Measurements KEY: For Boiler Control

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SI n s ON
IN me De CTI
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SOLUTIONS for FLUID MOVEMENT,

MEASUREMENT & CONTAINMENT
4
KEY
Measurements
for BOILER CONTROL
Also Inside
Alternatives to installing
flow meters to specified
straight run
AHR Expo preview
JANUARY 2016 Vol. XXII, No. 1

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Table of Contents | January 2016 Vol. XXII, No. 1
Cover Series
Heating & Cooling Equipment
12 4 key measurements for
optimal boiler control
By Bob Sabin, Emerson Process Management
Fix tough measurement problems to improve operation.
16 CHP installations
By Jack Sine
Near-real time ultrasonic metering enables building
managers to cut waste and maximize efficiency.
18 AHR Expo preview

By Madoline Markham, Flow Control Staff
10 innovations not to miss; 5 reasons engineers attend
12
Cover Image: View of burner assemblies on
a gas-fired power boiler. Imants Urtans/iStock.
Provided by Emerson Process Management
Features
30 10 best practices for gas & flame safety
By Ardem Antabian, MSA-The Safety Company
Achieve a multilayer chain of defense to protect people,
equipment and facilities.
Columns
Application Corner
Alternatives to installing flow meters

to specified straight run
Special Section
Equipment and System Design
21 Rotating component solutions

for integrated skids
10 Pump Guy
Quiz Corner
Calculating the incremental cost
of electricity
Determine the root cause of vibration
to solve system problems
By Amin Almasi
24 Why electric motors fail

By Paul J. Barna, SKF USA Inc.
27 Complying with changes to the

Pressure Equipment Directive
By HPi Verification Services
29 Featured Products
Flow Control (ISSN #1081-7107) is published 12 times a year
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From the Editor

News & Notes
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From the Editor
appy New Year! Flow Control ended

2015 with excitement and change.
We celebrated the 100th year of
Chem Show along with 5,000 attendees.
While we were there, I was happy to meet
and discuss the magazine entering 2016
with Flow Control Columnist David Spitzer.
We were thrilled to be among thousands
of engineers, R&D, corporate managers
and plant personnel from chemical; pharmaceutical; food and beverage; and other
process industries and 282 exhibitors that
participated in free seminars and enjoyed
Editor Lori Ditoro and Columnist David
Spitzer during Chem Show 2015 in
this shows history as a staple event for the
New York
North American chemical process industries.
To kick off 2016, I am looking forward to attending my first Flow Control Pump Guy
Seminar. Columnist Larry Bachus presents training designed to provide process plant
engineers, managers, technicians, operators and others involved with pumping systems technical knowledge on industrial pump design, operation, and maintenance.
Attendees will gain the necessary information to improve plant production via reliable
pump and process piping system design strategies. Attendees also receive a certificate for professional development hours and a copy of Bachus textbook, Everything
You Need to Know About Pumps. Register at flowcontrolnewtork.com/pumpguy.
In addition, the Flow Control team will attend the AHR Expo in Orlando. Follow
@FlowControl_Mag and @LoriDitoro on Twitter for live coverage from the floor. For
even more information, follow @AHRExpo and #ahrexpo.
Inside this issue, be sure to check out our cover series on heating and cooling equipment on page 12. A technical article from Emerson on four critical measurements for optimum boiler operation and a case study on flow measurement are featured in this series.
Our special section, Equipment and System Design (formerly OEM/System Integrator), provides OEMs, designers, engineers and system integrators with information
about OEM and replacement parts, system and skid components, system integration,
and computer-aided design software. This installment, beginning on page 20, covers
valves and flow meters, bearings and motor failure, and how to design and specify
equipment that is in compliance with the Pressure Equipment Directive taking effect
in July 2016.
Our editorial team is excited about the compelling content we have planned for our
readers in the New Year. As always, let us know what your favorite articles are in this
issue, so we can continue to provide the information you need and want.
Best regards,
Lori K. Ditoro
lditoro@grandviewmedia.com
@LoriDitoro
THE
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Larry Bachus: Bachus Company Inc.
Jeff Jennings: Equilibar LLC
Mitch Johnson: JMS Southeast
Gobind Khiani: Fluor Canada, Ltd.
Jim Lauria: Mazzei Injector Company
4 | January 2016
John Merrill, PE: EagleBurgmann Industries

Steve Milford: Endress+Hauser U.S.
Tom OBanion: Emerson Process Management, Micro Motion
David W. Spitzer, PE: Spitzer and Boyes LLC
Andrew Yeghnazar: Blacoh Fluid Control
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
Are You Hitting

Your Target?
Being a BPA-audited publication guarantees you will hit the

mark. As an independent 3rd party, BPA validates their data
so you will know that the igures add up ...
Making the bullseye

that much easier to hit.
News & Notes
Market updates
US chemical producers
see lower prices but
strong demand
Lower energy prices have had a mixed
effect on U.S. chemical producers,
according to a new report from Fitch
Ratings.
The ratings agency says that deflation in the energy sector has translated
into lower prices for petrochemicals,
plastics and other chemicals that use
energy-related feedstocks. This has resulted in lower sales, earnings and cash
flow for chemical processors.
However, the report also says that
U.S. chemical producers will continue to
see cost advantages from cheap North
American natural gas and natural gas
liquids (NGLs).
And with hydraulic fracturing operations still expanding across the country,
supply is expected to remain robust.
Although demand for natural gas and
NGLs will increase thanks to rebased
manufacturing capacity, chemical cracker expansions, and coal power plant retirements this will not offset productivity gains in shale, Fitch says.
Overall, the outlook is bright: Fitch
expects U.S. chemical producers to
benefit from solid domestic demand in
manufacturing and recovery in U.S. construction and consumption.
GCC petrochemical exports

to China up 5 percent
Petrochemical exports to China by members of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) continued to grow in 2014, despite
the Chinese economys slowdown.
New data from the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA)
show that GCC petrochemical exports
to China increased to 13.5 million tons
in 2014, up 5 percent compared to 2013.
The value of these exports amounted to
$15.4 billion, also up 5 percent year-onyear.
The GCC member countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Saudi Arabia accounts for 64 percent of the GCCs export volume to
6 | January 2016
China, with a value of almost $10 billion. Overall, 65 percent of the export
volume in 2014 consisted of basic,
intermediate and chemicals exports.
Polymers made up 33 percent and fertilizers 1 percent.
Manufacturing technology orders decline as 2015

ends, will rise in late 2016
U.S. manufacturing technology orders
(USMTO) are down year-over-year,
according to the newest report from
the Association of Manufacturing
Technology (AMT).
Orders were up 11 percent monthover-month from August to September
as they usually rise as summer ends.
However, they are down 17 percent from
September 2014, one of the top three
months in the history of USMTO.
AMT forecast a 5 percent decline in
orders in 2015 from 2014, but it is now
projecting that the year will end down
about 17 to 18 percent.
AMT analysts project that manufacturing will be soft at the start of 2016
but will rise approaching fall. The organizations Global Forecasting & Marketing
Conference in October 2015 foresaw a
fairly strong 2017 and 2018 with no significant downturn until the end of 2018
or 2019.
The projected rise this year is in part
based on new models the automotive
industry will introduce. The models will
need shorter production runs and therefore require new capital investments in
manufacturing technology for production. Additionally, aerospace manufacturing is projected to be strong for the
next three to four years, and medical
equipment is now picking up and should
continue to do so during the next decade
as the population ages and technology
evolves.
Corporate growth
Shell to expand alpha
olefins production in
Louisiana
Shell Chemical LP made a final investment decision to increase alpha olefins
(AO) production at its manufacturing

facility in Geismar, Louisiana.
The company plans to construct a
fourth AO unit, adding 425,000 tons of
capacity and making the site the largest
AO producer in the world.
Alpha olefins are used in the production of stronger and lighter polyethylene
plastic for packaging and bottles, as well
as engine and industrial oils and drilling
fluids.
With the new capacity, the Geismar
facility will be producing more than 1.3
million tons of AO every year. Shell also
produces alcohols, ethoxylates, ethylene oxide and ethylene glycols at the
site.
Construction work on the $717 million project is scheduled to begin in the
first quarter of 2016, and the new unit
is expected to start operating in 2018.
Caverion to help build

new hydrogen production
unit in Finland
Buildings and infrastructure life cycle
solutions specialist Caverion will supply industrial installations for a new
hydrogen production unit at a refinery in
Porvoo, Finland.
The firm has reached an agreement with Linde Engineering to supply
mechanical installations and pipe, and
equipment and steel installations for
the unit at the Porvoo refinery in the Kilpilahti industrial area.
Caverion will prefabricate and install
process piping for a new hydrogen reformer at the plant, as well as completing equipment and steel installations.
Caverion will use prefabricated parts
made at its own workshops in Ylivieska
and Leppvirta in the country. Up to 80
Caverion personnel are expected be employed at the site.
Two hydrogen production units are
already installed at the plant. The older
one is due to be replaced by a more efficient unit.
Using a steam reforming process,
natural gas will be produced from hydrogen, while the hydrogen itself will
be used as part of several different processes and products, such as sulfur-free
diesel fuel and high-quality base oils.
Mergers &
acquisitions
Watson-Marlow
Flow Smart, Inc.
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology
Group, a U.K. supplier of peristaltic
pumps and fluid path technologies for
the pharmaceutical, food, chemical
and environmental industries, acquired
Flow Smart, Inc. for 5.7 million ($8.5
million).
Delaware-based Flow Smart specializes in the design and manufacture
of high purity sanitary gaskets, silicone
transfer tubing and reinforced silicone
hoses for the bioprocessing and pharmaceutical industries. The business
will become part of a new company,
Watson-Marlow Flow Smart Inc., and
will continue to be led by Lou Bongiorno, president of Flow Smart, and to be
based in Delaware.
Readers respond
I read your article 8 Reasons Pumps
Operate Off Their Curves (November
2015, page 29). There was some very
good information in this article. I do
have one issue that needs to be pointed out. On your cover, you show an
accelerometer that is taking vibration
data on the fan cowling of an electric
motor. This is not an approved location for vibration data collection, since
there is a gap between the cowling
and motor surface. You wont get good
vibration data by doing it this way.
Im not trying to nitpick but this is
one of the first rules of vibration data
collection. Bad data in = bad info out.
Don
Trenton, Ohio
KLINGER IGI
Austrias KLINGER Holding GmbH
acquired IGI and formed KLINGER IGI. The
newly formed seals and gasketing manufacturer is headquartered in Wilsonville,
Oregon, with an additional location in
Denver, Colorado. It serves both OEM
and MRO markets with materials that
manufacture industrial and consumer
products.
The KLINGER Group of Independent
Companies offers sealing and fluid control solutions and has production facilities as well as sales and service offices
in more than 60 countries.
Chemline, Inc. T.A.

