A particular Endress+Hauser client specialises in customised batch, rather than continuous, processes. The flexibility required is apparent in high batch cycles, where runs can be anything from a few days to several months. Between every batch, a vessel requires cleaning to avoid contamination and safety risks caused by reactions of different chemicals. Complete cleaning is also necessary in case of maintenance work at the plant.
The dosing of special cleaning chemicals frequently caused control issues since measurements with capillary systems were not accurate, while varying ambient temperatures further jeopardised the reliability of measurements. The oil in the capillaries expanded and created an increasing output signal independently of any level change in the distillation column. Furthermore, the mechanical and thermal impact destroyed the capillaries every 4 to 6 months. The consequences were not only unreliable process control, but also at least one day of production losses due to maintenance work required every 4 to 6 months to replace the complete capillary system.
The solution
A Deltabar FMD72 electronic differential pressure solution with metal cells was suggested in place of the inferior capillary system. Endress+Hauser also suggested level calculation from two values of the sensor modules within the transmitter due to the problems mentioned, the client decided to use Deltabar FMD72 electronic dp, which eliminates all of the typical issues with traditional differential pressure measurements using capillaries. Since the installation of Deltabar FMD72 at the reactor 18 month ago, it has not required maintenance and the reliability of the system is outstanding. The client was also pleased with the modular concept compared to capillary systems because individual sensor parts and electronics are exchangeable as needed. Thanks to the elimination of production shutdowns for capillary maintenance, the client has extended production capacity by at least three days per year, which results in significant cost savings. Because of this positive experience, the plant operations manager would like to avoid any further use of capillary systems in these applications and will choose the Deltabar FMD72 electronic dp from now on.
Feedback
The client is a privately held chemical producer for third parties. The plant operations manager commented and said that this was installed in 10 minutes; after it was flanged and wired, all related production problems were solved. He also said that this system perfectly suits them as it reduced their costs and increased reliability of their processes.
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