Fluid Handling March-April 2015

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Woodcote Media is proud to bring you Fluid Handling magazine, a bi-monthly publication entirely dedicated to liquid handling and transfer equipment in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, wastewater and oil & petrochemical industries.

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MARCH/APRIL 2015 ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 3

Woodcote Media Ltd Marshall House 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6RW, UK www.fluidhandlingmag.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Peter Patterson Tel: +44(0)20 8648 7082 peter@woodcotemedia.com EDITOR Daniel Traylen Tel: +44 (0)20 868 74126 daniel@woodcotemedia.com DEPUTY EDITOR Keeley Downey Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4183 keeley@woodcotemedia.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Belinda Smart Tel: +44 (0)20 8648 7092 belinda@fluidhandlingmag.com PRODUCTION Alison Balmer Tel: +44 (0)1673 876143 alisonbalmer@btconnect.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES A one-year, 6-issue subscription costs £150 (approximately $240/€185 depending on daily exchange rates). Individual back issues can be purchased at a cost of £30 each Contact: Lisa Lee Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4160 Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130 marketing@woodcotemedia.com

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ISSN 2057-2808

Welcome to the latest edition of Fluid Handling. As we move into the second quarter of 2015, it’s worth noting just how much exciting new technology has been introduced to the market since the beginning of the year. From turbine pumps to high-functioning pressure sensors, R&D is moving at a rapid pace to ensure process operations are running more efficiently than ever.

News on much of this tech, as well as the latest in certifications and contracts, can be found in this issue. If you’d like to see your own products featured just take a look to your left and you’ll find all the contact details you need.

As for features, we’ve got you covered. The technical team at Valves Online cover the basics of check valves and how to select the right one for your application.Valves as we all know are an ever-changing component, and in an industry where technicality and specialist knowledge are essential it’s always helpful to take things ‘back to basics’ now and then. Plus, industry expert Jesse Yoder presents Flow Research’s latest study on the growing vortex flowmeter market.

Elsewhere in the magazine are articles from French manufacturer Desmi, addressing the increasing demand for lube oil and what manufacturers must consider when pumping it, KSB, with a wonderful case study on its involvement in the restoration at Mont St Michel, and Koch Membrane Systems, highlighting its new membrane technology for water treatment.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue. Don’t forget to check out our LinkedIn group or tweet your thoughts @fluidmagnews.

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Best wishes, Daniel

Front cover_FH_Jan-Feb_2015.indd 1

Front cover courtesy of Jumo

26/03/2015 14:30

ValvTechnologies introduces new robotically integrated technology for high-performance valves ValvTechnologies, a manufacturer of zero-leakage high performance valve solutions, has expanded existing in-house coating capabilities, purchasing two additional state-of-the-art robotically integrated HVOF spray booths.

ValvTechnologies’ HVOF team has developed a proprietary compressive spray technique resulting in higher bond strengths. This proprietary process is

called RiTech, or Robotically Integrated Technology. RiTech allows for enhanced quality control and shortened lead times so customers enjoy quick turnaround and a more durable product.

Benefits of HVOF RiTech include: • Improved quality • Abrasion/corrosion protection • Improved wear resistance • Improved performance

• Ability for components to operate in higher and/or lower temperatures • Ability to operate in severe service applications • Improves efficiency ‘This was a longstanding goal for our company,’ says ValvTechnologies president Kevin Hunt. ‘HVOF RiTech will allow us to manufacture a higher-quality, longer-lasting product without increasing costs.’

Enhanced functionality for Rotork CMA boosts electric process valve control Rotork has announced an extensive advancement of CMA electric actuation technology for the operation of process control valves, introducing new options to meet evolving customer and market requirements. With the latest developments, the CMA design can now be specified with increased functionality encompassing local controls, LCD positional display and programmable failto-position performance.

Designed for quarter-turn, rotary or linear operation, robust Rotork CMA actuators perform numerous process control valve, metering pump and damper applications. Single-phase or DC electrical power is all that is required for simplified installation and control valve actuation. Explosion-proof certification to international standards is available for hazardous area applications.

Local controls now offer manual operation at the valve, combined with a vivid LCD display of valve position which also incorporates critical and noncritical fault symbols. Control selection knobs enable selection of Local, Stop or Remote operation and Open or Close input commands in the Local control mode. Each mode can be locked in place to prevent unauthorised operation. The LCD display shows the valve position as a precise percentage of total valve travel.

For fail-to-position performance, a reserve power pack provides the actuator with the ability to perform a predetermined action on power failure.

The power pack also preserves position indication on the LCD display during

power failure. Upon restoration of mains power, the power pack is recharged to ensure continued fail-to-position functionality. Action on power loss is configured with the standard CMA HMI interface as part of the user-friendly actuator set-up menu, utilising a sixsegment LCD display and push button configuration.

The maintenance-free CMA drive train, environmentally protected to IP67 and permanently lubricated for operation in sub-zero temperatures as standard, can be mounted in any orientation. Accepting an industry-standard 4-20mA control signal, the CMA provides accurate, repeatable and backlash-free positional control.

All CMA actuators have output speeds that are adjustable down to 50% of full speed in 10% increments and manual operation is provided as standard.

Network compatibility encompasses Rotork Pakscan, HART, Profibus, Modbus, DeviceNet and Foundation Fieldbus.

The latest CMA developments follow other recent refinements including upgraded electronics, HMI enhancements and a user selectable increased seating torque/thrust option, enabling a more tailored and cost-effective sizing regime to be applied to the combination of modulating and tight seating demands often found in control valve applications.

A new rotary model size has also been introduced.

The combination of all these improvements represents a comprehensive advancement of CMA

Rotork CMA actuators perform numerous process control valve, metering pump and damper applications

actuator technology and functionality, focused on precise process valve control, system simplification and reduced maintenance. In addition to traditional control valves, successful CMA applications include choke valves on shale gas installations, stroke adjusters on metering pumps, precision metering on chemical dosing and the operation of dampers.

Join our discussions @ Fluid Handling magazine

Griffco achieves PED certification for pressure relief, safety, back pressure valves New York-based manufacturer Griffco Valve has earned certification for CE under the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 97/23/EC Category 4, Modules B and D for its design and manufacture of pressure relief/safety valves and back pressure valves.

Griffco is one of the first diaphragm pressure relief valves certified to this level of CE marking. The company says that this will allow customers to save money when buying pressure relief, back pressure, or safety valves as well as offer superior sealing technology with the inherent diaphragm interface.

Griffco’s diaphragm valve design limits the number of wetted parts to just two, the valve body and the PTFE-faced diaphragm. With various wetted materials available (plastics, composites, alloys, etc.), Griffco’s products are able to fit a range of complex and demanding customer applications.

Federal Railroad Administration issues directive to replace unapproved tank car valves The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Railworthiness Directive requiring railroad tank car owners to replace unapproved valves currently installed in some tank cars.

The valves in question are UNNR ball valves manufactured and sold by McKenzie Valve & Machining. Recent FRA investigations revealed that the valves were not approved for use on railroad tank cars. Additionally, the 3” ball valve, when not properly configured, is leading to tank cars leaking small quantities of hazardous materials.

Federal regulations require all valves applied to tank cars must be of an approved design by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Tank Car Committee. FRA’s investigations demonstrate clear inconsistencies between the type of valve design that AAR approved versus the design of

the valve actually being used, which raises questions about the approval process and a manufacturer’s adherence to an approved design type.

The Directive requires all tank car owners to remove, within 60 days, any 3” McKenzie UNNR ball valves in tank cars used to transport any hazardous material described in 49 CFR 172.101. Further, the Directive requires all tank car owners to remove the 1” and 2” valves within 90 days.

After tank car owners have removed the unapproved valves on each affected tank car, and replaced and tested new components, they may once again use the tank cars to transport hazardous materials.

Alternatively, if McKenzie obtains approval for the use of 1” and 2” valves on tank cars, cars equipped with these valves may be returned to hazardous materials service.

AS-Schneider introduces anti-tamper head valves for manipulation-free operation AS-Schneider, a specialist in the field of industrial valves, now provides a range of anti-tamper valve head units to allow plant operators to protect their valves against undesired manipulation.

Valves play an important role when it comes to the safety of process equipment and power stations.

Unauthorised access or accidental operation can quickly lead to catastrophic results. However, both these scenarios are easily prevented.

The standard design of the antitamper valve head unit is equipped with a bore and matching AT-key.

The valve can only be operated using this key. The operator can also lock the bore using a padlock in order to prevent the insertion of the AT-key.

This makes it impossible to operate the valve. It can be securely locked in any position – closed, partially open or fully open.

Valves with the AT-key lock design are operated using the built-in T-handle key which can be retracted a little way out of the valve head unit.

Once it has been retracted, it is no longer in contact with the stem and activation of the valve is no longer possible. The operator can insert a padlock, which makes it impossible to press in the key again. The valve is now secured against unauthorised access. This design again permits the valve to be locked in any desired position.

AS-Schneider equips its handwheeloperated valves with a locking plate.

This is a metal plate to which the handwheel can be fixed in whatever position is required by means of a padlock. In this design, only minimum movement of the handwheel is possible. It is particularly effective at preventing the unauthorised closure of valves.

AS-Schneider’s valves are operated using a special AT-Key which matches the reciprocating Anti-Tamper bore. It is also possible to insert a padlock crosswise through the Anti-Tamper bore in order to prevent the insertion of the key

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Ham-Let introduces ultra-fast diaphragm valve for ALD applications Ham-Let, a global manufacturer of instrumentation valves and fittings for industrial and high purity fluid and gas delivery systems recently launched its ultra-fast (UF series) diaphragm valve for atomic layer deposition.

‘Our UF series unique flow adjustment mechanism, patent pending no. US 61/910, 79, allows for precise flow adjustment and stable flow capacity during rapid high cycle operation,’ says Felix Shestatski, VP of quality, engineering and R&D at Ham-Let. The optional extended bonnet and cooling fin provide a solution when precise and repeatable performance in high-temperature applications is required. The UF series offers sealing performance and durability in hazardous environments, under severe demands of ultra-fast actuation at

ultra-high purity (UHP) applications.

The UF series meets the demand for high precision diaphragm valves that can perform repeatable and reproducible performance over an extremely frequent and large number of cycles, required by ALD applications.

In addition, the series offers a range of applicable accessories, such as: position indicators, direct mounted solenoid valves (for actuation speed optimisation), integrated thermocouples, and heaters.

Ham-Let developed a high temperature fully immersed version of UF valve for 120°C, enabling position indication and with special inductive sensor designator. The UF series is available in surface mount (IGS) and in-line type of connections, two-way and multiport configurations.

Clarke achieves milestone by certifying its industrial valve design Clarke Industrial Engineering, the exclusive manufacturer of Shutter Valves, has completed a series of independent certifications at National Board of Testing, located in Worthington, Ohio, US. The Shutter Valve achieved bubble tight shut off (Class 6 zero leakage) at 150 psi and 300 psi. Shell Strength passed with zero leakage at 150 psi and 300 psi certification pressures. Torque testing to unseat the mechanism at zero pressure was 50 in-lbs. and at 300 PSI only an additional 20 in-lbs. of torque was required, for a total of 70 in-lbs.

The Shutter Valve uniquely offers a combination of zero pressure drop, full piggability, zero flow restriction, precise flow control, negligible turbulence, low water hammer, low cavitation, low noise, ultra-thin foot print, plug & play adaptability, very low power consumption and high long term reliability. The valve is made in a variety of sizes and materials to suit all industrial applications.

Kyle Daniels, CEO and president of Clarke, says: ‘Due to their inherent

geometry, the butterfly valve, ball, globe, plug and gate valves do not have the ability to control flow pressure and volume this precisely and at the same time achieve bubble tight shutoff at 300 psi. This eliminates many of the compromises customers typically face in selecting valves for their applications.

We are now working across a wide range of industries and bringing these unique innovative valves into full series production.’

The Shutter Valve, from Clarke Industrial Engineering

TRW launches dual stage transmission oil pumps TRW Automotive Holdings has announced that it has started production of its dual stage pump technology across two major European vehicle platforms.

The dual stage pump is TRW’s latest innovation in pump technology.

It is suitable for wet dual clutch transmissions due to its ability to integrate two external gear pumps in a compact single housing. The first stage is a low-pressure pump which cools and lubricates the wet clutches with oil. The second stage is a high-pressure

pump that serves as a hydraulic pressure source to actuate the clutches, shift forks and other elements.

An electric motor runs the pump at variable speeds, operating only ondemand and reducing viscous friction losses, leading to a highly efficient solution.

Gregor Eipert, global sales lead for TRW’s Transmission Motor Pump unit business, comments: ‘TRW has been working on the integration of electric motors, pumps and electronics for many

years and has produced millions of highly integrated motor pump units for various applications.

‘By using sintering technologies, the TRW dual stage pump offers an efficient and cost effective solution for state-ofthe-art dual wet clutch transmissions.

Our customers also benefit from the integrated dual stage pump which utilises just one pump and one electric motor to provide the same functionality as comparable systems which need two pumps and two electric motors.’

Compact turbine pumps for low flow, high pressure applications When a reliable and economic pumping solution is required for applications involving low flows (130 l/min) high pressures (up to 70 bar) and heads up to 600m, MTH regenerative turbine pumps are an ideal choice. The MTH M52 pumps recently supplied by Pump Engineering for a mechanical seal lubrication and pressurising application in oil production are a good example of this.

The MTH range of pumps is ideally suited to applications such as boiler feed, high pressure cooling, refrigeration and CIP process. These compact pumps, which are available in direct drive, bareshaft, magnetic drive and canned rotor options, can replace multistage pumps, generating high heads in a single stage. This design allows the pump to handle hot liquids, refrigerants, liquefied gases and liquids with entrained air, for example gas dissolution systems, where the pump will self-vent carrying air bubbles with the fluid to the discharge port.

The regenerative turbine pump is

characterised by its unique impeller, which has a large number of blades machined into both sides of its periphery. Fluid enters the impeller at its outside diameter and is accelerated as it passes from blade to blade exiting the pump, at the same The standard range of MTH pumps radius as the inlet. includes models which cover capacities The row of blades from one to 500 lit/min and pressures located on each up to 70 bar side of the impeller minimum and maximum flow ensuring minimises axial thrust; in effect, it is accurate flow control and very stable two impellers in one, operating within operation. identical channels on the casing and the The standard range of MTH pumps cover which allows the impeller to float includes models which cover capacities freely and find its own equilibrium.

