Magnetrol is a globally recognized leader in the manufacture of flow and level instrumentation for industrial scale applications. The products employ a range of differing technologies to provide measurement precision across an array of challenging applications. The informational piece included below highlights Magnetrol's products intended for use in industries, such as pharma or food processing, where special materials and product design are employed to meet the special requirements of hygienic processing.
Share your flow and level measurement challenges with process instrumentation experts, combining your own knowledge and experience with their expertise to develop effective solutions.
Pump Protection Using Thermal Dispersion Flow Switches
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| Thermal dispersion flow switches have advantages when applied for pump protection Image courtesy Magnetrol |
There are numerous methods of verifying flow in piping connected to a pump. Magnetrol, globally recognized manufacturer of flow and level measurement technologies, offers up their assessment of various pump protection measures and a recommendation for what they consider an advantageous choice for flow measurement in a pump protection application.
Magentrol's white paper is included below, and you can share your flow and level measurement challenges with application experts for help in developing effective solutions.
Yokogawa ROTAMASS "Total Insight" Line of Coriolis Flowmeters
In the last decade, the use of Coriolis flow meters has been changing from general purpose to supporting customer needs in specific applications. While the technological complexity increased, the demand for simple operation and handling also grew.Yokogawa answers these needs by offering six dedicated product lines with two specialized transmitters allowing the highest flexibility - the ROTAMASS Total Insight.
Total Insight
The ROTAMASS philosophy gives Total Insight throughout the whole lifecycle.To facilitate the implementation of optimal processes and increase the efficiency of personnel, Yokogawa has placed a strong focus on simplifying fundamental operating concepts with Total Insight. The Total Insight concept is built in to the latest generation of Rotamass transmitters and provides enhanced settings for customized setups, predefined trend views, or multiple configuration sets for fast changeover in batch production.
ROTAMASS NANO - When every drop counts
The world's smallest dual bent tube Coriolis flow meter series for highly accurate measurement at lowest flows.The dual tube design compensates for fluctuations of density, temperature, pressure and environment conditions. This provides a consistent repeatable and accurate measurement especially for small size Coriolis flow meters.
Typical Applications
- Batching
- Dosing
- Blending
- Chemical injection
- Dosing systems
- High pressure gases
- Liquid and gas low flow measurement
- Precision coatings
- Metering pump control
- Metrology
- R&D laboratory
- Vacuum thin film coating
ROTAMASS Prime - Versatile in applications
The favorably priced and versatile Coriolis flow meter with lowest pressure drop in the market. Ideal for a broad range of standard applications, this series is a flexible and cost effective solution for highly accurate flow and density measurements.
Features such as concentration measurement or the Tube Health Check function allow the meter to be adjusted to customer needs.
- Typical Applications
- Batching
- Blending
- Chemical recovery
- Continuous reaction
- In-line concentration and density measurement
- Catalyst feed
- Filling and dosing
- Mass balance
- Net oil computing
- Palm oil
- Process control
ROTAMASS Supreme - Experience meets innovation
The most accurate Coriolis flow meter with industry’s best zero stability.The successful Rotamass series has been progressively developed and is also newly equipped with
- Typical Applications
- Batching
- Burner control
- Feed and product control
- Filling and dosing
- Gas void fraction
- In-line concentration and density
- Loss control
- Material and mass balance
- Net oil computing
- Process control
- Solvents
- Water cut
ROTAMASS Intense - Safe under high pressure
The Coriolis meter with the most robust and durable design for precise measurement in high pressure applications.
Safety is always a concern and especially when operating at high pressures. Therefore, this series has been designed to meet the highest safety requirements. Combined with advanced diagnosis such as the “Total Health Check” function, operation is always under secure control.
- Typical Applications
- Chemical injection
- Compressed gases
- Fuels
- Glycol TEG/MEG
- High pressure gases
- Hydraulic oil
- Hydrocarbons
- Liquified gases
- Natural gas hydration
- Offshore and onshore
- Oil refinery processes
- Solvents
ROTAMASS Hygienic - With pure dedication
Specifically designed and certified for food & beverage, biotechnology and pharmaceutical utility applications.
This series is the appropriate answer to the daily constraints of hygienic processes ensuring continuous product quality and minimizing losses. This is made easy by the provided multi-variable measurement and various dedicated features.
