. While there are a number of methods and instrument types utilized to provide tank level measurement, the instrument of choice is often a magnetic level indicator, also referred to as a magnetic level gauge. Its use for providing level indication has a number of positive attributes:


  • Construction that is resistant to breakage.
  • Measuring indicators, switches, and transmitters mounted externally, without contacting the medium being measured.
  • Maintenance free operation. No regular cleaning needed.
  • Readable level indication from greater distance than glass sight gauges.
  • Magnetic level indicators can accommodate greater fluid level ranges without the need for multiple instruments.


Orion Instruments, a Magnetrol company and industry leader, has produced a comprehensive guide to magnetic level gauges, switches, transmitters, and related products. It delivers experts and newcomers an understandable and clear description of the technology and principals of operation behind magnetic level gauges and instruments. The guide also assists the reader in properly specifying and selecting the best instrument configuration for an application. A table of contents at the front of the document helps readers to quickly find the information they need.

Take a couple minutes to roll through the document and you are likely to find new and useful application tips and product information. Any questions about magnetic level indicators or your process measurement and control applications can be clearly addressed by a product specialist.





Process Gas Chromatograph with Practical Implementation of Parallel Chromatography

Process Gas Chromatograph - Yokogawa
GC8000
Process Gas Chromatograph
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
Gas chromatography is a common analysis tool employed in many areas of industry, including oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, and others. Yokogawa Corporation of America has developed and been delivering top tier GC performance with their GC8000 Process Gas Chromatograph for use in oil and gas, and other industrial applications.

In addition to the ruggedness and reliability for which Yokogawa gas chromatographs are well known, the GC8000 brings a number of innovations and improvements to the company’s process gas chromatography product offering.

> Color touchscreen HMI for easy operation

> Advanced predictive diagnostics and software functions monitor key performance indicators during each analysis to verify analyzer is operating within proper tolerances.

> Parallel chromatography is made practical through the use of the GC Modules provided as part of the GC8000. Virtual GCs can be set up inside a single GC with GC Modules to measure multiple streams simultaneously.

The graphics below expand on this overview of the GC8000 Process Gas Chromatograph, the culmination of Yokogawa’s 55 years of experience in the field. For more detailed information, or to discuss your application specifics, contact a product specialist.




Magnetic Flow Meter – When Is It the Right Selection for Your Project?

Industrial Magnetic Flow Meter - Yokogawa
Industrial Magnetic Flow Meter
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
Flow measurement is a ubiquitous function in the industrial process control field. Anywhere there are pipes, somebody wants to know what, and how much, is passing through them. Fortunately for us engineers, there is a wide array of industrial flow meters capable of measuring some physical characteristic of fluid moving within a pipe that can be translated into a useful measurement of flow rate.

In industry, there are a number of different technologies used to measure a physical property related to fluid motion, referred to as magnetic, ultrasonic, vortex, Coriolis, differential pressure, and several others. Each methodology exists in the market because it may perform better or cost less when meeting certain performance requirements. This article is focused on magnetic flow meters and when they may be a good candidate for your project.

Here is a list of some of the positive attributes of magnetic flow meters.

  • Magnetic flow meters have no moving parts, always a plus.
  • General construction arrangement allows for use of an interior liner for corrosion resistance.
  • With no sensor insertions into the fluid flow, the impact of the instrument on the flow is minimized.
  • Accuracy, when compared to other technologies, is high.
  • Application to laminar, turbulent, and transitional flow profiles is permissible.
  • General insensitivity to fluid viscosity, specific gravity, temperature and pressure.
  • Magnetic flow meter technology can be applied to a very wide range of pipe sizes.
  • Device responds rapidly to changes in fluid flow.
  • Can be successfully applied to liquids containing heavy particulates.
  • Generally long service life with little maintenance.

There are, though, some points about magnetic flow meters which may make them unsuitable for your application.

  • Magnetic flow meters only work on liquids with conductivity above a certain threshold. They may be unsuitable for use with hydrocarbons and high purity water for this reason.
  • Cannot be used to measure gas flow.
  • Pipe must be grounded.
  • Typically, the pipe cross section must be filled by the fluid being measured.

This listing of positives and negatives is intended to be very general in nature. Some manufacturers may have product application solutions that overcome some of the negatives, while others may not be able to deliver all of the positives.

Your best course of action:

Use this general overview to start shaping you understanding of where magnetic flow meters may be a good option, and contact a product application specialist to discuss what you want to accomplish. Combining your process knowledge with their product knowledge should move you toward a good solution.