Davies
Chemline, Inc. of St. Louis purchased
the T. A. Davies Company (TADCO) of
Rancho Dominguez, California. TADCO
has formulated specialty cold-cast polyurethane chemicals since 1972. The
acquisition provides Chemline with a
growth platform for expansion into the
West Coast and introduces new formulation technology.
Chemline was founded in 1997 and
has pursued the Fast Set Spray marketplace and commercializing products for
all applications.
Write in 3 or request info instantly at www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/freeinfo
January 2016 | 7
Application Corner
Think again: alternatives to installing

flow meters to specified straight run
David W. Spitzer
diameters upstream and 1.5 to 2 diameters downstream in

n my recent columns, I suggested that many flow meters are
this example.
affected by the velocity profile of the fluid upstream of and/
Sometimes more straight run is available, such as when the
or downstream from the flow meter. One approach to develflow meter in this example can be installed for a piping run that
oping a good velocity profile is to install flow meters with sufficient straight run as specified by the flow
meter manufacturer.
Reducing the downstream straight as much
This approach sounds good on paper,
but in many installations, adequate space
as is practical can increase the upstream
may not be available to install the specified
straight run perhaps with 13 to 13.5 diameters
straight run. Also, modifying the design to
upstream and 1.5 to 2 diameters downstream.
accommodate the specified straight run is
often expensive or impossible. Still, some
practical options exist.
is 30 diameters long. The flow meter would look nice and meet
For example, a flow meter requiring 15 diameters of upthe manufacturers specifications if it were installed with 15
stream straight run and 5 diameters of downstream straight
diameters upstream and 15 diameters downstream. However,
run must be installed in a piping run that is 15 diameters
locating the flow meter 20 to 25 diameters upstream and 5 to
long. You could install the flow meter with 10 diameters up10 diameters downstream might be more pragmatic considerstream and 5 diameters downstream. However, most flow
ing that piping configurations in the field rarely match piping
meter designs are more affected by their upstream straight
configurations tested by the manufacturer.
run than their downstream straight run. Therefore, reducThese applications illustrate ways to partially mitigate the
ing the downstream straight as much as is practical can ineffects of a poor situation (insufficient straight run) and how to
crease the upstream straight run perhaps with 13 to 13.5
make the best of a good situation (more than sufficient straight
November Solution: Flow Meter Calibration
run), respectfully. Similar opportunities are rampant in the process industries if you understand what is happening and
D A T M S E F T
P E A A L D N E R T
I N
know where to look. FC
C
M
L
David W. Spitzer is a regular contributor to Flow Control

magazine and a principal in Spitzer and Boyes, LLC, offering
engineering, seminars, strategic, marketing consulting, distribution consulting and expert witness services for manufacturing and automation companies. Spitzer and Boyes is also
the publisher of the Industrial Automation INSIDER. Spitzer
has more than 40 years of experience and has written more
than 10 books and 300 articles about flow measurement,
instrumentation and process control. He may be reached at
845-623-1830 or www.spitzerandboyes.com. Click on the
Products tab to find his Consumer Guides to various flow
and level measurement technologies.
November Winner
John Gramling, Engineering Manager

WeylChem US Inc., Elgin, South Carolina
8 | January 2016
Quiz Corner
Calculating the incremental

cost of electricity
hat is the approximate incremental cost

of electricity for a plant that purchases
electricity at 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh)?
Knowing the incremental cost of electricity is important because

it can be used to quickly estimate the annual energy savings
associated with a process change and/or an energy conservation project, such as the installation of a variable speed drive.
Conversely, you can also use it to quickly estimate energy costs
associated with actions that increase energy consumption.
Increasing or decreasing the electrical load by 1 kilowatt for
a year can be estimated as follows:
(6 cents per kwh) (8,760 hours per year) = $526 per year
A. $300 per year per kwh

B. $400 per year per kwh
C. $500 per year per kwh

D. $600 per year per kwh
Additional complicating factors

This Quiz Corner sheds light on the importance of knowing the
incremental utility costs. However, actual calculations for electricity in a typical plant are often more complicated because
they may involve time-of-day billing, demand charges, hatchet/
ratchet clauses and power factor penalties described in different rate structures.
Similarly, knowing the incremental costs of other applicable
utilities in the plant such as natural gas, coal, waste fuels,
industrial gases, cooling water, chilled water, compressed air
and steam is important. FC
Answer C is closest to the calculated amount.
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January 2016 | 9
The Pump Guy | Mailbag
Cavitation magic
Larry Bachus
Determine the root cause of vibration

to solve system problems.
work at an upper Midwest water district. We are experiencing high vibrations from one of our vertical drywell sump
pumps (see Figure 1).
A rubber flex joint is installed on the suction pipe leading to
the pump. The flex joint has developed some pinhole leaks. We
can see the leaks dripping under the flex joint when the pump
useful service life. The flex joint drips onto the floor when the
pump is off and entrains air when the pump operates.
If you are not ready to purchase and install a new flex joint,
you can purchase a spray can of rubber cement at any industrial supply store. (You may have seen the rubber sealant ads
on TV.) Another option is to wrap the joint with plastic food wrap
or duct tape to seal it. If the cavitation noise goes away, this
was the culprit, and you still need to change the joint.
Courtesy of Michael P.
Cavitation magic
Figure 1. Michaels pump system diagram
is off and charged with water. We believe these pinhole leaks

are entraining air into the flow when the pump operates. Could
the entrained air be the cause of the cavitation?
Hoping to hear from you,
The cavitation noise may become even more pronounced after

you stop entraining air. Let me explain with the following example.
When the magician closes the curtain and his assistant disappears on stage, the assistant doesnt really disappear, but steps
through a trap door in the wall or floor before the curtain opens.
There really is no magic. Likewise, an old trick used by seasoned
mechanics for decades can hide or mask the cavitation noise.
I was a mechanic in the U.S. Navy about 45 years ago. I
remember a particular boiler in the basement of a Navy hospital. The boiler feedwater pumps were in violent cavitation from
the deaerator tank. The noise was obvious and loud. The boiler
tech said, Hey watch this! He opened a little instrumentation valve on the suction side of the pump and allowed air into
the flow. The cavitation noise was suddenly muffled, as though
the pump had been wrapped with layers of thick insulation.
The boiler tech thought he made the cavitation go away (but I
didnt). Purposefully entraining small quantities of air into the
suction flow of a pump suffering obvious cavitation does not
make the cavitation go away, and it doesnt resolve the root
Michael P.
South Dakota
I perceive two issues in your message: high vibrations in your

vertical drywell sump pump and cavitation.
A pump can vibrate for many reasons, including cavitation. One type of cavitation is air entrainment, so lets say your
drywell pump is suffering vibrations because of entrained air
cavitation.
When a babys diaper fills and begins to leak, it is time to
change the diaper. Likewise, pinhole leaks in the flex joint indicate the elastomeric component is rotten or at the end of its
10 | January 2016
Courtesy of Bachus Inc.
Hello Michael,
Image 1. The suction pressure gauge indicates the pump

is in vacuum.
Courtesy of Bachus Inc.
cause of the cavitation. However, the energy is diverted to expanding and compressing the little air bubbles, rather than vaporizing and imploding the vapor pockets against the pump internals. A few months ago, I had the occasion to demonstrate
this technique while diagnosing cavitation on some desalination pumps in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (see Image 1).
You still need to resolve the root cause of the cavitation.
Have your pump curve handy. Next, install suction and discharge
pressure gauges on the pump with a flow meter. The gauges will
indicate your pumps position (head and flow) on the curve. The
curve will also indicate the pumps suction energy requirement,
the net positive suction head required, at the pumps duty point.
Then, be sure this amount of energy plus a generous safety margin net positive suction head available (NPSHa) arrives into
the pump. What is a generous safety margin?
You will want the NPSHa to be 5 feet or more above the
NPSHr for pumps with an impeller up to an 8-inch diameter, rotating at 1,800 rpm.
You will want the NPSHa to be 7 to 10 feet or more above
the NPSHr for pumps with an impeller up to a 13-inch diameter,
rotating at 1,800 rpm.
You will want the NPSHa to be 15 to 20 feet or more above
the NPSHr for pumps with an impeller greater than 13 inches
and even smaller pumps on high speed motors (3,600 rpm). The
cavitation with cavitation-induced vibrations will go away.
Cavitation is only one type of pump vibration. You must deal
with other vibrations if cavitation is no longer the issue with the
pump. If I continue writing about vibrations, Ill fill the pages of
this edition of Flow Control.
So, Ill say that some vibrations are induced or caused by
inadequate pump design. For example, the classic cavitation
discussed earlier in this article is a design deficiency. Figure 1
shows that your vertical pump is standing on four independent
legs. This is another design weakness.
Most mathematically inclined students will take a course
in geometry. A geometric constant states: Any three points will
define a plane. This is the reason civil engineers and surveyors
mount their equipment (theodolites, levels and transits) onto
tripods instead of quadripods. This is the reason most bridges
and sports stadiums are constructed with triangular forms.
A vertical pump standing on three legs will always be stable.
Engineers study these principles in school. Then, some design
engineer puts four legs (or feet) under pumps and motors.
Image 2. The I-24 bridge across the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky
Other vibrations are induced by inadequate or incorrect

pump operation. Starved and deadheaded pumps will vibrate.
Vibrations will rise if the pump operator allows the pump to
migrate or drift to the left or right extreme of the performance
curve. This is like the driver (operator) allowing his car to drift
into other lanes on the highway.
And, still other vibrations are induced by inadequate or incorrect pump maintenance. A rebuilt pump will vibrate if the
shop mechanic installs a bent shaft or unbalanced impeller into
the pump while in the shop. Vibrations will rise with misalignment between the pump shaft and the motor shaft.
Michael, I suggest you investigate vibration equipment.
Maybe a vibration sales rep can apply equipment to your pump
and show you the root cause, possibly misalignment or imbalance, of the errant vibrations.
Good luck with your pump. FC
Flow Control will present the Pump Guy Seminar June
7-9 in Indianapolis. For more details and to register, visit flow
controlnetwork.com/pumpguy or contact Ashley Davidson at
adavidson@grandviewmedia.com or 205-995-1593.
The Pump Guy is Larry Bachus, a pump consultant, lecturer and inventor, based in Nashville, Tennessee. Bachus
is a retired member of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, and lectures in both English and Spanish. You
may contact him at larry@bachusinc.com. For more information, visit bachusinc.com.
Did you know?