- Typical Applications
- Bioreactor feeds
- Bottling
- Carbonation of beverages
- Deionized water
- Fermentation
- Juice processing
- Molasses measurement
- Online sugar concentration
- Raw milk tanker unloading
- Process water reclamation
- Product quality control
- Sugar industry
ROTAMASS Giga - Big in performance
Delivering best in class accuracy and most flexible installation at high flow rates.The unmatched accuracy at the low end of the measuring range offers maximum flexibility from engineering to final operation. This series unifies a long service life with low maintenance costs and reliable performance.
- Typical Applications
- Bitumen
- Distribution networks
- Drilling mud
- LNG
- Rail car loading
- Ship loading
- Truck loading
- Tar
- Offshore and onshore
- Oil well cementing and hydrofracturing
Essential and Ultimate Transmitters
Future Ready. The ROTAMASS TI product family has a common and unified transmitter platform with two options that provide the highest flexibility and a tailor-made solution. The Essential transmitter is the cost effective solution for general purpose applications, and the Ultimate transmitter provides various additional features for best-in-class measurement.Essential Transmitter
- Wizard for easy setup and guidance through the main configuration
- “Event Management” as unique and useful support to run the process effectively and safely
- Data mobility provided by microSD card for easy transfer to other devices for fast setup or to pc for in-depth process analysis or remote service
- Widest range of I/O combinations in the market for most flexible adjustment to the existing system periphery
- Universal power supply to install the device anywhere in the world
- HART communication
Ultimate Transmitter
- Patented “Tube Integrity” function and “TotalHealth Check” for inline meter verification without disturbing running measurements
- “Features on demand” for easy expansion of special functions via software activation key
- Batching function combined with multiple configuration sets to support fast changeover
- “Dynamic Pressure Compensation” for consistently accurate and stable measurement even with significant fluctuations in operating pressures
- Inline concentration measurement
- Integrated net oil computing acc. API standard
Sometimes the Simple Solution Is the Best
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| This metal tube variable area flow meter is reliable, accurate, and requires little maintenance Photo courtesy Brooks Instrument |
Making the best instrument selection for a flow measurement application should include an assessment of what the operators really need in order to safely and effectively run the process or perform the task related to the measurement of fluid flow. Installing instrumentation with capabilities far beyond what is required is almost certainly a waste of financial resources, but may also have an unexpected impact on operators. Through the generation of data that, while accurate, does not provide any actionable information about process condition, operators can be misled, similar to the occurrence of a false or nuisance alarm. Some applications call for high accuracy, some do not. Define your informational needs and select instruments that will meet those needs.
There is a large array of applications that can be satisfied with simpler, less costly measurement technology. These devices often employ turbines or vanes to produce an indication of flow rate. Incorporated into some of the instruments is a means to visually observe the flowing liquid to verify color and clarity. Simple devices sometimes are intended only to indicate the presence of fluid flow, and whether the flow rate is high or low. Configurations are available that allow insertion into lines under pressure (hot tap) through a full port ball valve. Other variants with combinations of features and capabilities abound.
The selection range is enormous, so define your minimum needs first, then search for a compatible product. Your search can be enhanced by contacting an instrumentation specialist. Combining your process expertise with their broad product knowledge will produce effective solutions.
Heat Processing of Industrial Fluids
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| Steam produced by gas fired industrial boilers is a commonly applied means of delivering heat energy |
The manipulation of a substance’s heat content is based on the central principle of specific heat, which is a measure of heat energy content per unit of mass. Heat is a quantified expression of a system’s internal energy. Though heat is not considered a fluid, it behaves, and can be manipulated, in some similar respects. Heat “flows” from points of higher temperature to those of lower temperature, just as a fluid will flow from a point of higher pressure to one of lower pressure.
A heat exchanger provides an example of how the temperature of two fluids can be manipulated to regulate the flow or transfer of heat. Despite the design differences in heat exchanger types, the basic rules and objectives are the same. Heat energy from one fluid is passed to another across a barrier that prevents contact and mixing of the two fluids. By regulating temperature and flow of one stream, an operator can exert control over the heat content, or temperature, of another. These flows can either be gases or liquids. Heat exchangers raise or lower the temperature of these streams by transferring heat between them.
