FLOW, LEVEL & CONTROL FEATURE T
rying to get a grip on the water, energy flows or process flows within process and water industry systems can be a daunting task. What’s flowing where? How do we control or monitor it? Plus other questions need to be answered. While starting with a clean sheet would be useful, in practice we’re faced with old systems, limited drawings and a confusing and tangled mess to sort out. Then, when we think we’ve established the circuit or area to be investigated, how are we going to measure what’s going on? While in-line meters can be installed, we
may not be sure that we want to invest in the installation of a fixed or permanent solution, or face the disruption associated with draining down systems, cutting pipes and so on. Ideally, we need a quick solution, which is cost-effective and involves minimal disruption. The answer is clamp-on ultrasonic flow and energy meters. These are available as portable instruments for temporary investigations or fixed meters for longer term measurement and monitoring, as a direct alternative to conventional in-line meters. The technology is a minimum disruption solution for retrofit in existing systems and processes with no drain- down or cutting of pipework. Not only do these deliver a quick lower cost installation, but ongoing benefits include dry servicing with minimum down time and interruption of services. So if you need to find out what’s
flowing where quickly or with minimum disruption and cost, this is the tool for the job. So let’s take a look at some examples where the solution has proved beneficial.
ENERGY SAVINGS As a major supplier of equipment and servicing for water purification in the laboratory and healthcare sector, Buckingham-based Triple Red was contacted by a blue chip pharmaceutical company for advice on an ongoing energy saving project. Technical personnel had identified the need to replace a 22kW pump on a pure water distribution system that operated
Michael Farnon, managing director of Micronics,
provides an overview of portable and fixed clamp-on flow technology as a solution for monitoring and managing water, energy consumption and other liquid flow in the process and water industries
GO WITH THE FLOW with clamp-on technology
continuously. Ron Griffiths, Triple Red’s project manager, formulated a plan to remove the pump and replace it with an inverter-driven 5.5kW pump. It was vital, however, to ensure that the new pump achieved the required flow rate. But, the existing system was fitted with five stainless steel loops and no means of measuring the flow of water through the pipes. So, Jeremy Allen, technical manager,
selected the Micronics Portaflow 220 for the task. This simply clamps onto the pipe, so the time to verify flow rates around the system were minimal, as was the potential disruption to the running of the busy research facility. Allen commented: “I attended the site
with an engineer to test and validate the Portaflow 220 and found it simple and straightforward to use with a good, menu-driven setup. I was impressed with the product design and build, and am sure that it will prove to be a useful addition to other instrumentation we use out in the field.”
APPLICATION BENEFITS In another example, the shampoos and conditioners manufactured by a personal and home care business in Bradford start off in concentrate form and need to be diluted with water from a 70% concentration down to 27%. If the dilution is wrong a whole batch can be spoilt which may be as much as 10 tons. The flow rate of the water therefore needs to be precisely measured. So, the Micronics PF D550 Doppler
Flow Meter was selected. This is used to monitor and balance flow, or to troubleshoot flow problems in full pipes. It is ideal for evaluating the performance of in-line flow meters, and can be installed, calibrated and started-up in minutes. The ultrasonic sensor straps onto the
outside of pipes and measures flow in any pipe that conducts ultrasound. It injects high frequency sound through
/ INSTRUMENTATION
The Micronics PF D550 Doppler
Flow Meter was selected by a manufacturer of shampoos and conditioners
the pipe wall to measure the flowing liquid. Gas bubbles or solids suspended in the liquid reflect the ultrasonic signal back to the sensor. Meanwhile, four Micronics U3000’s
were used by Norfolk-based Diamond Controls to help an agricultural chemicals manufacturer measure the flow rates of specific chemicals before being mixed together. Omex Agriculture manufactures complex liquid formulations for use
in many industries, ranging from agriculture to energy. Robert Perry, Omex’s production manager, was looking for a solution to avoid the risk of contamination. He contacted Paul Davis of Diamond Controls, who recommended the U3000 as it provides accurate, non-invasive, flow
The U3000 provides accurate, non-invasive, flow measurement from outside the pipe
measurement from outside the pipe, so there is no need to cut into pipework. The Ultraflo’s easy to follow menu and simple set up makes the calculation of liquid flow effortless and reliable. The stories above are just a few examples of clamp-on metering solutions in action. The potential for wider use in the process and water industries is, however, significant.
Left: The Portaflow 220 is simple and straightforward to use
Micronics T: 01628 810456
http://micronicsflowmeters.com
INSTRUMENTATION | OCTOBER 2016 11
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