Industrial Flowmeter Handbook From Yokogawa

Yokogawa Industrial Magnetic Flowmeter
Magnetic Flowmeter
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
Measuring the volume, mass, density, and temperature of flowing fluids is a common and necessary function of industrial process control. Industrial flowmeters employ various measuring technologies to deliver accurate measurements, which are utilized to make safety, operational, and financial decisions.

Each measurement technology; magnetic, Coriolis, vortex, differential pressure, rotameter, ultrasonic, or another, has specific attributes of meter design and measurement principle making it more suitable to differing application classes. Yokogawa Corporation has summarized the suitability of the different flowmeter types for a range of process and operational conditions in a table that provides the user a consolidated comparative view of flow meter technology for almost every application. It is a useful tool that allows the engineer to quickly focus in on one or two technologies that will best suit project requirements.

Preview the handbook below, and obtain a copy of the handbook from a Yokogawa product expert, from whom you can also get expert level application assistance.




Dynamic Compensation for Static Pressure Effects in Differential Pressure Measurement

Differential Pressure Transmitter
Differential Pressure Transmitter
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
Attaining the best available performance and accuracy from any measuring device utilized in an industrial process is always advantageous. The scale of most industrial processes is such that even small inaccuracies in process measurement produce financially tangible impact. Differential pressure measurement, with wide application in the industrial process sphere, can be improved with the addition of a means to compensate for the real world effects of static pressure upon instrument performance. Yokogawa Corporation has developed a means to dynamically compensate for static pressure effects in field measurements. The brief technical presentation below will help you understand how static pressure effects can impact your field measurements, as well as how Yokogawa’s Real-time Dynamic Compensation works to offset its impact. More detailed product and application information is available from your Yokogawa specialist.



Data Acquisition - A Step in the Direction of Process Improvement

Data acquisition, like an equipment acquisition, is the procurement of an asset. Data is an asset. It helps an operator evaluate process or business conditions and make decisions that impact the success of the organization. Let’s define data acquisition as the sampling of signals that represent a measurement of physical conditions and the conversion of those signals into a numeric form that can be processed by a computer. A data acquisition system will generally consist of sensors, transmitters, converters, processors, and other devices which perform specialized functions in gathering measurements and transforming them into a usable form.

Industrial data acquisition equipment
DAQ incorporating data acquisition, process
control, recording, display and networking
in a single compact unit
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
Industrial process operators and stakeholders benefit from the collection and analysis of data by enhancing performance of valuable facets of the process or activity. Data acquisition, commonly known as DAQ, is widely employed in high stakes and sophisticated processes where there is a true need to know current conditions. A desire for increased profit drives the need for increased process output and efficiency. A desire to reduce risk of loss drives the need for reduced downtime and improved safety. Today, there are likely many useful applications for data acquisition that are not being tapped to their fullest potential. The modest cost and simplicity of putting a data acquisition system in place, compared to the benefits that can be derived from a useful analysis of the data for your operation or process, makes the installation of a data acquisition system a positive move for even small and unsophisticated operators in today’s market.

What we call DAQ today started in the 1960’s when computers became available to businesses of large scale and deep pockets. By the 1980’s, personal computers employed in the business environment could be outfitted with input cards that enabled the PC to read sensor data. Today, there is an immense array of measurement and data collection devices available, spanning the extremes of price points and technical capability. For a reasonable cost, you can measure and collect performance data on just about anything. You can get an impression of the simplicity, modularity, and compactness of a modern system with a quick review of this product.

Data acquisition has an application anywhere an operator or stakeholder can benefit from knowing what is occurring within the bounds of their process or operation. Here is a partial list of the many physical conditions that can be measured in industrial settings:


Industrial data acquisition equipment
Other examples of industrial data acquisition equipment
Courtesy Yokogawa Corp.
  • Temperature
  • Pressure
  • Flow
  • Force
  • Switch Open or Closed
  • Rotational or Linear Position
  • Light Intensity
  • Voltage
  • Current
  • Images
  • Rotational Speed

Consider your industrial process or operation. Are there things you would like to know about it that you do not? Would you like to increase your insight into the workings of the process, how changes in one condition may impact another? Do you know what operating condition of each component of your process will produce the best outcomes? Is reducing maintenance, or heading off a failure condition before it occurs something you would like to have in your operation? Applying your creativity, ingenuity and technical knowledge, along with the help of a product expert, will help you get the information you need to improve the outcomes from your industrial process or operation.