July 2012

Featured Columnist
Powder & Bulk Solids Multiport valves have three or more ports
arranged to allow switching the flow dependent
Explosion-Proof Sugar Grinding System
upon application. Multiports can reduce the num-
Bauermeister’s UCOM systems are built explosion-pressure ber of valves in most piping systems, increase
shock-resistant up to 10 bar and meet NFPA and ATEX regula- efficiency and reduce costs. But engineers need
tions. They are specifically for grinding powder sugar in a safe to carefully consider the unique design features
and reliable manner. The design eliminates needs for a dust fil- of each multiport series valve type and work
ter, fan, piping or any explosion-protection equipment and has closely with the valve manufacturer’s engineering
minimal space requirement. Available in five sizes for capacities team to ensure that the final design configuration
up to 4t/h of 6x powder, it also handles powder sugar fine- meets their exact requirements. To read valve expert Robert M.
nesses, 4x–12x. The UCOM is compact enough to locate at Donnelly’s exclusive column, turn to page 30.
point-of-use or in combination with storage for on-call distribu-
tion. For more information on Powder & Bulk Solids, turn to
page 16.
Bi-Layer Shear Jig
Bauermeister
Brookfield Engineering Laboratories offers the
www.bauermeisterusa.com/sugar.html
TA-BLS Bi-Layer Shear Jig for their CT3 Texture
Write In 500
Tester. The Bi-layer Shear Jig is a guillotine-
type device used to measure force needed
to separate the layers of a multi-layer tablet.
With a tablet placed in the jig, the cutting plate
slices into the tablet until the adhesion fails,
Featured Article thus measuring the force that will detach a
multi-layered tablet. For more information on
During advanced-materials development, process Instrumentation, turn to page 26.
designs rarely focus on efficiency, but rather on Brookfield Engineering Laboratories
the product’s technical value. Energy efficiency is www.brookfieldengineering.com
usually considered later, when production costs Write In 502
become a concern. However, a critical path to
achieving energy efficiency presents itself when Peak Performance Hose Pump
scaling production from thimbles to tons per Bredel introduces its new APEX range, the
year. To learn more about processing advanced materials with energy efficiency optimized pump designed to suit all dos-
in mind, turn to page 10. ing, metering and
transfer duties
between 0.7 - 317
GPH. Robust, reli-
Double Containment Vinyl Piping System able and flexible,
GF Piping Systems has introduced Double-See™ in response APEX sets the
to market demand for an improved pressure-rated double- new standard for
containment system for transporting hazardous liquids. The sys- lowering life cycle
tem offers a simplified installation method, a patented closure- cost in tough
coupling design that allows conformance to the ASME B31.3 industrial applica-
test-inspection requirements and a unique-to-the-market 3-D tions. Unlike other pump types, APEX hose
thermal expansion compensation feature. GF’s Double-See Piping System offers versatile pumps have no expensive wearing com-
installation options, assembled and tested fittings and a unique pipe cut-length guidance ponents such as seals, valves, membranes,
system. For more information about Piping, Tubing, Hoses & Fittings, turn to page 34. stators, rotors or glands to maintain. For a
GF Piping Systems roundup of this year’s American Water
www.gfpiping.com Works Association’s Annual Conference &
Write In 501 Exposition, turn to page 18.
Bredel Hose Pumps
www.bredel.com
www.ProcessingMagazine.com Write In 503
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2 In This Issue July฀2012฀ •฀ volume฀25,฀number฀07

10 Advanced materials processed with 22 Choose the proper regulator for

energy efficiency in mind high-purity applications
What’s appropriate in development may be a detriment in Given the variety of types, designs and construction materials,
full-scale production. choosing a regulator should be done with care.

12 Sanitary vacuum conveying delivers 30 Key features of multiport valves

Valve expert Robert M. Donnelly provides an overview of the
food-product transfer efficiencies unique design features of multiport valves.
Vacuum conveying systems can help manufacturers address lack of
material containment during product transfer.

18 ACE12 Roundup
The American Water Works Association’s Annual Conference &
Exposition (ACE12) was held June 10-14 in Dallas. Check out the
latest technologies from some of the show’s top exhibitors.

4 Productivity Perspectives

6 Industry Briefs

16 Powder & Bulk Solids

26 Instrumentation

32 Valves & Actuators

34 Piping, Tubing, Hoses &

Fittings

38 Weighing

40 Plant Automation

41 Info Center

43 Classifieds

44 Index

July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 210
4 Productivity฀Perspectives
A changing of the guard for flowmeter
technology Publisher, Mike฀Wasson
Delivered along with the July issue of utilization or “up” rate, Inconti says. Ph: 973-539-7715, Email: mikew@grandviewmedia.com
Editorial Director, Kevin฀Parker
Processing, many readers will this month also A third issue related to higher performance flow-
Email: kparker2@grandviewmedia.com
receive the supplement Processing’s Flowmeter meters is calibration. “As sensing improves, cali-
Managing Editor, Nick฀Phillips
Solutions. An online version of the piece is avail- bration must improve with it,” Inconti says. “You Email: nphillips@grandviewmedia.com
able to all at www.processingmagazine.com. need to be able to validate these measurements.” Associate/Web Editor, Christy฀Underwood
While flowmeter measurement principles Two things remain very much the same, Email: christy@grandviewmedia.com
haven’t evolved much in recent years and Inconti concludes. “As a broad statement, there Art Director, James฀Armstrong
the basic lineup of meters and valves hasn’t will continue to be a range of flow technolo- Email: jarmstrong@grandviewmedia.com
changed greatly, says Joe Inconti of KROHNE, gies and applications rather than a single uni- Graphic Designer, Brandon฀Watkins
Email: brandon@grandviewmedia.com
that doesn’t mean flowmeter application hasn’t versal solution. And the point of measurement
Marketing Manager, Mary Beth Timmerman
moved forward. will remain the most important to the process. Email: marybeth@grandviewmedia.com
“What we are seeing is the incorporation That’s where you get the data that yields infor- Advertising Sales Assistant, Haley฀Cobb
of other types of measurement into the core mation. That accurate measurement remains the Email: hmartin@grandviewmedia.com
meter,” Inconti says, “with more integrated most important benefit of flowmeters, regard- Administrative Team:
techniques contained in a single core device.” less of how the data is subsequently transferred General Manager, Barry฀Lovette
In fact, Shell and KROHNE this year are or manipulated.” Vice President of Operations, Brent฀Kizzire
And he makes a single prediction. With the Vice President of Marketing, Hank฀Brown
together bringing to market a new multiphase
Vice President of Finance, Brad฀Youngblood฀
meter, based on the magnetic resonance prin- reinvigoration of chemical markets, “As new
Group Director of Circulation & Fulfillment, Delicia฀Poole
ciple, for oil and gas field installations, to accu- facilities come on line we’ll see the switch is Circulation Manager, Electronic Products, Stacie฀Tubb
rately measure the mixture of oil, gas and water being made from orifice-plate technologies to Circulation Analyst, Anna฀Hicks
emerging from the reservoir. It is said to be the newer technologies such as Coriolis or ultrasonic
first implementation of this measurement prin- flowmeters. Including in North America, new
PROCESSING (Pub.#ISSN 0896-8659)
ciple for inline multiphase metering in the indus- projects will incorporate these technologies and
PROCESSING Magazine is published monthly by Grand View Media Group. Editorial
try. “This is a big deal,” Inconti says, “because there will be more general acceptance of them.” and Executive Offices: 200 Croft Street, Ste 1, Birmingham, AL 35242. Periodicals post-
age paid at Birmingham, AL & additional mailing offices. Canada Post: Publications Mail
achieving more accurate readings at the well- You’ll find that many of the stories in Agreement #40612608. Canadian Returns to be sent to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box
25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PROCESSING
head has been a big push in hydrocarbons.” Processing’s Flowmeter Solutions corroborate Magazine, PO BOX 2174, Skokie, IL 60076-7874. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Non-qualified
domestic subscriptions: one year, $57; two year, $99; single issue, $10. Canadian and
In addition, trends toward energy efficiency Inconti’s testimony. foreign surface subscriptions: one year, $93; two year, $162. Air mail subscription: one
year, $203; two year, $355. © Grand View Media Group, 2012. PROCESSING Magazine
are impacting flowmeter markets due to the assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reports.

higher premium being placed on measurement For฀Subscription฀Questions/Inquiries:

accuracy. Higher performance flowmeters at U.S. – 866-721-4807
both the input and output sides lead to a bet- —฀Kevin฀Parker,฀Editorial฀Director Outside U.S. – 847-763-1867
E-mail – processing@halldata.com
ter-balanced plant, improving capacity kparker2@grandviewmedia.com Subscribe / Renew / Change of Address:
www.processingmagazine.com/subscribe

Reader Advisory Board

•฀ Robert฀J.฀Bockserman,฀President, Conatech
•฀ Peter฀S.฀Cartwright,฀President,
Cartwright Consulting Co.
•฀ Barry฀Charnay,฀President & CEO, Whisper
Ingredients Inc.
•฀ Ken฀Delafrange,฀President, Jadee Inc.
•฀ Don฀Graham,฀President, Graham Sanitary
Design Consulting, Ltd.
•฀ Stanley฀Herzog,฀President, Princeton
Process Technology Consultants
•฀ B.฀George฀Kniazewyz,฀President, Renovare
•฀ Eric฀Langer,฀President, BioPlan Associates
•฀ Ed฀Marshall,฀President, Maintenance
Management Technologies
•฀ John฀Stansield,฀Plant Manager,
Accelerated Curing Inc.
•฀ Dr.฀Jesse฀Yoder,฀President, Flow Research
•฀ Robert฀M.฀Donnelly,฀Vice President of
Marketing, Flo-Tite Valves & Controls

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 212
6 Industry Briefs
ExxonMobil CEO says natural gas will be ‘global economic enabler’
Increased supply of natural gas resources such as shale gas, coal bed methane and tight sands through hydraulic
will help advance global economic growth fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques.
with fewer emissions, Rex W. Tillerson, “To date, North America has been the proving ground for uncon-
chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp. ventional gas development — and the results have been encouraging,
says in a speech at the 25th World Gas confirming the enormous potential of this resource,” Tillerson says.
Conference in Malaysia and widely reported “The challenge now is to confirm the size of the global unconventional
by media sources. By 2025, ExxonMobil resource and to fully apply these breakthrough technologies to nations
predicts natural gas will overtake coal to outside North America.”
become the second most widely used By learning from the North American experience, industry and gov-
source of energy worldwide. ernment can work together to develop a legal and policy framework
The historic shift of global energy markets that encourages the safe, sustainable and environmentally responsible
toward increased use of natural gas will cre- development of global natural gas resources.
Exxon Mobil CEO Rex ate new opportunities for economic growth “Our future success will depend not only on geologic conditions
Tillerson predicts increased and environmental progress, Tillerson says. and technological innovations, but also on government policies, effec-
use of natural gas will create “Natural gas is quickly becoming a key tive business partnerships and disciplined investments,” Tillerson says.
new opportunities for global enabler of economic growth and envi- “Fortunately, as government and industry leaders consider the grow-
economic growth
ronmental progress around the world,” ing importance of natural gas and the need for its development, they
Tillerson says. “We are living at a historic moment in the evolution of can study and learn from the successes and shortcomings of the North
energy markets. How we respond will shape the quality of life for American experience.”
generations to come.” According to Tillerson, the policies needed to responsibly develop
The need for natural gas resources is greatest in regions like the natural gas should hold the industry accountable to operational integ-
Asia-Pacific, where energy demand is projected to grow by more than rity and excellence without stifling innovation and investment.
50% over the next three decades, Tillerson says. Natural gas can help “We know that when governments establish long-term, market-
meet needs for electricity, chemicals and plastics that increase quality oriented policies, our industry will respond with the long-term plan-
of life while reducing environmental impacts. Two key factors influenc- ning, partnerships and projects that reshape the future for the better,”
ing the market’s evolution include: he says. “With sound policies in place around the world, we can help
•฀An฀Asia-Paciic฀region฀that฀is฀poised฀to฀beneit฀greatly฀from฀access฀ nations and peoples achieve their economic, environmental and ener-
to abundant, cleaner-burning natural gas gy security goals — and as we do so, we can create opportunity and
•฀Sound฀policy฀pathways฀are฀needed฀to฀ensure฀natural฀gas฀resources฀ progress for all.”
are unlocked in a safe, economically competitive and environmentally
responsible way Five years of growth predicted for U.S. organic chemical manufacturing
Access to natural gas has been made possible in large part by indus- Revenue for the organic chemical manufacturing industry has grown
try advances in large-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and at a relatively strong, but volatile, pace during the past five years.
transportation, and in development of unconventional gas sources Looking ahead over the five years to 2017, revenue is set to improve,

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
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8 Industry Briefs
as downstream demand rises, says a new report from IBISWorld. The economy began to recover in 2010, with higher manufactur-
Rising production and raw material costs will likely cut into profit, but ing levels increasing demand for organic chemicals. In line with these
overall growth will occur over the next five years due to growth in the trends, revenue in 2012 will increase 4%, as demand strengthens.
construction sector and a rise in consumer spending. However, it will be limited by higher raw material prices in the form
The organic chemical of oil. Higher selling prices that offset feedstock costs, together with
manufacturing industry increased demand for exports and a decline in establishments, will
provides raw materials increase industry profit to 6.5% of revenue in 2012.
for plastics, paint and Over the five years to 2017, demand from key buying industries will
adhesive manufactur- expand, driven by higher consumer consumption and an increase in
ing, and is expected to exports. “While industry revenue will increase, rising input costs and
increase at an annual potential government regulation will put downward pressure on prof-
average rate of 4.3% itability,” Amari says. Because of these costs, companies will close
to $125 billion in 2012. underperforming plants and improve production facilities that make
Although the recession the cut. During this period, manufacturing facility numbers are expect-
lowered demand from ed to decrease.
end-use customers The organic chemical manufacturing industry has a low level of con-
that caused revenue centration, with the top four players accounting for less than 5% of
to drop in 2009, the industry revenue in 2012. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly
industry has benefited from increasing demand and consumer spend- 47% of industry companies have fewer than 20 employees, while 76%
ing, with large jumps in revenue occurring before the recession set in. of companies have fewer than 100 employees. Additionally, low bar-
The economic downturn caused many of the industry’s customers to riers to entry, including moderate technological change, will support
reduce production levels as consumer spending fell and the housing a low market concentration over the next five years. However, the
and construction sectors declined, IBISWorld industry analyst Radia degree of concentration varies between different product segments.
Amari says. Additionally, changing raw material costs, including oil For example, within the gum and wood chemicals product segment,
prices, which rose at an annualized rate of about 8% over the five years the top four companies account for over 80% of the market.
to 2012, compressed industry margins.