Recognizing the heat content of a fluid as a representation of energy helps with understanding how the moderation of energy content can be vital to process control. Controlling temperature in a process can also provide control of reactions among process components, or physical properties of fluids that can lead to desired or improved outcomes.
Heat can be added to a system in a number of familiar ways. Heat exchangers enable the use of steam, gas, hot water, oil, and other fluids to deliver heat energy. Other methods may employ direct contact between a heated object (such as an electric heating element) or medium and the process fluid. While these means sound different, they all achieve heat transfer by applying at least one of three core transfer mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation. Conduction involves the transfer of heat energy through physical contact among materials. Shell and tube heat exchangers rely on the conduction of heat by the tube walls to transfer energy between the fluid inside the tube and the fluid contained within the shell. Convection relates to heat transfer due to the movement of fluids, the mixing of fluids with differing temperature. Radiant heat transfer relies on electromagnetic waves and does not require a transfer medium, such as air or liquid. These central explanations are the foundation for the various processes used to regulate systems in industrial control environments.
The manner in which heat is to be applied or removed is an important consideration in the design of a process system. The ability to control temperature and rate at which heat is transferred in a process depends in large part on the methods, materials, and media used to accomplish the task. Selecting and properly applying the best suited controls, instruments and equipment is a key element of successful process operation. Share your challenges with application experts, combining your own process knowledge and experience with their product expertise to develop effective solutions.
Valves for LNG and CNG Operations
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| Valve specially designed for gas extraction operations has integral bypass which equalizes pressure across the valve prior to opening the main line, reducing torque requirements and piping stress. Courtesy Habonim |
Source and pipeline operations are faced with high pressure and extreme working environments. At various points along the distribution path, valves will be needed to regulate or direct flow and isolate portions of the system for safety or service. Emergency shutdown valves must be configured and installed to provide failure-proof reliability when called upon to operate. Transportation containers and equipment will utilize specialized valves adapted for the pressure, temperature, and reliability requirements of the application and industry. Additionally, some may need to survive fire conditions without failure.
Fueling stations for compressed natural gas employ valves that will endure cold temperatures produced by gas expansion, plus dynamic pressure cycling. Bubble tight shutoff is necessary to maintain safety.
Liquified natural gas (LNG) presents many of the same application challenges as pressurized gas, with the added element of cryogenic temperatures.
All of these applications can be adequately served with a properly selected and configured valve and actuator. Share your fluid flow control and valve challenges of all types with application specialists. The combination of your process knowledge and experience with their product application expertise will produce an effective solution.
Water Quality Analysis – Constituent Survey Part 3
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| Water quality can be a concern for process input or effluent |
To conclude the three part series on water quality analysis in process control related industrial applications we examine silica, another element which in sufficient quantities can become a confounding variable in water for industrial use. In natural settings, silica, or silicon dioxide, is a plentiful compound. Its presence in water provides a basis for some corrosion-inhibiting products, as well as conditioners and detergents. Problems arise, however, when high concentrates of silica complicate industrial processes which are not designed to accommodate elevated levels. Specifically, silica is capable of disrupting processes related to boilers and turbines. In environments involving high temperature, elevated pressure, or both, silica can form crystalline deposits on machinery surfaces. This inhibits the operation of turbines and also interferes with heat transfer. These deposits can result in many complications, ranging through process disruption, decreased efficiency, and resources being expended for repairs.
The silica content in water used in potentially affected processes needs to be sufficiently low in order to maintain rated function and performance. Silica analyzers provide continuous measurement and monitoring of silica levels. The analyzers detect and allow mitigation of silica in the initial stages of raw material acquisition or introduction to prevent undue disruption of the process. Additionally, a technique called power steam quality monitoring allows for the aforementioned turbine-specific inhibition – related to silica conglomerates reducing efficacy and physical movement – to be curtailed without much issue. The feedwater filtration couples with a low maintenance requirement, resulting in reduced downtime of analytic sequences and a bit of increased peace of mind for the technical operator.
While silica and the other compounds mentioned in this series are naturally occurring, the support systems in place to expertly control the quality of water is the most basic requirement for harvesting one of the earth’s most precious resources for use. As a matter of fact, the identification and control of compounds in water – both entering the industrial process and exiting the industrial process – demonstrates key tenets of process control fundamentals: precision, accuracy, durability, and technological excellence paired with ingenuity to create the best outcome not just one time, but each time.
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