October 2003Flow Measurement & Control
Products & Solutions
An ultrasonic flowmeter designed by Krohne specifically for use in supercritical ethylene applications has been chosen by a consortium of chemical companies in preference over a combination of turbine meters and density meters because it offers significant cost savings and outstanding accuracy.
The consortium members, including the chemical giant DOW, are all connected to the European Ethylene Pipeline, a major distribution network supplying ethylene to production sites, sea terminals and consumers across Europe. The group has carried out extensive trials using Krohne's ultrasonic GFM 700 SE to measure the mass and volume flow of supercritical ethylene, and has selected it as the favourite for custody transfer purposes.
Ethylene is a raw material used in the petrochemical industry for production of synthetic materials such as polyethene and polystyrene, as well as solvents and coatings. It is a difficult medium to measure because its density can change dramatically with relatively small fluctuations in temperature or pressure; therefore, constant pressure and temperature need to be maintained at all times.
During transportation ethylene is kept in a supercritical state, which means it is neither a gas nor a liquid. In spite of being in a state of high density, the fluid behaves much like a gas and is inflammable and potentially explosive. The conventional method of measuring the flow of supercritical ethylene consists of a gas turbine meter in combination with an inline density meter installed downstream. However, there are a number of disadvantages with this method; any temperature difference between the turbine and the density meter results in an error of the mass flow measurement, and at low and high flow rates the turbines become inaccurate because they have a small dynamic range. These intrusive technologies also cause a 100 kPa pressure loss.
The use of turbine meters to measure supercritical ethylene also has high cost implications. Expensive filters need to be installed because the meters are sensitive to small particles, and frequent maintenance and calibration is required to maintain high accuracy since they suffer wear from internal moving parts.
In comparison with turbine meters, ultrasonic meters do not obstruct the flow or cause a drop in pressure because they have no moving parts. This means less pumping capacity is required which enables a saving in energy and cost. The ultrasonic meter is also insensitive to particles and does not require filters. Moreover, costly re-calibrations with the GFM 700 SE are also unnecessary due to the long-term reliability of the meters.
In addition to providing volumetric readings the GFM 700 SE can also produce highly accurate mass flow measurements by using a flow computer and an absolute pressure transmitter. Sound velocity data collected by the flowmeter is fed into a flow computer, the OMNI 3000, and by using Krohne software with a unique density model, the mass flow can be determined.
For more information contact Gordon Duff, Krohne SA, 011 315 2685, [email protected]
Precision measurement for ultra-pure water systems
Flow Measurement & Control
[Sponsored] Ultra-pure water (UPW) is essential in industries where even minor contaminants can impact product quality and process integrity. Anton Paar’s L-Cor Coriolis mass flowmeters provide a highly accurate and hygienic solution by directly measuring the mass of the liquid using the Coriolis effect, ensuring a high level of cleanliness.
Read more...Inline process solutions for gold mining Anton Paar
Flow Measurement & Control
The extraction and processing of gold ore requires precision and efficiency to maximise yield and minimise losses. Automation and continuous monitoring of critical process steps are essential to ensure optimal production. Anton Paar offers advanced inline measurement solutions which enable full automation and real-time monitoring of key steps in gold extraction and processing.
Read more...DoorBell with built-in AI Ajax Systems
Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions Smart Home Automation
Ajax Systems has announced the release of Ajax DoorBell, which features built-in AI, an IR sensor, and app control, seamlessly integrating into the Ajax ecosystem to ensure efficiency and security confidence.
Read more...Magnetic-inductive flow sensor ifm - South Africa
Flow Measurement & Control
The SMF magnetic-inductive flow sensor revolutionises liquid and creamy flow measurement. With IO-Link, it enables digital data transmission, eliminating blind spots in production.
Read more...Hygienic flow measurement for the food industry ifm - South Africa
Flow Measurement & Control
With the SMF magnetic-inductive flow meter, ifm offers a solution for the hygienic flow measurement of media with variable flow rates through a pipe, such as beer, milk or fruit juice.
Read more...Case History 197: Bad reboiler temperature control. Michael Brown Control Engineering
Editor's Choice Flow Measurement & Control
It is very important that reboiler temperature controls operate well in petrochemical refineries, or the product quality can really suffer. I was asked to check such a control in a refinery where they were having problems with one of these controls.
Read more...Kaspersky KATA 7.0 for targeted attack protection
Information Security Products & Solutions
] Kaspersky has announced a major update to its Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack (KATA) including enhanced network detection and response (NDR) capabilities with deeper network visibility, internal threats detection and other critical security features.
Read more...Benchmark in long-range surveillance Duxbury Networking
Surveillance Products & Solutions
Duxbury Networking says the long-range, high-resolution monitoring AXIS Q1809-LE bullet camera has been enhanced further with integration into Milestone XProtect to set a new standard for forensic-level image clarity, intelligent event detection, and enhanced security management.
Read more...Precision measurement for ultra-pure water systems Anton Paar
Flow Measurement & Control
[Sponsored] Ultra-pure water (UPW) is essential in industries where even minor contaminants can impact product quality and process integrity. Anton Paar’s L-Cor Coriolis mass flowmeters provide a highly accurate and hygienic solution by directly measuring the mass of the liquid using the Coriolis effect, ensuring a high level of cleanliness.
Read more...Bosch sells product business to Triton Bosch Building Technologies
News & Events Products & Solutions Facilities & Building Management
Bosch is selling its Building Technologies division’s product business for security and communications technology to the European investment firm Triton. The division is set to focus on systems integration business in the future.
printer friendly version