4/19/2016

Flowmanagementsolution:Matchtheflowmetertotheapplication|ControlEngineering

Flowmanagementsolution:Matchtheflowmetertotheapplication
Magnetic,vortex,anddifferentialpressure(dP)flowmetersaretheleadingtechnologiesusedtomeasurevolumetricfloworflow
velocity.Knowwhentouseeach.
WallyBaker

04/04/2016

Volumetricliquidflowisoneofthemostimportantparametersforprocess
monitoringandcontrolinmanyindustriesincludingchemical,refining,oilandgas,
water/wastewater,power,pharmaceutical,foodandbeverage,andothers.
Flowsmustbekeptwithinsafelimitsmonitoringflowratesindicateswhenlowor
highlowconditionshavebeenbreached.Theseexcursionsoftenareprovidedas
alarmstooperators.Forrealtimecontrol,theflowratecanbeusedasan
interlockwithinthecontrolsystemforexample,toturnonacentrifugalpump
beforeatankorvesselrunsdry.
Perhapstheleadinguseofflowmeasurementinformationistooptimize
continuousprocessesastheprocessvariableinaproportionalintegralderivative
(PID)controlloop.Forexample,aflowmeasurementcanbeusedasthe
processvariablefeedbackinacontrolvalvepositioninglooptokeepthesetpoint
atornearitsdesiredvalue.
Thethreeleadingtechnologiesusedtomeasureliquidvolumetricflowaredifferentialpressure(dP),vortex,andmagnetic
flowmeters.Selectingamongthesethreemeasurementmethodsforaparticularapplicationisoftenbasedonwhich
technologieshavebeensuccessfullyusedbeforeundersimilarcircumstances.Consultingwithaflowmeasurementspecialist
atanengineeringorsystemintegrationfirmoratrustedsuppliercanprovideadditionalinsight,includingtheidentificationof
alternativesorinformationregardingrecentinnovationsthatmayfurtherimproveflowmeasurementandplantperformance.
MeasurementchallengeswithdP,vortex,andmagneticflowmeasurementcan
beovercomebyemployingnewtechnologies.
MeasuringdPflow
Measuringflowviadifferential
pressureisthemostcommonand
provenflowmeasurement
techniqueandhasbeeninusefor
decades.AdPflowmeterisacost
effectivewaytomeasure
volumetricflow,especiallyin
applicationswithlargelinesizes
typically8inchdiametersandmore
suchasthosefoundinwater
feedanddischargelines.Unlike
othertechnologies,dPflow
measurementcanbeusedwithconductiveandnonconductivefluids,allowingittobeusedwithawiderangeofgasesand
liquids.
TheprimaryelementinadPflowmetercreatesapressuredropbyintroducingarestrictioninapipe.Thispressuredropisthen
measuredbythesecondcomponentadPtransmitter,whichsendsthereadingstothecontrolsystem.Dependingonthe
exactnatureofthedPflowmeter,theremainingcomponentsmayincludeimpulsepipingandtheconnectorsroutingthe
upstreamanddownstreampressurestothetransmitter.
Bycreatinganengineeredrestrictioninapipe,typicallyanorificeplate,aPitottube(whichmeasuresthedifferencebetween
thestaticpressureandtheflowingpressureofthemediainthepipe),oranAnnubar(anaveragingPitottubethattakes
multiplesamplesacrossasectionofapipe),Bernoulli'sequationcanbeusedtocalculateflowratebecausethesquarerootof
thepressuredropacrosstherestrictionisproportionaltotheflowrate.
AdPflowmeasurementiswidelyapplicable.However,challengesmayarisedependingontheparticularapplication,thechief
amongthembeingwetlegissues."Wetleg"isthetermusedtodescribetheimpulselineconnectionbetweenthedP
transmitterandtheprimaryflowsensingelement.Agasair,forexamplecangettrappedinawetlegandimpactflow
measurementaccuracy.Inaddition,wetlegscanbecomecloggedandmayfreezeincoldconditions.
Existingtechnologyallowsanintegrallymountedpressuretransmittertoconnectdirectlytotheprimaryflowelement,
eliminatingtheimpulselineanditswetlegissues.Theseassembliescanbeinstalledeasilyandquicklybecausenoimpulse
linesarerequired.Inaddition,maintenancecostsaredecreasedbecauseleakpointsarereduced.
AnotherdPflowmeasurementissuecanbeintroducedbytraditionalorificeplatesbecausetheyrequiresignificantstraight
runsofpipetoreduceflowdisturbancesupto44pipediametersupstreamofstraightrunpipeandsevendiameters
downstream.Fora12inchdiameterpipe,44feetofstraightpiperunwouldberequiredupstreamand7feetwouldberequired
downstream.
Inmanycases,bendsinthepipingwithinthesedistancelimitationscancausemeasurementinaccuracywithtraditionalorifice
plates.Intheseinstances,aconditioningorificeplatecanbeused.Aconditioningorificeplaterequiresonlytwopipediameters
upstreamanddownstreamoftheorificeplateofstraightpiperun,whichgreatlyincreasesthenumberofapplicationsfordP
flowmeasurement.
Vortexmeters
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4/19/2016