Electric motors top the industrial landscape as the most widely
deployed asset driving processes and productivity ... and account
for about 25 percent of electrical usage nationwide.
Paul J. Barna, SKF USA, Inc.
January 2016 | 11
Cover Series: Heating & Cooling Equipment
4 key measurements
for optimal boiler control
Fix tough measurement problems to improve operation.

By Bob Sabin, Emerson Process Management
View of burner assemblies on a gas-fired power boiler. Imants Urtans/iStock. Provided by Emerson Process Management
12 | January 2016
All graphics courtesy of Emerson Process Management
he purpose of boiler control is to achieve safe operation, reliability and optimized performance with respect
to load-change response, fuel cost and emissions.
While operators may be tempted to think that periodic adjustment of the fuel-to-air curves or control loop constants will
lead to optimum performance, the reality is that the quality of
measurement and actuation field devices is the foundation for
building optimal control (see Figure 1).
Often when operating issues occur, a work order is issued to
tune up the boiler. This may appear to help for a while, but loop
tuning and curve adjustment will not overcome field device issues
at the root of many boiler operation difficulties. To truly resolve reliability issues and achieve a step change in boiler performance,
operators often must work with the instruments and actuators.
Figure 1. The quality of measurement and actuation field devices

is the foundation for building optimal control.
steam drum and the water level in the steam drum. In addition,
compensation for pressure and temperature must be made either at the level instrument or in the computer control system.
Redundant drum level measurements are recommended
for safety and reliability, and because a steam drum can be
uneven because of irregular heating over time, redundantly
measuring on the front and back is often preferred. Another
best practice is to use different measurement technologies for
measurement redundancy. Figure 3 depicts one way to obtain
measurement redundancy by combining differential pressure
(DP) and guided wave radar (GWR) level technologies.
Figure 2. Even relatively simple boiler processes require that many
field devices work well to achieve safety, reliability and optimum
business results.
In most control applications, repeatability of measurement

is more important than absolute accuracy. Accuracy can be adjusted for software, but erratic readings cannot. The only way to
compensate for lack of repeatability is to build excess cushion
into the control, which compromises reliability, response and
business results.
Even the most basic boiler processes, such as the single
burner package boiler (see Figure 2), require different types of
process instrumentation. If any one of these devices does not
perform adequately, it is likely that unit performance will suffer.
Unfortunately, making some of these measurements reliably can
be challenging. This article concentrates on four measurements
key to boiler control performance:
Drum level
Fuel flow
Air flow
Flue gas oxygen
Drum level
Drum level is critical for safety and reliability. Inaccurate
drum level control can result in safety issues and equipment
damage. High levels can cause water carryover that lowers
heat transfer efficiency and possibly damages downstream
equipment such as steam turbines. Low levels expose tubes
to excessive heat, resulting in tube damage and unplanned
shutdown.
Drum level measurement is not as simple as it might appear. Typical challenges include the need for high-pressure and
high-temperature equipment, the fact that density and dielectric (DC) of water and steam vary as pressure and temperature
change, and that the control ranges across a small span.
Another issue is the shrink and swell phenomenon. As
steam demand decreases, drum pressure increases, which
compresses entrained steam bubbles and can cause the drum
level to appear to decrease even though it actually increases.
Conversely, as steam demand increases, drum pressure decreases, and the gas bubbles expand, often causing the drum
level to appear to increase.
To help compensate for shrink and swell, boiler control engineers employ three-element control strategies that simultaneously look at steam flow, the rate feedwater is flowing to the
Figure 3. Drum level measurement redundancy is best achieved by

using different instruments such as both DP and GWR.
GWR can be especially advantageous in obtaining a reliable

drum measurement for cases in which the level is continuously
swinging. The separate measurement chamber used with GWR
can dampen the effects of load swings and shrink/swell to a
degree. GWR measures the time of flight of an electromagnetic
pulse. It is independent of density, but steam DC can cause up
to 20 percent error and varies with pressure changes. For this
reason, compensation must be made for DC when using this
level technology.
Compensation can be accomplished in the computer controls, but obtaining a DC value for what the GWR sees is often
difficult. A more direct approach is to work with a GWR device
that carries out this compensation internally. Called Dynamic
Vapor Compensation (DVC), it works by inserting a fixed reflective object in the path of the radar waves, well above any expected liquid level (see Figure 4). The GWR compares the measured distance to the reflector with its known distance to create
a compensation value that it applies to all readings. Because it
determines this correction value continuously, it corrects measurement errors under all conditions and reduces the error rate
to less than 2 percent.
Fuel flow considerations

The approach to optimizing combustion is fundamentally a
drive toward achieving mass balance between fuel and oxygen,
so fuel measurements should be of the mass flow type. An
January 2016 | 13
require corresponding changes in firing rate.

Flow measurement generally involves weighing trade-offs
between a number of factors. Other issues that commonly influence meter selection and installation method include meter
pressure loss (because fuel is often delivered to the boiler at low
pressure), available straight run, and of course, lifecycle economic factors.
Knowing the fuel mass rate means knowing the rate at
which energy (Btu/calories) is being delivered to the burners, which in turn determines the amount of air required. This
makes it easier to control combustion, monitor boiler efficiency
and monitor plant energy use, even with compressible fuel.
Further, it makes environmental reporting easier.
Air flow considerations
Figure 4. DVC works by inserting a fixed reflective object in the

path of the radar waves, well above any expected liquid level. The
GWR compares the measured distance to the reflector with its
known distance to create a compensation value that it then applies to all readings.
important question to answer when selecting instruments for

fuel flow is simply, what varies?
If process variables are all nearly constant, volumetric flow
measurement is the least expensive choice, and it can be a good
one. However, changes in the rate of fuel flow, temperature,
pressure or heating value require a meter that is able to address
these changes or one that is relatively insensitive to them. Each
variation may induce errors in volumetric meters used on gaseous fuels.
Pressure changes will be present in nearly every fuel measurement because of pipe-friction-induced pressure loss between the
regulator and the meter, regulator droop and barometric variation. When fuel pressure and temperature changes are the primary cause of variation, external compensation can be added to
the flow meter to improve its accuracy. A better option is to utilize
multivariable mass transmitters that compensate for changing
pressure, temperature or flow rate at the instrument.
Some boilers, however, are fueled with process gas, waste
gas, or whatever may be a least-cost fuel at a point in time.
Since the heating value of such fuels can vary over a wide
range, a direct mass Coriolis flow measurement is typically
best in this situation. All types of mass flow meters improve
turndown, which helps when the boiler experiences wide load
swings. In addition, any changes in feedwater temperature will
14 | January 2016
Boiler air flow measurement is often a challenge because

of the physical arrangement of fans and ductwork. Ducts
often have odd geometries and many turns, with dampers,
expansion joints, internal restrictions, conditioning vanes and
service access doors. Often internal restrictions are not even
documented. For traditional air flow instruments, specifications typically call for extended straight upstream and downstream sections of duct with no bends, expanders, dampers or
obstructions in front of the measurement point.
On many units, this length of straight run cannot be found,
and simply installing the instruments can be a challenge. Measurements may be needed in thin wall or fiberglass ducts, and
there may be little clearance on the outside of the ducts. In such
installations where the physical constraints are quite different
from what a traditional flow meter would like to see, a good choice
for the application is often an averaging Pitot tube (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Averaging Pitot tube instrument with direct-mount

transmitter and pressure/temperature compensation
The averaging Pitot tube mounts easily in all shapes of

duct, can provide a good measurement across a wide load
range, has low permanent pressure loss and has a relatively
low installed cost. These devices can simultaneously measure
differential pressure, static pressure and temperature to calculate dynamically compensated mass flow in real-time and,
operation of bigger boilers. When this is encountered, a manual

duct traverse with a handheld meter should be performed to determine the best location for measurements, and multiple oxygen probes should be considered.
The latest generation of oxygen meters is equipped with
functionality such as online calibration capability, calibration
diagnostics, and plugged diffuser/filter alarms (for boilers with
fly ash or other particulate in the flue gas). These features are
beneficial in keeping the important oxygen measurement device fully operational to the highest degree possible.
Figure 6. Air flow measurement in a short transition duct with ports

to allow in-line calibration during setup
perhaps most important, can be calibrated in place for unusual

duct arrangements and where limited straight run is available
(see Figure 6).
To calculate an optimal K factor (or flow coefficient), inline flow calibration is used if the duct is irregular or a disturbance upstream of the flow element occurs. This involves
sampling the flow at multiple points and under varying flow
rates using a single-point Pitot tube. Using this technique,
the true nature of the flow profile can be determined, and a
reliable air flow measurement (typically, accurate to about 2
percent with good repeatability) can be obtained where it is
needed on the boiler.
Oxygen measurement
The flue gas oxygen measurement at the back end of a boiler
is arguably the most critical parameter used by the combustion control strategy. Managing oxygen concentration in boiler
exhaust gases is important for maintaining safety and thermal
efficiency. If oxygen content is too low, the combustion process
will generate excess emissions or a potentially hazardous combustible mixture that is a risk for explosion. High excess oxygen
results in heat loss and possibly additional carryover that can
foul tubes in the generating sections of the boiler.
To support an optimal combustion control strategy an in
situ oxygen analyzer a probe inserted directly into the flue
gas duct without the need for a sampling system should be
used. The probe should typically be located in the middle of the
duct on the boiler outlet after the generating bank and economizer but before the air heater (see Figure 7).
On larger boilers, challenges caused by tramp air and/or
flue gas stratification can be encountered. Tramp air infiltration
may occur on older units, causing oxygen readings to appear
higher than they actually are in the furnace. When this happens, maintenance should be completed to eliminate air leakage to the best degree possible such that a relatively accurate
oxygen reading is possible.
Stratification results when flue gas flow is not even across the
exit duct, a situation that is not uncommon during the normal
Figure 7. Flue gas stratification in the boiler exit duct may require
an off-center position for the oxygen probe or the use of multiple
probes.
From the bottom up