Another advantage of the regenerative from one to 500 l/min and pressures up turbine pump is its ability to generate to 70 bar. Construction materials include a steeply rising head curve between iron, bronze and 316 stainless steel.

Dickow Pumpen launches safety-conscious seal-less magnetic coupled gear pumps German pump manufacturer Dickow Pumpen has introduced new GML/GMB seal-less magnetic coupled gear pumps for use across a range of industries.

The magnetic driven pumps are designed to improve plant and personnel safety, particularly when handling toxic, explosive, and dangerous liquids which react on contact with the atmosphere.

With a containment shell replacing single or double acting mechanical seals with external fluid reservoirs and the

necessary control equipment, the pumps are ideal for the chemical, petrochemical and allied industries, and are also environmentally sound.

A patented lubrication method ensures an overall longer lifespan, while components made of tough materials can handle the stresses of high viscosity operation.

The single elements of the multipolar magnetic coupling are made of permanent magnet material ‘cobalt

samarium’, with unlimited lifetime.

The magnets in the driven rotor are completely encapsulated, ensuring no contact with liquid.

Power is transmitted to the hermetically sealed liquid end by a bank of external magnets. Inner and outer magnet rings are locked together by magnetic forces and work as a synchronous coupling. The containment shell is a one piece deep-draw design without additional welds.

Viking Pumps geared up to move crude Viking Pump’s External Gear Segment has announced the newest member of its product portfolio, the GP-14 LACT Series pumps.

The GP-14 LACT Series pumps are designed to create a compact, rugged, and easy to maintain LACT booster pump. Sometimes referred to as the ‘shipping pump’, the GP-14 Series pumps include an all ductile iron construction, motor speed operation, single mechanical

seal, special self-lubricating bushings, and no roller bearings inside the pump.

The series has been hand crafted and designed to handle discharge pressures up to 800 psi+, and flow rates north of 6,000 bpd of crude oil on the thin shale oils from the Bakken in North Dakota and the DJ Niobrara play in Colorado, to the major shale plays in Texas.

Rotating equipment needs preventative maintenance to keep the oil production

running at maximum uptime, and Viking has developed the GP-14 LACT Series pumps with a simple, back pull out seal design to give the facility maintenance group the ease of preventative maintenance with uptime as the most important factor. This option allows for easy seal access and repair to keep oil flowing without disrupting production with long and unnecessary preventive maintenance downtime.

Leistritz introduces new screw pumps for API applications Leistritz Pumpen has launched a new series of pumps designed to comply with API 676 3rd Edition. API 676 – Positive Displacement Pumps – Rotary, 3rd Edition, Nov. 2009, is a standard put forth by the American Petroleum Institute. ‘It covers the minimum requirements for rotary positive displacement pumps for use in the oil & gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries,’ explains Heinz-Dieter Roß, MD at Leistritz Pumpen. ‘It provides a purchase specification to facilitate the manufacture and purchase of rotary positive displacement pumps.’

Function of triple screw pumps Triple screw pumps are self-priming rotating positive displacement pumps suited to handle various oil types and other liquids with a minimum lubricating quality. The design simplicity makes these screw pumps intrinsically reliable and efficient. Only three moving parts – a driving spindle and two idler spindles – rotate inside a casing with close tolerances, so forming sealed

chambers and provoking the axial displacement of the fluid. The idler spindles rotate without contact with the driving spindle because of the fluid itself. The accurate hydraulic balance and the special profile of the screw thread guarantee a continuous flow with minimum pulsations and turbulence, resulting in extremely low noise levels even at high rotational speed.

L3MA features Up until now triple screw pumps have been adapted in such a way that they complied with this standard as much as possible. Roß explains: ‘Often these pumps are based on a standard execution and therefore do not represent an optimum in features and cost. Leistritz decided to make a fresh start on the digital drawing board to find the optimum solution and have been able to come up with a new concept.’

The new L3MA pump has no separate steel casing with an internal liner for the screw spindles to run in. A

KJLC launches new rotary vane vacuum pump range The Kurt J. Lesker Company (KJLC) has introduced a new line of rotary vane vacuum pumps for a range of applications.

Made up of two-stage oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pumps, the KJLC-RV series is designed to combine high pumping speed with low noise/ vibration levels and ‘superior vapour handling capabilities’.

Comprising four models with pumping speeds ranging from 3.8 to 22.9 CFM, each pump in the range features a gas ballast, anti-suckback valve and QF25 flanges.

new spindle material makes it possible to have the spindles run directly in a steel casing and avoids an expensive construction with a coating in a separate liner.

Only three static seals, executed as O-ring seals instead of flat gaskets, are used. This eliminates the risk of leakage due to insufficient compressed flat gaskets. A single balanced acting mechanical seal has been chosen as shaft seal which proved itself in thousands of applications. A cartridge seal can be provided as an option.

Suction and discharge flanges are according to ANSI B 16.5 class 300 lbs.

The L3MA pump series is available in 12 different frame sizes with defined rotor pitch angles.

The maximum operating conditions of the pump are defined with a maximum flow rate of 276 m3/h, a differential pressure of 20 BarG and maximum speed of 3600 rpm.

A minimum viscosity of the pumping fluid should be around 10 cSt to secure the required lubrication.

QuantumFlo upgrades NASCAR’s Daytona International Speedway pump systems Pump technology specialist QuantumFlo is providing a facility upgrade to the water pump system at NASCAR’s Daytona International Speedway in Florida, US. The three 2400 GPM triplex booster systems were completed in the third and fourth quarters of 2014, and by the end of February 2015 all three were commissioned

and ready to serve the domestic water requirements in support of the Daytona 500.

QuantumFlo has applied its pump technology on past NASCAR facility projects successfully, and the Speedway will now benefit from pre-packaged pump systems equipped with advanced software designed to minimise the facility’s energy and water consumption.

Flux introduces new bearing flange for eccentric worm-drive pumps Pump specialist Flux-Gerate has launched a new bearing flange with integrated impulse generator for its eccentric worm-drive pumps.This allows indirect volume measurement to be taken without contact with the material, e.g. for use in the pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics sectors.

The mechanical-volumetric process with impulse generator provides indirect flow-rate measurement. For this purpose the rotation of the pump shaft is recorded.

As with other Flux flowmeters the data gathered is subsequently relayed for evaluation via pulse transmission.

The measurement guarantees high reproducibility combined with a theoretical accuracy of +/- 1 pulse per measurement.

The volume per impulse for pumps with an outside diameter of 21mm is: 7.5ml; for pumps with an outside diameter of 26mm: 12.5ml. In practice, factors affecting measurement accuracy are to be allowed for, such as: viscosity, pressure, hose

diameter, temperature, volumetric flow rate and wear.

The indirect measurement method was especially developed for Flux series F 550 and F 560 eccentric worm-drive pumps with bearing flange. It is not only an optimum addition to the 3A and Food series versions, but is also suitable in all cases where frequent cleaning is essential.

Combined with the drum emptying systems of the Viscoflux family, Flux states that the measurement process is ideal for substances like fats, tomato purĂŠe, caramel cream,Vaseline, or the base substances for manufacturing latex milk.

Batch fills are also possible – via pulse transmission to an evaluation system.

The IP 65 protection class certified bearing flange with impulse generator supplies four pulses per shaft rotation. For this purpose there are four magnets seated in the coupling each of which switches a reed sensor in succession. Every time this happens the non- sensitive low-

maintenance sensor emits a pulse.

This pulse can then be transmitted to an evaluation system. Final evaluation and control is made Flux Pumps’ new technology allows indirect volume either via the measurement to be taken without electronic contact with the material evaluation unit Fluxtronic a control cabinet or a stored program control system (PLC).

This means that the bearing flange with impulse generator can also be utilised for batch filling. Furthermore the bearing flange, which is available in stainless steel, convinces with its compact design and details such as removable wiring or socket with cover.

A measured step forward

Sierra Instruments upgrades ultrasonic flowmeter line Global manufacturer Sierra Instruments has upgraded its InnovaSonic Ultrasonic Transit-Time flowmeters for water and other liquid flow measurement applications.

Working on the concept of efficiency in design, Sierra has redesigned its entire ultrasonic flowmeter product line to use similar components and improve usability.

This redesign allows Sierra to pass significant cost savings to its customers with improved precision measurement.

‘With these changes, Sierra’s ultrasonic flowmeter line offers both full-featured and economical solutions for just about any liquid flow application. With online purchasing for next-day shipment and a new rental program, the InnovaSonic

New heavy fuel viscosity meter for marine and power applications from Emerson Emerson Process Management has introduced the Micro Motion Heavy Fuel Viscosity Meter (HFVM) Viscomaster, the next generation of the Micro Motion 7829 Viscomaster direct insertion viscosity and density meter.

Making use of the same tuning fork design as its predecessors, the HFVM incorporates a new robust low friction Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coating that is ideal for tackling the most demanding process applications such as marine heavy fuel oil (HFO) combustion control, marine gas oil (MGO) viscosity control and land-based fired heaters.

The head-mounted transmitter is hazardous area approved and has the flexibility to connect to control systems via a wide range of digital and analogue protocols. System integration and start-up commissioning costs are significantly reduced due to the support from 4-20mA, HART, Wireless HART and RS485 Modbus communications. The HFVM accepts and processes external signals from other field instrumentation such as temperature and mass/ volumetric flow devices, enabling the meter to calculate and output enhanced process measurements while minimising installation and cabling costs.

‘We designed the HFVM Viscomaster to help solve problems that our customers face on a daily basis such as maximising engine power output irrespective of fuel quality variations, optimising HFO/MGO cut-over times and reducing fiscal exposure through improved NOx/SOx management,’ says Andrew Sgro, Micro Motion density and viscosity product line manager.

The HFVM also incorporates a new diagnostic capability called Known Density Verification (KDV) that checks the meter for measurement

line gives customers many options and an excellent buying experience,’ says product line director Scott Rouse.

The 203, 205i, and 210i have updated dual-function keys enabling users to set up their meter, run diagnostics, and view flow and totaliser data with the push of a single button and without referring to the internal menus, easing field set-up.

Fluidwell launches flow monitor/totaliser with HART communication Fluidwell has launched the F018 flow monitor/totaliser with fully integrated HART 7 communication.

The robust F018 is equipped with a digital output and a galvanically isolated analogue output according to the linearised flow rate.

‘HART communication is one of the most popular industrial protocols today, due to the wide installed base of 4-20mA systems throughout the world,’ says Eric Rath, GM of the Fluidwell Group in the Netherlands.

‘The new F018 with HART offers a reliable solution for applications where you want to benefit from the digital communication with intelligent field devices over existing analogue loops. Save time, cost and aggravation with the simple configuration, setup and troubleshooting. Optimise your process by transmitting the accurate measurement values to your smart control/monitoring systems.

Reduce maintenance cost by easy problem solving with continuous diagnostics.’

The Micro Motion HFVM Viscomaster (Source: Emerson Process Management)

alarm conditions, sensor integrity and the presence of coating, erosion or corrosion. This new technology expands the availability of diagnostic information in critical viscosity and density measurement applications which can result in significant maintenance costs and cycle time reductions.

Marine approvals for the meter include Lloyds, Germanischer Lloyd’s, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Bureau Veritas (BV).

Fluidwell’s F108 flow monitor/totaliser

Primary Flow Signal installs flowmeter at US wastewater treatment plant to improve Potomac River water quality Primary Flow Signal (PFS), a designer and manufacturer of flow metering solutions, has successfully installed a rectangular Halmi Venturi flowmeter used to measure sewage discharge from the Blue Plains advanced wastewater treatment plant in Washington, DC, US. According to the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, the Blue Plains plant is the largest of its kind in the world, with a capacity of 370 million gallons per day (MGD) and covering 150 acres. The plant provides wastewater collection and

treatment services to more than two million Washington metro area customers.

PFS collaborated with Black & Veatch to assess the authority’s flow metering requirements for treatment of sewage that will eventually flow back into the Potomac River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Due to the unique upstream configuration and extremely low-pressure within the channel (5 psi), PFS performed scale model testing that validated the projected accuracy and head loss of the meter despite the

physical, dimensional, and lowpressure challenges of the flow channel.

A full-size rectangular Halmi Venturi flowmeter was manufactured in the company’s Rhode Island facility and installed by Ulliman Schutte Construction with assistance from PFS personnel. Once installed, grouting and concrete work ensured a smooth flow through the meter.

This was important as the low pressure in the channel made head loss a significant concern for maintaining accuracy.

Halmi Venturi flowmeters are designed to measure full pipe flow of gases or liquids over extreme temperature ranges, as well as contaminated liquids, sludges, slurries, and sewage.

The meters are available in a variety of materials, including a cast iron pressure vessel, fabricated (welded) metal pressure vessel, plastic insert style, welded insert, and welded-in pressure vessel.

Additionally, the flowmeter is offered cast in place (usually concrete and typically rectangular) depending upon application requirements.

MTG 2-wire Electromagnetic Flowmeter 4-wire functionality with 2-wire simplicity

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More info: Azbil Europe NV Bosdellestraat 120/2, B-1933 Zaventem, Belgium

Tel: +32 2 785 07 10 Email: info@eu.azbil.com

Azbil Europe NV is an overseas affiliate of Azbil Corporation (formerly Yamatake, est. 1906) serving a wide range of industries with industrial automation and control products since 2001.

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FCI flow switch/monitor receives FM Div 1/Zone 1 approval Analyser and sampling system engineers in search of a flow switch/monitor that is approved for use in hazardous locations will be interested to learn that the Model FS10A analyser flow switch/monitor from Fluid Components International (FCI) has received FM Div 1/Zone 1 approval on all remote probe configurations.

The ‘FM approved’ mark assures FCI’s customers that independent scientific research and testing have determined that the technology performs reliably and safely. FM Global certifies products to assure customers that they conform to the highest national and international safety standards for loss protection and risk management. The Div 1/Zone 1 Approval indicates that they have been certified for hazards that are present under normal operating conditions or present frequently under maintenance or repair operations.

The advanced Model FS10A is a small, lightweight instrument featuring low flow sensitivity, a relay alarm trip point, an analogue output and an RS232 interface. The FS10A’s advanced electronics and thermal dispersion flow sensing technology provide an accurate, repeatable overall solution for sampling system flow assurance.

