FEATURE FLOW, LEVEL & CONTROL
MONITORING fuels and chemicals
bring together measurements from a variety of sites. During tests, in which delivered fuel
from a tanker was compared to measured levels from the Pulsar system, a variance from a 6000 litre delivery of ‘within 60 litres’ was found, achieving the ±1% target.
CHEMICAL MEASUREMENT Another interesting application is the measurement of chemicals in agriculture. During the growth and storage of
Titan flow meters are being used to record the amount of chemical used during growth and storage of crops
Accurate and reliable flow and measurement
technology is essential in many industries. Here we take a look at its benefits for fuel volume
measurement, and why it is needed for regulating chemicals in the agricultural sector
F
low and level measurement equipment is used for a diverse range
of applications, but the monitoring and measurement of chemicals and fuel needs accurate and reliable technology. Take fuel delivery as one example.
Here, non-contacting ultrasonic volume measurement equipment, with associated remote plant mimic software, is allowing Northern Rail to control the ordering, delivery and usage of fuel more efficiently. This is taking place at three sites – the Newton Heath LMD (Light Maintenance Depot) near Manchester, Blackpool LMD and Barrow LMD. When Northern Rail’s contractor
Austin-Lenika identified that the existing level indicators were not reading the level correctly, it approached Pulsar Process Measurement. The new equipment needed to provide a measurement of the volume of fuel in the bulk tanks with a target of ±1% accuracy, allowing staff on site to monitor fuel usage and transfer and pinpoint the optimum time to re-order fuel. In addition, both local
18 DEC/JAN 2016 | INSTRUMENTATION
display of level on the storage tanks and the ability to remotely monitor levels across the entire tank farm of eight fuel vessels, plus three additional bulk tanks, was needed. To meet the demands, Pulsar supplied
Ultra 3 non-contacting ultrasonic level measurement controllers with associated dB series transducers. The transducers were mounted into flanges at the top of the fuel tanks, and operate on a ‘time of flight’ principle. The measurement is reliable and accurate, with signal processing by Pulsar’s dedicated DATEM software system. In addition, the Pulsar Ultra Controller can calculate volume based on almost any standard tank shape. The company also
supplied UltraScan software, which uses the RS485 Modbus output of the Ultra to provide a screen display of both levels and alarms. The software can operate either on a site basis or can
bulk crops in modern agriculture, hygiene and the elimination of pests and fungus is a major issue. Cleanliness is therefore essential in all areas, ranging from the buildings used for food production through to the storage silos, and chemicals are used here to extend the life of the products. Stored Crop Conservation (SCCL) has produced a system of ‘fogging’ these spaces with a very fine mist. This ensures the whole volume is coated with the appropriate chemical, and the company uses its own equipment and methods, which ensure a much more even treatment. These chemicals are often regulated substances and careful control of the application volume is critical. For almost 15 years, the company has been using Titan flow meters to record the amount of chemical used. On current generation SCCL machines the volume of dispensed chemicals is recorded using Titan 900 series mini-turbine flow meters. These are coupled to a panel indicator recording total volume throughput on a re-settable display, enabling the machine operator to check the desired dosage for an area against the actual volume of chemical used, ensuring safe dispersal of these controlled chemicals. To ensure consistent reliable measurements, the company’s in-house calibration rigs utilise Titan’s highly accurate oval gear (OG) flow meters.
Titan Enterprises T: 01935 812790
www.flowmeters.co.uk
Pulsar’s instrumentation is measuring the volume of fuel in bulk tanks
Pulsar Process Measurement T: 01684 891371
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