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 217
Advanced materials processed
with energy efficiency in mind
What’s appropriate in development may be a detriment in full-scale production
By Tom Mroz and Robert Blackmon
Energy-efficiency considerations, when scaling advanced-materials pro- As such, scaling thermal processes is rarely a simple matter of linear
cessing, directly impact product commercial viability. During advanced- extrapolation. At experimental scales, conversion rates of many solid-
material development, process designs rarely focus on efficiency, howev- solid and solid-gas reactions are primarily a function of setpoint tem-
er, but rather on the material’s technical value. Energy efficiency is usually perature, overall atmospheric chemistry and reactant size. In small test
considered later, when product cost becomes a concern. These costs can furnaces, temperatures track this control profile very well. If the sample
equal 1/5 or more of unit cost. The initial process route developed can be load is relatively small, it also may track with this desired profile. At the
in fact a hindrance to efficiency when scaling to industrial levels. same time, removing product gases and replenishing with fresh gas is
Further, in high-temperature processes (2000 to 3000 C), which are simplified by the furnace’s small internal volume and ratio of sample to
notorious energy wasters, high-temperature reaction generation involves furnace volume. Under these conditions, product uniformity is rarely a
a tremendous energy investment; containment of these energized significant concern.
states, and loss prevention from the reactor, is a constant battle. When scaling to larger loads, abilities to heat or cool the material
A critical path to achieving energy efficiency presents itself when scal- mass and to introduce or remove gases from the solids play an increas-
ing production from thimbles to tons per year. But going from bench- ingly important role in reaction efficiency. Often these become the
scale process inception to large-scale production is challenging. The primary variables controlling conversion rate, and therefore process
common research laboratory tends to use small-scale bench equipment, throughput and efficiency. These variables create process limitations
typically used in periodic or batch mode. that extend total processing time and total energy use.
Materials are processed at a scale easily Therefore, energy-efficiency wise, batch processes are at a significant
handled by a few researchers. Time and disadvantage. Requirements to heat and then cool product loads, reac-
energy required for the material process tion containers, structural components and refractories are especially
are not indicative of a mature, well-inte- inefficient. For higher temperatures and faster heating and cooling rates,
grated production environment. equipment also may be water cooled, improving equipment functional-
Often, a recipe conforms to con- ity, but decreasing energy efficiency.
straints inherent to the development Efficient thermal processes apply heating and cooling to the most min-
process, with resident times, ramp imal load possible. In an ideal situation, this means processing reactants
rates and hold times determined in inefficient batch-scale equipment. continuously, without need for material containment. Material boats or
Decoupling a mature process from these recipe constraints, while main- component trays transported on a carrier or car — such as a pusher, roll-
taining desired characteristics, is an obstacle to achieving commercial er hearth or mesh belt conveyor — allow for significant material produc-
production. Basic recipe inputs — time, temperature, ramp rate and tion, but ancillary material must also go through the temperature cycle.
interface velocities for gas-solid interactions — must often be redefined In some cases, material containers move through the furnace on rails or
to facilitate continuous processing. by other means. This eliminates temperature treatment of support

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 11
materials and is more efficient. for spray pyrolysis coupled with
With a wide variety of design and construction material options avail- calcining.
able for conveyance furnaces, the most efficient designs recover heat or Unfortunately, many thermal
re-circulate hot containers within the furnace heating zone, restricting processes involve powders or
heating and cooling requirements almost exclusively to the process mate- aggregated mixtures, and therefore
rial. In more advanced designs, opportunities for recovering heat from require containers or constructs for
product carriers can minimize system efficiency impact. In some cases, it’s material transport.
even possible to engineer material flows so that exiting material is directly Achieving improved energy effi-
cooled by association with cool, incoming reactants, which are concur- ciency in bulk materials processing
rently preheated. This is not common and can be difficult to achieve. is still in its early stages. However,
To gain even more energy efficiency, eliminating containerized mate- Harper has demonstrated equipment designs that deliver benefits for
rial conveyance is a must. The most obvious way to do this is a rotary select processes. It continues to examine additional opportunities to
furnace. As the reactant bed moves through the tube, it is constantly expand this concept to a wider range of materials.
stirred by tube rotation. Stirring action enhances thermal transfer to the
bed, improves product gas removal and increases solid/gas exchange Robert Blackmon is Vice President of Integrated Systems for Harper
when furnace gas is also a reactant. Given these enhancements, product International. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from
material often exhibits improved uniformity compared to static bed-pro- Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.
cessed materials. Additionally, because only reactant powder is heated Tom Mroz is Director of Technology for Harper International. He
and cooled, thermal efficiency is significantly improved. holds a Masters Degree in Ceramic Engineering from Alfred University,
Vertical furnaces offer a reasonable alternative to rotary-tube furnaces Alfred, N.Y.
when material movement in a rotary furnace is unsatisfactory, or where
other features — such as very short or long lead times, significant inter- Harper International
action with reaction atmospheres or completely contact-free reactions www.harperintl.com
— are required. Energy use is primarily related to product heating and Write In 504
supporting necessary reactions. Interaction with furnace walls is minimal.
This type furnace can be invaluable in combination processes, such as

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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
Sanitary vacuum conveying delivers
food-product transfer efficiencies
Concerns addressed that vacuum conveying causes product segregation or separation
By Nick Hayes and Sharon Marshall

For many foods, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies, raw T.H.E.M.’s seven-room production area has about 20 packaging
powder or particle movement from bin or bag into hoppers continues machines available for any given project, with many being small produc-
to be done by hand, despite production-automation advances. This puts tion or pilot runs. T.H.E.M. must change-over lines quickly, particularly
workers at risk of injury and heightens possibilities for environmental haz- on small-run projects. This is difficult working with the fine powders and
ards created by airborne particles that escape during transfers. In fact, granules inserted into stick packages. The airborne dust immediately
downstream operations are often equally at risk, as powders and par- affixes to machine parts, requiring extensive cleaning before new prod-
ticles escape the production process and enter the air, fall to production uct can be run.
surfaces or end up in the actual final product. T.H.E.M. employees scooped out powder and granules from totes or
Worst of all is the potential for explosions triggered by dust that bags hanging directly above the product hoppers. This was time con-
escapes into the work environment, including the recently reported suming, created a dirty work environment and put workers atop the
explosion in a powdered milk factory in Melbourne, Australia. machines at injury risk. To address the problem, Volkmann, a maker of
These problems are particularly burdensome to contract food-packag- sanitary vacuum systems for food, pharmaceutical and chemical produc-
ing companies. They handle a myriad of materi- tion facilities, offered T.H.E.M. the chance to test its vacuum equipment
als for a diverse clientele and must change lines to determine its plant-floor viability.
quickly and efficiently to maintain profit margins. T.H.E.M. clients were concerned that vacuum conveying would cause
Cleanliness is also a paramount concern, both for product segregation or separation, and T.H.E.M. needed to be sure this
attracting new customers and maintaining the would not occur. The test demonstrated that sanitary vacuum conveying
integrity of their existing packaging operations. was viable in lean, dense or plug-flow conditions, without segregation
Lack of material containment during product and separation, and without any dust escaping.
transfer is a problem manufacturers can address Based on product materials specifications and the physical set-up of
using vacuum conveying systems. the production equipment within the facility, Volkmann installed its VS200
conveying system. The VS200 conveyors delivered the flexibility needed
Case in point for diverse production needs by covering conveying distances up to 16
T.H.E.M. (Technical Help in Engineering and feet and heights up to 8 feet, with a transport capacity of 400 lbs. per
Marketing), Marlton, N.J., is a Sanko stick pack- hour for granular particle sizes of 100-500 µm and bulk density of 40 PCF.
aging production company. Stick packs are the The standard full-bore discharge valve completely isolates the valve actua-
portable, single-serving packages that have tor from product contact, offering an additional, highly desirable asset.
become popular in recent years for powdered Volkmann paired the VS200 with the reengineered Multijector
beverages, snack items and pharmaceuticals. Vacuum Pump MX360 that uses less energy and produces higher output

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 223
14 Powder
than earlier pump versions. The MX360 has an operating pressure of 5.5
bar with vacuum levels down to 26” Hg and compressed air consumption
of just 12 scfm (344 IN/min.). A compressed air supply line with a mini-
mum ¼-inch NPT adequately met T.H.E.M.’s conveying requirements.

Other features included:

•฀QX฀ilter฀modules฀combine฀axial฀and฀radial฀sealing฀to฀prevent฀leaks;฀
•฀suction,฀discharge฀and฀ilter฀modules฀customized฀to฀suit฀T.H.E.M.’s฀
applications;฀
•฀anti-static฀FDA-compliant฀suction฀hose;฀
•฀double-suction฀wand;฀and
•฀Pneutimer฀PT2฀for฀automatic฀control฀of฀suction฀and฀discharge฀times.

The easily misplaced adjustable clamps found on other systems aren’t

needed฀with฀Volkmann฀conveyors.฀Parts฀are฀easily฀interchanged฀to฀meet฀
different฀production฀requirements,฀a฀feature฀enhanced฀by฀the฀common฀
seal฀size฀that฀its฀each฀module.฀All฀Volkmann฀contact฀metal฀parts฀are฀made฀
of corrosion-free 316L stainless steel for easy maintenance. No tools are
required฀to฀take฀the฀units฀apart฀or฀re-assemble฀for฀cleaning.฀These฀features฀
were attractive to T.H.E.M. because it relies on contract labor and staff
production engineers to meet its constantly changing production require-
ments.฀Easy฀disassembly,฀cleaning฀and฀reassembly฀made฀line฀changeovers฀
easier฀and฀more฀cost฀effective.฀The฀compact,฀lightweight฀VS฀system฀also฀is฀
easy฀to฀move฀from฀one฀production฀room฀to฀the฀next.฀
Satisied฀with฀the฀irst฀VS฀unit,฀two฀more฀VS200฀conveying฀systems฀were฀
installed.฀One฀was฀dedicated฀to฀a฀mezzanine฀mount฀directly฀feeding฀the฀
stick฀packaging฀unit฀below.฀According฀to฀Stephen฀Belko,฀vice฀president฀of฀
T.H.E.M.,฀“Volkmann฀satisied฀our฀client’s฀product฀concerns฀and฀allowed฀
us฀to฀eficiently฀load฀our฀hoppers฀and฀better฀use฀our฀personnel฀for฀moni-
toring฀production.฀As฀a฀bonus,฀we฀were฀able฀to฀eliminate฀client฀product฀
waste฀in฀its฀transfer฀from฀bags฀and฀open-top฀containers฀to฀the฀packag-
ing฀machine฀hoppers.฀Because฀the฀product฀‘hang-up’฀areas฀within฀the฀
Volkmann฀unit฀led฀to฀only฀minimal฀product฀retention฀within฀the฀unit฀we฀
generated฀greater฀eficiencies฀and฀output.”
Regardless฀of฀whether฀it฀is฀in฀the฀food฀industry฀or฀some฀other,฀transfer-
ring฀powders฀and฀ine฀particles฀into฀their฀inal฀product฀form,฀and฀main-
taining฀the฀inal฀packaging’s฀integrity,฀is฀dificult฀to฀do฀without฀creating฀
unnecessary waste. As more and more plant operations are automated to
create฀eficiency฀and฀avoid฀injury,฀material฀transfer฀using฀gentle฀vacuum฀
conveying must be seriously considered.
Vacuum฀transfer฀keeps฀material฀where฀it฀should฀be:฀inside฀the฀conveyor.฀
When฀coupled฀with฀specially฀designed฀rip฀&฀tip฀bag฀stations฀or฀bulk-bag฀
unloaders,฀transfer฀is฀achieved฀without฀spillage฀or฀emissions.฀In฀the฀unlike-
ly฀event฀of฀a฀leak,฀air฀is฀sucked฀into฀the฀process.฀The฀environment฀remains฀
clean and fewer raw materials are wasted.

Nick Hayes, DipIM is President of Volkmann Inc. He has over 44 years

of engineering experience with 38 years in bulk solids handling. He has
held positions in factory management, contract management, pneumatic
conveying design and new product development both in the U.S. and
Europe. He holds a diploma in Industrial Management from the British
Institute of Management and Southampton University as well as a Higher
National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering from Farnborough College
of Technology, England.

Sharon Marshall is a principal with Marketing Solutions, Quakertown, Pa.

Volkmann, Inc.
www.volkmannusa.com
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16 Powder & Bulk Solids
Bulk Handling Enclosure
Responding to the need for effective containment during bulk powder manipulation without the expense of a traditional walk-in enclosure,
AirClean® Systems developed the PowderSafe™ Bulk Handling Enclosure. With a unique drum access port incorporated into the base of
the enclosure, the drum can be raised and sealed to the access port, effectively extending the enclosure’s containment area into the drum.
AirClean Systems
www.aircleansystems.com
Write In 506

Size/Density Separator
A new Vibro-Air™ Size/Density
Separator from Kason Corporation
employs vibratory screening to remove
undersize particles and airflow to
simultaneously
remove low bulk
density materi-
als. Material fed
through a port on
the unit’s hood
cascades over
a series of stra-
tegically placed
internal trays,
and ultimately onto a vibrating, fine
mesh screen that moves on-size mate-
rial in controlled flow patterns toward
and through a discharge port at the
screen’s periphery. Heavier fines and
a portion of the lighter fines pass
through the screen onto a chute lead-
ing to a lower discharge spout.
Kason Corporation
www.kason.com
Write In 507
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Multi-purpose Low Profile Filler

A new Multi-Purpose Filler introduced
by Flexicon, dispenses bulk solid materi-
als into boxes, drums and bulk bags, by
weight. The unit features a fill head that
seals dust-tight against the inlet spout
of bulk bags, or connects to transition
adapters that seal
against open boxes
or drums.The filler
utilizes the com-
pany’s patented
Twin-Centerpost™
frame said to
maximize strength
and improve accessibility to the fill
head while simplifying construction
and reducing cost. It is mounted on
load cells tied into a PLC that controls
upstream devices to fill containers at
high rate, and then at dribble-feed rate,
to maximize the number of contain-
ers filled per hour, while still achieving
required accuracies.
Flexicon Corporation
www.flexicon.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 17

Dust-Tight Drum Discharging System

The Dust-Tight Drum Discharging System from Material Transfer & Storage safely inverts drums of material and discharges the contents
into an elevated vessel at 120 inches above floor level. MTS Hydraulic Lift & Seal System™ seals the drum to a dust-tight pour cone with
outlet valve for a clean, contaminant-free product transfer. The patented Control Link™ Rotation System provides 180-degree drum rota-
tion for maximum product discharge. The pour cone features a vibrator for residual product clean-out after discharge.
Material Transfer & Storage
www.materialtransfer.com
Write In 509