The FS10A ensures continuous

Aquaflow launches new range of liquid turbine flowmeters

reliability and requires virtually no maintenance, featuring a precision flow sensor element with no moving parts to foul, clog or maintain. Unlike alternative technologies, such as magnetic floats, capillary bypass or rotameters, the FS10A has no cavities, orifices or dead-legs that can trap fluids and lead to contaminated samples, which preserves sample integrity and provides faster system sampling times. The instrument’s wetted parts are corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel with Hastelloy-C22 sensor tips.

Designed for use with nearly all types of process and emissions sampling systems, including gas chromatographs (GCs), mass spectrometers, optical spectrometers, photometers and others, the FS10A’s standard configurations will accommodate standard 0.125”, 0.25”, 0.375” and 0.5” tubing as well as an SP76 adapter (ANSI/ISA Standard 76.00.022002, Modular Component Interfaces for Surface-Mount Fluid Distribution Components). The SP76 adapter is a key element of the NeSSITM platform (New Sampling/Sensor Initiative). The FS10A conforms to NeSSI Generation I and is prepped for Generation II and III compliance, requiring only a single 1.5”x1.5” SP76 base.

Depending on the tube size, the FS10A

Aquaflow, a division of T-T Pumps, recently introduced a range of new liquid turbine flowmeters for demanding applications.

The Acuflux’s durability is demonstrated in its temperate range, allowing a flow of liquid from -40°C to +85°C and a 40 bar maximum working pressure. The flowmeter incorporates a two line LCD display indicating flow rate, volume and cumulative totals for clear data recording.

The Acuflux also comes with preferential display units, including litres, US gallons and imperial gallons. Alongside these necessary features the Acuflux includes a low battery indication and display capacity up to 999,999 units. Options include remote display, stainless steel bearing supports and predetermined electrical output pulse.

operates over a wide flow range in air/ gas; from 0.02 SCFH to 200 SCFH (10 cc/min to 100,000 cc/min), and in water/ liquids; from 0.01 GPH to 12 GPH (0.70 cc/min to 750 cc/min). It accommodates wide turndowns with a ratio up to 100:1.

Its advanced electronics are packaged in a fully sealed aluminium housing, making it ideal for rugged plant environments. The electronics can be mounted with the sensor element in a uni-body configuration or remotely mounted for easy front panel display viewing. The FS10A features a topmounted, 10 LED array and two pressure-sensitive buttons. The LED display shows flow rate trend, alarm status and power on/off so operators have at-a-glance knowledge of operating conditions. The monitor’s set-up (zero and span) and trip-point values can be changed via the two push-buttons or via its RS232C serial interface.

The FS10A outputs include a 1A relay settable for NO or NC operation and with user-settable for failsafe, hysteresis and/or time delay, and a 4-20mA analogue output for trending.

In addition to FM compliance, agency approvals for the FS10A include FMc, SIL 1, ATEX and IECEx for hazardous location installations.

Turbines, Inc. updates cryogenic turbine flowmeter to expand capabilities Turbines Incorporated, a specialist in the design and manufacture of turbine flow metering solutions, has expanded its cryogenic monitoring capabilities with the availability of its updated cryogenic turbine flowmeter for industrial, chemical, aerospace, as well as R&D applications.

The TMC Series cryogenic turbine flowmeter has an all stainless steel body and shaft, with a nickel rotor in all available line sizes. Turbines, Inc.’s cryogenic meters can handle a temperature range of -232°C to +232°C, making them ideal meters for extreme temperature applications. Additionally, the performance flow rate range has

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increased to 12,000 GPM. ‘When we originally launched our cryogenic turbine flow metering technology, we knew that subsequent revisions would improve upon what we felt was a wellengineer product,’ says Ken Nugent, director of business development at Turbines, Inc. ‘While the feedback from our customers was overwhelmingly positive, we knew that we could continually improve the accuracy and versatility required for this type of application.’

Turbines, Inc. serves a range of industries and applications, from oil and gas, to cryogenic liquids, to custody transfer.

Minco launches new series of pressure sensors for process applications Minco, a global provider of thermal, temperature sensing and control, and flex circuit solutions for highreliability applications, has announced new pressure sensing capabilities with the addition of the P8211, P8271, and P8281 Series pressure sensors.

Designed for pressure measurement in gases, vapours or liquids, these pressure sensor lines provide accurate, repeatable and

Yokohama marine hoses gain API certification The Yokohama Rubber Co.’s marine hoses employed for offshore crude oil transfer have been certified by the American Petroleum Institute as conforming to API Specification Q1 9th Edition (API Spec Q1).

API Spec Q1 specifies the quality management system requirements for manufacturing organisations involved in the oil and gas industries.

In response to demands from some marine hose users for the highest level of quality standard, Yokohama Rubber has acquired the certification of the API Q1 for its Seaflex brand.

With an eye on the growing global demand for marine hoses in recent years, Yokohama Rubber has been aggressively expanding its overseas production network.

In September 2014, the company acquired an Italian marine hose manufacturer.

In addition, it is currently constructing a plant for the manufacture of marine hoses and pneumatic fenders on the island of Batam in Indonesia, with production scheduled to begin in the latter half of 2015.

durable pressure sensing as high as 6000 psi, utilising 4-20mA output, a variety of mounting options, numerous pressure ranges and hazardous area certification options.

‘We understand the real-world challenges facing our customers and recognise the need for pressure transmitters such as the compact P8211 sensors, which work well in OEM equipment applications

as well as process applications in oil and gas, chemical or food and beverage industries,’ says Darrell Hyde, sensor and instrument product marketing manager. ‘The P8271/P8281 sensors feature a rugged industrial design and offer a high degree of programmability, local display options, a HART communication option, and a range of hazardous location certifications.’

Watson-Marlow announces name change to reflect wider product offering Watson-Marlow Pumps Group has changed its name to Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group to better reflect the evolution of the company from its roots as a manufacturer of peristaltic pumps and tubing, to its current position as a global specialist in fluid path technology.

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group, which has a global network of operations including seven factories and 28 direct sales offices, is part of the Spirax-Sarco Engineering Group and is headquartered in Falmouth, UK. The company now encompasses seven brands which, combined, deliver a complete suite of fluid technology solutions to the biopharmaceutical, chemical process, food and beverage, mining and environmental market sectors. The name change follows the recent acquisition of BioPure, which signalled the company’s move to offer a wider range of solutions to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets.

Commenting on the name change, WatsonMarlow Fluid Technology Group’s president,

Jay Whalen, says: ‘Our new name unifies our growing portfolio of fluid path technologies, it is an expression of what we deliver today, and a reflection of the growing portfolio of businesses and opportunities that sit within our group. Our sector market focus, combined with the recent acquisition of BioPure gave us the opportunity to rethink the way we present ourselves to the market.

We can no longer simply be defined as a pump or tubing company: we now offer customers a much more holistic offering.’

The company name change is part of a five-pronged growth strategy, which includes targeted investment in selective product development and market sector diversification. This is highlighted by the additions of MasoSine (sinusoidal pumps for the food and beverage sector), Flexicon (filling and vial capping systems used in the aseptic filling sector), BioPure (single-use tubing connection systems as used in the biopharmaceutical sector) and non-pump transfer tubing development.

AUMA electric actuators selected for German micropollutant elimination facility AUMA has supplied more than 100 electric actuators to a micropollutant elimination facility at Steinhäule sewage treatment plant in Ulm, Germany. The electric actuators provide fully automated sewage water control within the activated carbon system of the STP. A primary objective of the new facility is to eliminate drug residues, hormones and biocidal products from sewage water.

The new purification facility is the largest plant in Germany using an activated carbon adsorption process. The scheme includes

several contact reactor basins in which activated carbon is mixed with sewage water: the mixture is directed to a sedimentation basin and a sand filter with 20 chambers.

Approximately 400 million m3 of sewage water per annum produced by around 440,000 inhabitants of the Ulm region are treated by the facility.

The actuators were integrated via Profibus into the central process control system and line topology implementation reduced cable length requirements to a minimum.

Check valves: the basics The primary function of a check valve is to prevent the backward flow of liquid or gas.

They are often likened to a simple door opening and closing but in reality there are an enormous amount of considerations to take into account depending on the application type, environment and media.

With numerous applications in process, industrial, domestic and drinking water systems all requiring some form of check or non-return valve, correct selection is vital.

More importantly, no universal check valve currently exists.

Selecting check valves Selecting the correct check valve is a simple process when undertaken correctly.

Gary Hopkinson, technical director at UK valve retailer Valves Online, says: ‘The most effective solution will always come from a check valve that has been sized for the application in question. When the valve is sized correctly for the desired flow rate, rather than the line size, no fluttering of the check will occur.

Correct installation

Correct installation will save users time and money. When installing check or non-return valves it is common to find a directional arrow cast into the body of the valve; clearly indicating the direction of flow. When fitted correctly the valve will perform its function.

Additional factors to consider are: • Not all check or non-return valves will work in a vertical line.

• In some valves the disc will extend into the pipeline when the valve is fully open.

• Fitting additional valves next to one another could interfere with the performance of the check valve. If possible, install the check valve and, usually as a rule of thumb for installers, allow a minimum of ‘five pipe diameters’ downstream of any fitting that could potentially cause turbulence.

Occasionally problems can and do occur when installing check valves, including ‘back’ or ‘reverse flow’ and ‘water hammer’.

Back flow can be expensive to resolve,

‘The most effective solution will always come from a check valve that has been sized for the application’ ‘Whilst many different types of check valve exist an important consideration that can often be overlooked is the cracking pressure of the valve. Cracking pressure is the minimum upstream pressure that the valve will operate at – the valve having usually been designed for this specific pressure.’

According to Hopkinson, other elements to consider include: • Reseal pressure – the pressure at which there is no indication of flow.

• Back pressure – the differential pressure between the inlet and outlet pressures.

especially if it occurs at the discharge of a pump.

Water hammer can be eliminated by preventing surges of pressure that can rupture pipelines and supports. Installing a fast closing check valve will often resolve this problem.

Types of valve Check or non-return valves are available in a range of sizes, materials and design/ closing operation. All work automatically and are not generally controlled, although

some exceptions do exist. They do not have external operators i.e. handles/levers.

Common types of check valves include:

disc begins to close.

With this type of valve the internal sealing of the disc and seat relies on fluid back-pressure.

Ball check valves

Stainless steel barrel spring check valve

Barrel spring check valves Barrel spring check valves offer excellent sealing capabilities for both high and low pressures; a spring loaded disc plate preventing flow back, allowing flow in only one direction. They can also be installed in any position; vertical, horizontal or oblique.

Common applications include domestic water services, heating systems, airconditioning plants and compressed air systems.

Disc check foot valves

Ball check valves are designed for waste water, viscous fluid and slurry media; offering a straight forward design where the ball moves aside to allow unrestricted flow, but blocks the flow on return.

Common applications include pumping of sewage, water purification works, sanitation plants and public works.

Wafer check valves Wafer check valves are designed to be located within the bolt circle of pipeline flanges. They are simple, reliable and maximise space.

Valves that are fitted with a spring are suitable for both vertical and horizontal lines.

When the spring is excluded these valves can only be used in vertical lines with an upward flow direction. Pipeline flow velocities should not exceed the figures stated.

Disc check valves are designed for clear water pumping systems, irrigation etc.

Common applications include borehole pumping, allowing clear water to be pumped up and not allowing a return flow.

Cast iron dual plate wafer pattern check valve

valves can only be used in vertical lines with an upward flow direction.

Dual plate check valves Dual plate check valves are designed to be located within the bolt circle of pipeline flanges.Valves that are fitted with a spring are suitable for both vertical and horizontal lines.

When the spring is excluded these valves can only be used in vertical lines with an upward flow direction.

Finally, when installing wafer, disc and dual plate check valves it is always advisable to: 1) Apply a correction factor for fluids with density or viscosity other than water.

2) Ensure that the check valve is located no closer than five to 10 pipe diameters from the delivery side of a pump flange or following bend/elbow.

Conclusion

Stainless steel wafer pattern disc check valve

Disc check valves Flanged disc check non-return foot valve

Swing check valves Swing check valves are probably the oldest and most common type of check valve suitable for an extensive range of applications.

They operate in a very simple manner – with the natural flow of liquid allowing a flow to pass forward, opening the valve.

As the flow decreases or is reversed the

Disc check valves are designed to be located within the bolt circle of pipeline flanges. They are easy to fit, save space and deliver excellent performance at high pressure or high temperature; making them ideal for heating and steam applications.

Valves that are fitted with a spring are suitable for both vertical and horizontal lines.

When the spring is excluded these

As outlined above, there are numerous applications in process, industrial and domestic systems; all requiring some form of check or non-return valve.

It is always advisable to discuss check valve requirements with a valve specialist, not only to ensure the correct selection of valve but more importantly to help avoid operational problems from the beginning.

For more information:

This article was written by the technical team at Valves Online.Visit: www.valvesonline.co.uk

Dealing with slurry There are hundreds of types of valves and thousands of variations within those types. Some are phenomenal when used in clean services or chemicals but will not perform well in light or heavy solids. A good example would be a virgin Teflon seated ball valve, one of the go-to products for clean liquids and chemicals.

Every engineer or maintenance manager faces valve challenges when dealing with slurries or fluids containing particulates or minerals. Most companies rely on experience to help drive decisions when faced with these challenges.

Experience is priceless but engineers and maintenance managers need to keep an open mind. Every day there are material advances that make many of these types of slurry valves more reliable.

One commonly utilised substance is lime slurry or milk of lime. Lime is a good example because it is utilised by a very wide range of industries such as steel, food & beverage, chemical, petrochemical, mining, pulp and paper and others. Using a typical virgin Teflon seated ball valve in this application will most likely result in some pretty regular maintenance. This is not to suggest that ball valves are bad, though a user might have better products or require different materials in that ball valve to make it work in a lime slurry application.

Lime slurry is difficult because lime does not dissolve in solution. It is rather a suspended solid, is prone to scaling and will settle in cracks, crevices or void areas in a piping system or valve.

With a ball valve, the lime will begin to adhere to the metal ball. Then, as the ball is turned 90Ëš, the hardened lime will be dragged through the Teflon seats. Also, when the valve is stroked the ball cavity area is exposed to the slurry. More than likely, the ball cavity area will collect some slurry that will harden and cause increased torque on the valve. Users are faced with scale on the ball, material accumulation in the body cavity area, and seats that are being eroded by the scale being dragged across them in normal operation.