Flowmanagementsolution:Matchtheflowmetertotheapplication|ControlEngineering

VortexmetersmeasurefluidflowaccordingtotheVonKarmaneffect,wherea
fluidstrikinganobstruction(shedderbar)createsalternatingvortices,orlow
pressureareas,behindthebaratafrequencyproportionaltothevelocityofthe
fluid.Themeasuredfrequencyisconvertedtoflowvelocity,whichisthen
convertedtothevolumetricflowrate.Industrialvortexmeterswereintroducedin
1968andhavebeensuccessfullyusedtomeasuretheflowofsteam,gases,and
cleanliquids.Aswithallflowmeasurementtechnologies,therearechallenges
andresolutionswhenapplyingvortexmeters.
Typicalvortexdesignshavesmallfreespacesorcrevicesaroundsensorsor
shedderbarstocreatethemovementneededtocreatevortices.Coatingor
particulatematterinthefluidcanclogthecrevicesandinhibitsensormovement,
resultingininaccurateflowmeasurement.Allcastvortexmeterseliminatethe
needforfreesensormovement,thus,theyareinsensitivetocoatingand
clogging.Therefore,theycanbeusedtoreliablymeasureflowsofdirtyfluidsthatwouldplugtraditionalvortexsensors.
Aminimumflowratereferredtoasthe"lowflowcutoff"isrequiredtoestablishthevortices.Flowratesatthelowerendof
thedesiredmeasurementrangemayfallbelowthisminimum,thus,theycannotbemeasured,frequentlyrequiringthe
flowmeterandpipingsizetobereducedtoincreasevelocity.
Reducervortexmetershaveconcentricreducersdesignedandbuiltintothemeterbodythatenablemeasurementoflower
flowrateswithoutexpensiveanddisruptiveprocesspipingmodifications.Factorycalibrationofthereducervortexmeter
ensuresaccuracyandeliminatestheneedforadditionalupstreamanddownstreampipinginthefield.
Insomecases,massflowisthepreferredmeasurementinsteadofvolumetricflow.Forexample,inprocesssteamefficiency
calculations,thepreferredunitofmeasureforsaturatedsteamflowispoundperhour,asopposedtoavolumetricrate.
Pressureortemperaturecompensationcanbeusedtoenableavortexmetertomeasurethemassflowoffluids.Integrating
thesecompensatingmeasurementsintothemeterreducesinstalledcostandcomplexity.
Vortexmetersareoftenusedtomeasurecriticalflowsofaggressivechemicals.Traditionalsensordesignsprovidepotential
leakpaths,possiblyallowingprocessfluidstoescapefromtheline.Thesedesignsalsocannotbeservicedwithoutshutting
downtheprocessandpotentiallyexposingworkerstoprocesschemicals.Formeasuringthesecriticalflows,allcastmeters
withisolatedsensorseliminatecommonleakpointsandcanbesafelyservicedunderprocessconditions.
Magmeters
MagmetersoperateontheprincipleofFaraday'slawofelectromagnetic
induction,whereavoltageisdevelopedwhenaconductivefluidispassed
throughamagneticfield.Thevoltagedevelopedisproportionaltothestrengthof
themagneticfield,thelengthoftheconductor,andthevelocityoftheconductor
describedbytheequation:
E=KBLV
Where:
E=voltagemeasuredattheelectrode
K=themeterconstant
B=thefielddensity(strengthofthemagneticfield)
L=thelengthoftheconductor(lengthoftheconductivepathbetweenelectrodes)
V=thevelocityoftheconductor(conductivefluid).
Flowvelocitycanthusbeobtained,andbyextension,volumetricflow.
Magmeterswereintroducedin1952andareusedtomeasuretheflowvelocityofavastnumberofconductiveliquids.
Becausetheyintroducenoobstructionsinthefluidstream,theyavoidmanyissuesfoundwithinsertionmeters,suchas
pressuredrop,productshear,orwearandtearonthemeterfromtheflowingfluid.
Magmeterscanmeasureabrasiveandhighsolidslurries.Inaddition,wettedsurfaces(linerandelectrodes)canbeselected
forcompatibilitywithchemicallyaggressiveorabrasivefluids.Thewettedsurfacesofthemetercanbeselectedtomatchthe
characteristicsoftheprocessfluid,extendingmeterlife.
Advancesinmaterialtechnologiesandinstallationtechniquescanfurtherimprovereliabilityandextendthelifeofthemeter.
Usingmetersthatfeatureallweldeddesignandisolatedcompartmentsthatprotectagainstmoistureandcontaminationcan
improvereliability.
Linerswithincreasedtemperatureresistance,reducedpermeation,andresistancetooilinapplicationssuchasproduced
watermeasurementinoilproduction,canextendservicelifeasdooptionssuchasliningprotectorsandhardenedmaterials
thatprotectagainstabrasivewear.Installationpracticescanmanagevelocitiestofurtherreduceabrasionortomanage
temperaturegradientsandreducetherateofpermeation.
Qualityandregulatoryrequirementsoftenrequireperiodicconfirmationthatthemeterscontinuetomeasureflowaccurately.
Thistypicallyrequiresremovingthemeterfromthelineandconfirmingaccuracyataflowlaborbringingadditionalequipment
tothefieldsothecalibrationcanbeverifiedwiththemeteroffline.Smartmeterverificationisanacceptedmethodwherethe
technologyisbuiltintotheflowmetersoitcanverifyperformancewithouttakingtheflowmeterofflineandwithoutspecial
equipment.
Smartmeterverificationvalidatesthehardware,software,coils,electrodes,andinterconnectingwiring.Verificationcanrun
continuouslyandcanbeinitializedeitherthroughthelocaloperatorinterfaceorviaaremotesoftwarecommand.Thereis
typicallyasignificantreductionindowntimeduetotheeliminationofcalibrationverificationaswellaserrorsassociatedwith
disconnectingandreconnectingfunctionalmeters.Inaddition,smartmeterverificationcansimplyandeasilyconfirminitial
installation,providinginstantfeedbackthattheinstalledmeterisfunctioningasintended.
Fluidsoftencontainparticulatesthatcancausenoisethatinterfereswiththeflowmeasurement.Examplesincludemining
slurries,pulpandpapermillslurries,andproducedwaterwithhighlevelsofsandcarryover.Particulatesstrikingtheelectrode
causehighlevelsofnoise(similartotheeffectoftappingonamicrophone),whichcanresultinlowsignaltonoiseratios,
reducedaccuracy,andpoorloopperformance.
Traditionalmeansofdealingwithhighprocessnoiseinvolvestheadditionofdamping,whichcanreduceloopresponseto
unacceptablelevels.Modernnoisemitigationtechnologiescanbeusedtoprovideamoreaccurateandresponsiveflowsignal.
Thesetechnologiesincludediagnosticsthatdynamicallymonitorsignaltonoiseratios,adjustablecoildrivefrequenciesto
enablemovingtoalessnoisyfrequency,andhighsignalmagmeterswithincreasedsignalpower.
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4/19/2016