Vacuum Conveying System

Volkmann’s ATEX-approved INEX
vacuum conveying system takes
vacuum transfer of dry or wet powder
and granules into potentially hazard-
ous conditions to a
new level. By using
a sophisticated,
patent-pending
nitrogen purging
function, INEX
reduces oxygen
content within the
unloaded batch
to below 7% (or
lower when required), maintaining the
material’s inert safety while providing
dust-free transport. The INEX features
a closed station that can be flushed
from within by sucking in the washing
liquid or through WIP/CIP. Standard
lightweight and pressure-rated systems
are available with INEX functionality.
Volkmann, Inc.
www.volkmannUSA.com
Write In 510

Bulk Bag Unloader System

This five-station, bulk bag unloader sys-
tem combines high-capacity structural
construction with a centralized controls
and automation architecture to safely
and accurately supply to downstream
process operations a total of 12 mil-
lion pounds/year of five combustible
input ingredients.
Each bulk bag
unloader station
is constructed
of thick-wall,
6-inch by 4-inch
carbon steel
structural tubing
and heavy-gauge
carbon steel plate to meet, or exceed,
ANSI and ASME specifications and
ensure reliable, low-maintenance opera-
tion during virtually continuous-duty
operation.
National Bulk Equipment, Inc.
www.nbe-inc.com
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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
18 ACE12 roundup
Valveless Hypochlorite Injection System
The Chloritrol® is the solution for accurate maintenance-free sodium and hypochlorite injection. This totally new, patented
technology is field tested and proven for high- and low-demand applications. Its unique Valveless Duplex pump design
includes a high-pressure pump for hypochlorite injection and a pump for gas/vapor removal, which eliminates airlock and
prime loss. The Chloritrol provides long-term, drift-free chlorine control without the problems of other pumps.
Fluid Metering Inc.
www.fmipump.com
Write In 512

Multi-parameter Transmitter
GF Piping Systems introduced the
Signet 9900 SmartPro™ Transmitter
at the ACE 2012 Expo on June 10-14
in Dallas, Texas. The new device
features multi-parameter capabilities
and an innovative auto-sensing “at-
a-glance”
display
that
allows
easy vis-
ibility,
even in
dark con-
ditions. The Signet 9900 Transmitter
provides a single channel interface
for many different parameters includ-
ing flow, pH/ORP, conductivity/resis-
tivity, pressure, temperature, level,
salinity and other sensor types that
output a 4 to 20 mA signal.
GF Piping Systems
www.gfpiping.com
Write In 513

Media Retainers
Providing a more effective option than
using gravel in most applications, these
next generation media
retainers from
Leopold have
been carefully
engineered to do
their job and help
you do yours. As part
of the complete Leopold underdrain
system, the I.M.S® 200 and I.M.S® 1000
media retainers increase flexibility in
media design by eliminating up to 14
inches of support gravel. And their phys-
ically rigid construction reduces flexing
of the slots and the chance of clogging
or biofouling.
Leopold
www.fbleopold.com
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July 2012 • www.ProcessingMagazine.com

Write In 230
20 ACE12 roundup
Mag Flowmeter
The FPI Mag Flow Meter delivers a continuous flow profile similar to a full-bore mag meter and provides unique advantages
in terms of performance, ease of installation, maintenance and value. These features have made the FPI Mag a popular choice
for both small and large municipalities across a wide range of applications. Hot tap installation capability simplifies the FPI Mag
Flow Meter installation process without interruption to the plant’s operations or service to its customers.
McCrometer
www.mccrometer.com
Write In 515

Flow Control Valve

Henry Pratt Co. introduced its Series
300 Plunger Valve — a flow control
valve that reduces cavitation and
stagnant water creation to help
water systems improve operational
safety, efficiency and flow control
— at ACE12. Traditionally, water
system operators partially close
control valves to help reduce water
flows — ultimately creating cavita-
tion that can sig-
nificantly reduce
the valves’
operational
lifespan
and cause
damage to
pipe walls
and fittings.
The Henry Pratt
Series 300 Plunger Valve features a
field replaceable control insert that
enables water systems to effectively
reduce flow pressure while reducing
cavitation levels.
Henry Pratt Co.
www.henrypratt.com
Write In 516

All-electric Meter with

Ultrasonic Technology
Designed for water utility metering
applications, the E-Series meter fea-
tures ultrasonic technology and elec-
tronic, solid-state construction. With
no moving parts, the E-Series meter
improves accuracy and reli-
ability by virtually elimi-
nating the mechanical
wear that can
shorten lifespan
and produce
erroneous results.
In addition, an internal
battery powers the meter for up to 20
years, according to the manufacturer.
The E-Series meter works by using
ultrasonic transducers mounted within
the meter housing.
Badger Meter, Inc.
www.badgermeter.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 232
Choose the proper regulator
for high-purity applications
Particular attention should be paid to the diaphragm and poppet seat construction materials
By Bill Menz

Regulators come in a variety of types and designs and are built using proper functioning of the regulator over time. In high-purity applications,
various construction materials. even the smallest mix of corrosive gases and liquids or aggressive envi-
The three main categories of pressure regulators are pressure-reduc- ronmental conditions warrants stainless steel regulator use.
ing, back-pressure and vaporizing. Within each of these classifications, Regulators are the pivotal control point between high and low pres-
there are one- and two-stage regulators and piston and diaphragm regu- sure. Pressure is always higher on one side of the regulator than on the
lators. Given the variety of types, designs and construction materials, other. Most common applications require a pressure-reducing regula-
choosing a regulator should be done with care. tor, which means the inlet pressure undergoes a mechanically controlled
Once the appropriate regulator has been identified based on the pressure drop, resulting in a relatively constant pressure at the outlet. In
application, attention should be given to construction materials of critical some cases, the reverse is required. A back-pressure regulator mechani-
components, including diaphragms and poppet seats, to ensure safe and cally controls the outlet pressure, so that a relatively constant pressure is
maintained at the inlet.
Figure 1 shows an analyzer system with pressure-reducing and back-
pressure regulators performing typical functions. Note that the pressure-
reducing regulator is receiving high pressure (37.5 bar plus or minus 2.5
bar) from the process line, reducing it to a stable supply pressure (2 bar
plus or minus 0.025 bar, with a one-stage regulator) as the gas flows into
the analyzer. In this application, the analyzer system needs to maintain a
pressure of 2 bar. Because of process-stream pressure fluctuations where
the sample is returned, a back-pressure regulator is employed. It main-
tains a stable pressure on the inlet side and shields the analyzer from
downstream pressure fluctuations.

One- & two-stage regulation

The manner in which a regulator adjusts to variations in the high pres-
Figure 1. Process analyzer with pressure-reducing and back-pressure regulators. sure supply is known as supply pressure effect (SPE). In general, one-

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 23
stage pressure-reducing regulators are suitable for most applications the entry point to the system, so
where the inlet pressure is relatively constant. In applications where the that at all times the gas is passing
high pressure supply is subject to large variations, a two-stage pressure- through two regulators.
reducing regulator with a low SPE provides stable, low-pressure delivery.
The outlet-pressure degree of variation that can be expected differs for Other regulator types
one- and two-stage regulators. A high-quality, one-stage regulator has an A vaporizing regulator is a pres-
outlet pressure range that may be estimated using the following formula: sure-reducing regulator used either
to prevent condensation or to
∆P (outlet) = ∆P (inlet) x 0.01 induce vaporization. Condensation
is prevented so as to forestall the
In other words, the variability in outlet pressure is 1% of the inlet-pres- rapid pressure drop that could
sure range. In Figure result from the Joule-Thomson
1, the inlet pressure effect, causing a regulator to
varies by 5 bar (35 freeze up. The Joule-Thomson Figure 3. Crossover arrangement with
one-stage regulators acting together
to 40 bar), so 5 bar x effect is caused by a gas losing
for a result equivalent to a two-stage
0.01 equals an outlet heat as it undergoes a complete regulator.
pressure variation or partial condensation. A vapor-
of 0.05 bar. If the izing regulator applies heat via a steam or electric heating element at the
outlet pressure is set point of the pressure drop, preventing the condensation from occurring.
for 2 bar, and the In other cases, such as are typical for gas chromatograph applications,
inlet pressure rises it may be desirable for a liquid to be vaporized. In this instance, the
from 35 to 40 bar, vaporizing regulator applies heat to vaporize the liquid to a gas.
the outlet pressure Diaphragm regulators respond most sensitively to pressure changes,
will drop from 2 to especially in low-pressure applications. Depending on rating, they may
1.95 bar. The inverse be used with inlet pressures up to 248 bar and controlled outlet pres-
relationship between sures up to 35 bar. As inlet pressure rises, the thin metal diaphragm flex-
the high-pressure es up, allowing the poppet to rise into the regulator seat, reducing the
(inlet) rising and the effect of the increasing inlet pressure, thereby providing a constant out-
low-pressure (outlet) let pressure. As the inlet pressure drops, the diaphragm flexes down and
dropping is typical of pushes the poppet out of the seat. This action allows for increased flow
Figure 2. Two-stage regulator
one-stage regulators. through the regulator, which in turn stabilizes outlet pressure. Diaphragm
The high-pressure rise causes the valve seat to constrict slightly, reducing flexibility is vital to the long-term regulator performance.
the regulator orifice size and the corresponding outlet pressure. Flexibility is attained either through perforation or convolution. The
A two-stage regulator consists of two one-stage regulators in series, diaphragm can be perforated and then coated in PTFE or another flex-
combined into one component (Figure 2). The first regulator reduces the ible material. In this design, the PTFE may erode, in which case a leak can
high-pressure supply to an intermediate point between the inlet pressure occur since the diaphragm has holes in it. An alternative is to use a solid,
and the desired outlet pressure. The second stage reduces the interme- convoluted diaphragm with a fluted configuration around its perimeter to
diate pressure to the desired outlet pressure. To calculate the variability enhance flexibility.
of outlet pressure for a high-quality, two-stage
regulator, the inlet-pressure difference is mul-
tiplied by 0.0001, or by 1% for each regulator
(0.01 x 0.01 = 0.0001).
In a typical application for a two-stage
regulator, a gas cylinder is emptied at a near
constant outlet pressure. As the cylinder emp-
ties, pressure at the regulator inlet will drop.
If, for example, the pressure drops from 175
bar to 5 bar, the inlet pressure variation is 170
bar. If a two-stage regulator is used with a
target outlet pressure of 2 bar, then the outlet
pressure will drop from 2 to 1.983 bar. On the
other hand, if the same gas cylinder were out-
fitted with a one-stage regulator, the pressure
would increase from 2 bar to 3.7 bar.
While a two-stage regulator is handy, two
one-stage regulators may work just as well or
better in some applications. One example is
a cross-over arrangement, where two gas cyl-
inders feed one point of entry (Figure 3). One
cylinder is used until its pressure drops below
a certain point. The second cylinder then goes
into service. This specialized configuration
places a one-stage regulator with each of the
two cylinders. An additional regulator (often
referred to as a line regulator) is located at
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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
24 Instrumentation
Metal-to-metal seals polished for a high-tolerance seat seal. In a pressure-reducing regulator,
Perhaps the best seal for a diaphragm regulator is a metal-to-metal the poppet is spring-loaded and held vertically in the inlet channel, with
seal, which is less sensitive to temperature changes than elastomeric or the tip in constant contact with the diaphragm. With the poppet push-
polymeric seals. ing up and the diaphragm pushing down, the two work together toward
A backing plate between the diaphragm and cap assembly can guard the desired balance. The poppet closes or opens the regulator inlet as
against diaphragm rupture. The backing plate is a sturdy stainless steel disk its conical shape fits against a precision-machined seat. A damper fitted
that helps apply uniform pressure across the diaphragm’s entire surface. to the bottom of the poppet supports and centers it, reducing noise and
The poppet is a critical piece in a diaphragm regulator. Generally made vibration in high-flow conditions.
of a high-grade stainless steel, such as S17400, the poppet is electro- With stainless-steel regulators for high-purity applications, particular
attention should be paid to the dia-
phragm and poppet seat materials of con-
struction. For the diaphragm, an alloy such
as Inconel may be more appropriate than
Type 316 stainless steel due to Inconel’s
greater flexibility and high corrosion
resistance. For the poppet seat, a hard
fluoropolymer is not as forgiving and will
not seat as well as a softer material, but
is more resistant to abrasion. The poppet
seat should be modular so an appropriate
material (e.g., PEEK, PCTFE) may be cho-
sen based on chemical compatibility, pres-
sure requirements and temperature.
Piston regulators are generally used in
applications with outlet pressures higher
than 35 bar, although they may also be
suitable for lower pressures. In a piston
regulator, pressure is controlled by a
stainless-steel spring-loaded piston, an
inflexible disk that lies flat in the vertical
cylinder of the regulator. The piston seals
against the cylinder walls by means of an
elastomeric O-ring seal. Piston thickness,
along with the O-ring seal, allows a piston
regulator to achieve higher working pres-
sures than diaphragm regulators.
Finally, O-ring material compatibility
with the process stream is an important
consideration when specifying piston reg-
ulators, particularly in high-purity service.

Bill Menz, manager, field engineering with

Swagelock, leads an engineering team
dedicated to supporting its products’
application, service and training. He has
worked closely with distributors and end
users to define market trends, growth
opportunities, new product needs and
applications for Swagelok’s analytical
and process instrumentation products.
Menz has more than 13 years’ experience
gained through a variety of engineer-
ing and marketing roles with Rosemount
Analytical. He graduated from the
University of Cincinnati with a bachelor of
science degree in chemical engineering.