A ball valve can work in lime slurry but

not the standard Flowrox SKW one purchased for heavy duty clean operations. slurry knife gate with rubber Some special sleeves and features will allow integrated load a ball valve to distribution rings built into survive in this the rubber environment. sleeves First of all, Teflon is relatively soft.

Therefore, one might look at filled Teflon, Peek or ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.

These materials may improve the situation but a scraping metal seated valve treated with Stellite on the ball and seats will likely prove the best option.

The issue with the body cavity area will remain, though there are two ways to combat this area. One is to utilise body cavity fillers. This material fills that cavity area to minimise it. It is not a solution but rather limits the amount of material that can penetrate into this area. Another option is to install body flushing ports and run clean water into the body cavity area after each opening and closing. Finally, due to the scaling nature, it would be beneficial to increase the size and torque provided by the actuator to ensure the valve is capable of turning. All of these modifications turn the inexpensive ball valve into a very expensive specialty valve.

Certain industries, such as the steel industry, mining industry and coal fired power plants, have extensive experience in dealing with abrasive slurries. A typical steel mill requires approximately 35,000 gallons of water to produce 1 tonne of steel. Much of this water is used for cooling and further processing the

steel. This water is recycled and continuously picks up oil, steel scale, grit and dirt. That combination creates a difficult environment for most valves.

The coal power industry has two specific areas where abrasive slurries are handled.

First, in the FGD (Flue Gas Desulphurisation) unit, lime slurry is used to spray into the stack to adhere to the harmful pollutants before they reach the atmosphere. The other area of the coal power plant is bottom ash handling. After the coal is burnt, the ash is added to water to make the bottom ash slurry. These industries have experience dealing with extremely abrasive slurries and in many cases have found that harder materials may not be the best and most long-lasting devices. In fact, they have found that using rubber is a useful and low-cost way to combat extreme abrasion.

As for advancing materials, new metal coatings, better rubber products and better formulations of Teflon have all come on the market in recent years.

Selecting valves Industries that handle extremely abrasive mediums have learned that knife gate valves are an effective way to shut-off and isolate slurries. However, they are not using the run of the mill metal seated or O-ring rubber sealed knife gates. They are using rubber sleeve knife gates. These knife gates have two spring loaded rubber sleeves that snap into the body and when the valve is in the open position these two rubber sleeves are the only thing in contact with the medium.

There are no external springs but rather a metal spring device is vulcanised into the rubber sleeves. When the stainless steel gate comes down it separates the two sleeves and pushes any

Flowrox PVE dual pinch valve with heavily reinforced rubber sleeve

material accumulation into the bottom of the valve. There is a void space there with a flushing plate. That flushing plate can be removed and will allow the materials to be expelled to the atmosphere, or the plate can be equipped with flushing water to help clean this area of any accumulation that has occurred.

One new advancement in this type of valve is the integration of load distribution rings into all of the rubber sleeves. This is important because sometimes when valves are placed into very tight piping constraints the rubber is over compressed. The over compression often results in the destruction of the rubber and also actuator stalling due to the extreme force placed on the knife from these two highly compressed rubber sleeves. The load distribution rings distribute the loading forces to the body and do not allow the rubber sleeves to be placed into duress. This advancement completely eliminates potential problems from this type of issue. Rubber lined knife gate valves are excellent for shut-off but rarely and not recommended for flow control.

Another product that is heavily utilised by industries moving extreme slurries is a pinch valve. This type of valve has some key advantages compared to almost all other valves. A pinch valve utilises a highly reinforced rubber sleeve that is

demanding process conditions, recently 100% full port for on/off applications. launched a new product that also deals The valves can be equipped with reduced with slurries and scale. The Scaling Watch port sleeves for flow control applications is a new instrument that utilises electrical to make the flow control as precise as capacitance tomography to create a realpossible. The beauty of a pinch valve time visual image of scale build-up in a is that the rubber sleeve is just like an pipeline. There have been other ultrasonic extension of the pipe when the valve is in instruments that can detect scale but the open position. There are no pockets after a few millimetres of build-up they or cavities for material to accumulate lose their ability to continue to display within. If scale begins to build on the sleeve’s inner surface then it is cleaned how thick the scale is becoming. The by normal operation. As the sleeve begins Scaling Watch has the ability to image a to close, it stretches and scale begins pipeline that is only 10% clogged all the to flake. As the valve closes further, the way up to a pipeline that is 100% clogged. velocity of the medium increases and The device fits between two flanges flushes the scale build-up downstream. and the flow passes through the It is one of the only truly self-cleaning instrument. The inside of the instrument valves. is just like the The sleeve mating pipeline and is the only nothing protrudes into the flow stream. component in It can predict and contact with prevent unwanted the flowing shutdowns due to medium. Thus a clogged pipeline. with corrosive Secondly, it can help chemicals the the customer to body material meter their antidoes not need scaling chemicals to be exotic in a more precise alloys. The manner and reduce valve basically the amount of has dual chemicals they use. containment The instrument of the medium (first the Flowrox Scaling Watch for monitoring scale growth in a piping system can also validate the effectiveness of sleeve and then anti-scaling chemicals the body). Due that are used and can provide up to three to limited moving parts, with none in the months of trend data on scale growth. flow stream, the operation is reliable.

When the rubber sleeve fails it is simple Conclusions to replace and put the valve back into service.

However, all pinch valves are not Difficult process conditions can cost created equally. Some have very little or an operation dearly in maintenance no reinforcement cords in the rubber costs and downtime if the wrong valve sleeves. This will mean that the valve selection is applied. When difficult slurries cannot handle very high pressure and are encountered the experiences of the will likely fail much faster. The quality of mining, steel or power industries are the rubber manufacturing plant must also good reference points. be taken into account. A manufacturer Today the most common method of that has the capability to handle determining scaling in a pipeline still pressures up to 1500 psig, even if your remains monitoring pressure drop application requires only 30, 75 or 150 through the piping system. There are new psig, is generally a good sign. Typically the instruments, like the Scaling Watch, that manufacturers that can make the high can provide real-time images of piping pressure valves also make high quality low conditions to help make more informed pressure pinch valves. A valve that pinches decisions. from both sides will also have a longer For more information: cycle life than a product that pinches only This article was written by Todd Loudin, president and from one side.

CEO North American Operations, Flowrox.

Visit: www.flowrox.com Flowrox, a provider of solutions for

Staying in control in nuclear facilities Valves used in the nuclear sector typically perform one of four functions: isolation, non-return (flow check), over-pressure relief, and modulating/throttling. The most demanding type are the modulating control valves, which must be highly engineered to regulate fluid variables such as flow rate, liquid level, temperature and pressure within precise ranges to maintain safe and efficient reactor operation. Modulating valves are often globe, butterfly, or ball valve construction, with globe being the preferred type for high performance.

Irrespective of valve type, the specific valve design and material selection will be heavily influenced by whether or not the task is classified as safety-related. If so, the valve must adhere to the requirements of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10CFR Part 50 Appendix B, which is enforceable worldwide. Appendix B stipulates extensive quality assurance requirements to ensure all key design, engineering, and production processes are sufficiently controlled in order to guarantee the performance of safetyrelated equipment. However, beyond this, the system designer must provide the valve supplier with extensive detail on the application, including how and under what circumstances the valve should perform its safety function, so the supplier can design the valve accordingly.

A particular trend in nuclear reactor design, exemplified by systems such as the Westinghouse AP1000, is placing greater emphasis on the use of passive safety systems – such as water travelling through gravity rather than being pumped – which minimise the level of operator intervention required or the use of AC power, with valve designs having to be

adapted to work in conjunction with these systems. Increasing needs for real-time plant information in the control room have also driven the development of digital valve positioners. These are smart control systems which, as well as interpreting signals and then activating valves as necessary, can record valve movements and even perform maintenance diagnostics.

Because of the vast diversity in nuclear plant designs and operating requirements, the selection of standard valve products from supplier catalogues

The application required a minimum valve capacity to protect the pumps

Cv testing in water

is generally inadequate to meet the individualised specifications for safetyrelated applications, meaning bespoke valve designs are increasingly becoming the norm in this sector.

A poorly fitting or wrongly specified valve can at best result in high levels of noise and vibration, impacting the service life and efficiency of other system components, while the catastrophic results of complete failure simply cannot be countenanced.

What this means is that, in both new and existing system applications, it makes sense for the individual responsible for writing the valve specification to engage with potential suppliers from the outset.

A specification supplied with no flexibility can result in either an over-engineered component, entailing potentially unnecessary costs, or the omission of a key feature, with greater problems down the line. A specialist valve supplier will take the time to truly understand the application and what the customer is relying on the valve to do, and then design accordingly as well as undertaking extensive tests to prove the valve will be able to deliver in real operating conditions.

This is illustrated through a recent application involving a US nuclear plant with two boiling water reactors (BWRs) each with capacity of more than 1GW per reactor. This plant was undergoing an extended power uprate for an estimated 12% increase in power, with a commensurate increase in system temperature which required greater cooling capability.

In particular, the plant needed to

Valve design showing separate flow control zones

provide additional heat extraction under theoretical accident scenarios, one of which included reduced electrical load which meant fewer available cooling pumps – a potentially significant issue for the power uprate. This was solved by adding a cross-tie by which new piping and control valves allow the cross-connection of loops so that if one pump is unavailable, two heat exchangers can be fed by a single pump, increasing cooling capability.

However, this presented a major challenge for the control valves which needed to be able to carefully balance the flow in this new mode of operation.

Firstly, the valve would be operating in a region of cavitating flow, meaning a multi-stage trim was needed for cavitation protection. Furthermore, images from underwater remote inspection cameras

in place to monitor the reactors could potentially be affected by high fluid velocities, meaning more trim stages were needed to minimise exit velocities.

Most challenging, though, were the unique and highly precise requirements for flow capacity. At the full closed position, the valves were required to pass between 4,000 and 4,100 gpm to protect the pumps and prevent vibration that would occur below 4,000 gpm. As the valves are stroked off the seat, a specific Cv v. stroke profile was desired. The valves were to be remotely controlled via jog control, with an operator in the control room closing or opening the valves to balance flow. In two particular flow regions, the rate of change of flow needed to be 100 gpm per second of motor operation. A large window ported cage was also placed on top to provide 100% redundant single-stage flow capacity for worst-case emergency cooling capability.

The valve designed was extremely robust – able to operate before, during and after a seismic event. The valve trim had six distinct flow control zones to provide the unique flow profile, including the minimum flow element to guarantee the precise 4,000 gpm flow rate when closed. The characterised trim, called the disc stack, encompassed a multi-path, multi-stage design comprising a stack of individual metallic discs, each with several tortuous paths carved into it, and then brazed together to form a solid control element. Each disc was able to be designed with a different number of stages, meaning the slopes on the Cv curve could be characterised to match the individual application needs, providing variable flow resistance throughout the valve stroke.

Because accurate flow control was so critical for this application, IMI Critical Engineering developed a thorough test programme for verifying the actual hardware flow performance. The testing involved accurate measurements of the as-built Cv, with an additional step in the manufacturing process to fine tune the disc stacks based on initial Cv test data, and then final confirmation testing to prove out the valves prior to installation.

Involvement of the supplier from the start of the project was key to addressing the specific application requirements and creating a bespoke, fit-for-purpose solution.

For further information: Visit: www.imi-critical.com

Bending the rules The valve automation market is continually shifting. Since the recession, manufacturers and suppliers of valve automation equipment have had to begin to adapt to accommodate factors that have altered their role in the supply chain.

‘Valve automation suppliers are expected to have a more active role in project development now,’ says Paolo Baroni, global marketing director for Pentair Actuation & Controls, ‘and provide a solution as opposed to just a product.

‘There is an increased demand from end users of service capabilities, and companies like Pentair must be efficient both pre- and post-sales. As the technology continues to evolve, so does the need to fill gaps in the supplier-to-client relationship.We have to provide more of a ‘partner’ approach, increasing our range of services to cover every aspect of the plant operation lifecycle as users become more reliant on suppliers to provide them with product knowledge and experience.The key word is “flexibility”.’

Other factors pushing manufacturers and suppliers to expand their automationrelated operations include the shortening of project time cycles, meaning companies must ideally be in control of their manufacturing processes to ensure they can deliver to spec whenever required; higher safety standards and the resulting demand for process optimisation and remotecontrol solutions – particularly in harsh environments – and the need for localised service centres to provide support as a result of the closer relationship between client and supplier.

As plant operators strive to achieve higher process efficiencies, there is a push towards greater automation.Traditionally, only certain critical on-off valves were automated – such as those used for safety operations. Now, process engineers are demanding higher numbers of automated on-off valves than ever before.Transitioning to automated valves reduces the risk of lost production and unnecessary plant shutdown.

‘We have to apply our expertise everywhere we can,’ says Baroni in relation to Pentair Actuation & Controls’ approach, ‘investing in competent resources to partner

Biffi’s Morin B series with a 316 stainless steel cylinder on an industrial brewery vent valve

with the customer in all pre-sale, sale and after-sale phases with a distinct consultative approach.

‘As for safety regulations, companies need to be flexible enough to provide the correct certification and legislation documents for every project. Companies may be cutting operating and project costs, but documentation and certification requirements are becoming more stringent than ever. End users, therefore, need high quality, certified valves with better packing material, as well as frequent upgrades to ensure reliable operation.’

Actuators in the market Pentair Actuation & Controls is a global manufacturer, providing actuation and control products, services and solutions for applications throughout oil & gas, power, mining, chemical, food & beverage and construction industries.

Echoing Baroni on the importance of flexibility in valve automation suppliers’ services, the company is making changes to its actuation and controls product portfolio.

Pentair is in the process of integrating two of its most prominent actuator brands – Biffi and Morin – to provide a unified product range under the Biffi brand.

‘We are facing increased competition from new entries with little experience and low pricing strategies in the lower-end and niche markets. Most are price-driven,’ says Jacqueline Onditi, global product manager, piston actuators, Pentair Actuation & Controls. ‘By bringing the Biffi and Morin brands together we can offer integrated

services on both sides of the Atlantic, improving our customer proximity, and our complementary product ranges cover a wider spectrum of application needs in terms of materials, sizes and technical content.’

