Chemical Engineering February 2023 - 16

Endress+Hauser
FIGURE 6. Endress+Hauser's FMP54 level transmitter with gas-phase
compensation can be used in steam drums to prevent over and underfill,
conditions that cause damage and safety hazards
uous monitoring in this way allows
processors to manage their trap
population easily while saving them
a lot of energy and money and potentially
preventing safety and process
issues, " says Bean.
Spirax Sarco's Buckley notes
that digitalizing steam-trap management
is
extremely helpful for
processors. " Solely collecting the
data isn't enough, " he says. " Without
comprehension and action,
data provides no value, so they
must capture the data, process it,
understand it and take necessary
actions. "
The ability to do this instantly and
continuously using digital tools and
solutions helps in many ways, he
says. " First, we shift away from time
spent finding the problem traps, to
time spent fixing them. Second,
when surveys are performed manually
on an annual basis, it is entirely
possible for a trap to be in a failed
state for close to a year if it occurs
soon after the annual survey. This
means they can have many months
of energy and sustainability losses
or damage to the system that goes
unnoticed, " says Buckley. " So, by
continuously
monitoring steam
traps and managing the information
digitally, processors can avoid
those losses and move to a more
efficient, sustainable and functional
system. " Spirax Sarco helps processors
achieve their sustainability
targets through hardware, software
and services to provide continuous
monitoring and management for
their steam systems.
In addition to the challenges associated
with steam traps and
condensate removal, steam ef16
ficiency
is another
significant
issue, says David
Wright, global
DP flow product
management
engineer with
Emerson (Shakopee,
Minn.;
www.emerson.
com). " Depending
on the type
of steam, the energy
required to
maintain a specific
temperature and pressure will
constantly need to be adjusted, " he
explains. " Maintaining high-quality
steam requires additional energy
and supervision, which is difficult
to provide without proper measurement.
In addition, maintaining entire
steam loops within the facility
to ensure there are no leaks within
the system can be a challenge with
larger facilities and aging infrastructure. "
The
solution, he says, is using
steam measurement, which helps
to improve automation and leverage
process equipment diagnostics.
" Understanding the steamsystem
temperature, pressure and
flow rates delivers insights into
plant performance, " says Wright.
" Technicians can use this information
to
perform adjustments, increase
efficiency and quickly pinpoint
issues. Today's best practices
and improvements in flow technologies
can deliver reliable information,
even in the most challenging
installations. "
To that end, Emerson offers mulprocess-measurement
solutiple
tions
to completely monitor steam
processes. These measurements
include pressures, temperatures,
flowrates, steam leaks and more.
" With steam applications that measure
flowrates, it's important to
understand how much steam is
running through the system. Using
Emerson's Rosemount vortex flowmeters
(Figure 5) or a Rosemount
Annubar flowmeter allows plants to
accurately measure these points in
real time. "
Both technologies offer multivariable
configurations that provide
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
FREBRUARY 2023
real-time compensated mass flow,
with integrated temperature and
pressure compensation capabilities
and the measurement technologies
cover the full range of steam, from
saturated to superheated to supercritical.
Other
areas of concern, according
to Kris Worfe, chemical industry
manager with Endress+Hauser
(Greenwood, Ind.; www.us.endress.
com), include keeping steam at a
consistent temperature to prevent
re-heating and ensuring that condensate
is returned to the system
cleanly and efficiently to prevent
heat exchangers and other equipment
from corroding. " The water/
condensate must be monitored and
measured constantly for cleanliness
because contaminants cause damage
to systems. In addition, the flow
of condensate and the flow of finished
steam must be monitored with
pressure and temperature measurements
to help ensure quality, " says
Worfe.
In addition to tools that measure
pressure, temperature and flow,
as well as water-quality measurements
including pH and conductivity,
Endress+Hauser offers level
monitoring instruments, such as
the FMP54 level transmitter with
gas-phase
compensation
(Figure
6), which can be used in steam
drums to prevent over and underfill,
conditions that cause damage and
safety hazards.
The real-time information provided
by these solutions allows
technicians and engineers to perform
preventive maintenance, make
boiler adjustments and identify leakage,
which provides improved performance
and increases productivity
and efficiency of steam systems,
says Worfe.
Thanks to the digitalization of
measurement, monitoring and
management tools, it is easier than
ever to optimize the functionality,
safety and efficiency of steam
systems. And, in today's climate of
sustainability and doing more with
fewer expenses, steam system optimization
should be a priority. n
Joy LePree
http://www.emerson.com http://www.emerson.com http://www.us.endress.com http://www.us.endress.com http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering February 2023