Swagelok
www.swagelok.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 237
26 Instrumentation
Industrial-grade Radio Transmitter Thermal Mass Flowmeter Contractor Gages
Quick Talk™ RQT is an industrial-grade radio The Series SG5 Contractor Gages are ideal
The Sage Clear is an economical thermal
transmitter with sensor inputs and voice record- for contractors because of their large dial and
mass flowmeter featuring a bright, high con-
ing storage that automatically alerts radio- compact design. Since the gages are light-
trast, photo-emissive OLED display of flow-
equipped personnel when plant conditions weight and slim, they are
rate, total and temperature in a lightweight
change. This proven technology accepts inputs easy to transport. The
NEMA 4 enclosure.
from up to four switches or sensors to monitor large 4.5-inch scale
The flowrate is also
conditions so that when a change is detected, a makes these gages
displayed graphi-
pre-recorded message alerts plant personnel to simple to read. The
cally in a horizontal
that specific sensor variance. Series SG5 gages
bar graph format.
possess psi scales
Ritron, Inc. The meter has large,
with 1% full-scale
www.ritron.com easy-to-access, well
accuracy. The gages
Write In 519 marked terminals, for
are made with stainless
ease of customer
steel housings and brass
wiring. It is pow-
wetted parts. Units can with-
ered by 24 VDC
stand temperatures from -4 to
(or optionally
140 F. A wide offering of ranges are available
115/230 VAC) and includes a built-in power
from full vacuum to 300 psi.
switch. The power dissipation is under 2.5
watts (e.g., under 100 mA at 24 VDC). Dwyer Instruments, Inc.
www.dwyer-inst.com
Sage Metering
Write In 521
www.sagemetering.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 239
28 Instrumentation
Inductive Proximity Sensors Self-calibrating, Self-powered Switch Battery-powered Vortex Shedding
BlueLevel Technologies has introduced a new NK Technologies introduces the newly re- Flowmeter
product line addition to its growing family of designed ASM Series Smart-Switch. These self- Universal Flow Monitors announces seven
sensor products. The Model IPH product is a calibrating switches use the actual load current to new Battery-Powered CoolPoint™ Vortex
line of inductive proxim- set the trip point and provide the simplest way to Shedding flowmeters for
ity sensors for detect- ensure that a motor is working properly. These water and low viscos-
ing the presence and current sensing Smart-Switches are self-powered ity fluids. Designed
absence of conduc- and self-calibrating to speed start-up and minimize for situations where
tive metal objects installation costs. there is no power
in a wide range of located nearby or
automation applica- NK Technologies in which it would
www.nktechnologies.com
tions. The Model IPH be cost prohibitive
Write In 523
inductive proximity to wire the moni-
sensor product line toring station, the
includes an 18mm Battery-Powered
size switch in shield- CoolPoint™ runs
ed configuration. It can on three AA alka-
be supplied to operate on DC or AC voltages line batteries or
with either Normally Open or Closed output lithium batteries.
switching being available. The expected battery life is
BlueLevel Technologies six months with the alkaline batteries or two
www.blueleveltechnologies.com years with lithium.
Write In 522 Universal Flow Monitors, Inc.
www.flowmeters.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 241
30 Valves & Actuators
Key features of multiport valves
Robert M. Donnelly
valves. The compact size, lower weight and reduced cost of these type
A multiport valve has three or more ports arranged to valves offer an excellent alternative to the traditional plug valve.
switch flow in a variety of process control applications. For other three piece, three-way bottom-entry design flow series multi-
Different configurations exist: e.g., three-, four- and five- port valves with butt weld or flanged ends, the non-transflow design does
way multiport ball valves for diversion or mixing; three-way not allow any flow across the outlets during changes in position, eliminat-
flanged ball valves; three-piece three-way ball valves; three- ing the possibility of mixing of compounds. These type valves require a
and four-way stainless valves; three-way brass valves; and bottom-entry 180-degree rotation with the line shut off at the bottom port (inlet) at
multiport valves that can be ideal alternatives for sleeve-lined plug valves. 90-degree rotation, and full diverter flow resumed to the other outlet
T, L and LL (in a four-way valve) flow paths are available that can be field port at 180-degree rotation. There are very few fire-safe multiport valve
rearranged to meet a variety of flow plans; and some are offered with an designs to the atmosphere.
“off” position. Options include for cavity fillers, full port and standard bore Since the options are critical for multiport valve applications, engineers
on different sizes. Other features to consider are: grounded ball and stem, need to carefully consider the unique design features of each valve type
full-port orifice, multiple-piece stem packing, metal seats and actuator- and work closely with the valve maker to ensure that the final design con-
mounting patterns, as well as optional end connections. figuration meets its exact requirements.
Bottom entry three-way flanged ball valves with a one-piece body in
stainless or carbon; floating ball design; and valve stem on center between Robert M. Donnelly is vice president of marketing with Flo-Tite Valves &
the flanged ends can be direct replacements for non-lubricated plug Controls.

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Write In 244
32 Valves & Actuators
Angle Body Piston Valves
The Fluid Control Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation introduces an enhanced model of its 810 Series Angle Body Piston Valve that
features stroke limitation while maintaining the standard optical valve position indicator. The indicator allows the user to see if the valve is
functioning open or closed, enhancing the product’s ease of use and operation. The enhanced 810 Series Angle Body Piston Valve can be
used in a variety of industrial applications. Designed to be versatile and durable, the 810 Series Angle Body Piston Valve handles millions
of cycles in applications with high temperatures and aggressive media.
Parker Hannifin Fluid Control Division
www.parker.com/fcd
Write In 525

Iris Diaphragm Valves

Mucon Iris Diaphragm Valves are used
worldwide because of their superb
flow control characteristics and ver-
satile application, according to the
manufacturer. Available in manual,
pneumatic and motorized operation,
the dust-tight design allows for flow
control from full bore to trickle feed.
Mucon Iris Diaphragm Valves come
in a variety of materials suited to any
application and are easily cleaned with
tool-free maintenance.
Kemutec Group Inc.
www.kemutecUSA.com
Write In 526

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Rotary Valve for Rugged Dust

Collection
Designed specifically for rugged appli-
cations generating harsh or abrasive
dusts, the CI Series of rotary valves
from ACS Valves provides processing
operations continuous performance,
reduced maintenance and optimal
energy efficiency. To provide long-
term, heavy-duty rotary airlock perfor-
mance, CI Series valve housings are
cast in North America
to ensure superior
strength in the
composition
and solidification of
the housing’s metal-
lurgy. Bearing life and
maintenance cycles are extended due
to the outboard bearing design of the
CI Series. This CI Series bearing design
easily manages applications with pres-
sure differentials up to 15 PSIG.
ACS Valves
www.acsvalves.com
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July 2012 • www.ProcessingMagazine.com

 33

Check Valve with Compact Wafer Rotary Acuator Electric Actuators for Oil/Gas
Design The VRAD-1510 is a limited rotation Versatile
Industries
Val-Matic’s Dual Disc® Check Valve with its Asahi’s Series 92 electric actuators have been
Rotary Actuator Device featuring a magnetic
compact wafer design and low cost have made installed in oil and gas applications including
spring return, very wide-angle
it a popular choice when space and price are the for pipeline transmission, well head control,
capability and linear current
major factors in valve selection. The Dual Disc® water recovery, gas lift and drilling fluids,
versus angle profile.
Check Valve features non-slam spring-assisted as well as in chemical
The high coil resis-
closing, a pressure sensitive plants. The Series 92’s
tance allows for
vulcanized seat that pro- rugged construction,
low power con-
vides tight closure at proven design and cus-
sumption, and
both low and high tomizable options make
access to two
pressures and a lift it the perfect work-
individual drive
and pivot disc action horse for the oil and gas
coils allows flex-
to reduce seat wear industries. The Series
ible single-sup-
and extend seat life. 92’s enclosure is a die-
ply unidirectional
The Dual Disc® Check cast aluminum alloy with a thermally-bonded
or bidirectional operation
Valve is available in sizes powder-coat. This combination NEMA Type
as well as dual-supply opera-
2 to 60 inches for pressure 4X, 7 and 9 enclosure is bolted together in
tion. Front and rear shafts allow multiple points of
ranges up to 500 PSI. They two sections by eight M8 hex-head cap screws
attachment, or the use of an encoder or position
are available in Wafer (ANSI 125, ISO PN10, ISO and fitted with an O-ring between the two
sensor for closed-loop operation.
PN16), Lug and Grooved End connections. halves, allowing the Series 92 to weather harsh
Pangolin Laser Systems and hazardous environments.
Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp. www.pangolin.com/VRAD
www.valmatic.com Write In 529 Asahi/America
Write In 528 www.asahi-america.com
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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
34 Piping, Tubing, Hoses & Fittings
Polypropylene Tubing Teflon®-coated Fabric Hose
No tubing material is an exact replacement for fluoropolymer, but when
Flex-Lok® TCF is a Teflon®-coated fabric hose that provides high
it isn’t available, other materials such as polypropylene provide an alter-
chemical resistance and operates at temperatures up to 600 F, mak-
native. NewAge Industries’ Prolite® polypropylene tubing offers general
ing it ideal for handling harsh, wet fumes. Featuring double-ply
chemical resistance that approaches fluoropolymer. Other properties
construction with a silver heat-
in common between the two mate-
resistant fiberglass liner that is
rials include low surface friction,
mechanically crimped in a continu-
excellent corrosion resistance and
ous process, this flexible hose has
high dielectric strength. Prolite also
a sealed exterior that prevents the
offers low moisture absorption and
escape of dangerous fumes and is
light weight, plus it’s manufactured
available in a wide range of sizes.
from a compound that is NSF-61
Providing superior fatigue resis-
(National Sanitation Foundation) certi-
tance and good flex characteris-
fied for drinking water applications.
tics, Flex-Lok® TCF hose is excel-
Additionally, Prolite is less costly than
lent for reel and drop systems,
fluoropolymer tubing.
according to the manufacturer.
New Age Industries Flexaust
www.newageindustries.com www.flexaust.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 35

Pneumatic Saw for Cutting Concrete-lined Pipe

The MILLHOG® APS-438 Air Powered Saw features a fiberglass reinforced blade for cutting concrete-lined steam pipe and leaves
a perfectly square cut for subsequent welding or to assure a flush fit for couplings. The saw mounts on a trolley that has four
V-grooved steel wheels and glides along a rugged steel WrapTrack® System, which can be sized to fit pipe from 6 to 60 inches in
diameter. The WrapTrack® System incorporates steel bands that correspond to the outside diameter of the pipe.
ESCO Tool
www.escotool.com
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Single-use Molded Assemblies

for Batch Filling
AdvantaPure’s single-use molded
assemblies for batch filling and sam-
pling are ISO Class 7 clean room man-
ufactured and
constructed
from tubing
and molded
fitting con-
nections.
The molded
connections
eliminate
many barbed
fittings and
provide a smooth inner surface for
even, unrestricted fluid flow. They also
help reduce the risk of a wasted batch
of costly pharmaceutical product due
to fitting leakage.
AdvantaPure
www.advantapure.com
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Stainless Steel Shaft Collars for

Corrosive Environments
Stafford 316 SST Shaft Collars &
Couplings are available in one- and two-
piece and set-screw styles with 18-8 or
316 SST fasteners and various bore con-
figurations including keyways. Designed
for a wide range of applications in cor-
rosive environ-
ments, these col-
lars are offered in
¼-inch to 10-inch
I.D. sizes and the
rigid couplings
come in ¼-inch
to 3-inch sizes.
Stafford 316 SST
Shaft Collars
can be supplied
with smooth or
threaded round, square and hex bores
and the couplings can include straight
and stepped bores.
Stafford Manufacturing Corp.
www.staffordmfg.com
Write In 535
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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
36 Piping, Tubing, Hoses & Fittings
Clear Polyimide Medical Tubing
Putnam Plastics Corporation introduces clear polyimide tubing for medical applications that require visual monitoring, UV
transparency or imaging transmission. Unlike traditional dark, amber polyimide, which has limited options for pigmenting,
clear polyimide allows for a wide range custom colored tubing options. The clear polyimide tubing offers unique properties
suitable to specialized catheter application, including tensile strength of 17,000 psi (117 MPa).
Putnam Plastics Corporation
www.putnamplastics.com
Write In 536

Tubing Assemblies for Single-

use Systems
Meissner’s BioFlex® tubing assem-
blies provide secure and convenient
fluid paths for use within single-use
systems and will easily scale with
your process to accommodate
flowrates in
excess of 100
L/min. The
assemblies
can also be
used in con-
ventional or
hybrid facili-
ties to con-
nect single-use and stainless steel
processing equipment. BioFlex®
assemblies are easily customizable
to end-user requirements and can
integrate sterilizing-grade through
clarification-grade capsule filters.
Meissner Filtration Products, Inc.
www.meissner.com
Write In 537

Pipe Inspection System

The ROVVER X pipe inspection sys-
tem can now inspect more pipe sizes
than any other crawler on the mar-
ket, thanks to a new bolt-on carriage
that raises the crawler, expands its
wheelbase and gives it unmatched
ground clearance, according to the
manufacturer.
The carriage
attaches in
seconds and
accepts all
ROVVER
wheels, as
well as two
new pneumatic wheel options. When
used in tandem with the system’s
remote camera lift accessory, the
carriage gives ROVVER X an overall
inspection capability of 6 to 72 inches,
plus the ability for centered viewing
in most common pipe sizes 24 inches
and larger.
Envirosight, LLC
www.envirosight.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 254
38 Weighing
Open Frame Weighbelt Feeder for Sanitary Processes
The DEA Open Frame Weighbelt Feeder is designed specifically for sanitary food, pet food and pharmaceutical process-
es. Unique features include tool-less, rapid belt removal for frequent cleaning cycles, an IP69K stainless steel load cell
manufactured to withstand high pressure spray, a shaft mounted, wash-down drive system for simple power transmission
and product contact surfaces with 316 stainless steel.
Schenck AccuRate
www.accuratefeeders.com
Write In 539

Test Weight Set

The ASTM Class
6 weight set from
Alliance Scale simpli-
fies daily quality control
checks and calibration
before procedures for
balances and scales.
Alliance/Ohaus ASTM
Class 6 Weight Sets
feature 12 stainless
steel weights that come
cradled in foam, inside
a wooden box and
include tweezers for
proper handling with-
out touching. Allowing
users to perform daily
quality control checks
and before procedures
on balances and scales, each of these balance calibration weights
meets Class 6 adjustment tolerances. Alliance/Ohaus ASTM Class 6
Weight Sets are made from stainless steel and are lead free.
Alliance Scale, Inc.
www.alliancescale.com
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Tank/Hopper Weighing Systems

Cardinal Scale’s new CenterPoint series Tank/Hopper Scales utilize
double-ended shear beam stainless steel load cells with center load
design for optimum efficiency in mixing, blending, batching, inventory
control and general weighing. The bolt-in-place mounting assembly
with articulating top plate makes them ideal for indoor or outdoor
weighing applications. Available in three- or four-legged mounting
assemblies with mild or stainless steel stands and self-checking sliding
pin design, the CenterPoint load cell kits may be combined with one
of Cardinal’s state-of-the-art 200 series weight indicators for a com-
plete digital weighing system.
Cardinal Scale
www.cardinalscale.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 257
40 Plant Automation
PLC-based Control Solution
Siemens Industry, Inc. announced the introduction of the Simatic® Converting Toolbox module for use in applica-
tions having a PLC as the central control system for process management. The Simatic module completes the appli-
cation set that includes the Simotion® module, a group of high-performance motion control converting solutions,
and the Sinamics® DCC (drive control chart) module with drive-based converting solutions.