Morin, which will become a product name under the Biffi brand, manufactures a variety of scotch yoke actuators, among which is the first of its kind in stainless steel, in configurations that are designed to perform in harsh environments.These products are used for the remote control of ball, butterfly, rotary plug or damper style valves in the chemical process, off-shore marine, oil & gas, pharmaceutical and power industries.

Biffi has been a major brand of valve actuators for 60 years. ‘Biffi has a long history in actuation and its products have evolved to the highest recognised standards,’ says Onditi. ‘While the market requires reliable, robustly engineered equipment for an extensive design life, change and innovation lie in the control elements of the plant network, and integration of the plant and its controllers.’

Speaking about the company’s manufacturing process, Onditi says: ‘Companies need to be in control of their manufacturing operations in today’s market.

Pentair Actuation & Controls is amongst the few who actually manufacture internally, rather than outsource and assemble.We have full control of all critical components, flexibility and total quality control.’

Looking to the future As well as the product integration, Pentair is determined to help train the next generation of industry experts by investing in training. Operating from strategically located Competency Centres that can leverage the extended solutions it offers, the company is also able to identify persons and resources through its School of Actuation, started two years ago.

‘We have to accommodate the changes in the market,’ says Baroni. ‘This means covering a wide customer base with a varied product line and range of services, operating closely with clients and being the most reliable partner possible.’

Demand for lube oil is increasing, especially in China

A crucial choice Lube oil manufacturing plants are being built or expanded around the world to cope with increasing demand – most of which originates in Asia. Perhaps not surprisingly, China is projected to win the top spot from the USA in lubricant consumption within six or seven years.

And in India, the third-largest market in the world, annual demand has recently topped 2 billion litres. In both countries, demand is mostly driven by the transport sector, with the population of vehicles increasing every day, but also by the widespread adoption of bicycles, chainsaws and many other mechanical devices that require lubrication.

For lube oil manufacturers, meeting this demand is heavily dependent not just on base oil production, but on the machinery that doses, blends and transports base oil and additives from the refinery to the lubricant manufacturing industry’s customers. And a key component of this machinery, spread throughout the plant, is the pumps that keep base oil and additives on the move.

Years of experience with the design and provision of pumps to the lube oil industry have given Desmi, a manufacturer of internal gear pumps for lube oil production, unique insight into what it takes to meet the list of musthaves that keep lube oil plants operating

day after day, year after year.

The list itself is not particularly long, but each aspect is crucial for the cost/ durability equation underlying each manufacturer’s profitability.

To start with, there are the technical performance aspects of the pumps themselves, including speed, NPSH value, the viscosity range of the base oils and additives, and the ability to maintain constant flow. Higher quality and betterdesigned pumps offer a greater degree of reliability, outperforming lower-cost alternatives over their lifetime and providing a lower overall total cost of ownership (TCO).

A high-quality, properly serviced gear pump for blending applications should be able to operate trouble-free for sevento-eight years under normal pumping conditions, and 10-15 years or more before being replaced. That is the industry expectation these days, although users need to choose pump brands with care if they want to be sure of achieving it.

Depending on the lubricant formula, this may also call for an especially durable design. For example, Desmi’s stainless steel pumps, Rotan CD, are frequently used when special additives demand a higher material standard to give the best possible life cycle cost solution.

Continuously delivering projects

with as many as 100 pumps to the construction of a new manufacturing facility, then monitoring these pumps over a period of years in a specific configuration and usage pattern, enables a company like Desmi’s engineers to identify the factors that influence durability to a much greater extent than a smaller manufacturer that typically builds and provides fewer pumps at a time.

‘We are, for example, able to run indepth studies on seal performance under a variety of conditions, generating insights that feed both new product development and servicing procedures,’ says Eric Boudier, general sales manager at Desmi.

Then there are the geographical considerations. For large, multi-national lube oil manufacturers, it is important to specify equipment from a large, global supplier rather than a smaller, local pump manufacturer. That is because locally made pumps from smaller brands sometimes lack the international documentation or service arrangements that make it easy to use them (and keep them operating) in other countries. And there are other advantages, too, to choosing a globally active supplier: larger manufacturers are better able to maintain product quality, ensuring that customers can replace or expand their equipment with confidence.

For high-end pump brands, quality-

reliability factors are a given customer benefit, while many pump producers still demonstrate variable results in such respects. At a detailed level, there are many particular design considerations, such as the ability to prevent backflow by making the pump more effective for handling of high differential pressures and less sensitive to low-viscosity liquids. The best of today’s gear pumps can also be equipped with various types of shaft seals, reducing product leakage by enabling the use of the most appropriate seal for the job.

Further down the list, but nevertheless an important competitive factor, is the pump manufacturer’s flexibility when it comes to catering for special requests.

‘At times,’ Boudier says, ‘Desmi is asked to provide pumps with special inline and angular connections, drainage plugs, specific clearances or adaptations for particular segments (such as pumps for screw compressors or advanced cooling systems where the usual gaskets and standard seals are replaced with O-rings

and balanced seals for handling higher inlet/outlet pressures). A company’s success is closely tied to its ability to provide what the customer really wants.’

Importantly, there is also the equipment servicing aspect. This is rarely a one-sizefits-all offering, and needs to be closely tailored to the manufacturer’s needs and the opportunities or limitations set by geographical location. The further from main centres a facility lies, the more important high operational durability becomes and the better the payback on the purchase of a high-quality pump to begin with.

‘In recent years, Desmi has been capturing a great deal of the Asian market, with a good proportion of orders coming in the form of new project or existing production plant expansions as well as repeat business,’ says Boudier. ‘Here, it helps to have a wide range of pumps to offer – making it easier and more cost-efficient to stick with a single brand of pump across different functional areas as far as possible.

Products are continually added to the range,

so that customers get new benefits in, for example, energy consumption, each time a pump is replaced.’

Last, however certainly not least, it is important to note that lube oil manufacturers at the forefront of the industry are not interested in pump performance alone.

‘Instead, they focus on the complete package around the pump, including specific design aspects, shipping format, documentation, servicing and so on. And they want to know they’re speaking to an expert in the use of pumps for lube oil applications, rather than a generalist, so industry-specific knowhow is also important,’ says Boudier.

Only by approaching pump purchase decisions holistically, with a firm eye on lifetime cost of ownership, can lube oil manufacturers be certain of high returns on their investments.

For more information:

Contact Eric Boudier, general sales manager, Desmi France, at ebo@desmi.com or by phone: +33 130 43 97 12.

Visit: www.desmi.com/pumps

Fluid Handling_Magazine (135 x 190mm).ai 1 06/03/2015 10:53:26

& RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY EVENT

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Ministry of Public Works and Housing Directorate General of Human Settlements

Handling hazardous fluids with hermetically sealed pumps

Europe’s largest fully integrated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production plant is located in the north of the German Ruhr region. The plant produces the plastic material polyvinyl chloride (PVC) using ethylene and salt as raw materials with intermediate products ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride.

Everything was clear after the test run In 2002, ABEL supplied its first electromechanical diaphragm pump for pumping polyvinyl chloride dispersions to the customer. Today, a total of nine electromechanical diaphragm pumps as well as two piston diaphragm pumps are operating in the PVC production plant.

Europe’s largest fully integrated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production plant is located in the north of the German Ruhr area

EM pump in operation

ATEX design Between 2008/2010, two quadruple type EM 125 electromechanical diaphragm stainless steel pumps in ATEX design have been used in the production plant in parallel installation. The pumps transport flammable PVC dispersion with vinyl chloride content of 5 to 10% from chemical reactors into buffer containers.

Originally, the reactor pressure of ca. 6 to 8 bar was used to transport the PVC dispersions into the buffer container.

Due to the use of the electromechanical diaphragm pumps whose original pumping pressure is 0.5 bar, the time for emptying the reactor has been clearly reduced. This makes it possible to fill the reactor faster.

optimal dampening only in a relatively narrow range around this pumping pressure. The ABEL iMPD automatically adjusts the charge to the pumping pressure, so that dampening occurs in a much wider pressure range with consistently reliable results.

In a different area of the facility, an ABEL piston diaphragm pump of the CM series has been in continuous operation, loading a dryer plant since 2011. This pump is also made from stainless steel and is ATEX compatible. The pump transports hot PVC dispersions of temperatures up to 70°C and with a content of solid matter of 40 to 55%

Special constructions

Spray tower loading pump

The pumps are equipped with ABEL intelligent diaphragm (Membrane) Pulsation Dampeners (iMPD). The special construction has proven to be useful where minimal residual pulsation needs to be achieved when pumping pressures fluctuate. Conventional diaphragm pulsation dampeners are pre-charged for a certain pumping pressure and offer

to a spray dryer. Operating pressures between eight and 20 bar are necessary due to various quality requirements.

Therefore, the pump is equipped with two conventional diaphragm pulsation dampeners with different pre-charge settings.

For more information: Visit: www.abel.de

Pumping the latex solution at Bituchem’s Gloucestershire plant

Wanner Hydra-Cell pump model G25

A historical project

The abbey of Mont St Michel

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Mont St Michel, Normandy is the second most important tourist attraction in France, attracting more than 2.5 million visitors each year. Built on a rocky outcrop one kilometre offshore between the mouth of the Couesnon River and the English Channel, the 1,000-year-old abbey overlooks one of the largest bays in the world – where the tidal rise of up to 15m is one of the highest in Europe.

However, over many decades the maritime character surrounding the abbey has changed dramatically. A combination of manmade and natural forces has resulted in much of the bay silting up and the sea has been pushed back to such an extent that the abbey is now almost marooned in a salt marsh. Fortunately, this situation is being addressed through a major project with the aim of restoring the degraded environment and renewing tourist appeal that will be completed by the end of 2015.

The project, which commenced in 2005, has taken in the construction of a new dam on the Couesnon river close to the estuary in order to increase hydraulic capacity, the removal of the 130-year-old causeway between the mainland and the abbey and

its replacement with a foot bridge, removal of sand surrounding the base of the rock to create improved hydraulic seawater flows and the development of enhanced visitor facilities and infrastructure.

One particular aspect of the improvements to the abbey’s infrastructure has been to address the removal of wastewater and effluent in a safe, effective and environmentally acceptable manner from Mont St Michel to a treatment plant located 2.5km along the coast. Instigated

by Synicat Mixte Baie du Mont St Michel, the project involved the construction of a pumping station that would accommodate the considerable fluctuations in effluent flow that are associated with times of

Construction of the subterranean pumping station

the year when visitor numbers can be both high and low. In addition, it had to be insulated from the effects of high spring tides.The contract for designing, equipping and constructing the pumping station was awarded to Sogea North West Construction (Vinci Group) and KSB. Design challenge In order to satisfy the many technical, environmental, performance, economic and security challenges, both contractors had to come up with an almost unique solution.

The result was a dry pit on-line lift pumping station discretely positioned below sea level at the approaches to the main entrance to Mont St Michel, equipped with four KSB Amarex KRT pumps.

Several factors influenced the choice of a submersible dry pit pumping station, not least of which was the minimum impact that it would have on the environment of Mont St Michel. Design and operating requirements that KSB had to consider were: the non-emission of odours and gases, variable flow demands on the pumps, potential storm conditions, discharging wastewater and effluent over a long distance, space and access constraints, absence of water storage, high performance, energy efficiency, low environmental impact and easy maintenance.

‘The design that we proposed involved the installation of four Amarex KRT pumps in a 3 + 1 arrangement, with frequency inverters for speed control,’ says Stéphane Quertain, product manager, Pumping Station KSB France. ‘The Amarex KRT is a dedicated wastewater pump and is more than capable of handling the type of solids laden fluids that are discharged from toilets, kitchens and other facilities used both by residents and tourists. In addition there was the safe removal of rainwater to be considered.The design of the Amarex KRT impeller and pump housing ensure a free flow of solids-laden liquid directly to the treatment works without the need for a holding tank ahead of the pumps.’

A significant factor in the selection of KSB’s Amarex KRT pump for the project is that it is IP68 rated for operation when fully submerged in water.The ability to comply with this requirement was a stipulation of the contract because, during periods of exceptionally high tides, seawater could enter the pumping station.

Each of the Amarex KRT pumps uses high efficiency IE3 motors and can provide flows of up to 540m³ at pressures of 10

KSB’s Amarex KRT pump

bar.The ability for the Amarex KRT to deliver on-demand pumping is of major importance for the Mont St Michel pump station as it removes the need for liquid storage and screening facilities, thereby reducing the foot print area. A further benefit of this arrangement is that odours and gases are contained in the effluent pipes and never linger in the pump station.This eliminates any unpleasantness for visitors and residents, and removes the need for maintenance personnel to work with dirty water.

Variable pump speed Because of the variations in flow through the year due to visitor numbers, it makes economical sense to vary pump speeds to meet demand. Flow monitors positioned in the inflow pipes measure the incoming flow and when a set level is reached the frequency flow controller activates the required number of pumps and the speed at which they need to run. By equipping all four pumps with frequency flow control, the pump speed of each one is matched to the incoming flow so power consumption is optimised and greatly reduced. Savings of up to 30% can be attained over an equivalent fixed speed drive.

Each pump has its own dedicated control panel with a touch-sensitive screen contained in robust, water-resistance cabinets.The purpose-designed software programme enables operators to switch the operation of all four pumps, record and interrogate historical events, monitor pump performance and provide external

The designs of the Amarex KRT impeller and pump housing ensure a free flow of solids-laden liquid

Quertain. ‘Thus, in normal operation they are too large and too powerful resulting in high energy costs. Because fixed speed pumps only operate at peak flow, the load losses are constant.Variable speed pumps operate on instant flow so the load losses are proportional to the instant flow, leading to a reduction in consumption of between VF and VV: 10-50%.’

At Mont St Michel, the Amarex KRT pumps only operate on demand and, by varying the speed, each pump adapts to the actual flow rate, which can often be less than the peak flow.Therefore, load losses are proportional to the flow – if it drops below peak demand then the load losses are reduced. As a result of load losses between instant flows and peak flows, variations in pump speeds contribute to energy gains.The economic impact in the case of Mont St Michel over 84% of the time that the pumps are running delivers an instant flow rate of less than 50m³/h, or 62% of the peak flow.

By undertaking a comparative study to estimate the potential savings between a traditional fixed speed Amarex KRT and the variable speed instant flow version

communications.The communications package offers double protection for service continuity and flexibility of use between peak and off-peak hours. During peak hours, electronic control ensures that pumps run in accordance with fluctuating flow rates and discharge effluent and wastewater in the same proportion.