To improve boiler control, working from the bottom up is
important. A good base of instrumentation and end devices is
required to support safe, reliable and optimal boiler operation.
Focusing only on the periodic tuning of a boiler often results
in masking field device issues that build up over time.
Many boiler measurements can be challenging because of
the physical design of the process, fuel variability and other issues, but proven technologies exist to deliver desired business
results. An experienced combustion process control engineer
can help plant owners and operators resolve root cause measurement issues. Of course, proper combustion control strategies need to be implemented on the field device foundation to
complete the control picture. Multiple factors should be considered at this level, and owners/operators should seek advice
from experienced in-house or external consultants to optimize
boiler operations holistically. FC
Bob Sabin is a consulting engineer for

the Industrial Energy Solutions Group,
Emerson Process Management. He has
more than 30 years experience in the
industrial controls engineering business
including 20 years supporting boiler,
steam system and energy applications. He
may be reached at bob.sabin@emerson.
com. For more information, visit www.emerson.com.
January 2016 | 15
CHP installations
Near-real time ultrasonic metering enables building managers
to cut waste and maximize efficiency.
By Jack Sine
Courtesy of FLEXIM AMERICAS Corporation
wners of older buildings with inefficient heating and

cooling systems are increasingly interested in energy
savings from combined heat and power (CHP). While
a typical natural gas plant operates at 35 percent efficiency,
a CHP, also called cogeneration (cogen), system runs at more
than 90 percent efficiency.
CHP works by using modular turbines connected in parallel
to generate electrical power on site, capturing the heat created
and using it to warm the facility in winter and drive an absorption chiller in warm months. As a result, those who use CHP no
longer depend on the power grid.
DSM Engineering Associates in Hauppauge, New York, specializes in CHP retrofits for large buildings including apartment
buildings, office space, manufacturing plants and education facilities.During their more than 20 years in business, they have
successfully completed projects in buildings in the New York
City area including three campuses of the State University of
New York, the New York State Energy Research & Development
Authority (NYSERDA) and Consolidated Edison Company.
Company representatives say NYSERDA has made their job
easier by not only being a customer but also funding CHP conversions that meet their qualifications.
It makes a CHP conversion eminently affordable, so when

you combine the energy savings with NYSERDA funding, our
clients have a very short return on investment, said Jim Armstrong, vice president at DSM.
Brad Selmon, president of East Coast firm M. A. Selmon,
confirmed that similar programs exist across the country. He
recently helped a Massachusetts sporting goods manufacturer
convert to CHP with a modular cogen system with ultrasonic
flow metering, and they received federal and state incentives
worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It worked so well
[that] they are installing CHP units at another site and getting similar incentives, Selmon says. The metering was key
to qualifying because they have to be able to verify to the state
of Massachusetts how much they are reducing their carbon
footprint.
Monitoring electric & thermal
DSM had noted that they didnt see many building owners in
New York state properly monitoring their energy use, especially
with the recent weak economy. The best methods for doing
so, installing building management systems (BMS) or energy
management systems (EMS), are expensive, so the company had been working to identify a more
affordable option based on interval and
real time data.
The value of having that kind of information in front of you is very well instilled
into my mindset, says Armstrong, who
previously worked for Con Edison Control
Center and had access to that data to
make decisions about power purchase,
generation and dispatches there.
Now as a consultant, Armstrong says,
his work centers on developing, designing and installing supervision of packaged
cogen systems in a variety of types of
buildings. Along the way, he noticed that
most older buildings do not monitor their
electrical and thermal energy use.
If you can get a picture of how much
energy the building is using, what the
consumption patterns are, what the real
Ultrasonic flow meters are capable of accurately measuring low flows during off hours in a
loads are, you can make adjustments to
CHP environment.
get the optimum efficiency out of your
16 | January 2016
maintenance. Instead, a transit-time difference method is

used to record measurements, utilizing the fact that the
transmission speed of an ultrasonic signal depends on the
flow velocity of the carrier medium. An ultrasonic signal moves
slower against the flow direction of the medium and faster
when it is in the flow direction.
To create the measurement, two ultrasonic pulses are
sent through the medium, one
in the flow direction and the secAn ultrasonic solution
If you can get a picture of how
ond against it, and the meters
As a solution, DSM used electric
transducers work alternately as
profiling systems to get a better
much energy the building is
a transmitter and a receiver. As
picture of the buildings energy
using, what the consumption
a result, the transit time of the
use to determine its consumpsignal sent in the flow direction throughout a day or longer
patterns are, what the real
is shorter than the one sent
periods of time. Armstrong says
loads are, you can make adjust- tion
against the flow. The meter meathe system, which ideally collects
ments to get the optimum effisures the transit time difference
data for up to a year, worked
and calculates the average flow
effectively and made the data
ciency out of your system.
velocity. Since the ultrasound
accessible remotely through an
signals propagate in solids, the
Internet connection. The system
meter can be mounted directly onto the exterior of the pipe
itself is an electrical box that takes four sets of circuit transnon-invasively. To resolve the transducer paste issue, engineers
formers so the company can monitor four circuits and voltage
developed solid mounting pads that dont need replacing and
input. The data can also be downloaded to a laptop if the
conform to the shape of the pipe.
setup is temporary.
system, Armstrong says.
In the past, those monitoring buildings have looked at
monthly utility data to determine use and demand. This was
used to optimize new boiler or chiller system design as well as
cogen design for how many units should be installed and what
their capacities should be. Still, this data set was not sufficient
for the company to precisely design the optimal system.
Finding the right flow meter
Permanent monitoring & sizing
The company faced a bigger struggle with the thermal profiling

to determine cogen heating and cooling on any given day in as
close to real time as possible, preferably with remote access
like the the electrical system. They tried insertion meters but
found they required too much maintenance and didnt prove to
be accurate on slow flows on off-peak times. When they tried
ultrasonic meters, they ran into the same issues with slow flow
rates and inaccuracies along with discovering the paste that
held the transducers to the pipe hardened and needed to be
replaced. Finally, they found a product with slow flow measurement from FLEXIM AMERICAS Corp.
Now the flow meter producer is using portable meters for

short-term monitoring to size a system that meets the needs
for cogen vendors that are preparing economic models to
apply for funding from NYSERDA. NYSERDA has requested an
hourly model for a year based on a standard weather profile
and how the machines are expected to perform based on the
load. Here they use interval loading information to build an
hourly thermal model for the building and determine electrical
use for the year. From there they layer on the cogen system to
determine output.
Today they are encouraging clients to install permanent
electrical and thermal metering to optimize the efficiency of
their cogen systems and to determine opportunities for efficiency in operations. Overall, they are meeting their goal for a
low-cost system to provide the information without the expense
of retrofitting a BMS or EMS. The monitoring system also saves
money on installation thanks to NYSERDA.
Metering slow flow

The producers of the slow flow measurement meter first developed the technology in response to a request for a device
needed to monitor ground water contamination to maintain
EPA standards. Before that, a FLEXIM engineer says, no one
at the company had thought about measuring such slow flows
as they had developed other instruments to measure gasses,
liquids and slurries over a wide range of temperatures. Working
with the company that requested it, engineers adapted an
existing meter to improve accuracy to 1 to 2 percent. In fact,
they found their development worked so well that they incorporated the technology into other meters, providing plenty of
options to DSM.
How ultrasonic flow meters work

Because the flow meter used was ultrasonic, it contains no
moving parts and does not require frequent calibration and
Staying off the grid

A final advantage of incorporating CHP technology either as
the prime means of electrical power, heat and cooling or as
a backup is that a business is no longer dependent on the
power grid and no longer affected by power blackouts and
brown outs. FC
Jack Sine is a freelance writer specializing in environmental

issues and the chemical, power and HVACR industries. He
may be reached at jack.sine@verizon.net or 845-831-6578.
January 2016 | 17
AHR Expo Preview
10 innovations
not to miss at AHR Expo
Convention to take place Jan. 25-27 in Orlando
By Madoline Markham
ore than 80 percent of exhibitors at this months International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR
Expo) in Orlando will showcase new or
upgraded products, systems or technologies. The three-day event draws
almost 2,000 exhibitors and more than
60,000 attendees.
In anticipation of the show, exhibitors shared some top innovations that
will be on display at the Orange County
Convention Center come Jan. 25.
1 Air condition and refrigeration. A

wireless Bluetooth transducer app monitors refrigerant pressure with real-time
data management from any device with
Wi-Fi.
2 Building automation and control.
A compact solution for small- to midsized buildings can be quickly and nondisruptively installed during normal business hours to monitor HVACR, lighting
and other systems while accounting for
variable demand response.
3 Energy efficiency and renewable
energy. An active desiccant hybrid air
handling system is optimized to deliver
low dew point air while minimizing regeneration energy input.
4 Heating. A rotary air-to-air heat exchanger has been designed with compact
casing and new matrix geometry primarily
for comfort ventilation applications.
5 Indoor air quality. Non-woven polyester pleated filters are made with integrated
activated carbon for economical odor and
molecular filtration management.
18 | January 2016
Courtesy of Joe Summers/AHR Expo
Attendees learn about new technologies at the 2015 AHR Expo.
6 Instruments and controls. Factory

calibrated infrared sensors precisely detect refrigerants in enclosed spaces.
7 Plumbing. Mechanical temperature-sensitive water main controls do
not require batteries or electricity elicit
automatic water shut-off to avoid pipe
damage when detected temperatures
fall below freezing.
8 Software. A cloud-based platform
has been designed specifically for mechanical and HVAC contractors to manage information exchange to and from
the job site.
9 Tools and contractor supplies. An
extreme temperature foil tape works for
sealing high-temperature flue pipes and
furnace-certified plastic vent pipes with
a 1.75-millimeter aluminum foil backing
and acrylic adhesive.
Exhibit Hours
Monday, Jan. 25
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Wednesday, Jan. 27
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
10 Ventilation equipment. A combined louver/damper features drainable

45-degree fixed exterior-facing blades
and adjustable interior-facing blades
with seals that can be completely closed
to resist weather infiltration.
For additional information or to register for the 2016 AHR Expo, visit ahrex
po.com. FC
Madoline Markham is group associate editor for Flow Control magazine and flowcontrolnetwork.com.
Contact her at mmarkham@grand
viewmedia.com.
5 reasons engineers attend AHR Expo
ngineers planning to attend the

2016 AHR Expo say they anticipate value in viewing and discussing the industrys newest gamechanging technologies and evaluating
the industrys ongoing innovations. Here
are five reasons engineers say they
come back to the show each year.
1 See innovations on exhibit. Ive

attended every show since 2010 and,
despite ebbs and flows in my business,
have made a point of attending because
of the benefit in seeing people and their
products in person, says Warren Trey
Austin III, owner of Littleton, Coloradobased Geo-Energy Services, LLC.
1 Meet with manufacturers and
industry stakeholders. Id missed a
few years of the show because of a
job transition but returned in 2012 in a
new role supporting the ENERGY STAR
program, says Sarah Medepalli, formerly with AHRI and now a mechanical
engineer at ICF International in Fairfax,
Virginia. EPA sees the value in attending and conducting meetings with manufacturers and industry stakeholders,
Medepalli said.
3 Mingle with colleagues. Jordan Lee,

a mechanical engineer at DLR Group
in Seattle, denotes the importance of
attending AHR Expo said he found value
in being able to meet with out-of-town
colleagues. DLR Group has 21 locations
across the country, and it was great to be
able to meet with colleagues Id spoken
and emailed with but never met in person before, while we were all together in
the same place, says Lee.
able to see where the industry is headed

and notice trends through the significant
variety of products on display from one
year to the next, says Medepalli. Its
so important to have a good handle on
what is coming down the pipeline.
5 Network. A majority of my business

comes from networking connections,
so I know that the exchanges I have at
AHR Expo are going to directly affect the
companys bottom line, Austin says.
Nothing has helped my business grow
like referrals have, and the majority of
leads have come from attending this
show. FC
4 Gain professional development.