Siemens Industry, Inc.

www.usa.siemens.com
Write In 542

New Software Suite for Automation Wireless Valve Monitoring System

Controller System Westlock Controls has launched a new wireless
Invensys has released new software for the valve monitoring system to provide improved
Foxboro PAC System that provides addi- efficiency and safety in plant operations.
tional InFusion integration, HMI capabili- Specifically designed for both manual and
ties and cyber security improvements. The automated valves, this new system integrates
Foxboro PAC System is a high-performance directly with a plant control system using wire-
controller-I/O- less technology to achieve greater monitoring
HMI-recorder solu- visibility of valve equipment. As a specialist in
tion that provides valve monitoring and control, Westlock has
redundancy and developed its new wireless monitoring solution
other DCS capa- as an integrated unit with direct mounting to
bilities in a cost- valves or actuators.
effective package. Westlock Controls
A part of the company’s InFusion Enterprise www.breakfreefromwires.com
Control System, the new software extends Write In 544
its powerful programmable automation con-
troller system leveraging proven ArchestrA
open technology. Integrated into the
company’s Foxboro PAC System, the new
software provides advanced, flexible and
easy-to-use operator interface, reporting
and plant modeling.
Invensys Operations Management
www.ion.invensys.com
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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 Info Center 41

Compact Temperature Low Shear Industrial Pumps Rota-Cone Blenders

Transmitters MasoSine pumps handle abra- Rota-Cone™ Blenders are one
Tel-Tru Integrated sive and viscous fluids up to of the most efficient, thorough
Temperature Transmitter 10,000,000 cps, making them and economical methods of
Probes with 4-20mA output ideal for pumping viscous flu- blending solids from pharma-
feature a patented integrated ids such as black liquor soap. ceuticals to powered metals.
design, which eliminates unreli- MasoSine pumps transfer The clean cone-shaped design
able screw terminations, as shear-sensitive materials with provides complete product dis-
well as gel potting, which adds ease and have a suction capa- charge and easy inspection and
protection from shock, vibra- bility of over 80% vacuum. cleanout.
tion and moisture.

Tel-Tru Manufacturing Co. Watson-Marlow Pumps Group Paul O. Abbe

Rochester, N.Y. 800-282-8823฀•฀978-658-6168 Bensenville, Ill.
585-232-1440฀฀•฀฀800-232-5335 www.watson-marlow.com฀•฀support@wwpg.us 800-524-2188฀฀•฀630-350-3012
www.teltru.com฀฀•฀฀info@teltru.com www.pauloabbe.com

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Pipe End Protectors N700 Series from Hannay Tigerflex Material

Caplugs introduces the OE Reels Offers Versatility Handling Hoses
Series, a new line of tear-tab Specially engineered to stream- Tigerflex™ offers unique mate-
pipe end protectors. These line assembly operations, lubri- rial handling hoses designed
inexpensive caps cushion pipe cation, washdown, air/water to dissipate static electricity via
ends to protect them during transfer and a wide variety of embedded copper grounding
shipment and storage. This industrial applications, Hannay wires or use of anti-static PVC
model was developed with a Reels’฀N700฀Series฀hose฀reel฀has฀ compounds. Clear construction
large pull-tab for quick and easy a narrow frame and compact materials allow for visual confir-
removal, saving valuable time. mounting base for use in limit- mation of material flow.
ed-space work environments.

Caplugs Hannay Reels Kuriyama of America, Inc.

888-CAPLUGS www.hannay.com฀•฀catalogs@hannay.com www.kuriyama.com
www.caplugs.com฀•฀sales@caplugs.com

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Metering System High Accuracy Digital NEW Brochure!

The NETZSCH C.Pro® is an Pressure Gauges VAC-U-MAX, a custom builder
innovative pump series for Omega’s฀new฀DPG409฀series฀of฀ of pneumatic conveying sys-
pumping and metering small high accuracy digital pressure tems for bulk powders, intro-
capacities. With only six com- gages features a large backlit duces a NEW brochure detail-
ponents, the C.Pro® is eco- display that makes it possible ing its capabilities and 50+
nomical and service-friendly for users to read digits from years in the bulk dry powder
making it the universal meter- over฀10.7m฀(35฀ft).฀The฀Stainless฀ industry.
ing pump. Steel enclosure is designed spe-
cifically for wash-down, sanitary
and marine applications.

NETZSCH Pumps North America, LLC OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC VAC-U-MAX

Exton,฀PA฀•฀610-363-8010฀ One฀Omega฀Drive,฀Stamford,฀CT฀฀06907฀฀฀ 800-VAC-U-MAX฀•฀www.vac-u-max.com฀
www.NETZSCHUSA.com 203-359-1660฀•฀Fax:฀203-359-7700 Email:฀info@vac-u-max.com
www.omega.com

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Orival Water Filter Model 3012 DSP Screw Pressure Measurement

Orival฀Filters฀protect฀heat฀ Press for Process Industries
exchangers and prevent clog- The Screw Press is the ideal Keller manufactures pressure
ging of nozzles, tubes and other choice for the small WWTP plant measurement instruments utiliz-
narrow passages by removing with a low washwater require- ing state-of-the-art electronics
dirt particles down to micron ment. An independent pre- and proven piezoresistive tech-
size, of any specific gravity, from thickening rotary drum thickener nology to provide outstanding
once-through and recirculating enhances capacity and cake solids. accuracy, longevity and price.
cooling water systems. Line pres- In-house fabricated slotted screen For฀more฀information,฀please฀
sure powered, the filter cleans allows for maximum drainage and call us or visit our website.
itself without external power. avoids plugging or blinding.

Orival Inc. BDP Industries Keller America, Inc.

213฀S.฀Van฀Brunt฀St.,฀Englewood,฀NJ฀07631฀ www.BDPIndustries.com 877-253-5537
800-567-9767฀•฀201-568-3311฀•฀Fax฀201-568-1916 www.kelleramerica.com
Email:฀ilters@orival.com฀•฀www.orival.com Email:฀sales@kelleramerica.com

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www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
42 Info Center
Size Reduction Equipment Loss-in-Weight Feeders Linear and Rotary Control
Atlantic Coast Crushers The MECHATRON® Loss- Valve Actuators
manufactures and sells in-Weight฀Feeders฀provide฀ Rotork Process Control’s
innovative size reduction processing industries precise Product Catalog features the
machinery for use in the material feeding accuracies of company’s new CVA line of
chemical process industries. ±1/4 to 1 percent of feed rate linear and rotary control valve
Company specializes in design- setpoint at 2 sigma. Complete actuators. The line features
ing machinery that uses impact disassembly from the non-pro- auto calibration, continuous
to shatter chunks, lumps and cess฀side฀of฀the฀feeder.฀Feed฀ modulating฀duty฀and฀extremely฀
agglomerations formed from rates from .002 to 1,100 ft³ per precise accuracy.
friable materials. hour are achievable.

Atlantic Coast Crushers Schenck AccuRate Rotork Process Controls, Inc.

www.gocrushers.com 746 E. Milwaukee Street, Whitewater, WI 53190 675 Mile Crossing Blvd., Rochester, NY 14624
Email: info@gocrushers.com 800-558-0184 www.rotork.com฀•฀Email:฀info@rotork.com
908-259-9292฀•฀Fax:฀908-259-9280 www.accuratefeeders.com/mechatronfeeders.html 585-247-2304
Email: mktg@accuratefeeders.com
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Jefferson Stocks Stainless Thermal Gas Flow Dry Run Protection

Steel Valves Measurement New PMP-25 Pump Load
Same day shipping on all Eldridge Products, Inc.’s new Control guards against dry run-
valves we have in stock includ- ValuMass™ Series 400 is a ning, cavitation and overload.
ing stainless steel and brass lower cost option for thermal It monitors true pump power
solenoid valves. Jefferson gas mass flow measurement in for฀maximum฀sensitivity฀while฀
stocks ALL seat materials such a compact design. The Series displaying power, trip points and
as฀EPMD,฀FKM,฀PTFE฀AND฀ 400 configurations accommo- delays. The 4X-enclosure is small
BUNA N. Cost-effective cross- date most installation require- enough to fit on size 1 starters
over done on all valves. ments. and can be door-, panel- or wall-
mounted.฀Free฀30-day฀trial!

Jefferson Valves Eldridge Products, Inc. Load Controls, Inc.

20225฀NE฀15th฀Ct.,฀Miami,฀Fl฀33179 www.ValuMass.com www.loadcontrols.com
www.jeffersonvalves.com 831-648-7777 888-600-3247
305-249-8120

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Newly Designed Spark Dispersers, Metering 3DLevelScanner

Detection Website Pumps Dust Penetrating Bin
GreCon’s newly designed New catalog of precision dis- Measurement
website provides information pensers and metering pumps The 3DLevelScanner uses low
on Spark Detection Systems. for laboratory, industrial, pro- frequency, acoustics-based tech-
Reduce your risk of fires and cess and OEM applications nology฀that฀performs฀in฀exces-
dust฀explosions฀in฀production฀ includes the Chloritrol for sive dust where radar and ultra-
equipment, conveyors and col- municipal water systems and sonic devices have been known
lection systems. the CTS Caustic Soda Delivery to fail. The unit penetrates dust
System. and provides a highly accurate
volume measurement.

GreCon Fluid Metering, Inc. BinMaster

www.grecon-us.com/html/spark_detection.htm www.fmipump.com 402-434-9102฀•฀800-278-4241
www.binmaster.com฀•฀Email:฀info@binmaster.com

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In-line Spring-Loaded Efficient Plastic Process Pumps for Special

Piston-type Check Valves Diaphragm Valve Solution Applications
Check-All Valve Mfg. Co. The new R677 and R690 Rely฀on฀KNF฀engineers฀to฀build฀
makes a complete line of in- Diaphragm valves from GEMU long-life, customized pumps for
line spring-loaded piston-type have been designed to be challenging applications. Oil-free
check valves. Many series a highly efficient plastic dia- diaphragm pumps meet robust,
available which provide check phragm valve solution. The contamination-free performance
valves for practically every ser- optimized internal geom- to฀your฀exact฀speciications.฀
vice application. Call or e-mail etry provides higher Cv’s and Speak to one of our engineers
for information or a catalog. improved flow characteristics. today.

Check-All Valve Mfg. Co. Gemü Valves KNF Neuberger, Inc.

515-224-2301 www.gemu.com 2฀Black฀Forest฀Road,฀Trenton,฀NJ฀08691
www.checkall.com฀•฀E-mail:฀sales@checkall.com www.knfprocess.com฀•฀E-mail:฀knfusa@knf.com
609-890-8600

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July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
 Classifieds 43

Write In 261 Write In 262 Write In 263

We can picture
your ad here!
For more information,
contact Liz Zane at
Liz@grandviewmedia.com
Write In 264

Write In 265

Connect The Processing Blog features commentary and insights

from some of the top minds in the process industries.

SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES

www.ProcessingMagazine.com

www.globalprocessingmag.com

ProcessFlowDirect
www.JazdProcessing.com

www.facebook.com/
ProcessingMagazine

www.twitter.com/ProcessingMag

Subscribe/Renew: Visit www.ProcessingMagazine.com/Blog

www.ProcessingMagazine.com/subscribe to ask questions and interact with Processing’s expert bloggers.

www.ProcessingMagazine.com฀•฀July 2012
44 Index
Find featured products' company websites and get free product information at www.ProcessingMagazine.com/freeinfo.

Advertiser Index
Acrison .........................................................17 Gamajet Cleaning Systems ..........................36 P-MEC ..........................................................37

Argonide Corp. ............................................12 Gardner Denver ...........................................36 PMMI ............................................................20

Arkema .........................................................38 GEMCO Valve Company .............................31 Posi-flate.......................................................32

A-T Controls .................................................21 GEMÜ Valves, Inc. .......................................30 Powder-Solutions, Inc. .................................34

Atlantic Coast Crushers ...............................40 Great Plains Industries .................................18 Process Flow Direct......................................39

Bauermeister, Inc. ........................................16 Halogen Valve Systems ................................32 Rotork Process Controls ................................9

Brennan Industries .......................................19 Hannay Reels ................................................14 Schenck AccuRate ........................................24

Bunting Magnetics .........................................6 H-P Products ................................................15 seepex, Inc. ..................................................22

Busch Vacuum Pumps & Systems ................28 Jefferson Solenoid Valves USA ....................26 Smoot Co., Div. of Magnum Systems ............8

Camfil Farr APC .............................................3 Kuriyama of America, Inc. ............................34 Specialty Equipment ......................................5

Caplugs ........................................................35 Load Controls Inc. ..........................................4 SPX Flow Technology .........Inside Back Cover

CheckAll Valve .............................................32 Lutz Pumps ...................................................22 SWECO ........................................................13

Collins Instrument Co...................................33 Magnatrol Valve ...........................................40 VEGA Americas, Inc. ..................... Back Cover

Colonial Engineering ....................................10 Material Transfer & Storage.........................25 Viega, LLC ......................................................7

CPV Manufacturing ........................................6 Midwestern Industrial...................................29 Volkmann, Inc. .............................................38

Dynamic Air Inc. .............................................1 Nanmac Corporation ...................................23 Vortex Valves................................................27

Federal Equipment Company ......................10 Omega Engineering ...........Inside Front Cover Watson-Marlow Pumps Group ....................11

Flo-Tite, Inc. .................................................30 Parker Transair .............................................16

Fluid Metering ..............................................40 Paul O. Abbe................................................12