During offpeak hours and seasons, pumps are automatically adjusted to meet reduced flow demand and Access to the pump station is through a manhole in the vehicle parking area in front of the abbey are constantly monitored to detect any problems or unauthorised recommended for Mont St Michel, KSB was operation by untrained personnel. able to show that the energy saving could Accessed by a manhole immediately in reach 30%.The result of the combined front of the walls leading into the abbey, efforts of KSB and SOGEA North West is the pump station has been constructed in an energy efficient, compact, discrete and a specially designed subterranean chamber. robust wastewater pump station designed Given the space and access constraints, for long term continuous operation and KSB and SOGEA North West delivered a capable of transferring waste matter to a pump solution that meets both the existing water treatment plant some 2.5km away usage demand and can accommodate future from the site. growth in demand.

‘Pump stations are often oversized to handle the possibility of increased demand, For more information: Bryan Orchard is an independent international journalist or are dimensioned to accommodate working in the areas of pump and valve technologies and exceptional flows that may occur only environmental engineering. every 10 to 20 years,’ says Stéphane Contact: bryan@bryanorchardpr.co.uk

New studies on flow calibration from Flow Research coming in 2015!

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Multiple factors propel vortex flowmeters into the spotlight Eastech was the first company to introduce vortex flowmeters to the market in 1969. These meters were then popularised by Yokogawa in the early 1970s. Since that time, other major suppliers such as Emerson Process Management and Endress+Hauser have entered the market. Other companies with a significant market presence in vortex include ABB, Krohne, SchneiderFoxboro, and Vortek Instruments.

How they work Vortex flowmeters rely on a principle called the ‘von Karman effect’. According to this principle, flow will alternately generate vortices when it passes by a bluff body. In a vortex meter, the bluff body is mounted at right angles to the flowstream and has a broad, flat front.

Flow velocity is proportional to the frequency of the vortices. Flowrate is calculated by multiplying the area of the pipe times the velocity of the flow.

Vortex flowmeters use one or more sensors downstream to detect the vortices. While the majority use piezoelectric sensors, some use capacitive or ultrasonic sensors. Ultrasonic sensors are the fastest growing technology, but piezoelectric sensors are still the dominant type. Some companies manufacture vortex meters with dual sensors downstream to provide enhanced sensor detection capability.

In some cases, vortex meters require the use of straightening vanes or a specified length of straight upstream and downstream piping to eliminate swirl and distorted flow patterns. Low flowrates present a problem for vortex meters because they generate vortices irregularly or not at all.Vortex meter accuracy is from medium to high, depending on model and manufacturer.Vortex flowmeters are widely used to measure steam flow, in addition to liquid and gas flow measurement.

Growth factors for vortex flowmeters Vortex flowmeters are especially suited for steam flow measurement, and they are widely used for this purpose.

Due to its high temperature and high pressure, steam is especially difficult to measure. Steam flow measurement parameters vary, depending on the type of steam. Types of steam include wet steam, saturated steam, and superheated steam.Vortex flowmeters can tolerate temperature and pressure extremes.

Steam is often measured for power generation and, in process plants, vortex and differential pressure (DP) flowmeters are the primary meters used to measure steam. Magnetic flowmeters cannot measure steam flow, and coriolis and ultrasonic flowmeters are just beginning to be used for this purpose.Vortex meters have wide rangeability, which allows them to measure steam flow at varying velocities. In process and power plants, steam is often measured coming from a boiler.

Multivariable flowmeters enhance the popularity of vortex meters Multivariable flowmeters are growing in importance because of increasing requirements to measure mass flow.

Multivariable flowmeters measure more than one process variable in addition to volumetric flow, typically temperature and/or pressure, and use these values to compute mass flowrate. Multivariable flowmeters are especially suited to measure gas and steam flow.

Sierra Instruments is credited with introducing the first multivariable vortex flowmeter in 1997. This meter included an RTD temperature sensor and a pressure transducer with a vortex shedding flowmeter. By using the information from these sensors, the flowmeter can

determine volumetric flow, temperature, pressure, fluid density, and mass flow.

Vortex multivariable flowmeters are one of a growing number of multivariable new-technology flowmeters, including multivariable magnetic flowmeters and multivariable DP flowmeters. Multivariable ultrasonic flowmeters are popular in district heating applications.

Since they were first introduced, a number of new suppliers have also brought out multivariable vortex flowmeters. These include ABB,Yokogawa, Krohne, Endress+Hauser, and Spirax Sarco. While multivariable flowmeters are somewhat more expensive than their single-variable counterparts, they enable users to obtain significantly more information about the process than a single-variable volumetric meter.

This additional information can result in increased efficiencies that more than make up for the additional cost of the multivariable flowmeter. Multivariable flowmeters typically cost less than the cost of buying all their components separately, including temperature or pressure transmitters.

In addition to the entrance of new companies into the multivariable vortex flowmeter market, some new companies have entered the vortex flowmeter market. These companies include Aalborg, azbil, and Racine Federated. Racine Federated purchased the industrial vortex flowmeter product line from J-TEC Associates and the vortex flowmeter line from Asahi America, and then itself was acquired by Badger Meter. Universal Flow Monitors brought out a new line of plastic vortex flowmeters called CoolPoint, and augmented it in 2007 with a stainless steel version. Spirax Sarco purchased the vortex flowmeter line from EMCO Flow Systems. The presence of these new suppliers and product lines is injecting new life into the flowmeter market, and helping to spread this technology to still more customers.

pments of Single Variable Vortex Flowmeters by Fluid Type in Western Europe in 2013 (Percent of Dollars) Shipments of single variable vortex flowmeters by fluid type in western Europe in 2013 (% of dollars)

learn about their advantages, and have a chance to try them out on their own applications.

4.0% One innovation in vortex flowmeters 23.7% is to have two of them in the same line and calibrate them together. This provides redundancy. It is somewhat 37.9% Gas like having two ultrasonic flowmeters Liquid running in the same line for custody transfer applications. This arrangement Saturated Steam does not improve the performance of the Superheated Steam individual meters, but it does make for a more stable and reliable installation.

34.3% Another recent development in vortex flowmeters is dual-sensor meters.

Source:The World Market for Vortex Flowmeters, 5th Edition, published by Flow Research, December 2014 When a bluff body generates vortices, a Vortex flowmeters provide low for custody transfer of natural gas. This downstream sensor detects the vortices maintenance report has substantially increased the and counts how many there are. One use of ultrasonic flowmeters for custody recent innovation is to have two sensors Users today looking forfflowmeters transfer than 2just Source: The are World Market or Vortex Flowmeters, 5th applications.

Edition, published by Flow Research, rather December 014one downstream to that do not require a great deal of In January 2007, an API committee detect the vortices. While this does maintenance. Rather than purchasing approved a draft standard for the use of not necessarily enhance performance, a flowmeter that needs to be checked vortex flowmeters for custody transfer of it provides redundancy, making the regularly for accuracy and repeatability, liquid and gas. This standard was updated flowmeter more reliable. they prefer to purchase flowmeters with in 2010. Since then, the standard has been minimal maintenance requirements. In reformulated to define the measurement Future market growth many cases, users will spend more for a of gas by vortex flowmeters in natural flowmeter that has reduced maintenance gas fluid measurement. It includes The vortex flowmeter market has not requirements. measurement of hydrocarbon gases and grown as rapidly as the coriolis and Many users today are aware of the steam flows. The reformulated standard ultrasonic markets, and it is not nearly distinction between purchase cost and allows for process measurement as well as large as the magnetic flowmeter cost of ownership, or life cycle cost. Even as fiscal measurement for these fluids. market. One factor holding it back is that though vortex meters may have a higher While this standard has not yet reached vortex meters are more intrusive than installed cost than DP flowmeters, they the final approval state, its approval is those other three meters. A bluff body may cost less over the lifetime of the likely to boost sales of vortex meters can get knocked out of place, as can an meter due to reduced maintenance costs. over time, as suppliers develop products orifice plate, resulting in an unreliable Unlike turbine and positive displacement that conform to the standard. measurement. Coriolis, ultrasonic, and meters, vortex meters do not have magnetic flowmeters are not intrusive in moving parts. They are not subject to New developments this way, and they provide more stable wear in the way that orifice plates are. measurements.

With many companies reducing their Some suppliers have introduced reduced Secondly, there is a limit to how much engineering and maintenance staffs, bore vortex flowmeters. Reduced bore information the vortex transmitter having a meter that does not require a flowmeters have a pipe diameter that is can derive from counting the number great deal of maintenance can be a major smaller at the point where the bluff body of vortices. Apparently this is not advantage. generates vortices than the diameter of sufficient for vortex flowmeters to the pipe at either end of the flowmeter. achieve accuracies much greater than API approval may propel vortex Flow speed is increased where the pipe 0.5%. Ultrasonic and coriolis meters flowmeter usage is narrowed, and vortices are more reach higher accuracy levels. In order reliably created – especially in low flow to achieve an accuracy or performance Differential pressure, turbine, and conditions. Hence, reduced bore vortex breakthrough, someone will have to figure ultrasonic flowmeters have benefited flowmeters can handle low flowrates out how to obtain additional information from industry approvals. Both the better than standard bore flowmeters. from the vortices than is currently being American Gas Association (AGA) and Their installation costs are also likely to derived. the American Petroleum Institute (API) be less than for standard bore meters. have issued reports on the use of these When reduced bore vortex flowmeters For more information: flowmeter types for custody transfer first appeared, it was only in the one line This article was written by Jesse Yoder, PhD, president of applications. The earliest of these was size reduced version. Since then, suppliers Flow Research.Visit: www.flowresearch.com issued in 1930 by the AGA for DP have added two line size reduced bore Note: Jesse Yoder has recently authored a new market study on vortex flowmeters, which was published by Flow flowmeters using orifice plates. In 1998, meters. Both versions have become Research in December 2014. It is called The World Market the AGA published the AGA-9 Report increasingly popular since then. Their for Vortex Flowmeters, 5th Edition. For more information, go to www.flowvortex.com on the use of ultrasonic flowmeters use is likely to increase as more users

Taking the stress out of fiscal measurement Fiscal measurement encompasses allocation and custody transfer flow measurement, where allocation is the assignment of product quantities to owners, leases or individual source streams, while custody transfer involves change of ownership of the material transferred. In both cases the results may determine royalties to be paid, purchase amounts, and how much tax must be paid, so the measurement must be made with as little uncertainty as possible.

Inaccurate measurements can result in disputes between parties and fines from government authorities. Critical to both are measurement technology, fluid quality, rate of production, operating conditions and process complexity.

Fiscal measurement is ubiquitous Fiscal measurement applications are found everywhere in the oil and gas value chain, from production, to terminals and storage, to pipeline transportation. Even if operators have different challenges in these areas, fiscal measurement can help them to achieve their goals. In offshore production, for example, fiscal measurement provides real time product quality and well production data to help optimise reservoir production and ensure regulatory compliance.

In terminals and storage facilities, the correct measurement of transferred fluid flow rate and properties helps to improve product quality in the tanks, reduce waste and increase loading/offloading efficiency.

In pipelines transportation custody transfer meters are effectively used in leak detection systems, batch operations and loss/gain balance to improve the product movement efficiency and maximise pipeline capacity.

Fiscal measurement has a huge economic impact, for both liquids and gas Producers, carriers, royalty owners, state regulatory bodies and tax authorities all want to be assured of the exact quantity and quality of the transferred fluid. With the large quantities usually involved, even a seemingly-small measurement uncertainty can quickly add up to substantial amounts of money. Fig.1 shows some examples of the amount of money involved.

An uncertainty of just 0.15% for a facility handling 2.7 million barrels per day translates to 4,000 barrels per day, which is the cost equivalent of a little more than four Mercedes Benz S-Class luxury sedans per day (at $93,000 per car).

A similar result can be seen with gas.

Fig.2 shows the financial exposure per year for a typical gas metering entry point handling 300 million ft3 per day at a nominal commercial export sell price of $10 per thousand ft3:

Measurement uncertainty

Uncertainty of in millions barrels per day

Financial exposure per year

0.15%

0.0040

$87.6 million

0.25%

0.0068

$148.9 million

0.50%

0.0135

$295.7 million

1.00%

0.0270

$591.3 million

2.00%

0.0540

$1,182.6 million

5.00%

0.1350

$2,956.5 million

Figure 1: Country oil production per day 2.7 million barrels. Nominal commercial export selling price $60 (â‚Ź57)

Measurement uncertainty

Uncertainty of in millions barrels per day

Financial exposure per year

0.25%

0.75

$2.740 million

0.50%

1.50

$5.475 million

0.60%

1.80

$6.570 million

0.80%

2.40

$8.760 million

1.00%

3.00

$10.950 million

2.00%

6.00

$21.900 million

5.00%

15.00

$54.750 million

Figure 2

Challenges for operators One of the challenges associated with fiscal measurement is ongoing commercial and standards accountability; this means the fiscal measurement system must be in compliance with all contracts, appropriate industry standards, and follow relevant best practices to minimise uncertainty – every day.

Operators are also interested in optimised and cost effective operations.

Due to skills and resource shortage, there is an increasing need for data, information and process insight that could help to improve troubleshooting and maintenance procedures.

It is also important to make sure that the fiscal measurement system used is sustainable and reliable for all its life cycle.

The consequences of failing to meet any or all of these challenges can be very painful: additional maintenance, possible line interruptions, unplanned proving, increase of ownership costs and, ultimately, fiscal risk.

Think about the system When choosing equipment for fiscal measurement it is critical to remember it will be part of an integrated system.

The various components, like flowmeters, pressure regulators and control valves, analysers for oil and gas quality, odourant injection equipment and so on, all impact the overall system uncertainty and ability to meet product quality requirements.

Proving and calibration methods also need to be considered to make sure the measurement is accurate and reliable during the whole meter lifetime.

SCADA systems and software will handle all the data available from the metering system to improve operations and facilitate troubleshooting. Services like maintenance, commissioning, consulting and asset health are also needed to keep every day operations running effectively.

Integrated applications such as metering systems, pressure reducing stations and data management systems can solve some of the challenges related to complete systems, such as compliance to industry standards and country regulation, choice of the right equipment, and uncertain responsibilities coming from having many different suppliers.