Flowmanagementsolution:Matchtheflowmetertotheapplication|ControlEngineering

Wirelessoptions
Mag,vortex,anddPmetersareavailableaswirelessdevices.Thetransmittersin
dPmetersareavailableinversionswithintegralwirelesswhilemagandvortex
metersareavailablewithadapterstoconverttheiroutputstoawirelesssignalat
thetransmitter.Theprimaryvalueofwirelessisdeliveredwitheither
configuration.
Wirelessinstallationstransmitprocessdataanddiagnosticinformationwirelessly,
eliminatingtheneedtorunsignalwiringtotheI/Opanels.Eliminatingsignal
wiringallowsamuchquickerandlessexpensiveinstallationasthere'snoneedto
runwiresanditalsoreducesmaintenance.
Wirelessdevicesconnecttoawirelessgatewaythatcanbelocatedinclose
proximityandconnectedtothecontrolsystemviahardwiring.Wireless
technologyalsoeliminatestheneedforadditionalanaloginputpointsatthecontrolsystemtoacceptthesignalwiringfromthe
devices,whichcanbeveryexpensive,particularlyifanewanaloginputcardneedstobeadded.
Closingtheloop
Mag,vortex,anddPflowmetersaretheleadingtechnologiesusedtomeasurevolumetricfloworflowvelocity.Eachtechnology
hasitsplaceandeachhasitschallenges.Thefirstdecisionistheselectionoftherightflowtechnologyfortheapplicationa
taskwhereatrustedsupplierorsystemintegratorcanbeenlistedtoprovideassistance.
Thenexttaskistoensurethepropermeterisspecifiedfortheapplication,includingrequiredfeaturesandoptionstoovercome
theflowmeasurementchallengesinherenttotheapplication.
WallyBakerispressurecontentmarketingmanagerforEmersonProcessManagement.
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