Product Index Advertising Representation

•฀ M
฀ ike฀Wasson,฀Publisher
ACE12 Roundup Plant Automation Ph: 973-539-7715
Badger Meter, Inc. …………………………………………… 20 Invensys Operations Management ………………………… 40 Fax: 205-408-3797
Fluid Metering Inc. …………………………………………… 18 Siemens Industry, Inc. ………………………………………… 40 Email: mikew@grandviewmedia.com
GF Piping Systems …………………………………………… 18 Westlock Controls……………………………………………… 40
Henry Pratt Co. ………………………………………………… 20 Powder & Bulk Solids •฀ J฀ ay฀Haas,฀District Manager
Leopold ………………………………………………………… 18 AirClean Systems ……………………………………………… 16 Ph: 205-572-1058
McCrometer …………………………………………………… 20 Flexicon Corporation ………………………………………… 16 Fax: 205-408-3797
Instrumentation Kason Corporation …………………………………………… 16 Email: jay@grandviewmedia.com
BlueLevel Technologies ……………………………………… 28 Material Transfer & Storage ………………………………… 17
Dwyer Instruments, Inc. ……………………………………… 26 National Bulk Equipment, Inc. ……………………………… 17
•฀ E
฀ lizabeth฀Zane,฀Account Manager
NK Technologies ……………………………………………… 28 Volkmann, Inc. ………………………………………………… 17 Ph: 205-408-3736
Ritron, Inc. ……………………………………………………… 26 Valves & Actuators Fax: 205-408-3797
Sage Metering ………………………………………………… 26 ACS Valves……………………………………………………… 32 Email: liz@grandviewmedia.com
Universal Flow Monitors, Inc. ………………………………… 28 Asahi/America Inc. …………………………………………… 33
Piping, Tubing, Hoses & Fittings Kemutec Group Inc. …………………………………………… 32
AdvantaPure …………………………………………………… 35 Pangolin Laser Systems ……………………………………… 33
Envirosight, LLC ……………………………………………… 36 Parker Hannifin Fluid Control Division ……………………… 32
ESCO Tool ……………………………………………………… 35 Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp. ………………………………… 33
200฀Croft฀Street,฀Suite฀1฀•฀Birmingham,฀AL฀35242฀
Flexaust ………………………………………………………… 34 Weighing Ph:฀888-431-2877฀•฀Fax:฀205-408-3797
Meissner Filtration Products ………………………………… 36 Alliance Scale, Inc. …………………………………………… 38
New Age Industries …………………………………………… 34 Cardinal Scale ………………………………………………… 38
Subscription Information:
Putnam Plastics Corporation ………………………………… 36 Schenck AccuRate …………………………………………… 38 Mail: P.O. Box 2174, Skokie, IL 60076-7874
Stafford Manufacturing Corp. ………………………………… 35 Phone: 866-721-4807
E-mail: processing@halldata.com
Change of Address: www.processingmagazine.com/subscribe

July 2012฀•฀www.ProcessingMagazine.com
Write In 266
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Write In 100
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2 In This Issue
4 Recent flowmeter advances
reflect energy market priorities SOLUTIONS FOR THE PROCESS INDUSTRIES

Group Publisher, Mike Wasson

Ph: 973-539-7715, Email: mikew@grandviewmedia.com
10 Landfill gas system OEM Editorial Director, Kevin Parker
Email: KParker2@grandviewmedia.com
chooses thermal dispersion Managing Editor, Nick Phillips
mass flow measurement Email: nphillips@grandviewmedia.com
Associate/Web Editor, Christy Underwood
Email: christy@grandviewmedia.com
14 Separate measurement Art Director, James Armstrong
Email: jarmstrong@grandviewmedia.com
from medium Graphic Designer, Brandon Watkins
Email: brandon@grandviewmedia.com
Marketing Manager, Mary Beth Timmerman
16 Two non-invasive flow Email: marybeth@grandviewmedia.com
Advertising Sales Assistant, Haley Cobb
measurement technologies Email: hmartin@grandviewmedia.com
compared Administrative Team:
General Manager, Barry Lovette
Vice President of Operations, Brent Kizzire
18 Power is the bottom line Vice President of Marketing, Hank Brown
Vice President of Finance, Brad Youngblood
with accurate biogas Group Director of Circulation & Fulfillment, Delicia Poole
measurement Circulation Manager, Electronic Products, Stacie Tubb
Circulation Analyst, Anna Hicks

20 New Product Spotlight PROCESSING (Pub.#ISSN 0896-8659)

PROCESSING Magazine is published monthly by Grand View Media Group. Editorial and Executive
Offices: 200 Croft Street, Ste 1, Birmingham, AL 35242. Periodicals postage paid at Birmingham, AL &
additional mailing offices. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canadian Returns to be
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changes to PROCESSING Magazine, PO BOX 2174, Skokie, IL 60076-7874. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Non-
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Grand View Media Group, 2012. PROCESSING Magazine assumes no responsibility for validity of claims
in items reports.

For Subscription Questions/Inquiries:

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Outside U.S. – 847-763-1867

14 E-mail – processing@halldata.com
Subscribe / Renew / Change of Address:
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Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 102
Recent flowmeter advances
reflect energy market priorities
Bigger Coriolis meters, diagnostic-minded ultrasonics and
more reliable thermal flowmeters among advances
By Jesse Yoder
The past few years saw numerous innovations in arrangements. Variations in output, phase separation, line losses or other factors
flowmeter technology. While most examples involve can mean that reconciling the measured output at the wells with measured input
new-technology flowmeters, i.e., those introduced since at terminals or refineries can be challenging. Oil companies are therefore will-
1950, some innovation also has occurred in traditional ing to invest in the very best technology at the well site to measure that output.
flowmeters. One significant driver of innovation has While these meters can cost as much as the $75,000 range, they offer high accu-
been issues related to petroleum extraction from oil and racy with stable and reliable measurement.
gas reserves. Also important have been needs for better GE Rheonik, Micro Motion and Endress+Hauser all use a bent-tube design.
diagnostics, higher accuracy and greater reliability. KROHNE, by contrast, uses a straight-tube design. This can have decided space
One major development has occurred in Coriolis advantages, since bent-tube meters are large and heavy.
flowmeters. It used to be that Rheonik — now owned by GE Measurement & These large line size meters are changing the Coriolis meter market profile.
Control Solutions, Billerica, Mass. — was the only flowmeter supplier offering In the past, 85% to 90% of Coriolis flowmeters shipped were for line sizes of 2
Coriolis flowmeters above 6 inches in diameter. Today, suppliers that include inches and less. Moreover, suppliers may soon make use of materials that allow
Emerson Process Management’s Micro Motion, Austin, Texas; Endress+Hauser, reducing the overall size of large Coriolis meters. And it is safe to say that suppli-
Greenwood, Ind.; and KROHNE Group, Duisburg, Germany, all offer Coriolis ers will not stop at 16 inches in terms of line sizes.
flowmeters in these larger line sizes. The two largest Coriolis meters currently
available, from Endress+Hauser and Micro Motion, fit a 16-inch line. Ultrasonic paths and cords
These new 8-inch and 16-inch Coriolis flowmeters are suitable for custody- Custody-transfer applications also figure large in research and development
transfer applications in oil and gas markets. In today’s oil and gas fields, owner- efforts aimed at ultrasonic flowmeters. Elster Instromet, Essen, Germany, and
ship of the wells’ productive output is typically governed by complex SICK Maihak GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, have made contributions here.

Entrance to Endress+Hauser’s Proline Promass 83X/84X Coriolis flowmeter KROHNE’s OPTIMASS 2000

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 103
6

In addition, improvements have been seen in the performance of clamp-on and Oil and gas companies are embracing the technology. For some applications,
insertion ultrasonic flowmeters. Other suppliers of ultrasonic flowmeters include it’s the only solution going, but the technology also is improving. This includes
KROHNE, Flexim and Cameron. higher accuracy, but also approved measurement reliability, repeatability, size,
Elster-Instromet’s latest ultrasonic flowmeter offering is the Q.Sonic-plus, complexity and price/performance ratio. Multiphase meters today provide audit-
with six paths and 16 chords, and meant for application to natural gas cus- able flow measurement with space and weight advantages. They tend to be more
tody transfer. In addition, the Q.Sonic-plus is for fiscal metering in natural accurate than two or three-phase well testers, offering shorter test times, portable
gas transmission, distribution, storage and production. Elster introduced the units and well optimization.
Q.Sonic-plus to the North American market in May 2011 at the American Gas Suppliers are competing for market share and leadership in this growing mar-
Association (AGA) Conference in Nashville, Tenn. Its diagnostic capability re- ket. Greater industry acceptance of Coriolis flowmeters, which are used in some
duces needs for upstream piping. multiphase flowmeters, also contributes to overall comfort with the solution.
These advanced diagnostics take into account flow profile, swirl and turbu- Technical advances manufacturers expect over the next few years involve the
lence. The diagnostics even adjust for build-up of grime on the inside of the following:
meter, using its multiple paths and enhanced number of measuring chords. •฀Better฀repeatability฀across฀application฀throughput฀data
SICK Maihak is a relatively recent entrant to the custody-transfer market, •฀Improved฀accuracy
but it has made substantial strides in five years and is among the market leaders. •฀Fiscal฀applications
SICK’s FLOWSIC600, an ultrasonic flowmeter for natural gas custody transfer, •฀Salinity฀measurements
has either two or four measurement paths. SICK’s FLOWSIC600 meter empha- •฀Full฀range฀Gas฀Volume฀Fraction฀(GVF)฀capability
sizes diagnostics. Using condition-based maintenance (CBM), it can provide a •฀Detection฀and฀compensation฀for฀wax฀and฀scaling
warning whenever key parameters — including turbulence, speed of sound, sym- •฀Alternate฀methods฀for฀direct฀density฀measurement
metry, signal-to-noise ratio and profile factor — are exceeded. As joint ventures own many oil fields, the demand for higher multiphase accu-
Another ultrasonic meter manufactured by SICK is the FLOWSIC100 Flare racy for allocation metering and other fiscal measurement is likely to increase.
meter, an insertion meter meant for flare-gas applications. Its unique sensor Suppliers also are exploring non-nuclear multiphase solutions. Experts insist
design enables it to more easily handle high-speed flows. It can be used for com- that there are no risks or hazards associated with the nuclear components in
pliance with government regulations in measuring CO2 emissions. Ultrasonic multiphase flowmeters. Manufacturers staunchly maintain that nuclear provides
flowmeters compete with thermal meters and differential-pressure flowmeters the best and most robust measurement. They question the feasibility of obtaining
with averaging Pitot tubes for flare-gas applications. a gas/liquid contrast any other way. However, some suppliers say the industry
wants to move away from “problems” on systems with nuclear components.
Ceramics and sapphires Some companies are producing alternative solutions, including a source based on
Turbine meters today are more reliable because their moving parts — a tradi- an X-ray generator that has been successfully field-tested.
tional source of concern regarding maintenance and repair — are more reliable.
With more durable materials for ball bearings, such as newly developed ceramics Markets driven by innovation
and synthetic sapphires, turbine suppliers add significantly to meter bearing life. While some technology suppliers pour millions of dollars into research and
This is important, since some users select new-technology meters over turbine product development, others sell the same products year after year. Coriolis,
meters simply because they have no moving parts subject to wear. ultrasonic and multiphase meter suppliers are actively developing new products.
Other enhancements include the “dual-rotor design” from Exact Flow, Scott- Turbine suppliers also have been active in producing innovations.
sdale, Ariz.; Cox Flow Measurement, Scottsdale, Ariz., and other manufactur- It is inevitable that companies not investing in innovation will lose ground
ers. Dual rotors increase the effective operating range of turbine meters in the to those that have innovative products. That is one reason why the multiphase,
smaller line sizes. The two rotors turn in opposite directions, with the first being ultrasonic and Coriolis markets are the fastest growing flowmeter markets today.
upstream from the second and acting as a flow conditioner. Flow is then directed New developments are also occurring in thermal flowmeter and mass flow con-
back to the second rotor. The rotors are hydraulically connected and continue troller markets. But suppliers need to take the need for innovation seriously if
to turn even at very low flowrates. This innovation has enhanced turbine flow- they are to stay on top of their game.
meters’ suitability in low-flow applications. Finally, Elster has released a new
“reversible flow” turbine flowmeter that has additional diagnostic features. Jesse Yoder, Ph.D., is president of Flow Research, Inc. (www.flowresearch.com),
Even though multiphase technology has been around almost 30 years, mul- a company he founded in 1998. He has 24 years of experience as an analyst and
tiphase flowmeters are still in a relatively early phase of development. They are writer in process control. Dr. Yoder specializes in flowmeters and other field devices,
used in the oil and gas industry to measure the percentage and amount of oil, gas including pressure, level and temperature products. He has written over 100 market
and water that comes out of the wellhead before they are separated. Multiphase research studies in industrial automation and process control and has published nu-
flowmeters not only analyze the contents of the fluid coming from the well, they merous journal articles.
also provide information about the fluid reservoir.

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 104
8

Different flows, different flowmeters

Below please find elementary descriptions of the most Thermal mass flowmeters –
basic flowmeter types. generally use combinations
of heated elements and
Coriolis – measures mass temperature sensors to
flow as proportional to the measure the difference
Coriolis force that twists a between static and
U-tube installed in the flow flowing heat transfer
line, for curved tube flow- to a fluid and infer
meters. its flow, based on
knowledge of the
Chlorine-Trak 7605 thermal
Magnetic – based on Far- fluid’s specific gravity and den- mass flowmeter from Sierra
aday’s Law, which states sity; often used to measure the Instruments, Monterey, Calif.
that the voltage induced flow of gases.
across any conductor as
it moves at right angles Positive displacement – requires fluid to mechanically
through a magnetic field is displace components in the meter to measure flow. Posi-
proportional to the velocity of tive displacement flowmeters measure the volumetric
that conductor. It is a volu- flowrate of a moving fluid or gas. They can be used in
metric flowmeter, said to be very viscous, dirty and corrosive fluids.
Promass E 200 Coriolis flow-
meter from Endress+Hauser,
suitable for wastewater applica-
Greenwood, Mass. tions, or any dirty liquid that is Turbine – translates the mechanical action of a turbine
conductive or water-based. rotating in the liquid flow around an axis into a user-read-
able rate of flow.
Ultrasonic – using ul-
trasonic transducers, Differential pressure – uses the differences in pressure
measures the average resulting from a constriction as an indicator of flow, based
velocity along the path on the relationship between the volumetric flowrate and
of an emitted beam of pressure drop. The primary element restrictor can be an
ultrasound. Ultrasonic orifice plate, flow nozzle, Venturi tube or some other.
flowmeters are affected
by the temperature, den-
sity and viscosity of the
flowing medium.

Vortex – detects the

frequency of vortex shed-
ding behind an obstacle
in flowing fluid by mea- Differential pressure flowmeter from
FDT-21 ultrasonic flowmeter from suring small pressure Orange Research, Milford, Conn.
Omega Engineering, Stamford, Conn. variations. Measures gas
flows from the precession
of vortices generated by a fixed set of radial vanes placed
in the flow.

