Chemical Engineering June 2020 - 17

FCI
cleaning activities that are required to
ensure process integrity. " many modern
flow-measurement devices are
multiparameter sensors. Besides the
flowrate, they are able to measure
other process-relevant parameters in
a single device, " says Hendrik faustmann,
product manager, flowave at
Bürkert fluid control systems (ingelfingen,
germany; www.burkert.com).
in the case of Bürkert's flowave
flowmeter (figure 6), surface acoustic
wave (saw) technology is employed
to obtain a direct measurement of flow,
combined with temperature readings,
interpretations for density and an
acoustic transmission factor. this factor
provides an indication of viscosity,
as well as the presence of solids or
bubbles in the measured fluid. " together,
these parameters can be analyzed
to provide real-time analysis of
the contents of a pipeline, for instance
to detect media changeover in rinsing
or clean-in-place processes, " explains
faustmann. this enables the flowmeter
to rapidly adapt to changeovers
between different liquid types during
production. " particularly in cleaning
processes,
rapid
reagents
differentiation between
product and rinsing water or
cleaning
ensures
efficient
process control. compared to conventional
time-controlled processes,
product waste can be minimized, "
adds faustmann. these meters do not
require that sensors come into contact
with process media, and the measurements
are taken independently of
conductivity, making them suitable for
hygienic processes, such as those in
pharmaceutical manufacturing.
with the many available flowmeter
technologies, it can be difficult
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems
for users to select just one device
to best suit their processing needs.
fluid components international
llc (fci; san marcos, calif.; www.
fluidcomponents.com) has launched
the adaptive sensing technology
(ast) for its st80 flowmeters (figure
7), which brings together the
two major modes of operation for
thermal-mass gas-flow measurement
- constant power (cp) and constant
temperature (ct) - said to be an
industry-first achievement.
" ct-type devices historically give a
faster response but have less range,
and use more power " explains randy
Brown, executive director of marketing
and industrial sales & service for
fci. " on the other hand, cp devices
can have slower response, but provide
more range and consume less
power, " he continues. fci developed
and patented the ast sensor drive
technology, which enables its flowmeters
to adaptively shift between the
two modes, depending on the measured
value. " the instrument starts
out in ct mode, and as the flowrate
increases, it will switch automatically
over to cp, " says Brown. this adaptability
provides users with the fast response
of ct meters combined with
the wider flow range and lower power
needs of cp meters.
further, since standard ct devices
FIGURE 6. The multiparamter readings provided by
FLOWave devices give many valuable parameters
for controlling clean-in-place operations in addition
to regular production processes
react more erratically when there is
moisture or humidity in the pipe, the
st80 can be fixed to operate only in
the cp mode to deliver a stable reading.
this type of adaptability is particularly
beneficial in new process applications,
where users may not always
know the specific conditions inside
of a pipe, says Brown. " in the field,
users can switch the unit's operating
mode from ast to cp or cp to ast,
to provide the optimum performance
in an installation's actual conditions
as opposed to replacing it with a
different device. "
while flow measurement is the
paramount function, many other
variables beyond a process' flowrate
must be considered to ensure
flowmeters' adaptability and reliability.
emerson automation solutions
(austin, tex.; www.emerson.
com) has developed several new
tools aimed at providing more insight
ChemiCal engineering www.Chemengonline.Com June 2020
FIGURE 7. The new AST sensor head enables
hybrid operation for thermal mass flowmeters,
enabling measurement accuracy across a wider
flow range
into the flow-measurement process
to support improved data use and
instrument diagnostics.
for instance, the smart meter verification
diagnostic suite allows users
to run a health check for an in-service
device, looking at many factors that
can help streamline troubleshooting
and maintenance. " there is a version
designed for both magnetic and coriolis
flowmeters that helps extend operating
intervals by detecting things
like non-uniform coating, erosion and
corrosion, " explains tonya wyatt,
product line manager at emerson
automation solutions. another tool,
Zero verification, helps users with
flowmeter calibration. " this tool is especially
helpful where the mass flowrate
is on the low end of the meter
range in applications such as lowpressure
gases, high-viscosity fluids
and other applications with a large
turndown ratio, " mentions wyatt.
emerson
also
offers advanced
phase measurement, a patented set
of algorithms used on coriolis meters
to improve the accuracy of flow measurement
in multiphase flow conditions,
including liquids with entrained
gas and wet gases. it can also be
used in concentration measurements
when gas is present, including in oil,
water or gaseous mixtures. with so
much data available, it is important
that users not be overwhelmed. emerson's
processviz visualization software,
says wyatt, helps people get a
quick view of all the data being created
by the instrumentation without
having to spend hours manipulating
data in large spreadsheets.
■
Mary Page Bailey
17
http://www.fluidcomponents.com http://www.burkert.com http://www.emerson http://www.Chemengonline.Com
Chemical Engineering June 2020

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