An important decision for users is whether to engineer, procure, assemble, test and maintain everything in house,

Water in the oil leg or to look for a vendor who will provide a packaged solution and maintain it.

Things to consider One of the major things to consider when putting together a fiscal measurement system is capital expenditure (CAPEX).

CAPEX covers the capital to procure Outputs from a coriolis meter can show if there is water content in the oil everything (including any interest charges), Entrained gas in oil to install the equipment, and to commission it.

When choosing the most cost-effective technology one must look at measurement performance (it is not worth the money if it does not sufficiently reduce measurement uncertainty), equipment reliability and The coriolis meter can also indicate the presence of entrained gas in oil total cost of ownership when all maintenance and carried costs for Here is one example: blockages may spares are included. occur upstream of the flowmeter, Other considerations will involve upsetting flow profiles and degrading system operations and maintenance. measurement accuracy. The usual solution The use of industry best practices is to interrupt the line, try to identify and expertise in designing the system the meter that has the problem, consult together with the full utilisation of the the meter specialist, inspect the meter technologies at hand certainly helps and perform an unplanned calibration; optimising the day by day work and but what if the inspection finds nothing troubleshooting procedures. as the problem is not in the meter?

As part of the technology, much of And what if an obstruction occurs soon the information on equipment and after a scheduled inspection has been process conditions is available from completed? How long will inaccurate the diagnostic outputs from today’s measurements be made before they are smart instruments that can go a long caught? way towards reducing both operating A modern ultrasonic flowmeter costs and measurement uncertainty. can detect the flow distortion caused

by upstream obstructions and signal operators when inspection and cleanout is actually needed, rather than adhering to some fixed schedule. It can quickly identify potential pipeline flow conditions that will affect measurement before they actually exceed the meter uncertainty. It can also identify long term pipeline wall dirt buildup and detect the presence of liquid hydrocarbons in a gas flow. This is also useful in identifying any hydro test water remaining in new pipeline construction.

Similarly, outputs from a coriolis meter can show if there is water content in the oil or entrained gas in oil that can affect accuracy. It can provide that information either locally or remotely, to provide insight into what is going on with the system and the meter. The meter will also be able to check itself to verify its integrity and inform the operator accordingly.

Just as flowmeters have gained new capabilities, so have flow computers, which can deal with the problem of stranded information. Remote operation controllers and flow computers can analyse the data coming from intelligent meters and instrumentation to provide compliant flow totalisation, data history, audit trails and actionable alerts. They can be built into configurable systems for fiscal measurement and control, and integrated seamlessly with centralised control networks. They provide easy interface and access to flowmeter and critical device data, health and diagnostics through networks like Modbus and wireless HART; and they come with software for local or remote diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Putting together a flow measurement system One of the first decisions when deciding on a flow measurement system is: who will build it? Assembling such a system yourself, or hiring a local system integrator, can present a number of challenges.

Using equipment from multiple vendors can present its own set of problems. There is the obvious need for all equipment to meet all applicable standards. Another is the need to make sure that all the equipment will work together and be integrated in the overall control system. There can also be non-obvious subtleties, as different

overall measurement performance, reliability, system and component integration.

A single supplier should be able to provide a complete flow measurement solution, including a complete architecture for system monitoring, control, and optimisation. It will be important to ensure the ability to handle multiple meters, built in redundancy for safety reason, and easy integration with a broad variety of DCS/SCADA hosts.

A single software platform as described will solve any issue of integration and start up.

Summary Fiscal measurement systems are complex, the economic impact is huge and operators face ongoing challenges regarding sustaining measurement performance and cost effective maintenance. When setting up a fiscal measurement system, there are many advantages in choosing a single supplier: best practices and new technologies will be used to guarantee the overall accuracy, achieve consistent and reliable measurement and provide a better insight into the system conditions.

Turnkey solutions will be tailored to customer needs and will be designed, engineered and manufactured to improve operations and performance and ensure compliance to industry standards and country regulation.

The result will be improved overall fiscal flow assurance throughout the entire oil and gas value chain, and reduced fiscal risk.

Major functional areas to consider in site integration include data integrity and modelling, SCADA, process control integration, condition-based monitoring, remote automation solutions and asset management

manufacturers may make different assumptions with regard to things like data communication and data file structure.

Site integration can also be a challenge.

Major functional areas include data integrity and modelling, SCADA, process control integration, condition-based monitoring, remote automation solutions and asset management. All of these must work together to ensure standardisation, optimised operations and effective analysis.

Going with a single supplier Given all the factors and challenges outlined above, the advantages of choosing a single supplier to provide both equipment and integration services become apparent. All communications protocols and data organisation will be the same for an easier interface into the main control system. Perhaps most importantly, having a single supplier means a single point of responsibility for

For more information:

This article was written by Rossella Mimmi, industry marketing manager for Flow Solutions, Emerson Process Management.Visit: www2.emersonprocess.com/en-US/ Pages/Home.aspx

Coupling safety f l e x h i bilit y t i w On 6 August 2013, EMCO Chemical Distributors opened a new 300,000ft2 corporate headquarters and manufacturing/distribution facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, US. EMCO is one of the 10 largest privately owned distributors, blenders and custom packagers of industrial chemicals, specialty chemicals and fine ingredients in the US, and the 44th largest in the world, with more than $300 million (€282.8

Raw materials and finished chemical blends are transported and stored in the warehousing area of EMCO’s new facility in Pleasant Prairie,Wisconsin

Chemical-handling operations are only optimised when two critical operational parameters are successfully met: complete product containment and efficient time management.

An example of the quick disconnect coupling technology available today is the Kamlok from OPW Engineered Systems, a cam-and-groove quick disconnect.

It features the exclusive Twin-Kam arm design to help prevent accidental releases and Spring-Ring to ensure proper position of finger rings for ease of operation.

Here is how it works: • Couple in any position

• Cam arms lock the coupler and adaptor together.

This method of operation not only prevents accidental product spills, but makes it easy to operate as the connections and disconnects are accomplished by simply closing and opening the two cam arms that lock into the mechanical groove around the circumference of the mating adaptor. The best quick disconnect couplings have also been designed to engage and disengage in the quickest (and safest) manner possible. The Autolok from OPW Engineered Systems utilises a self-

million) in annual sales. The opening of the Pleasant Prairie facility was the culmination of a three-year design, engineering and construction process that was initiated with the purchase of a vacant facility that had previously been used as a resin and ink plant for the printing industry.

A comfortable connection The result of the development is a stateof-the-art operation that features 10 miles of stainless-steel pipe, 64,000 miles of wire, more than one million gallons of liquid-storage space, upwards of 70 dedicated storage tanks, a 25-car railway siding, and side-by-side transport-truck and railcar loading/unloading docks.

EMCO decided to build its own hoses for use in loading and unloading at the docks, and colour code them so that the proper hose would always be used to handle the appropriate chemical.

‘We make our own hoses, mainly because of the optimised turnaround time. We make them ‘right now’ and get them out to the guys that need them,’ says Mark Serdar, facilities maintenance

locking Twin-Kam system to hold the adaptor more securely for increased protection against an accidental product release.

OPW Autolok quick disconnect couplings

EMCO’s side-by-side tank-truck and railcar loading/unloading dock features numerous loading racks that are dedicated to specific products or raw materials

manager. ‘We make it any length we need and if the ends get wrecked, we just cut a foot off and put a new end on.’

A crucial component of the hose is the coupling at each end, used to connect the hose to a truck or railcar and the loading/ unloading rack. These couplings cannot leak and must be easy for the operator to handle, with no wasted time. For this task, EMCO chose Autolok and Kamlok quick disconnects from Ohio-based OPW Engineered Systems. The Autoloks include OPW’s patented Twin-Kam feature that holds the adaptor more securely for increased protection against an accidental release.

‘The Autoloks and Kamloks are great, they keep the user from accidentally

popping the coupling on the hose,’ says Serdar. ‘It’s also a very simple end to disconnect and reconnect with gloves on, so the simplicity of working that connection is important. We must have around 500 Autoloks and Kamloks in use.

We do all of the pressure testing and each hose gets an ID tag so we can track that hose, and the Autoloks and Kamloks make the certification process that much easier.’

Making up ground Helping deliver operator safety at the loading/unloading docks is a Model 8030 Ground Verification Monitor system from tank truck equipment company Civacon.

EMCO Chemical Distributors’ VP of engineering, BJ Korman, selecting coupling models

Civacon Model 8030 ground verification monitor system

is grounded, but we also tied it into our Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) so that a pump won’t start unless there’s a ground, and if it loses ground during a pumping operation, that pump will automatically turn off.’

Conclusion EMCO Chemical Distributors has helped ensure the viability of its new facility by choosing top-of-the-line equipment and components, all the way down to the hose couplings and loading-dock ground-verification equipment. After just eight months, EMCO’s new facility is reaping the benefits from incorporating Autolok and Kamlok couplings and Civacon ground-verification systems in its operation.

Autolok quick disconnect couplings play an integral role in ensuring the safe and reliable transfer of hazardous chemicals at EMCO’s new distribution facility

The 8030 ground system has been designed to visually confirm a ground connection between the truck or railcar and the loading terminal. If no ground connection is verified, the loading or unloading process will not be allowed to begin.

‘The reason we chose the 8030 is that it gives a visual indication that something is grounded,’ says BJ Korman,VP of engineering, EMCO. ‘At EMCO, safety is of the utmost importance. With this system not only do you get a good visual of what is going on, whether the vehicle

For more information:

This article was written by Dave Morrow, product manager, OPW Engineered Systems, part of Dover Corporation’s OPW division.Visit: www.opw-es.com

Don’t miss your chance to appear in the May/June 2015 issue of Fluid Handling magazine For editorial suggestions contact: Daniel Traylen, daniel@woodcotemedia.com +44 (0) 20 868 74126 For advertising information and prices contact: Belinda Smart, belinda@fluidhandlingmag.com +44 (0) 20 864 87092 Next issue features include: Chemical pumps Ultrasonic flowmeters Butterfly valves Large diameter pumps Digital instruments

Bonus Distribution Indowater 2015 27-29 May ACHEMA 2015 15-19 June

Advertising deadline: 27 April 2015

As global conditions place more stress on water resources, a great deal of attention is being paid to water reuse technologies, particularly those that facilitate the reuse of the next level of difficult-to-treat or highly variable raw water sources. New hollow fibre ultrafiltration membrane technology is proving to be key to successful water reuse strategies for available water sources, especially those with high solids. The membranes can achieve higher recoveries for industrial water, work well for seawater pretreatment, and are even being used for potable water treatment.

One recent example is the Puron MP pressurised hollow fibre ultrafiltration (UF) treatment system for high solids water and wastewater, developed and manufactured by Koch Membrane Systems (KMS). The new technology has achieved positive results in 13 pilot tests around the globe, with full-scale systems under construction in China and Singapore. The membrane produces high quality permeate at low fouling rates with difficult feed water. The design has a smaller footprint and uses less energy and chemicals than other wastewater treatment options, offering lower lifecycle costs for difficult-to-treat water.

Global trends favour water reuse Governments around the world are shifting focus to water reuse strategies as population growth and global development place a strain on existing fresh water supplies. In addition, wastewater reuse in both the industrial and municipal sectors has become more prevalent in recent years as the cost and regulations for waste disposal increase.

Treated wastewater effluent can be used for agricultural and landscape/golf course

irrigation, industrial cooling processes, and indirect potable reuse.

Water reuse strategies are taking hold around the US, with more systems coming online every day. In New York State watersheds, many wastewater plants use UF membrane filtration before discharging wastewater effluent to aquifers. In more arid environments that are experiencing water scarcity, like those in California, Arizona and Nevada, membrane plants are common. In some cases reclaimed water is distributed around a municipality for a variety of

event. In a lake with an average turbidity of 5-10 NTU, a storm could cause a spike in turbidity levels to 100-200 NTU, or even as high as 1,000 NTU. In the case of rivers, a 2� rainfall can cause excessive runoff from roads to flow into the river. When this flow of murky water enters a treatment plant using sand filter or clarifier technology, the plant often cannot meet set turbidity output standards.

Filtration challenges are increased by other factors as well, such as seasonal change, storm runoff, and water

‘Wastewater reuse in the industrial and municipal sectors has become more prevalent in recent years as costs and waste disposal regulations increase’ purposes through a completely separate water main, leading to increased overall water use efficiency.

As some sources of usable fresh water dry up or otherwise become unavailable, other alternatives are becoming more attractive, including difficult-to-treat sources such as brackish water, pond water, or seawater. Ultrafiltration products are being developed to process the vast number of feed streams that are not clarified enough to be processed by drinking water membranes currently in place.

In the case of surface waters, like reservoirs, lakes, and rivers, these alternative water sources can be highly variable in terms of suspended solids or turbidity. High solids and increased levels of total organic carbon (TOC), tend to wreak havoc on conventional water treatment equipment. A storm rolling across a shallow lake can churn up sediment, causing a peak turbidity

temperature changes.Variability in suspended solids or turbidity is often introduced to water sources as seasons change. Finally, filtration is more difficult in colder water, as increased viscosity makes it harder to push water through a membrane filter.

New ultrafiltration technology meets permeate consistency needs In response to the need for end-users to achieve consistent permeate under highly variable conditions, KMS developed the Puron MP ultrafiltration membrane. This product was specifically designed for highsolids water and wastewater applications, including surface water treatment, high TOC water treatment, RO pretreatment, and tertiary wastewater treatment. A combination of robust membrane fibres and a unique cartridge design allows the Puron MP product to withstand

engineers developed and tested additional prototypes with different packing densities to arrive at the optimum number of fibres to place in each cartridge. The optimised system has been tested on different applications at more than 10 surface water or municipal wastewater pilot sites in the US, Australia, China, Brazil, Italy and Spain. The tests have been used to optimise operating parameters and demonstrate long-term performance on a variety of feed water sources. Full scale systems are currently being installed at industrial facilities in China and Singapore.

Pilot testing shows high tolerance of solids

Puron MP cartridge flow

the stress of high turbidity events with effective flux recovery.

A four-year R&D process began with an early prototype placed at a reservoir test site with moderate to high TOC levels. This pilot, located near the KMS Wilmington, Massachusetts manufacturing facility, ran for about 24 months as

Comparison of potting designs

researchers and engineers evaluated operating modes, cleaning sequences, and cartridge designs to come up with an optimum configuration. Tests were conducted on air scouring, backflushing and chemical cleaning; the results were used to fine-tune the cleaning sequences.

