UK Focus xiii


Vortex fl owmeters have become the standard fl ow measurement method for many industrial process applications, in particular for the measurement of gas and steam fl owrates. They are based on the vortex shedding principle, a phenomenon that occurs when a fl owing fl uid comes up against a bluff obstacle in its path - vortices are alternately forced onto the side of the body and then detached or shed by the fl ow. The frequency of this vortex shedding is proportional to the mean fl ow velocity and therefore the volumetric fl ow. This is read by a piezoelectric detector.


In a swirl meter, a stationary turbine rotor is located in the inlet. The medium to be measured is forced to rotate and fl ows through the meter tube in a thread like rotation. The rotation velocity at the wall is relatively small and increases towards the tube center until a stable vortex core is formed. In the expanding section of the tube, the vortex core is displaced and forms a secondary rotation, proportional to the fl ow rate, which is again measured with a piezo-sensor.


Because both types have no moving parts, mechanical stress is eliminated as a cause of failure. This makes the meters much more reliable and able to continue to work for longer without requiring shutting down the process for maintenance.


Vortex meters have the benefi ts of easy installation and operation, a low price and high accuracy of 0.65 percent of the rate for liquids and 0.95 percent of the rate for gasses and steam. One of their drawbacks is that they require up to 15 times the pipe diameter as a straight stretch pipe of before the meter and up to 50 times the diameter if a valve is upstream of the device. This could be prohibitive if installing them on brown fi eld sites where space may be restricted.


Swirl meters have the lowest installation costs, with far lower pipe length requirements, a large measuring span, and the highest accuracy of 0.5 percent of rate.


The CAPEX for an ABB SwirlMaster for example is higher than a traditional Vortex meter. However, when it comes to cost of ownership, the higher initial cost can turn quickly into signifi cant savings over the lifetime of the meter due to higher accuracy and the savings on pipe runs and associated space requirements.


Many installations will use a mixture of both depending on the layout and access of the particular measurement site. Both types can also have a pressure and temperature capacity added,


VortexMaster turning them into mass fl ow meters.


As hydrogen is a very light gas, with the smallest molecule in nature, hydrogen permeation can be a challenge particularly for pressure measurement applications. The hydrogen can permeate through the metal diaphragm of a pressure transmitter, can collect and become trapped inside the diaphragm, eventually destroying the instruments. ABB has overcome this issue with its unique H-shield technology, an impermeable alloy that prevents penetration by hydrogen molecules.


Measurement made easy


Increasingly, instruments are going digital, which has immense benefi ts over older analogue based units, including greater accuracy, range and depth of information. Digital technology offers operators and process engineers a highly detailed picture, both of the operating conditions of the process and the status of their measurement equipment.


Much more diagnostics information is available remotely, and an instrument’s confi guration can also be changed this


References: [1] https://www.iea.org/reports/hydrogen


[2] https://www.iea.org/fuels-and-technologies/hydrogen


[3] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-systems- integration/hydrogen_en#:~:text=The%20ambition%20is%20 to%20produce,in%20energy%2Dintensive%20industrial%20 processes.


way. Regular status updates cut maintenance time and costs, ensuring engineers are only deployed as needed. Data allows trends in the electrolysis process to be analyzed and turned into easily readable graphs. Using these, engineers can tell when an event, such as oxygen entering the hydrogen stream, occurred, as well as how changes in parameters could have caused it.


In the near future, many instruments will be connected over Ethernet, making them a node on the Internet and allowing data and commands to be exchanged from anywhere across the globe.


These digital instruments can be tied into a complete management system by ABB Ability SmartMaster, a verifi cation tool suite and condition monitoring platform for use with a range of ABB devices. SmartMaster verifi es the condition and performance of an instrument and can generate and store test reports for further analysis. Results can also be compared with historical measurements with a trending function.


Digital solutions such as vortex and swirl meters and verifi cation tools ensure that hydrogen production processes are effi cient and based on accurate information, as well as offering cost-effective installation choices – this will encourage the development of green hydrogen plants and help the world meet its targets for net zero.


Find out more about ABB’s Swirl fl owmeter offering: https:// new.abb.com/products/measurement-products/fl ow/swirl- fl owmeters


Find out more about ABB’s Vortex fl owmeter offering: https:// new.abb.com/products/measurement-products/fl ow/vortex- fl owmeters


Measurement solutions for a clean-energy future: https://new. abb.com/products/measurement-products/hydrogen


Author Contact Details David Bowers, Product Manager UK & Ireland Measurement & Analytics • ABB Ltd • Address: Stonehouse Gloucestershire GL10 3TA, UK • Tel: +44 1480 475 321 • Email: david.bowers@gb.abb.com • Web: www.abb.com /measurement


New report updates dire forecasts for fl ooding and drought in the UK TALKING POINT


Recently, The Wildlife Trusts published their progress report for 2023-4, Embracing Nature: Climate Change Adaptation at The Wildlife Trusts. This report builds on their ongoing commitment to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss by ensuring that the UK’s wildlife and natural habitats are resilient in the face of escalating climate impacts.


After a year marked by record-breaking global temperatures and extreme weather events around the world, the UK experienced its second warmest year on record, with devastating storms and widespread fl ooding. These climate shifts have had profound impacts on wildlife across the UK, from marine heatwaves to extensive fl ooding that has further stressed ecosystems already reeling from the eff ects of past climate events.


As such, The Wildlife Trusts have updated their projections of climate impacts on their nature reserves – and it’s a stark picture of what the future could hold. Under a scenario where global temperatures rise by 2°C by 2100, over half (57%) of all reserves could experience drops in river fl ows of more than 30% during periods of low fl ow and all reserves would be subject to


changes in river fl ood magnitude between +10% and –10%. At 4°C, considered feasible by the IPCC within its ‘business as usual’ trajectory, paints an even bleaker picture, with all reserves suff ering drops in river fl ows of more than 30% during low fl ow as well as increases in fl ood magnitudes in the west of the UK.


These scenarios – and, it’s worth noting, every step along the way towards them – would wreak havoc on many of the critical ecosystems that the Trusts protect. In response to these projections, the report identifi es drought as the most pressing threat to nature on the reserves, with 90% of conservation practitioners acknowledging its current negative impacts. Looking ahead, drought remains the top concern, followed closely by heatwaves and wildfi res, underscoring the need for comprehensive drought planning and monitoring alongside traditional fl ood management strategies.


The Wildlife Trusts are calling for a more ambitious approach from the UK Government, particularly in light of recent updates to the National Adaptation Programme, which the Trusts consider ‘disappointing’ as it ‘contained no new funding and


lacked ambition.’ They are urging the new Labour Government to commit to at least £3 billion annually for nature-based adaptation solutions by 2030, restart essential support services for organizations, and shift the responsibility for adaptation policy to the Cabinet Offi ce for better coordination across government.


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