Accurate Measurement of Low Flow In Compressed Air Systems

Air compressors can incur significant operating costs.
Minimizing system leaks reaps savings.

Plant operators are well aware of the cost associated with continuous delivery of  compressed air, a useful medium utilized as an energy source. Large or multiple compressors consume considerable amounts of electric power maintaining system pressure and flow requirements. With extensive piping and countless fittings, there are many potential points of leakage. Scheduling of various production operations can vary the demand for compressed air significantly. Getting control of your compressed air system and reducing operating cost is a noble goal. One of the primary tools needed to manage energy costs will be accurate and reliable flow measurement equipment. Here are some characteristics of flow measurement instrumentation that should prove advantageous:

Portable Ultrasonic Flow Measurement Instrument
Flexim

• Non-invasive measurement from the outer pipe wall that does not add potential leak sources or pressure drop.
• Availability in fixed or portable configuration.
• Highly accurate, with paired temperature compensated traceable calibrated transducers
• Installed without disturbance to piping.
• Bidirectional measurement
• Rugged instrument design suitable for any kind of industrial environment

Ultrasonic flow measurement technology can provide all of these characteristics, providing
information that enables the operator to make fact based decisions about system design, management, and maintenance. Learn more about how ultrasonic flow meters specifically configured for compressed air system application can help you start reducing your operating cost and developing a higher level of control over your compressed air system. Share your process challenges with a product specialist and work together to build the best solution.

Portable flow meter for measurement of compressed air, gases, and heat quantitites from Classic Controls, Inc.

New Website For Classic Controls

Home page on Classic Controls new website

Classic Controls, distributor of industrial process measurement and control equipment and instruments throughout Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean, has a new website that is live now. The new site provides simple and rapid access to Classic Controls' represented lines and products, as well as the company's social media outlets, all organized in an intuitive and useful fashion to save users time in their search for solutions.

Visit the new site and see the products and capabilities of Classic Controls.

Dust Measuring Instrument Combines Two Measuring Technologies

Model C200 combines transmittance and forward scattering
light methods to produce wide range dust measurements
Sick, Inc.

In the power industry, as well as others, dust and particle detection and measurement in emissions is an important element of compliance with environmental protection regulations. Stacks, ducts, and other conduits of gas or air transmission can be accurately monitored using instrumentation which incorporates the use of controlled light sources, sensitive detectors, and advanced processing software.

Two light based dust measurement methods of note are transmittance and forward scattering. Sick USA (pronounced like "seek"), in their extensive line of dust measurement instrumentation, offers a unit incorporating both of these technologies to provide accurate measurement across a wide range of conditions not attainable with units employing either of the technologies singly. The system consists of two compact enclosed units which are mounted on opposing sides of a duct or pipe. These house the light sources and detectors. There is also an enclosed control unit which is remotely mounted. A range of configuration options are available to meet specific application requirements and interface with a centralized control or monitoring system.

• Transmittance and scattered light measurement combined in a single instrument
• Suitable for dust concentrations from very low to high
• Self check of zero and reference point are automatic
• Contamination monitoring and compensation on both sides
• Automatic self-alignment
• Designed for medium to large duct diameters
• Suitable for sharply fluctuating dust concentrations
• Reliability achieved through redundant measurement
• Self-monitoring activity keeps maintenance requirements low
• Equipped for limit values that will become smaller in the future

The data sheet included below provides additional detail. More information about the complete line of dust measurement instrumentation is available. Share your emission monitoring requirements and challenges with application experts. The combination of your process knowledge and their product application expertise will bring effective solutions.

Dual technology dust measurement instrument from Classic Controls, Inc.

Process Gas Chromatograph - Practical Implementation of Parallel Chromatography

Process Gas Chromatograph
Yokogawa GC8000

Gas chromatography is a common analysis tool employed in many areas of the process control industry, including oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, and others. Yokogawa Corporation of America developed instrumentation to provide top tier GC performance with their GC8000 Process Gas Chromatograph for use in oil and gas, and other industrial applications.

In addition to the ruggedness and reliability for which Yokogawa gas chromatographs are well known, the GC8000 brings a number of innovations and improvements to the company’s process gas chromatography product offering.

> Color touchscreen HMI for easy operation

> Advanced predictive diagnostics and software functions monitor key performance indicators during each analysis to verify analyzer is operating within proper tolerances.

> Parallel chromatography is made practical through the use of the GC Modules provided as part of the GC8000. Virtual GCs can be set up inside a single GC with GC Modules to measure multiple streams simultaneously.

The graphics below expand on this overview of the GC8000 Process Gas Chromatograph, the culmination of Yokogawa’s 55 years of experience in the field. For more detailed information, or to discuss your application specifics, contact a product specialist.

Process Gas Chromatograph for Industrial Use from Classic Controls, Inc.

Electric Actuators for Industrial Valve Automation

Multi-turn Electric Actuator
AUMA

Electric actuators bring automation to industrial valve operation, allowing complex processes to be managed and controlled by remotely located control systems. There are other motive forces used for valve actuators, including hydraulic and pneumatic, but electric actuators carry their own particular set of operating characteristics that make them an advantageous choice for many applications.

Valve actuators are available in uncountable variants to suit every application scenario. There are three basic valve actuation motions.

• Multi-turn, with repeated rotations of the valve shaft needed to move the valve trim from fully open to fully closed. A gate valve is a multi-turn valve. These are also called linear, with respect to the motion of the closure element. The term "linear", in this case, refers only to the movement of the valve trim and not the flow characteristics of the valve.
• Part Turn, where a 90 degree rotation of the valve shaft produces a change from opened to closed. Ball valves are in this category.
• Lever, generally associated with damper control.

An electric actuator is a combination of motor and gearbox with sufficient torque to change valve trim position. A local self-contained control commands the motor and provides feedback to the process master controller regarding position, travel, torque, and diagnostics. Several interface options are available to facilitate communication between actuator and master controller.

There are numerous considerations to take into account when selecting an electric actuator.

• Torque needed to effectively operate the subject valve.
• Actuator enclosure type - wash down, hazardous area, dust, etc.
• Service area for the assembly - corrosive environment, temperature extremes, and more
• Valve movement - linear, multi-turn, part turn, lever
• Operation mode - open and close only, positioning, modulating
• Frequency or duty cycle - infrequent, frequent, or almost continuous positioning
• Communication - How will the local controller communicate with the central control system?
• Electrical - What electric power characteristics are available for operation?
• Protections - Motor overload, torque limit, others
• Process Safety - Among other things, what happens if power fails? 

There are certainly other elements to consider when applying an electric actuator for industrial use. You can see more detail about electric actuator operation and available configurations in the document included below. It is well illustrated and clearly describes the various aspects mentioned in this article. Share your valve and actuator requirements and challenges with product specialists, combining your process knowledge with their product application expertise to forge the most effective solutions.

Electric Actuators for Industrial Valve Automation from Classic Controls, Inc.