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 105
 Landill gas system OEM
chooses thermal dispersion mass low
measurement
Precise gas flow measurement’s important role turning landfills into
green power generators By Art Womack

Hundreds of “landfill gas system flares and extraction system skids” operating In addition, in 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted
worldwide are equipped with flowmeters from Fluid Components International its mandatory GHG reporting legislation. Specific flowmeter requirements must
(FCI), San Marcos, Calif., including many specified by a leading Midwest U.S. be considered when selecting landfill gas flowmeters. The legislation’s 40 CFR,
supplier of these landfill gas systems. Part 98, subpart HH applies to landfill gas operations and details full report-
Decaying organic materials in landfills are a continuous, rich source of bio- ing and compliance requirements. FCI met with and worked directly with the
methane gas that can be harvested as natural gas or used for power generation. EPA to confirm thermal dispersion flowmetering technology was acceptable and
Landfill gas extraction and recovery systems address increasing regulation of green- further confirmed that FCI’s calibration methodology also complies with that
house gas emissions, support “good neighbor” goals and reduce operating costs. stipulated within the mandate.
In some instances, bio-methane gas is extracted from landfills with multiple
wellhead taps and collected via a piping network leading to a common header. Landfill challenges
The collected gas powers engines and drives turbines, which in turn produce Landfill gas flow measured at several points provides landfill operators with
clean electric power (Figure 1). Typical landfill gas extraction systems for co- critical information for optimal gas production, control, safety and reporting.
gen electric power require turbines, compressors, blowers, pumps, flowmeters, These applications present several flowmeter-related challenges:
knock-out pots and a flare burner or oxidizer gas unit. •฀฀Low-low฀sensitivity฀during฀start-up฀and฀sensitivity฀to฀seasonal฀changes,฀which฀
Accurate landfill gas flow measurement is essential to the gas extraction sys- produce lower flowrates;
tem’s operation. In addition, it collects data on how much gas is extracted and •฀฀Pressure฀and฀temperature฀compensation฀required฀if฀using฀a฀volumetric฀low-
how it is disposed of or used. This proves useful in addressing a myriad of regula- meter;
tory and administrative tasks. •฀฀Calibration฀needed฀for฀mixed฀gas฀composition฀of฀CH4 + CO2 + trace gases;
Several manufacturers of thermal dispersion mass flow technology have agency •฀฀Must฀handle฀wet,฀dirty฀gas฀with฀corrosive฀H2S content;
approvals for use in Division 2 (Zone 2) and Division 1 (Zone 1) hazardous en- •฀฀Potentially฀lammable฀or฀explosive฀gas฀installation฀environment;
vironments where combustible gas is a threat to people and plant equipment. •฀฀Easy,฀low-cost฀installation฀and฀low฀maintenance฀required;฀and

Figure 1. Landfill Gas Recovery Process Flow

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

 11

•฀฀Complies฀with฀GHG฀regulations. instrumentation฀with฀suitable฀
Landill฀gas฀is฀primarily฀a฀mixture฀of฀methane฀(CH4),฀carbon฀dioxide฀(CO2),฀ agency฀approvals.฀Flowmeters฀
hydrogen฀sulide฀(H2S)฀and฀traces฀of฀oxygen฀(O2),฀nitrogen฀(N2),฀other฀gases฀and฀ should฀have฀full฀instrument฀ap-
water.฀While฀a฀typical฀landill฀gas฀mix฀could฀be฀50%-55%฀methane฀and฀45%- proval฀—฀i.e.,฀sensor฀element,฀
40%฀CO2,฀actual฀compositions฀can฀vary฀widely฀depending฀on฀the฀location,฀refuse฀ electronics฀and฀the฀enclosure—฀
types฀and฀age.฀An฀actual฀on-site฀gas฀analysis฀is฀always฀required฀before฀specifying฀ and฀not฀just฀for฀the฀enclosure.฀
equipment.฀ Applicable฀approvals฀include฀
Also,฀dependent฀upon฀conditions,฀landill฀gas฀can฀be฀dirty฀and฀wet,฀and฀thus฀ FM,฀FMc/CSA,฀ATEX,฀IECEx฀
highly฀corrosive฀when฀it฀comes฀into฀continuous฀contact฀with฀the฀equipment฀nec- and฀others,฀depending฀on฀the฀
essary฀to฀harvest฀it.฀Extreme฀conditions฀may฀dictate฀iltering,฀gas฀drying฀or฀use฀of฀ country.฀
specialty฀metal฀components,฀such฀as฀Hastelloy,฀to฀mitigate฀corrosion฀and฀ensure฀ In฀short,฀the฀gas฀extraction฀
long฀component฀service฀life.฀฀ system฀supplier฀wants฀lowme-
Landill฀gas฀lowrates฀vary฀depending฀on฀refuse฀volumes฀and฀seasonal-related฀ ters฀that฀are฀accurate฀for฀mixed฀
temperature฀and฀humidity฀changes.฀A฀lowmeter฀with฀wide฀turndown฀is฀essential.฀ composition฀gas,฀while฀being฀
Another฀consideration฀is฀support฀for฀different฀or฀changing฀gas฀compositions.฀A฀ suitable฀for฀wet,฀dirty฀gas.฀The฀
lowmeter฀that฀stores฀multiple฀calibrations฀for฀ield฀assignment฀is฀ideal,฀but฀ield฀ technology฀must฀carry฀global฀
service฀technicians฀also฀can฀perform฀site฀calibration฀veriication฀and฀adjustments. agency฀approvals฀for฀installa-
Because฀landill฀gases฀are฀potentially฀explosive,฀“engineered”฀safety฀is฀a฀must.฀ tion฀where฀methane฀gas฀is฀฀
Instrumentation฀must฀be฀suitably฀rated฀and฀approved฀for฀the฀installation.฀While฀ present,฀be฀easy฀to฀install฀and฀
some฀situations฀might฀allow฀for฀remotely฀locating฀electronics฀outside฀of฀the฀ deliver฀worry-free฀continuous฀ Figure 2. FCI Flowmeters Installed At Landfill
deined฀hazardous฀environment,฀the฀safer,฀best-practices฀approach฀is฀to฀install฀ operation.

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฀July฀2012฀•฀ Flowmeter Solutions
12

The solution FCI recommended installation of its ST98 Flow Meter (Figure 4), which is
After identifying several potential flowmeter technologies, the systems supplier ideal for landfill gas measurement and features high accuracy to ±1% of reading,
contacted FCI, a specialist in thermal dispersion technology for the direct mass ±0.5% of full scale and is fully temperature-compensated for accurate measure-
flow measurement of gas and a pioneer in its application in rugged environ- ment under varying process and temperatures (See sidebar).
ments. Thermal mass flowmeters provide a landfill gas flow measuring solution The meter provides flowrate and totalized flow data from each landfill gas
that is accurate, repeatable, easy to install and requires virtually no maintenance. well to ensure continuous operation and optimal data collection. The meter was
FCI thermal dispersion mass flow measurement places two thermowell-protected selected by the landfill gas extraction systems manufacturer because of its ease of
platinum RTD temperature sensors in the process stream. One RTD is heated installation, in-place agency approvals for hazardous gas locations (Div 1) and
while the other senses the actual process temperature. The temperature differ- because FCI is able to calibrate the meter to the systems manufacturers’ require-
ential between these two sensors is measured and is directly proportional to the ments for mixed composition gases.
mass flowrate of the fluid (Figure 3).
In moist landfill Art Womack is a member of the technical
gas measurement staff at Fluid Components International
applications, FCI’s (FCI). He holds a BSEE from Rose-Hul-
constant power man Institute of Technology and has over
technique provides 15 years experience in the application,
superior accuracy design, sales and marketing of process in-
and repeatability. strumentation.
The alternative
thermal dispersion For more information:
technique, constant www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/
deltaT, can read er- ghgrulemaking.html
ratically in moist gas www.fluidcomponents.com/Industrial/
applications. FCI’s App/EPA-GHG-Mandate.asp
constant power pro-
vides a light heating
Fluid Components International
effect that actually
www.fluidcomponents.com
dries condensate
Write In 200
moisture off the
sensor to ensure
stable readings and
Figure 3. Thermal Dispersion Mass Flow Measurement performance.
Theory of Operation
Figure 4. ST98 Mass Flow Meter

Anatomy of a flowmeter
With its reliable thermal mass sensing element, the ST98 Flow FCI calibrates the meter and its other product lines in its own
Meter delivers precision gas flowrate, totalized flow and temperature laboratory equipment, which is National Institute of Standards
measurement. This insertion-style meter operates over a wide flow (NIST) traceable, as well as certified to ISO 9001:2000 and
range from 0.75 to 600 SFPS (0.21 to 172 NMPS), features a wide, AS9000. The laboratory also meets MIL-STD-45662A and ANSI/
100:1 turndown ratio and operates at pressures up to 250 psig. NCSL-Z-540 requirements.
The meter’s transmitter features robust, microprocessor-based FCI’s Flow Calibration Laboratory provides gas flow calibration
electronics and can be integrally mounted with the sensor or remote capabilities ranging as low as 0.001 SCFM (0.00017 NCMH) to
mounted up to 1000 feet. Its enclosure is NEMA/CSA Type 4X ranges that exceed 5000 SCFM (8500 NCMH) and can match in-
(IP66) rated and it carries global agency approvals on the full instru- stallation conditions for applications with temperature ranges from
ment for explosion-proof, Division 1 installations. –100 to +850 F (-73 to +454 C).

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 107
 Separate measurement
from medium
Ultrasonic flowmeters applied in corrosive, high-temp applications
in titanium oxide production By Jörg Sacher
Since at least the nineteenth century, Krefeld-Uerdingen in Germany’s lower concentrated and returned to the production process. For recycling, the dilute
Rhine region has been a center for dye production. sulphuric acid first passes through three vacuum evaporators in series, raising its
Today, titanium oxide and iron oxide are produced at the Krefeld-Uerdingen concentration to about 45%. Then the salts from the titanium ore leaching pro-
Chemical Park, the world’s largest inorganic pigment producer. It was 1957 cess are crystallized and filtered out. Clarified acid concentration is brought up to
when Bayer first built a titanium dioxide plant in Uerdingen to produce raw around 75%, as needed for reuse in production.
materials for paint, coatings, washing detergents and toothpaste. After a joint The recycling line shuts down several times a year for inspection and main-
venture and subsequent divestiture, the plant was known as Tronox. When the tenance. Due to the quickly rising temperatures involved, the special pumps
U.S. parent filed for Chapter 11 protection, the fully independent entity, crenox, driving the dilute acid stream to the evaporator are subject to severe stress, partic-
emerged. Since 2009, the name has been synonymous with titanium dioxide ularly whenever the line is restarted. To minimize stress and wear, the engineers
made in Krefeld-Uerdingen. wanted to find a better way to measure the flow to the evaporators.
The plant is using non-invasive flow measurement based on ultrasonic sensors
mounted on the outside of a pipe for two key applications related to titanium Dilute acid flow measurement
dioxide production. Dilute acid is not a very pleasant substance. To handle the highly corrosive
acid, pipes at crenox are made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic with an FEP inliner.
Turning black into white However, the aggressive chemical nature of the acid is not the only problem.
The plant has an annual output capacity of 107,000 metric tons, making it The dissolved salts from the leaching process used in titanium dioxide produc-
one of the world’s largest titanium oxide production facilities. Making titanium tion also have to be removed. During evaporation, the salts precipitate out as
oxide is a little bit like industrial alchemy: Pure white color pigments are pro- solids. The entrained particles would quickly wear out any flow measurement
duced from black ore. Crenox uses a sulfate process to perform this bit of “white system that comes into contact with the material stream. Given these circum-
magic.” Sulfuric acid is used to leach titanium from the raw materials. stances, non-invasive flow measurement based on clamp-on ultrasonic technol-
For many years now, dilute sulfuric acid left over from leaching is treated, ogy was a viable solution.

Staying on the safe side: Clamp-on ultrasonic sensors mounted on the Non-invasive flow measurement of boiler feed water. The WaveInjector
outside detect the flow of dilute acid. extends the application range to 400 C.

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

 15

However, its deployment, with

ultrasonic sensors clamped onto the
outside of the pipes, is not as simple
as it sounds. The outside diameter of
the evaporator inlet pipes is greater
than 60 centimeters, and wall thick-
ness is 1.0 centimeter. Fiberglass-
reinforced plastic pipe has very
pronounced acoustic damping prop-
erties. A powerful source of sound
waves is needed to penetrate into the
pipe interior and produce a good de-
tection signal.
“Technology leadership really
becomes apparent when you reach
the outer limits,” Flexim’s Heinrich
Separating the ultrasonic transducer from the hot pipe allows
Brucks, whose sales region includes
permanent operation at process temperatures to 400 C.
the chemical park, says.
The solution involved mounting very low frequency 200 kHz ultrasonic sensors on the fiberglass-reinforced
pipes. Process temperature wasn’t a problem since 130 C is within the operating range of standard Flexim
sensors. The system was installed during ongoing operation without process shutdown. The solution allows
crenox engineers to optimize line operation. Wear on the pumps and caking on the heat exchangers, which
degrade energy efficiency, have been reduced.

Clamp-on vs. vortex

Another example taken from the plant illustrates that applying clamp-on ultrasonic technology is not lim-
ited to flow measurement applications involving aggressive or abrasive media.
The filter salts separated out during the sulfuric acid recycling process are broken down at crenox in a
fluidized-bed furnace. The waste heat is routed to a boiler and then fed into the steam distribution network at
the chemical park. The flow of feed water to the boiler must be constantly monitored to ensure that sufficient
cooling capacity is available for the fluidized-bed furnace.
Because fluctuating pressures and temperatures up to 35 bar and 260 C cause extreme wear, the service life
of the vortex flowmeter, installed to monitor boiler feed water, was inadequate. The system had to be shut
down for days at a time to repair or replace the vortex flowmeter, a costly exercise.
Flexim developed the WaveInjector flowmeter for high-temperature applications. Separating the ultrasonic
transducer from the hot pipe allows permanent, reliable and accurate operation at process temperatures to 400
C. Its sensors are thermally insulated from the pipe’s heat while maintaining excellent acoustic contact. This
is achieved using two steel coupling plates that connect pipe and sensors while holding them apart. The plates
dissipate enough heat to keep temperature at the sensor mounting point within the allowable range.
The WaveInjector extends the application range of clamp-on ultrasonic technology, while retaining the ob-
vious advantages of non-invasive flow measurement: no medium wear or pipe work and exceptional dynamic
performance. Again, installation was completed during ongoing operation, using a bit of care and above all
gloves for the work at the hot pipes. The vortex flowmeter was installed in close proximity, and the differences
between the subsequent results of the two flowmeter types were insignificant.