The show has helped me grow in my
professional development by just being
Live Show Coverage

Search #ahrexpo on Twitter.
@FlowControl_Mag
@LoriDitoro
@AHRExpo
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January 2016 | 19
SPECIAL SECTION
Equipment
System Design
AND
The technology source for OEMs,

designers, engineers and system integrators
Plant
Safety
iStock
Motor
Alignment
Component
Selection
Rotating component
solutions for integrated skids
By Amin Almasi
growing demand for integrated systems includes rotating equipment, such as a pump; a compressor or
gas turbine; and all of the auxiliaries, such as valves,
instrumentation and piping, in one or a few skids.
Machinery and rotating equipment packages require sophisticated instruments, valves and control systems, and special consideration should be given when selecting these component solutions. For example, many instruments and valves
can be susceptible to damage, abnormal wear or malfunction if
they are mounted in a location where they are subject to vibration or pulsation from the larger system. If any part of the flow
instrumentation, control valves or actuation equipment might
be subject to vibration or pulsation in
a machinery package, the affected
instruments should receive special attention with vibration-free supports or
other provisions.
This article discusses how to select
control valves and flow meters (and
their pipe run requirements).
standard swivel disc. That would reduce harmful disc and stem
vibration, but may result in accelerated seat wear and leakage.
Butterfly valves
Butterfly valves are available in several configurations. Doubleflanged and wafer (lug) types provide more or less tight shutoff
in the closed position, while others are suitable for flow regulation. Wafer-type butterfly valves, particularly for large sizes at or
above 6 inches, offer the most compact design for integrated
rotating equipment systems.
They can be used in very compact skid designs and are also
available different materials, such as gray iron, ductile iron,
A globe valve design is intended to

control flow, and it can also be used as
an isolation valve. Its design minimizes
seat wear during valve opening and
closing as the disc moves toward and
away from the body seat, providing a
uniform clearance and flow around the
disc edge. Globe valves are suitable
for throttling, ideally when the disc is
at least 20 percent open. Otherwise
flow-induced vibration can damage
the valve. For this reason, ensure the
Globe valves are suitable for throttling, ideally when the disc is at least 20 percent open.
Otherwise, flow-induced vibration can damage the valve.
valve is not too large for the intended
flow condition.
For larger size and higher-pressure class valves, consider
bronze, steel, nickel-base alloy and special alloys. Although
a provision to guide the disc throughout its travel for better
butterfly valves can operate in any orientation, the stem horioperation and reliability. A guided disc ensures that the disc
zontal is preferred to avoid debris collection and bearing wear
will not deflect or cock during travel, resulting in uneven seat
that can occur in a vertical orientation.
wear and leakage. The disc can be guided in a cage, at a single
location near the stem, on one or more outside diameters on
Differential pressure flow meters
the disc, or by machined body-guide ribs.
Flow can be measured in many ways for integrated rotating
When conditions require a valve to be less than 20 perequipment systems. One option, differential pressure, is the
cent open, consider using a non-rotating disc rather than the
most common.
January 2016 | 21
Lauri Patterson/iStock
Globe valves
Additionally, a sharp- (square-) edged

concentric orifice plate is used frequently
because of its low cost, adaptability and
availability of established coefficients. For
most services, orifice plates are made of
corrosion-resistant materials, often type
304 or 316 stainless steel. In particular, eccentric orifices or segmental plates
should be used for dirty fluids or wet
gases, while quadrant orifices should be
used for viscous liquids.

Orifice plates offer strong repeatability,
ease of installation, use of one transmitter regardless of pipe size, low cost, different types and materials, and relative ease
to be changed. They do have limitations.
They are susceptible to damage from foreign materials entrained in the fluid and
to erosion, and they require straight runs
of upstream and downstream piping.
Antimicrobial Tubing
Venturi and flow tubes are used with

differential pressure flow meters where
high capacity and minimum head loss
are critical. They offer strong repeatability and low permanent loss, yet their
cost is relatively high and the size and
weight of the installation can require additional support. Like the orifice plates,
they require straight runs of upstream
and downstream piping.
Diaphragm differential pressure
transmitters are used extensively in different units and packages. The transmission signal can be either pneumatic or
electronic but, in most cases, is electronic. Because of their low displacement,
these instruments can generally be used
without a seal or condensate pot. In line
mounting is best if the location is accessible and has minimum vibration. Gas
meters are mounted above the line to allow any condensate to drain back, while
liquid meters are mounted below the
line to prevent gas or vapor from being
trapped in the sensing lines, which could
cause errors from unequal static heads.
Bellows
In a bellows meter, the bellows is opposed
by a calibrated spring system and is filled
to prevent rupturing when the bellows is
over-pressured and to provide pulsation
damping. They can be line-mounted or
remotely mounted at grade or on platforms with adequate support.
Variable-area
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Also known as rotameters, these flow

meters include a wide flow range up
to 10-to-1, linear transmitter output
and minimal effect of gas compressibility. Limitations of variable-area meters
include a lack of availability in all materials, viscosity ceiling limits that are provided by manufacturers and the need
for vertical installation.
Turbine
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Turbine meters are used where high accuracy, around 0.5 percent and rangeability of 0.2 percent or better, is required. Their outputs are suitable for
control or recording applications, and
they are also ideally suited for batch
control applications. Compensation for
22 | January 2016
nonlinearities because of viscosity is also available. They can

have a high or low flow rate for a given line size.
Limitations of turbine flow meters include their susceptibility to
wear or damage if the process stream is dirty or non-lubricating.
They are also susceptible to damage from over-speed and pulsing
flow. They require maintenance and may need to be returned to
the manufacturer for recalibration after a bearing change or other
maintenance. Their rangeability is affected by high viscosity and
low density. They can be higher in price than other meters, and
they require strainers.
Positive displacement
Positive displacement meters are used for their strong repeatability across wide flow ranges for heavy or viscous fluids.
They support accuracies as high as 0.2 percent of actual flow.
Ensuring high accuracy requires some form of meter proving.
Typical repeatabilities are 0.1 percent, and a rangeability of
10-to-1 can be achieved.
Among their disadvantages are susceptibility to mechanical
wear and not being interchangeable. They should be supplied
to match the service, require filter or strainer, and have special
considerations for installation.
Vortex
Vortex meters are used in applications that require wide rangeability and accuracy. They have an accuracy of 1 percent of
rate and are available in many sizes. Their construction material options are limited, and they are generally unsuitable for
slurries or high-viscosity liquids.
The ideal application of these flow meters is in difficult fluids

or applications in which their accuracy justifies the higher cost.
Pulsation in machinery packages

The measurement of pulsating flow, such as flows in reciprocating compressors or pumps, is difficult and should be
avoided if possible. Head-type flow meters and instruments
with mechanical movements, such as positive displacement
meters and turbines, should not be used in pulsating-flow
applications. Too often, the flow measurement is not dependable, and the pulsing may contribute to premature wearing of
mechanical components. FC
Amin Almasi is a senior rotating machine
consultant in Australia. He is a chartered professional engineer of Engineers
Australia, IMechE, holds bachelors and
masters degrees in mechanical engineering, and is a registered professional
engineer in Queensland. He specializes
in rotating machines, including centrifugal, screw and reciprocating compressors; gas turbines;
steam turbines; engines; pumps; subsea, offshore rotating
machines; LNG units; condition monitoring; and reliability. He
can be reached at amin.almasi@ymail.com.
Silicone Carbide
Filled Epoxy
Flow can be measured in many ways

for integrated rotating equipment
systems. One option, differential
pressure, is the most common.
Coriolis mass
Although Coriolis meters are nonintrusive, in some designs the
flow path through the meter is circuitous. In addition, the flow
is generally separated into two tubes that are much smaller in
cross-sectional area than the inlet process piping. For this reason, it is relatively easy for any secondary phase to build up in
a Coriolis flow meter that has not been carefully installed. The
pressure loss can be substantially higher than other types of
nonintrusive elements, and cavitation and flashing can occur
with volatile fluids.
Improper installation may result in startup problems, so
follow the manufacturers recommendations strictly. Pressure
containment enclosures are available when required.
Coriolis flow meters are not affected by distortion of the
velocity profile and do not usually require metering runs. Although they generally cost more than other types, they measure mass flow rate without the need for additional elements.
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January 2016 | 23
Why electric motors fail

By Paul J. Barna, SKF USA Inc.
lectric motors top the industrial landscape as the most

widely deployed asset driving processes and productivity. In fact, industrial motor use accounts for about 25
percent of all electricity usage nationwide, according to the
U.S. Department of Energy. Despite the dependence on these
motors and their vital roles in industry, electric motors can fail
for many reasons leading to losses in productivity and associated profitability.
Nevertheless, the health of electric motors might not be
perceived as a top priority in day-to-day operations, even where
predictive maintenance programs have been implemented to
make timely maintenance fixes on critical machinery before
catastrophic failures can occur. The universal reliance on electric motors underscores the inherent value in detecting, identifying and evaluating operating abnormalities. Without proper
attention, the likelihood of failure increases, and it will likely
come without warning and at an inopportune time.
How and why do electric motors fail, and what can be done
to optimize their performance? Possible causes include turnto-turn insulation faults, premature bearing failure modes, and
even improper installation, especially in applications that involve small motors. As safeguards, testing protocols, technologies and best practices can enhance motor reliability.
mechanical causes. Dielectric strength will then diminish until

in-rush voltage causes electrical arcing, and every time the motor starts and stops it will become more severe until it fails. In
short, insulation deterioration gets worse, dielectric strength
drops below operating voltage, arcing action causes high levels
of induced current and high heat, and the surefire outcome is
rapid failure, sometimes within minutes.
Static testing supported by enabling technologies can help
determine whether a motor is running toward electrical failure. Testing equipment can focus on off-line testing domains
including:
Winding resistance test confirms windings are balanced
with no connection issues.
Meg-ohm test verifies ground wall integrity and the presence of moisture and/or contamination.
Polarization test determines winding cleanliness, potential thermal degradation, and contamination issues indicating embrittlement and insulation deterioration.
Ramp voltage/step voltage tests highlight ground wall
integrity and contamination issues and are useful in determining severity of insulation breakdown.
Identifying hidden problems in electric motors that can be

