Massive magnetic flow meter delivered

Massive magnetic flow meter

The successful supply of a mammoth 2 400 mm magnetic delivered flow meter marks a major milestone for process automation company Endress+Hauser. this, the largest magnetic flow meter supplied was 2 000 mm, which was installed prior to 2007. sheer size and weight of the magnetic flow meter present a challenge,” says Hennie Pretorius, industry manager: Water and Wastewater, Endress+Hauser A mammoth task South Africa.

TAt a weight of around 4 000 kg, moving Producing, calibrating and the flow meter through a production transporting these massive flow meters he Promag 400 magnetic line and to a calibration rig took careful is an immense task. Endress+Hauser’s flow meter will be installed planning and consideration. manufacturing and calibration facilities at the outlet of a new filter “It is not a common occurrence to are among the best in the industry. For plant that forms part of a supply these large-diameter magnetic large-diameter electromagnetic flow capacity upgrade of a large potable flow meters, as projects of this meters such as this one, manufacturing water treatment plant. magnitude do not happen often. The takes place at production centres in

This is the largest-diameter flow meter Cernay, France, and Suzhou, China. supplied by Endress+Hauser to the The facility in China, which was water industry in South Africa. Prior to established in 2018, can manufacture

The massive 2 400 mm flow meter weighs in at 4 000 kg

This is the largest-diameter flow meter supplied by Endress+Hauser to the South African water industry

Endress+Hauser team (L-R):

Gert Van Wyk; Valencia Mothiba; FP Aldrich, project management team; Hennie Pretorius, industry manager: Water and Wastewater

and calibrate electromagnetic flow meters up to 2 400 mm in diameter. It has the most accurate calibration rig in this diameter range, with a maximum measurement uncertainty of ≈0.066%. The whole system is accredited by CNAS national bodies according to ISO/IEC 17025.

Pressure testing of the flow meter was a requirement of the end-user, and a reliable local facility was sought in order to minimise costs for the customer. A local valve manufacturing company agreed to do these tests with the Endress+Hauser project team and the end-user in attendance.

According to Pretorius, the massive weight of the flow meter will make installation challenging.

Each flange has 56 holes, each requiring a 56 mm diameter bolt for fastening it to the mating flanges on the pipework.

Heartbeat Technology One of the features of the Promag 400 electromagnetic flow meter is the availability of Heartbeat Technology. This technology guarantees continuous diagnostics and verification without process interruptions and ensures cost-effective and safe plant operation during the entire life cycle. A broad range of Endress+Hauser devices are available with Heartbeat Technology, the benefits of which include: • Verification and documentation of each measuring point occurs without any interruption of the process. • Devices continuously diagnose themselves and extend test cycles. • Diagnostic messages provide precise instructions for maintenance. • Distinct documented test results are provided with a simple guided test procedure. • The automatically generated test certification supports documentation industry regulations and requirements. • Process and device data show trends for predictive maintenance. • Combined process and device parameters facilitate analysis for process optimisation. In addition to the current features of the Promag 400, Endress+Hauser supplies electromagnetic flow meters that can be installed without reducing the inner diameter of the flow meter. This method is already widely accepted as a potential cost saver for installations. The Endress+Hauser flow meter maintains a zero pressure loss and a measurement error of <0.5% is guaranteed. This is a standard option for all Promag 400 flow meters up to DN 300 and on request available up to DN 2 400,” adds Pretorius.

Continued service during lockdown The magnetic flow meter was delivered by sea freight to the Port of Durban and then by road to Johannesburg.

The flow meter arrived at the Durban harbour just as South Africa’s Level 5 lockdown started and therefore had to stay in storage in Durban until Endress+Hauser was permitted to transport it to Johannesburg. Because the water industry is an essential service, the required permits were obtained, and the flow meter was delivered to the pressure testing facility during Level 4 lockdown.

Pretorius is confident that, despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, emphasis is being placed on addressing some of the challenges in the water sector. “Although a lot of sectors have suffered during the lockdown, there seems to be a continuation of momentum within the water industry trying to catch up with the backlog of projects that were delayed over the last two years. There seems to be a stronger political will to improve the performance of the water sector.”

Pretorius stated that Endress+Hauser is committed to providing outstanding value to its customers, especially in the current difficult times. “Our sales, services, projects and support teams are available to our customers. We have also launched our new Visual Support Service, which allows customers to be supported remotely for services and commissioning. We will remain close to our customers and ready to support them.”