FLEXIM
www.flexim.com
Write In 201

Write In 108

July฀2012฀•฀ Flowmeter Solutions

Two non-invasive flow-measurement
technologies compared
Ultrasonic is a versatile, mature technology that can be applied at
least several ways
“Doppler” and “transit time” are two popular flowmeter types for full pipe, Compare and contrast
non-invasive measurement. Sometimes confused because both are “ultrasonic” So far both these piezo-electric ultrasonic technologies seem much the same.
and measure flow using sensors clamped onto the outside of a pipe, each actually But now let’s look at the differences.
works best in very different applications. The success of your installation may Transit time flowmeters have a pair of transducers. One transmits sound while
depend on understanding the differences and making the right choice. the other is a receiver. As the name suggests, the flowmeter measures how long it
As is well known, ultrasound is that generated above the human hearing range takes for an ultrasonic signal from one sensor to cross a pipe and be received by
— i.e., above 20 kHz. Doppler and transit time flowmeters are called “ultra- the second sensor. Upstream and downstream time measurements are compared.
sonic” because they operate far above what we can hear. With no flow, transit time would be equal in both directions. With flow, sound
Ultrasonic is a mature technology, widely used in medical and industrial ap- travels faster in the direction of flow and slower against the flow.
plications. Clamp-on transducers are popular because flowmeters are installed Note that because the ultrasonic signal crosses the pipe to a receiver, the fluid
without cutting pipes or closing valves. There need be no pressure drop and must not contain a significant concentration of bubbles or solids. Otherwise the
the non-contacting transducers are immune to chemicals, abrasives and pres- high frequency sound will be attenuated and too weak to traverse the pipe.
sure. They work with non-conductive fluids including oils and are not affected Transit time transducers typically operate in the 1-2 MHz frequencies. Higher
by electromagnetic fields or radiation. They have a wide temperature operating frequencies are normally used in smaller pipes, with lower frequencies used for
range plus excellent properties of repeatability and reliable operation. large pipes up to several meters in diameter.
At the heart of each ultrasonic transducer is a piezo-electric crystal — coin-size Transducers can be installed on opposite sides of the pipe so that the ultrasonic
glass disks. The crystals are polarized to expand or pulse a minute amount when signal travels once diagonally across the pipe. This type of installation, or “Z”
electrical energy is applied to the surface electrodes. As it pulses the transducer mounting, is typically used in large pipes or weak-signal applications. The most
emits an ultrasonic beam approximately 5 degrees wide at an angle designed to common mounting is “V” mode where transducers are installed on the same side
efficiently pass through a pipe wall. The returning echo — or pressure pulse — of the pipe, with sound bouncing off the opposite pipe wall and crossing the pipe
impacts a second, passive crystal and creates electrical energy. This is the received twice. “W” mode mounting is often used in very small diameter pipes. Here the
signal in a Doppler or transit time transducer. signal crosses the pipe four times. Typically the flowmeter interface specifies rec-
The piezo-electric crystal was discovered in 1820 by French physicist Pierre ommended mounting and transducer separation distance during calibration.
Curie. But it was not until the mid 1900s that it was applied to industrial sens-
ing. To make an ultrasonic flow transducer, piezo-electric crystals are embedded The Doppler Effect
in rugged metal or plastic housings with specially-selected materials that conduct The Doppler Effect was first documented in 1842 by Christian Doppler, an
sound efficiently through the transducer face. Austrian physicist. We all live with daily examples of the Doppler Effect. It is the

Transit time flowmeters have a pair of transducers. One transmits sound Doppler flowmeters are based on the principal that sound waves return to a
while the other is a receiver. transmitter at an altered frequency if reflectors in the liquid are in motion.

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

 17

distinct tone change heard from a passing train’s whistle or the exhaust from a race
car. We hear this tone change, or Doppler Effect, because we are stationary and the Greyline Instruments Inc.
sound transmitter is in motion. www.greyline.com
Doppler flowmeters are based on the principle that sound waves return to a Write In 202
transmitter at an altered frequency if reflectors in
the liquid are in motion. This frequency shift is in
direct proportion to the velocity of the liquid and is
tracked by the instrument to calculate the flowrate.
Thus, the liquid must contain gas bubbles or solids
for the Doppler measurement to work.

Ultrasonic is a mature
technology, widely used
in medical and industrial
applications.

Doppler transducers usually operate at 640 kHz

to 1 MHz frequencies on a wide range of pipe
diameters. Doppler flowmeters manufactured by
Greyline Instruments use a single-head sensor de-
sign allowing fast, simple mounting on the outside
of pipes. The single-head transducer includes both
transmit and receive piezo-electric crystals in the
same housing.
Dual-head Doppler flowmeters are available on
the market but are somewhat more difficult to in-
stall. Dual-heads, in particular, are often confused
with transit time flowmeters because both use
separate transmit and receive transducers. Whether
single-head or dual-head design, Doppler instru-
ments always work by measuring the frequency shift
of signals reflected from moving particles or bubbles
in the fluid.

Final Words
Doppler flowmeters work best in dirty or aerated
liquids like wastewater and slurries. Transit time
flowmeters work with clean liquids — like water,
oils and chemicals. Select the right ultrasonic tech-
nology for your application and enjoy the benefits
of non-contacting flow measurement including easy,
low-cost installation and highly repeatable readings.
Contact Greyline for advice and information on se-
lecting and applying these technologies successfully
in your application.

Write In 109

July฀2012฀•฀ Flowmeter Solutions

Power is the bottom line
with accurate biogas
measurement
Cogeneration at wastewater treatment plant pays back By Scott Rouse

Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility, located in Santa Cruz, Calif., is

one of the most innovative plants in the country. In these times of rising electric-
ity costs, the Santa Cruz plant has figured out a way to generate the majority of
its own electric power from plant-produced biogas. It accomplishes this feat by
using internal combustion engines that burn a carefully measured mixture of
methane gas produced by the sewage digestion process and purchased natural gas,
producing 7.4 million kWh of electric power per year.
Acting like a “large stomach,” the solids from the wastewater treatment process
are “digested” in four large domed digesters and heated to 98F for optimal di-
gester gas production. When methane-forming bacteria break down the acids in
the digester, large amounts of anaerobic digester gas, made up of 60% methane
and 40% CO2, are produced. Once cleaned, compressed and mixed with natural
gas, this biogas becomes a valuable fuel for the plant’s cogenerators, which pro-
duce enough electricity to meet over 50% of the plant’s electrical needs.

Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility utilizes a sewage digestion

process to produce electric power.

A good solution
Since digester gas applications operate at pressures just slightly above
atmospheric, it is essential that instrumentation has the ability to measure and
remain accurate even at these low pressures. This is problematic with a tradi-
tional differential pressure (dP) device, which requires a pressure drop to make
the measurement.
Santa Cruz Wastewater replaced all of its meters with Sierra’s 640S/780S im-
mersible thermal mass flowmeters to achieve the increased accuracy it required
for cogeneration. Sierra’s design features an insertion probe with two small diam-
eter sensors to measure gas temperature and velocity and nominal pressure drop.
Digester gas is also produced at low flowrates, so meters that can measure very
low flows are required. Low flows create a very small differential pressure across
a dP device such as an orifice plate or annubar, so the flow signal often becomes
lost in the noise of the measurement.

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

 19

The high turndown (100:1) provided by the 640S and 780S overcomes the
inherent limitations of dP. With Sierra’s thermal technology, Santa Cruz Waste-
water can measure true mass flow directly with outstanding rangeability at virtu-
ally no pressure drop.
With accurate biogas measurements and gas blending for cogeneration, the
640S and 780S have helped Santa Cruz Wastewater become a flagship renew-
able energy facility. By reusing its methane, Santa Cruz Wastewater prevents 41
tons of CO2 emissions per year from polluting our atmosphere; and through the
cogeneration process the facility can supplement its energy supply. Operators
like Mike Meyers of Santa Cruz Wastewater make energy-saving decisions every
day. “The bottom line for us is power,” Meyers says. “It’s an energy-savings
balancing act.”

Scott Rouse is product line director for Sierra Instruments.

Sierra Instruments
www.sierrainstruments.com
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July฀2012฀•฀ Flowmeter Solutions
20 New Product Spotlight
Cartridge Dust Collector with Electromagnetic Flowmeters
HEPA Safety Monitoring Filter Omega’s new plastic body, battery-powered, corrosion-resistant FMG800 series is
a full-bore electromagnetic flowmeter that features a built-in rate and total indica-
Dwyer Instruments’ compact Series DTFW Variable-Area Flowmeter for tor. With no moving parts, the magmeter permits unobstructed flow, minimizing
Liquids allows for the accurate measurement of compatible gases at an afford- flow disturbances and straight pipe requirements. The flowmeter is designed for
able price. To ensure reliability, construction consists of brass or stainless steel tracking flowrate and total flow in usage monitoring applications including wells,
to help withstand system pressure of up to 3000 psig (206.7 bar). For added industrial wastewater, heap leach mining discharge, cooling tower deduct, turf,
versatility, Series DTFW is available in a wide variety of ranges up to 30 GPM. landscape and other water reclamation applications. Ideal for the chemical and
Connections are available in ¼-, ½- and 1-inch sizes, with construction choices water industries.
of high quality brass or stainless steel. The flowmeter comes pre-calibrated for
horizontal in-line mounting.
Omega Engineering, Inc.
www.omega.com
Dwyer Instruments, Inc. Write In 205
www.dwyer-inst.com
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Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

Write In 115
22 New Product Spotlight
Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flowmeter
KROHNE, Inc.’s new OPTISONIC 6300 clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter is product that can be installed quickly and without special tools. The flowmeter’s
designed for easy installation and high reliability in heavy industrial and haz- clamp-on mechanism was explicitly formulated to offer the strength necessary to
ardous environments. The OPTISONIC 6300 offers performance capabilities aid installation in industrial applications. The OPTISONIC 6300 is also fitted
that exceed even those of the UFM600 T model, featuring improved measure- with a protective casing that ensures smooth and efficient operation, even in the
ment accuracy, ATEX Approval, an extended temperature range and the ability most demanding and hazardous conditions, including everything from aggressive
to handle smaller line sizes. The OPTISONIC 6300 also includes numerous vapor and dust to mechanical damage and solar radiation.
features to aid installation and enhance product operations. One new feature is
the integrated display that is fitted in OPTISONIC 6300, which allows signal KROHNE, Inc.
quality to be shown in real-time during the calibration of the signal transducer. www.krohne.com
This unique feature allows engineers to optimize flowmeter performance and Write In 206
maximize measurement accuracy. The OPTISONIC 6300 is a non-hassle

Thermal Mass Air/Gas

Flowmeter
The future-ready ST100 Series Thermal Mass Air/Gas Flow Meter
from Fluid Components International (FCI) has received FM and
FMc approval, assuring FCI’s customers that it conforms to the high-
est national and international safety standards. The FM APPROVED
mark and Canadian FMc APPROVED mark assure FCI’s customers
that the ST100 Flow Meter has been deemed to perform reliably and
safely, backed by independent scientific research and testing. 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 ST100 Flow Meter has received FM and
FMc approvals: Class I, Division 1, hazardous locations, Groups B,
C, D; Class II and III, Div 1 Groups E, F, G; Nonincendive Class
I Division 2 Groups A, B, C, D; Nonincendive Class II, Division
2 Groups E, F, G. The leading-edge ST100’s superior flow sensing
performance delivers unsurpassed adaptability and value to meet plant
gas flow measurement applications for today and tomorrow.
Fluid Components International
www.fluidcomponents.com
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Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

 July 2012 Flowmeter Solutions

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Buying Report Survey for
2000 Food & Kindred Products 2100 Tobacco Products
2830 Pharmaceuticals
2810 Industrial Inorganic
2200 Textile Mill Products
2300 Apparel & Other Finished
Flowmeters
Chemicals Products Made From Which Flowmeters Equipment Do You Plan To
2820 Plastic Materials & Fabrics & Similar Material Purchase In The Next 12 Months?
Synthetic Resins 2400 Lumber & Wood Products, (Check All That Apply)
2840 Soaps, Detergents, Except Furniture 121 Coriolis 130 Rotameters
Cleaning Preps, Perfumes, 2500 Furniture & Fixtures 122 Differential Pressure 131 Sonic
Cosmetics, Toilet Preps 2600 Paper & Allied Products
2850 Paints, Varnishes, 123 Doppler 132 Turbine
2700 Printing, Publishing
Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Products & Allied Industries 124 Hotwire 133 Ultrasonic
2860 Industrial Organic 3000 Rubber & Misc. Plastic Products 125 Magnetic 144 Variable
Chemicals 3100 Leather & Leather 126 Mass 134 Vortex
2870 Agricultural Chemicals Products
2890 Misc. Chemical Products –
127 Orifice Plate 135 Weirs/Flumes
3200 Stone, Clay, Glass &
Adhesives, Sealants, Explosives, Concrete Products 128 Positive Displacement 136 Flow Sensors
Ink, Carbon Black 3300 Primary Metal Industries 129 Propeller 137 Solids
2900 Petroleum Refining & 0000 Other: (Please Specify)
Related Industries Approximate Budget For The Above Equipment In The Next
____________________
8700 Engineering, Consulting, Related 12 Months:
Services/Construction & Related 138 Under $25,000 141 $150,001-$250,000
Industries
139 $25,001-$75,000 142 $250,001-$1,000,000
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PBS206
24 New Product Spotlight
Portable Doppler Flowmeter
Mount the ultrasonic sensor on the outside of a pipe and this new PDFM 5.0 Portable Doppler Flow Meter shows flow-
rate instantly. Use it for flow troubleshooting, spot checks or balancing flow. Simply enter pipe diameter with the five-
button keypad and the PDFM 5.0 will display, totalize and data log in your choice of gallons, liters or any engineering
units. This compact, hand-held flowmeter includes 4-20mA output and 300,000 point data logger with USB output and
Windows™ software. The rechargeable NiMH battery powers the unit for at least 24 hours continuous operation. Push
button sleep mode extends battery life for long periods of operation. New features include a large backlit display, reverse
flow measurement and menu language selection. The new Greyline PDFM 5.0 is recommended for wastewater, sludge,
slurries, chemicals and abrasives. It works from outside metal or plastic pipes.
Greyline Instruments Inc.
www.greyline.com
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Advertiser Index
Brooks Instruments .................................. Inside Back Cover Fox Thermal Instruments, Inc. ............................................21

CiDRA Corporation ................................................................9 Greyline Instruments, Inc. ..................................................19

CME Div. Aerospace Control Products ..............................20 Hoffler Flow Controls, Inc. ....................................................1

Dwyer Instruments .................................................................7 KROHNE, Inc. ........................................................................3

Eldridge Products ................................................................11 Micro Motion, Div. of Emerson ..............................................5

Endress+Hauser.................................................. Back Cover Sage Metering ......................................................................17

Flexim Americas Corp .........................................................13 Siemens Industry, Inc. .............................Inside Front Cover

Fluid Components International .........................................15 Universal Flow Monitors Inc. ............................................. 20

Flowmeter Solutions •฀July฀2012

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