repaired or replaced can optimize a motors efficiency and
performance and save time, money and headaches.
Static testing, which is performed when a motor is off-line,
can determine the condition of a motors insulation and circuit,
while dynamic motor analysis, which is performed while a motor is operating, can pinpoint issues related to power quality,
motor performance and load. Together, these tests will paint a
picture of motor health and provide information to accurately
diagnose and predict imminent failures.
Industry studies have shown that 80 percent of motor failures electrically develop from turn-to-turn, end-turn insulation
system faults. In general, insulation in a motor begins to wear
as turns rub together from movement generated during motor
startup. Insulation can further degrade due to the introduction
of chemical deposits that are usually found when a motor is
over-greased. In the end, a compromised insulation system in
an electric motor will increase the chances for failure from an
electrical perspective.
While the dielectric strength of a new motor is high, normal aging can be expected from thermal, chemical and/or
24 | January 2016
All photos courtesy of SKF
Testing & monitoring
Electric motors can benefit from testing protocols, technologies

and best practices to enhance motor reliability.
Surge test identifies turn-to-turn insulation integrity, coil

shorts and inductance.
Resulting test values can further be trended over time with
the application of fully automated route-based testers that can
track the various domains throughout a motors service life.
Looking at dynamic motor analysis, a toolbox of technologies for on-line testing includes portable analyzers and network-connected monitor systems. They have been engineered
to measure the following: power quality (including voltage levels, voltage unbalance and any distortion of incoming power),
motor performance (how hard a motor can work through speed
torque and operating temperature), overcurrent or current imbalances, torque characteristics (whether a motor is over- or
underworked and related levels of energy consumption), connections (verifying all phases are operating symmetrically without unbalance) and variable frequency drives (usually installed
to improve overall plant energy consumption and efficiency but
liable to create bad power feeds leading to premature wear and
possible failure).
With new technologies, a network-connected and permanently installed electrical processor analysis system can automatically monitor motors from anywhere in the world and continuously collect data on their health and performance. Such a
system can monitor up to 30 motors per unit, measure more
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Specialized ceramic coatings applied on the outside or inside

diameter of bearings can provide insulation properties to help
prevent electric currents from flowing through the bearings and
causing damage from electric arcing.
than 40 electrical parameters, compare results with standard

limits and display alerts if limits have been exceeded.
From a big picture perspective, a recommended bundled
electric motor management program that embraces all these
testing protocols can help reduce unscheduled motor-driven downtime, detect root causes of motor failure, minimize
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January 2016 | 25
troubleshooting time, assist in maintenance and quality assurance objectives, and save energy and related costs.
Bearings & failure modes
To correct it, first check whether the proper lubricant is

being used for the bearing and that re-greasing intervals are
adequate for the application. If the lubricant contains contaminants, check the seals to determine whether they should be
replaced or upgraded. In some cases depending on the application, a lubricant with a higher viscosity could be needed to
increase the oil film.
Insufficient bearing load occurs when a motor runs without
a load, increasing the risk of damaging bearings because they
always require a minimum load to function well. The damage
will appear as smearing on the rolling elements and raceways
over a long period of time. Unless preloaded bearings are used,
external loads should always be applied to the bearings to keep
this from happening.
Bearings are key components of electric motors. They

support and locate the rotor, keep the air gap small and
consistent, and transfer loads from motor shaft to motor
frame. Electric motors typically incorporate a locating and
non-locating bearing arrangement to support the rotor radially and locate the rotor axially relative to the stator. Locating
bearings position the shaft and support axial loads, while
non-locating bearings permit shaft movement in the axial
direction and compensate for overload conditions when thermal expansion of the shaft occurs.
Proper selection, installation and maintenance of bearings
can help contribute to extended service life in electric motors.
Motor installation & setup
However, bearings can fail prematurely for reasons including
Unless an electric motor is installed and set up properly, it
electrical erosion, inadequate or unsuitable lubrication, and/
will not realize its expected service life, even if the motor
or loads that are heavier than
integrates high-quality compoexpected or too light.
nents. Typical installation and
Inadequate lubrication will cause
Electrical erosion, also
setup errors, especially as they
known as electric arcing, derelate to a motors bearings,
either surface distress or abrasive
velops when a stray current
include the following:
wear in a bearing, substantially
uses a bearing as its path
Poor alignment. If the shaft
to ground. Its most frequent
of an electric motor is not
reducing its service life.
causes include asymmetry in
aligned carefully with the shaft
the motors magnetic circuit,
of the driven component, the
unshielded power cables and/or fast-switching variable frebearings in both applications will be subjected to additional
quency drives.
forces that could significantly reduce bearing service life in both
Once electric arc bearing damage has begun, excessive vipieces of equipment. Precision alignment tools can confirm
brations, increased heat, increased noise levels and reduced
alignment is appropriate.
effectiveness of the motor bearings lubricant will contribute to
Unbalance. Substantial unbalance in the driven unit can be
shorten a bearings service life. The extent of the damage will
transferred to a motor, and these vibrations will shorten bearing
depend on the amount of energy and its duration, but the reservice life. Checking the vibration level of the driven unit can
sult is usually the same: pitting damage to the bearings rollers
point to the root cause of the problem.
and raceways, rapid degradation of lubricant and premature
Excessive belt tension. This is commonly encountered in
bearing failure.
premature bearing failures. In most cases, the excessive loads
One solution for resolving electric arcing problems is to
from the belt cause unnecessarily high loads on the motor
insulate the bearings from the shaft currents. Specialized cebearings to significantly reduce the service life of the bearings
ramic coatings can be applied on the outside or inside diamand the belt. Higher loads also mean higher operating temeter of a bearing to provide the insulation properties and preperatures, which can reduce the effectiveness of lubricant and
vent currents from flowing through the bearings. As another
consequently bearing service life. A best practice is to check
solution, hybrid bearing designs substitute ceramic balls or
to make sure that the belts have the correct tension and that
rollers for the metal rolling elements within a bearing. This efsimple tools are available for the job.
fectively insulates bearings from the inside, and adding value,
Without electric motors, most machines would be out of
hybrid bearings possess a higher speed capability and can
service. Conducting proper static and dynamic testing, discernsustain longer service life than all-steel bearings in most moing adverse influences on motor bearings, and properly installtor applications.
ing and setting up motors at the start can go a long way toward
Inadequate lubrication will cause either surface distress
optimizing the health and performance of motors and the
or abrasive wear in a bearing, substantially reducing its serproductivity processes they drive. FC
vice life. If the lubricant film between a bearings rolling elePaul J. Barna is service and systems engineering manager
ments and raceways is too thin due to inadequate viscosity or
at SKF USA Inc. and has more than 24 years of industry
contamination, the surfaces will no longer be fully separated,
experience. To contact him, email paul.barna@skf.com or
and that metal-to-metal contact can cause potentially dire
call 281-925-2858. For more information, visit www.skf.com
consequences.
26 | January 2016
Complying with changes to the

Pressure Equipment Directive
By HPi Verification Services
any global oil and gas companies are not widely

aware of the requirements of Pressure Equipment
Directive (PED) certification and the questions they
should be asking in relation to it. The plethora of regulation
and stringent standards to which oil and gas projects must
adhere affects more than just European manufacturers.
International companies expanding into serving oil and gas
operations in Europe also need to know where to begin and
what questions to ask to effectively assess how to meet PED
compliance.
The back story

PED 97/23/EC, soon to become 2014/68/EU, came into force
in 1997. It provides guidelines for conformity rather than a
set of strict rules for the design, manufacture, testing and
conformity assessment of pressure equipment in the European
marketplace. In June 2015, the requirements of PED certification began changing for the first time in 17 years, impacting
manufacturers, importers and distributers of pressure equipment. Looking ahead to July 2016 when the PED will become
2014/68/EU, the requirement will be even more stringent.
Essentially, the changes aim to clarify and streamline the rules
for getting pressure equipment to the market, particularly
in the face of increasing competition from equipment with
fraudulent certification.
What it covers
The changes to the regulation affect a wide range of factors,
from the classification of fluids to the obligations of both manufacturers and notified bodies. For example, the manufacturer
will no longer be the only one that is required to ensure that
only safe and compliant products reach the market. Instead, it
will encompass the entire supply chain. Additionally, if importers or distributers modify the equipment in any way or place
the equipment on the market under their own name, they are
now considered a manufacturer by the regulation and are
subject to the obligations therein. All of this means that the
net of responsible parties will widen, ensuring that only safe,
certified equipment reaches the end user.
The changes also evolve the safety philosophy of the directive. While no changes were made to the actual safety
requirements, manufacturers must now analyze the risks of
pressure equipment and not just the hazards to make sure
that every aspect of safety is considered and evaluated.
Courtesy of HPi Verification Services
Getting started
Pressure equipment in an O2 purifier skid.
When working with customers, one provider of certification

products has found that knowing which questions to ask to
begin the process is often one of the first and most challenging barriers to achieving compliance, especially when a
manufacturer is new to the region. Working with organizations that offer step-by-step, accurate guidance based on
years of experience can help companies navigate the regulation and ensure they have all the necessary steps in place
while mitigating the risks of non-compliance. For example,
the recently launched PED online training portal at training.
January 2016 | 27
eucertification.com provides access to

a bank of information relating to the
directive. This portal is designed to
help companies access the important
details they need and steer them
toward certification. The PED has a
number of exclusions, largely regarding equipment already regulated in
equivalent or more stringent European
Commission directives.
Looking beyond regulation

In a period of the lowest oil prices in
almost a decade, demonstrating transparency and good governance has never
been more crucial to remain competitive
in the market, especially in the wake of
events such as the Deep Water Horizon
disaster. The certification bodies must
play a key role in enabling those in the
industry to recognize how certification
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schemes can help companies improve

standards and efficiencies; maintain
value through protecting their reputation; and continue positive, trustworthy
relationships with customers and wider
stakeholders.
Good governance goes beyond a
checklist approach. Demonstrating not
just compliance but also a thorough
understanding of the regulations can
provide reassurance that every measurable step has been taken to guarantee
the utmost standards in safety and quality. A notified body must adopt a more
thorough approach, recording not only
whether a feature is compliant but also
how it reaches the required standard.
With this additional information, operators can easily provide evidence to
prove compliance.
With increasing scrutiny across every
stage of complex, multifaceted operations, ensuring that pressure equipment
meets standards and is documented
robustly is not only essential for compliance but also for demonstrating a commitment to transparency and good governance. Certification bodies have an
important role to play to empower companies to understand and achieve requirements smoothly and efficiently. By
doing so, certification schemes can help
improve operational standards and efficiencies, drive value through improved
reputation, and improve relationships
with customers and wider stakeholder
networks. FC
HPi Verification Services is a