Following positive test results,

Pilot test findings indicate that the membranes can tolerate an extremely high level of solids even after significant storm events, producing consistent permeate no matter which type of raw water is received.

At one pilot site, the feed water was a river with periods of extremely high solids due to rains and runoff. Even with measured turbidity peaks up to 8,000 NTU, while the pilot would see an increase in transmembrane pressure (TMP), no unusual cleaning was necessary to return the cartridge to baseline TMP after the turbidity spike cleared. In general, even with these very high upsets, the permeate turbidity did not increase above 0.1 NTU.

At another site, feed water consisted of high fouling lagoon wastewater plant effluent with high TOC and incomplete nitrification. The change from autumn to winter brought a snowfall that caused the lagoon to ‘flip’, causing TOC readings to jump from 12-15 ppm to more than 20 ppm. Even so, the membrane cartridge consistently produced permeate with very low The fibres, the cartridge and the complete Puron MP skid turbidity and silt density index (SDI) values, demonstrating positive water scouring to penetrate the fibre bundle reuse potential regardless of feed water more completely and release accumulated turbidity and TOC. solids to the bottom, where they are Operators backflushed the pilot with easily drained away. In addition, backflush a 20-minute cycle during the lagoon flip discharge is in the centre of the cartridge, event, allowing the facility to stay clean the zone most likely to experience without high TMP. The pilot operated sludging. well through the winter with very low By contrast, other hollow fibre temperatures and in high feed TOC membrane cartridges utilise traditional conditions at 25 gallons per square foot designs with potting at both ends. The of membrane per day (GFD) with a tightly packed dual-header configuration clean in place (CIP) interval of 30 days. In in these traditional modules restricts fibre addition, the unit also demonstrated high movement, creating dead zones where coagulant dosing tolerance. Tests with solids can accumulate. This fibre sludging an on-line permeate UV254 instrument reduces membrane surface area, system showed that coagulant dosage can be output and energy efficiency. optimised for more efficient chemical Another advantage of the Puron consumption, rather than dosing MP system setup is that being able to excessive, expensive concentrations to rely on automated cleaning sequences ensure that worst case conditions are to keep the membrane clean during managed. difficult turbidity events eliminates the need to take down the system for Unique features reduce fibre intensive chemical cleaning. Air scouring, sludging backflushing, and draining keeps TMPs lower so operators do not have to come The design of the Puron MP modules in on an emergency basis to deal with includes features that make them more these types of events. forgiving for use in difficult-to-treat The cartridge uses a virtually waters and better able to handle high unbreakable braided reinforced fibre, solids without fibre sludging. Because the which minimises the type of damage Puron MP cartridge utilises a reinforced that could shut a system down or hollow fibre, the membranes are able contaminate the permeate. This results to be bound or ‘potted’ at the top end in improved uptime, ensuring the system only. This single-potting design allows can operate at full capacity, so there are the membrane fibres to move freely no deleterious effects on downstream within the cartridge, thereby allowing air processes.

The system’s high flux and solids tolerance properties eliminate the need for costly clarifiers and chemical pretreatments in many tough applications.

This reduces the footprint required, limiting initial capital expenditure as well as operating costs associated with chemical use. Advanced membrane chemistry, a tight pore size and distribution and effective air scouring can deliver more stable performance without the need for extensive chemical cleans.

Simple operations and lower total cost of ownership The new pressurised hollow fibre UF cartridge technology by KMS produces high quality permeate at low fouling rates with difficult feed water. The cartridge design incorporates a single header design with free floating, reinforced fibres that allow for solids removal during cleaning.

Simplifying operation, the new membrane eliminates clarifier pretreatment in many applications, minimises downtime, and reduces chemical usage. These benefits add up to a lower total cost of ownership.

For more information:

This article was written by Kevin Phillips, product development manager, Koch Membrane Systems.

Visit: www.kochmembrane.com

Conducting a

Filling system Jumo tecLine Ci hygienic conductivity sensor

In the drinks industry, plants are almost exclusively cleaned using a Clean-inPlace (CIP) process. The measurement of conductivity is particularly important during CIP cleaning, as conductivity can be used to monitor and control many of the automatic processes. Modular multichannel measuring devices ensure a high level of process reliability and also offer the user the additional benefit of reducing maintenance costs.

CIP cleaning has been the standard cleaning method used in the drinks industry for some years now. The principle behind the process is the optimised interaction between mechanics, time, and chemistry. Using a spray nozzle that is integrated into the plant, the cleaning agent and rinsing solutions are applied to the surfaces of the plant components. The movement of the spray nozzle ensures that all surfaces are completely covered in the cleaning solutions. The same effect is achieved inside the pipelines thanks to the flow rate of the cleaning fluid. Depending on the setting, laminar and turbulent flows can be generated. Turbulent flows enable the cleaning fluids to loosen product residues from the inner walls of the pipelines. The conductivity of the cleaning fluids is measured in order to control and monitor the CIP cleaning process.

Concentration measurement The purpose of the first measuring point for conductivity during CIP cleaning is to safely set the concentration of acids and alkalis. These are often kept in high concentrations (approx.

55%) in storage tanks and

diluted with water before application to achieve the concentration required for the cleaning solution (around 1.5-2%). The concentration is monitored by measuring the conductivity. Concentration curves of the acids and alkalis that are used can be stored in a product such as, for example, the Jumo Aquis touch P multichannel measuring device. The integrated analysis inputs convert the measured conductivity directly into concentration values using the stored tables. Once the setpoint concentration has been achieved, the device can carry out tasks such as opening or closing a valve.

Phase separation The second measuring point is in the plant itself or on the outlet of the plant.

The change in the cleaning medium is measured by the conductivity of the cleaning solutions. After cleaning using an alkali, the entire system is rinsed with water, for example. Using the conductivity measurement, the user can determine the exact time at which the alkali was completely rinsed out of the plant. In this way, the rinsing process can be limited to just the required time and the water consumption can also be reduced.

CIP return The third measuring point of conductivity is in the return of the CIP system.

Depending on whether the CIP process has been carried out as total loss or recovery cleaning, the priority of the measurement may change. In total loss cleaning, all cleaning and rinsing solutions are discharged after the cleaning process.

With this option, the conductivity in the return is not as important.

In contrast, the conductivity of the return is measured in recovery cleaning so that conclusions can be made regarding the extent of soiling or the residual concentration of the acids and alkalis. Using the integrated binary inputs

Jumo Aquis touch P with process image of CIP plant

and outputs, a multichannel device, taking into account the preset limit value, can switch the corresponding valves so that the solution either returns to the storage tank or is fed into the sewage system.

Resources can also be saved in this process. For example, the water from the most recent cleaning step can be used in the pre-rinse phase of the next clean, or heavily diluted alkaline and acid solutions can be concentrated again.

Low-maintenance solution The demand for more efficient and lowmaintenance cleaning and compliance with hygienic and environmental standards is steadily increasing. As a result, a high level of process reliability and monitoring is absolutely essential.

By using a multichannel device, all tasks in the CIP process are combined into just one device. As explained, the most important measurement in the CIP cleaning process is the conductivity, in combination with the temperature.

The conductivity is generally measured inductively during CIP cleaning. This can be done with the Jumo tecLine Ci, an inductive conductivity sensor for hygienic applications with integrated temperature probe for temperature compensation.

The main benefit of the Jumo Aquis touch P multichannel device is the fact that all the important measurement parameters can be determined with a single device. The device has two analysis inputs that can be supplied with conductivity in the flow and return during CIP cleaning. Additional analogue inputs can also be used to determine values such as the filling levels of the storage tanks, the turbidity of the return, and the flow rate. The multichannel measuring device has a number of binary inputs

and outputs that can carry out various functions using a frequency measurement, such as checking the flow rate, monitoring the limit values, assuming PID controls, and switching alarms. As such, the device can also be used to control the valves for the individual cleaning stages on the basis of the measurement parameters.

The tried-and-tested integrated calibration and wash timers ensure smooth system operation and reduce the maintenance requirements. Two wash timers can be used to clean electrodes at regular intervals. Specific functions can be recurrently triggered in preset intervals.

For example, wash timers can actuate binary outputs to switch on a cleaning process in the plant. The highest possible level of measuring certainty is ensured when the sensors are regularly cleaned.

The calibration timer regularly reminds the operator to recalibrate the sensors.

Corresponding alarms and results list entries can be configured individually. A calibration logbook is available for the analogue inputs IN 6 to IN 12, where all the successfully completed calibration processes can be found along with the date, time, and other details. In this way, the system operator always has an overview of the calibration history of the analysis sensors.

With the additional recording function, all measured data can be recorded and saved. The main advantage of this function is that the device is able to fulfil official

Process sequence

obligations to keep records. With the two software packages Jumo PCC and Jumo PCA, the recorded data can be transferred to the database, for example using an Ethernet cable, and stored there.

All measurements that are carried out by the Jumo Aquis touch P multichannel device can be monitored on-site on the 3.5� touchscreen. In addition, the device can be connected to a central parent system through various interfaces, such as Profibus-DP, RS422/485, or Ethernet.

In practice, the data is generally all forwarded to a central PLC. This is often not designed for the large volume of data and gradually reaches its capacity over time. Using a multichannel device offers distinct benefits here, because the PLC is not put under so much load and is therefore more efficient.

Summary With the conductivity measurement in CIP cleaning, a low-maintenance JUMO tecLine Ci conductivity measuring cell can be put to use to reduce maintenance costs and save resources by conducting measurements at different points in the process. The use of a Jumo Aquis touch P multichannel device offers an optimised, all-inclusive solution for controlling the entire CIP process.

For more information:

This article was written by Christina Hoffmann, market segment manager, pharma and food, Jumo.

Visit: www.jumo.net

Designing safety into hazardous liquid processes A £1.6 million (€2.27 million) investment

by Landsdowne Chemicals at its Carterton production facility in Oxfordshire, UK, has produced a state-of-art automated facility where safety factors have been designed in at every stage of the potentially hazardous hydrazine hydrate site.

Founded in 1977 by George WatkinsonYull, Lansdowne Chemicals has established itself at the forefront of the global chemical industry with particular expertise in hydrazine hydrate, although different divisions now also specialise in the production of products for water treatment, cosmetic and personal care, vitamins and amino acids, fine chemical intermediates and manufactured products.

The company had worked with Manchester-based process engineering design consultant Haden Freeman (HFL) for over 10 years before briefing this major project.

Stuart Dow, technical director of HFL, explains: ‘Although hydrazine is used in many processes, its most common use is as an antioxidant, oxygen scavenger or corrosion inhibitor in water boilers and heating systems. Lansdowne’s products have enjoyed particular success preventing corrosion damage in high pressure boilers used in the power generating industries and used as a chemical intermediate for a number of different applications.

‘The dilution of the hydrazine hydrate, however, was a potentially hazardous procedure which relied heavily on both personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protective equipment (RPE). In addition, the company wished to expand its range of products to include hydrazine hydrate concentrations from 100% down to >5% and be able to switch production to different concentrates more easily as product demand dictated.

‘Hydrazine hydrate at any concentration is a corrosive and toxic liquid, so our brief was to remove the operating personnel as far as possible from the process.With concentrations below 5% exempt from the

scheme was to minimise operator contact with the material and so safety has been at the heart of the design,’ Dow says. ‘Despite it being a very tight site, we were able to bring the plant into production on time and within budget. As a result of this investment in these collective improvements, Lansdowne now has a significant commercial advantage in the European specialist chemical market.

‘In general, designing process systems for aggressive media has its own challenges whatever the project may be and these need to be answered at every stage so that each part of the system is fit for purpose.

Materials of construction must be selected to be compatible with the fluids handled, from the point of view of both the effect of the fluid on the material, i.e. corrosion resistance, and the effect of the material on the fluid e.g. potential degradation and possible undesirable reactions, even violent decomposition reactions.

‘Hazards such as these are identified in a HAZID (hazard identification) review, carried out at the design concept stage of the project. A HAZOP (hazard and operability) review is carried out at the detailed design stage of the project based on the approved line diagrams. In particular, safety instrumented systems (e.g. alarms and trips) are reviewed in the HAZOP, and further SIL (safety integrity level) reviews are carried out on these where required.

The design of these safety systems must then meet the SIL rating determined by the review.’

Hydrazine hydrate storage tanks

HSE’s COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) regulations, Lansdowne had cornered a niche market of power stations for low concentration products and it was also vital to be able to guarantee absolute accuracy for this market.

‘We therefore designed and project managed the construction of an entirely new plant which offers an automated dilution and mixing system to ensure plant operatives have minimal contact with this toxic product.’

The new plant, constructed alongside Lansdowne Chemicals’ existing facility, consists of a new tanker loading station where the raw hydrazine is offloaded into three new storage tanks, a reverse osmosis plant to produce de-mineralised water and a reactor vessel where the actual dilution and mixing takes place before the product goes to a specialised drum filling station, capable of taking various sized containers dependant on customer specification.The entire system is manufactured in stainless steel with flanged pipework complete with leak-proof pressure gaskets.The system relies on a sealed transfer utilising dry-break couplings whilst additional safety factors include a fire fighting deluge sprinkler system with its own dedicated external pumping system. In addition, the whole building is surrounded by a bund to contain any spillage whilst Haden Freeman also wrote the dedicated software used in the control system.

‘The whole Lansdowne Chemicals

For more information:

Contact Joe Gunton-Jones, business development manager, Haden Freeman, by email, jgunton-jones@hadenfreeman.com.

Visit: www.hadenfreeman.com

27-29 May 2015

Indowater

Jakarta, Indonesia

15-19 June 2015

Achema

Frankfurt, Germany

15-16 July 2015

Valve World Americas Expo

Texas, USA

26-30 September 2015

Weftec

Chicago, USA

29-30 September 2015

Tank Storage Asia

Singapore

30 September 2015 – 1 October 2015

Pumps & Valves 2015

Rotterdam, the Netherlands

2-5 November 2015

Adipec

Abu Dhabi UAE

3-7 October 2015

EPCA

Berlin, Germany

25-26 Nov 2015

Tank Storage Germany

Hamburg, Germany

Advert index Azbil 9 Flow Research 26 Loadtec OBC Lutz-Jesco 7 Singer Valve 4