Notified Body. The company may
issue certificates for products that
require a CE mark. To earn this
status, HPi VS operates to a code
of conduct and accredited quality
system that is reviewed by the British
government.
HPi VS staff have been employed
as experts by the EU Commission, as
their representatives for several missions to assess EU applicant nations
preparations for compliance with CE
marking legislation and to train government officials and captains of
industry.
28 | January 2016
Featured Products
Write in the numbers listed with each product in the Free Information section on the reader service card in this issue,
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Spring-loaded linear
position sensors
Single-part epoxy system
Alliance Sensors Groups (ASG) linear position

product line of Linear Variable Inductive Transducer
(LVIT) merges the benefits of contactless inductive
sensing and low cost of contact-based technologies.
ASGs line of LVITs has been expanded to now include
a spring-loaded version, the LRS-18. This model has a
-inch outside diameter aluminum body and is offered
in ranges 12.5 to 100 mm. The LRS-18 is ideal for
original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and factory
automation applications where small size and low cost
are a premium. However, the probe cannot be hard
fixed to the measurand.
Formulated for potting, encapsulation, bonding and

sealing applications, Master Bond EP17HT-100 is a single-part epoxy system that is designed to cure in 60 to
90 minutes at 200F to 220F. Cures can be accelerated
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applications involving temperaturesensitive substrates
in the aerospace,
electronic, optical
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EP17HT-100 is not premixed and frozen and has an
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Evaporative condensing
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It is listed by the
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for food equipment materials (NSF-51) and potable water (NSF-61).
Nylobrade is stocked in thin, standard and high-pressure wall thicknesses. The hose is made with non-toxic
ingredients and does not contain DEHP. The product is
stocked in sizes up to 2-inch inside diameters and is
made in U.S.
RAE Coils, a division of RAE Corporation, is now manufacturing replacement and OEM evaporative condensing
tube bundles. When compared with air cooled technology, this product can result in a reduction of up to 35
percent in annual operating costs. The tubes in RAE
Coils evaporative cooling tube bundles are constructed
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Evaporative condensing
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January 2016 | 29
Best Practices & Applications
10 best practices
for gas & flame safety
Achieve a multilayer chain of defense to protect
people, equipment and facilities.
By Ardem Antabian, MSA-The Safety Company
requently industrial accidents occur because management and employees do not follow proper directions and
precautions provided by their chemical or gas suppliers
and plant equipment manufacturers. The typical root causes of
industrial plant accidents include:
Failure to follow specialty chemical and/or gas handling
and storage instructions
Failure to install and maintain equipment in which chemicals and gas could be present
Failure to use portable and fixed gas and flame detectors
All graphics courtesy of MSA-The Safety Company
Detecting toxic and combustible gas leaks and fires can be a

challenge under the best conditions at any plant. The problem is
that, no matter how many fixed detectors are installed, a gas leak
or fire can still go undetected if it does not contact a sensor or cannot be seen by a detector. The same is true of personnel wearing
portable gas detectors. If they are not standing by a tank with a
leaking valve, no one knows about the leak.
Todays intelligent gas and flame detection systems are designed to eliminate human error through the layering of multiple
gas and flame detection technologies to form a chain of defense
providing increased coverage. These versatile detection technologies work together to form the human sensory model (HSM)
(see Figure 1). The HSM mimics the senses of the people who
developed them to increase immunity to false alarms, coverage
and overall safety. For example, catalytic bead detectors sniff
gases. Infrared (IR) optical type sensors see gases and unwanted fires, and ultrasonic sensors hear gases.
This article details a multilayer approach to gas and flame
detection (see Figure 2) by reviewing 10 basic best practices
for hazardous area safety.
TIP 1
Cultivate a safety is job No. 1 culture
As obvious as it sounds, end users may be surprised at how
often Safety is job No. 1 is preached and not practiced.
Managers must talk about safety seriously and continuously
so that supervisors and employees understand this topic is
not just lip service. Employee training is the first line of safety
defense. When accidents occur, the U.S. Chemical Safety
Board (CSB) investigates them, and management can learn a
great deal about accident prevention from the CSBs reports
and video simulations.
TIP 2
Know industrial gas properties
The U.S. Occupational Health & Safety Industry (OSHA,
osha.gov) publishes a free Chemical Hazard
Communication booklet to help companies
understand their responsibility to communicate with their employees about toxic gas,
combustible gas and flame hazards and how
to maintain a safe working environment. OSHA
also requires the manufacturers of chemicals
to provide safety data sheets, which explain
the properties and hazards of chemicals and
gases, along with their proper handling.
TIP 3
Review hazardous areas
Figure 1. The human sensory model (HSM)
30 | January 2016
Gas leaks and fires may originate from different sources within industrial plants, including leaking tanks, pipes, valves and pumps.
Detecting dangerous gas leaks and fires reliably using any single conventional technology
is a challenge for anyone. IR detectors,

for example, cannot detect hydrogen
gas because hydrogen does not absorb
IR energy.
Another example is ultrasonic detectors. While a pressurized pipe gas leak
may create an ultrasonic noise, so can
other pieces of equipment, which can
trigger ultrasonic gas leak detectors.
Optical flame detectors can be fooled by
reflections or heat rising from tanks and
other shiny surfaces on hot days. Safety
experts should review a plant for any potential safety issues and make recommendations for improvement at new and
existing facilities.
Figure 2. A multilayer approach to gas and flame safety
TIP 4
Know how to operate portable gas detectors
Plant owners or managers cannot place
a fixed gas detector everywhere personnel might work. In confined spaces,
such as large tanks, the danger of toxic
fumes or a lack of oxygen poses a hazard only when people are present. For
this reason, portable gas detectors are
designed with highly sensitive electrochemical cells that issue a warning display and sound alarms in the presence
of specific gases, such as ammonia,
chlorine, carbon dioxide or monoxide.
For these portable gas detectors to
operate properly, they must be batterycharged, and personnel must know the
length of time that they can be operated
before recharging is required. After an
alarm, employees must also know how
to clean the portable detectors and when
the sensing cells must be replaced.
TIP 5
Learn about combustible
gas detectors
Multiple technologies and types of combustible gas detectors are suitable for
use depending on the specific gas, plant
equipment layout and plant operating
environment. The operating principle of
catalytic bead gas detectors employs
catalytic combustion to measure combustible gases in the air at fine concentrations.
Point infrared (PIR) gas detectors use
two wavelengths, one at the gas absorbWrite in 11 or request info instantly at www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/freeinfo
January 2016 | 31
Best Practices & Applications
ing active wavelength and the other at a

reference wavelength not absorbed by
the gas. Neither wavelength is absorbed
by other common atmospheric components such as water vapor, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon dioxide. With Open Path
IR technology, the detection path of the
IR beam is expanded from less than 10
centimeters, typical of PIR detectors, to
greater than 100 meters.
In comparison to conventional gas

detectors that measure the percentage
of Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), advanced
ultrasonic gas leak detectors with neural network technology (NNT) respond
to the ultrasonic noise created by a
pressurized gas leak, such as a leaky
valve. Their NNT pattern recognition intelligence ignores false alarm sources,
such as a nearby gas compressor in op-
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TIP 6
Learn about flame
detectors
Several popular flame detection technologies are based on ultraviolet (UV)
and IR sensing technologies. By combining a UV optical sensor with an
IR sensor, a dual band flame UV/IR
detector is developed with sensitivity
to the UV and IR radiation emitted by
a fire. The UV/IR flame detector offers
increased immunity when compared
to a UV-only detector and is suited for
both indoor and outdoor use. Advanced
multi-spectral IR flame detectors combine multiple IR sensors into a single
sensor array using NNT intelligence.
They provide pattern recognition capabilities that are based on training to distinguish real fires from normal events,
such as reflected sunlight.
TIP 7
Review safety ratings
IP66
NEMA 4X
F-440
F-550
F-460
WASH DOWN
F-2000
Digital Paddlewheel Flowmeter
VARIABLE AREA FLOWMETERS

Quality & Function at an Excellent Price Point
The thoughtfully engineered F-2000 series

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In-line, Panel Mount and Closed Pipe units

ofered in more than 240 conigurations,
and a variety of material and
low rate options.
5300 Business Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649 USA

714-893-8529 sales@blue-white.com www.blue-white.com
All gas and flame detectors are electrically powered. In the presence of gases,
vapors and dust, they can be a source of
combustion depending on their design,
materials, construction and electrical
safety ratings. To prevent accidents,
global international organizations and
regulatory bodies have devised multiple
electrical safety rating systems according to their regional electrical codes.
The most common rating classifications for gas and flame detectors include
but are not limited to Class 1/Div 2, CSA,
ATEX and safety integrity level (SIL). In the
U.S., the Class 1/Div 2 rating, for example,
is an electrical design requirement for
gas and flame detectors operating where
combustible gas is present under abnormal conditions. Canada has a similar
standard known as CSA. In Europe, the
ATEX standard applies.
The SIL is a newer safeguard that
measures the safety risk of an industrial
process. Gas and flame detectors can be
qualified to a safety instrumented system
that places a protective layer of safety
around a particular process.
32 | January 2016
respond accordingly (see Figure 3). For example, flame detectors with neural network intelligence can recognize and ignore
reflected sunlight and the heat patterns emitted by storage tanks
on sunny days that might have previously led to a flame alarm.
Conclusions
Adopting these 10 basic best practices for gas and fire safety
may help save someones life because people continue to
make mistakes. Never hesitate to ask for help with safety
issues because being vigilant, thinking ahead and taking
the right precautions can help achieve a multilayer chain of
defense to protect people, equipment and the facility. FC
Figure 3. Next-generation detectors mimic the human brain to

recognize and respond to patterns.
TIP 8
Follow the manufacturers instructions
When working with specialty chemicals, gases, pumps and
valves, safety equipment, or other equipment, the manufacturers of these items take great care to provide precise instructions for their use. The first rule of safety is: Do not deviate
from the manufacturers instructions or improvise without
first contacting the manufacturer and explaining the problem
encountered at the plant.
TIP 9
Be vigilant about maintenance
All types of safety detectors require periodic maintenance.
They also have a lifespan and require replacement. Wellmaintained industrial plants achieve superior productivity at an
overall lower cost. Short-term cost cutting on safety equipment
maintenance can become expensive and have long-term,
tragic consequences. The best practice is to be familiar with
the recommended guidelines and when in doubt consult the
technical team of each manufacturer.
TIP 10
Do not ignore alarms
Avoiding false alarms is also important because they result
in unnecessary process or plant shutdowns requiring timeconsuming reviews, paperwork and reporting. False alarms
can, over time, provide employees with a false sense of security, and they may become complacent if alarms go off for no
apparent reason and eventually ignore them. The trouble is
that personnel alone cannot distinguish between a false alarm
and a serious accident about to happen.
Todays next-generation gas and flame detection systems
apply artificial intelligence to increase false alarm immunity.
They mimic the human brains ability to recognize patterns and
Ardem Antabian is OGP Segment manager for MSA-The Safety Company. He

holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees
in chemical engineering and chemistry.
Joining the company in 1999, he has held
various positions, including global assignments in Dubai and Berlin. He also helped
develop the companys advanced point
and open path IR gas detectors and multispectral IR flame
detector. He may be reached at ardem.antabian@msasafety.
com. For more information, visit www.msagasdetection.com.
Do You
Know & Understand
Your Pumps?
Larry Bachus ("The Pump Guy") is the
co-author of Everything You Need to
Know About Pumps, one of the best
selling technical books on pump systems in
the world. This book is written exclusively for
people who must maintain pumps. Whereas
other pump books are written from a design
point of view, this book is written with
maintenance in mind. While most technical
books sit on a reference shelf gathering dust,
this book gathers dirt smudges. Its pages get
creased and folded when mashed by the lid
of a photocopy machine. It gets sneezed on
and splashed with snot on cold mornings. It gets soaked with leaking oil, grease,
and coffee. Basically, it gets used ... because it's tremendously useful. The
straightforward guidance it provides will help you ensure the efficiency and
lifespan of your pumping systems.
To order your copy of Everything You Need to Know About Pumps,

call (615) 361-7295 or order online at
www.bachusinc.com/books.html
January 2016 | 33
Featured Products
Write in the numbers listed with each product in the Free Information section on the reader service card in this issue,
or visit www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/freeinfo.
Variable speed pump drive

for centrifugal pump systems
Pressure boosting system

with graphical controller
Goulds Water Technology, a Xylem brand, offers the

Hydrovar variable speed pump drive, which provides
system control for centrifugal pump systems requiring
constant pressure, flow control or differential pressure
in municipal applications.
The design is available
in three drive types; in
multipump applications the drive
can control up to
eight pumps. The
Hydrovar supplies constant
pressure, adjusting the speed
of the motor to
match demand,
which reduces energy use and cost.
The Grundfos Hydro MPC BoosterpaQ is a fully-integrated and compact pressure-boosting system that offers
multiple configurations with up to
six pumps in parallel to accommodate water supply systems, as well as
industrial and irrigation applications.
The new CU 352 intuitive graphical
interface controller uses actual pumpcurve data to help optimize energy
consumption by controlling/staging the number
of pumps in operation,
as well as the speed of
the individual pumps,
to continually adjust
the performance
of the system
to variations in
demand.
FREE INFO: WRITE IN 104 | www.goulds.com
FREE INFO: WRITE IN 105 | www.grundfos.com
Stainless steel ball valves

for refrigeration applications
PID controller for heating

& cooling applications
HANTEMP Controls COBRA-NECK

ball valve is designed to
withstand the often corrosive and harsh environments
of refrigeration systems. Featuring a stainless steel body,
ball, stem, back-seat spring
and trim, the ball valve can be
used to control pressure, temperature,
flow and liquid level in large refrigeration systems. Stainless steel valves offer
corrosion resistance because of
the materials high ductility. As a
result, stainless steel reduces
operation costs. The need
for preventive maintenance,
surface painting and replacement
installations is reduced, ultimately cutting life cycle
costs and extending system lifespan.
OMEGAs CNPT-DEMO PID controller offers a fully

integrated temperature control system suitable as a
platform to investigate the use of closed loop (PID)
and simple on/off temperature control in heating and
cooling applications. The system is ideal for PID control
theory education in universities and laboratories. The
CNPT-DEMO allows easy set up and use with intuitive
smart menu flow,
panel-mounted USB
and Ethernet connectivity, an alarm
indicator, a 4-to
20-mA remote setpoint potentiometer,
a pushbutton digital
input, and an aluminum plate allowing
the user to feel the
temperature response.
FREE INFO: WRITE IN 106 | www.hantempcontrols.com
FREE INFO: WRITE IN 107 | www.omega.com
34 | January 2016
Advertiser/Product Index
Find company websites and get free product information online at www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/freeinfo.
BC = Back Cover - IBC = Inside Back Cover - IFC = Inside Front Cover
Advertiser
Page
RS#
Advertiser
Page
RS#
Bachus Company, Inc.
33
NA
Neoperl, Inc.
25
Badger Meter, Inc.
IFC
New Age Industries
22
Blue-White Industries
32
12
Omega Engineering, Inc.
BPA
Product
Page
RS#
Alliance Sensors Group
29
100
Goulds Water Technology
34
104
Grundfos
34
105
Plast-o-Matic Valves, Inc.
HANTEMP Controls
34
106
Process Flow Network
NA
Master Bond
29
101
Proportion-Air, Inc.
31
11
New Age Industries
29
102
Sage Metering
Omega
34
107
Spitzer and Boyes, LLC
25
RAE Coils
29
103
NA
CME Aerospace Control

Products
Collins Instrument Co.
19
Endress+Hauser
BC
13
Master Bond
23
14
Minnesota Rubber &

Plastics
28
10
Classified
Check-All Valve Mfg., Co.

www.checkall.com
515-224-2301
sales@checkall.com
Manufactured In West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
ADVERTISING
Contact
Ashley Davidson
205.995.1593
adavidson@grandviewmedia.com
to
RESERVE YOUR
AD SPACE
Finding the right

check valve can be
puzzling. However,
Check-All has your
solution.
Get Me
Our team of experts can

help you select a
spring-loaded check
valve assembled to your
exact needs, ensuring
absolute precision and
reliability.
A Check
-All!
SIN
CE
195
After all, at Check-All,

check valves are all we
do. Thats what makes
Check-All the only
choice.
Most lead times are less than one week!
Get Me A C heck-All! Its the perfect fit!

January 2016 | 35
This month on...
FlowControlNetwork.com
From our Twitter feed
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
FlowControl_Mag
Dec 18, 11:20am
#Ultrasonic flow meter

market expands with natural
#gas flow | ow.ly/W5h9g
3
FlowControl_Mag
Dec 17, 10:25am
Analog vs. digital pressure

#gauges | ow.ly/W1Wr2
@Ashcroft_Inc @apgsensors
4
Courtesy of Wilden
FlowControl_Mag
Dec 15, 1:30pm
#Manufacturing economic
activity contracts for first time in
three years | ow.ly/VUlM4 @ism
2
FlowControl_Mag
Dec 11, 2:06pm
We visited w/ readers and

other industry partners who help
make our publications possible
at #ChemShow15. ow.ly/VMlCg
@chemshow
Upgrading efficiency in AODD pumps

A gas-turbine engine service and repair facility in the Netherlands found that
a new air distribution system eliminated costly air overfilling, saving both
money and inefficiency.
flwctrl.com/1QUOLn8
iStock
iStock
Courtesy of Automation Service
Top Articles of 2015
An insiders guide to valve

sizing & selection
Control valve shutoff

classification
5 key valve sizing points

to remember
flwctrl.com/1XZfwMV
flwctrl.com/1NXCejO
flwctrl.com/1Ne7HLc
facebook.com/flowcontrolmagazine
36 | January 2016
@flowcontrol_mag
linkedin.com/groups/4068011/profile

proudly presents the
Pump Guy Seminar

in Indianapolis
June 7-9, 2016, at Endress+Hauser
U.S. Corporate Headquarters
Wonder if the
Pump Guy Seminar
is for you?
Check out the Pump Guy Insights
video series at flwctrl.com/pginsights
For more information and

to register, visit
flowcontrolnetwork.com/pumpguy.
PARTNER SPONSORS
Flowing with innovation.
2-wire Proline Prowirl 200

For steam, gas and liquid measurement
Whether it is reliable control at high pressures and temperatures, or reliable
measured values during continuous operation, the new Prowirl 200 has been
designed to meet your needs. Several unique functions ensure maximum
flexibility for your plant design and highest reliability in operation.
Wet steam alarm for reliable and efficient steam plant operation
Inlet-run compensation for measurements even when installation space is at
a minimum - Not enough straight run? No problem!
Heartbeat Technology for continuous self-diagnosis and simple device
verification without process interruption
Gas engine offers mass and energy compensation for 20 gases and gas
mixtures can be freely defined with up to eight components
Steam and gas data in accordance with international standards
Discover the innovation: www.us.endress.com/prowirl-f-200
Endress+Hauser, Inc
2350 Endress Place
Greenwood, IN 46143
info@us.endress.com
888-ENDRESS
www.us.endress.com

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SOLUTIONS for FLUID MOVEMENT,

JANUARY 2016 Vol. XXII, No. 1

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Leave a smaller footprint

Industry-leading flow measurement solutions to manage todays resources to sustain tomorrows

Leave a Better Footprint

Visit omega.com for Flow Measurement

Guided Wave Radar

Fail-Safe Diagnostics with Selectable Signal Fail-Safe Output

Transit Time Ultrasonic

Air Flow Switch

COPYRIGHT 2016 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Table of Contents | January 2016 Vol. XXII, No. 1

18 AHR Expo preview

Alternatives to installing flow meters

21 Rotating component solutions

24 Why electric motors fail

27 Complying with changes to the

Birmingham, AL 35242 and additional mailing offices.

From the Editor

From chief engineers and plant managers to vice presidents and

For more information, visit ProcessFlowNetwork.com or search #PFNetwork on Twitter.

From the Editor

appy New Year! Flow Control ended

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

John Merrill, PE: EagleBurgmann Industries

Flow Control Magazine

Are You Hitting

Being a BPA-audited publication guarantees you will hit the

Making the bullseye

News & Notes

GCC petrochemical exports

Manufacturing technology orders decline as 2015

(AO) production at its manufacturing

Caverion to help build

Chemline, Inc. T.A.

Think again: alternatives to installing

diameters upstream and 1.5 to 2 diameters downstream in

David W. Spitzer is a regular contributor to Flow Control

John Gramling, Engineering Manager

Flow Control Magazine

Calculating the incremental

hat is the approximate incremental cost

Knowing the incremental cost of electricity is important because

A. $300 per year per kwh

C. $500 per year per kwh

Additional complicating factors

Answer C is closest to the calculated amount.

GAS FLOW ACCURACY

For Better Piping System Performance

with Model 60B Flow Computer

FCS-9003 Portable Calibrator

The 60B Flow Computers constantly process pressure, temperature and

First State approved

PTFE shaft and diaphragm designs.