Modular and intelligent meters
15 Aug 2007
Process companies increasingly require devices that are easier and cheaper to install, operate and maintain within challenging industrial environments
Choice is generally a good thing but it is also possible to have too much of it — as highlighted by the huge variation in the many devices available today for measuring pressure, temperature and all other process variables.
Measuring devices, once launched, tend to stay on the market for years, according to Mike Collins, general product manager, test & calibration at GE Sensing, pointing, for instance, to a simple pressure controller that was developed in 1993 and is still being sold by GE.
"It's a bit of a nightmare to be perfectly honest, because there are parts within this device that are going obsolete," said Collins. "It's not just a matter of identifying a replacement part and sticking that in, we have got to redesign whole parts of the instrument to accommodate the new components."
Likewise, GE Sensing has a long list of indicators in its portfolio, all with different levels of performance to meet the varying requirements and budgetary needs of end-users. Here, again, there are problems with obsolescence and engineers spending a lot of time redesigning parts.
However, these issues will soon be addressed by a new modular approach to the design of the components that make up these devices. GE Sensing, said Collins, is developing a common platform for its next generation devices to facilitate a common look and sharing of components across the ranges. This, he said, will mean "that devices should never become obsolete as it will be possible to continuously evolve these instruments."
This also creates the option of combining various modules into single pieces of equipment so that customers can specify exactly what sort of instrumentation they require. As Collins explained: "A bit like Dell when you configure the PC that you want, you will be able to tell us to include a pressure module, a temperature module and maybe humidity as well."
Another advantage of modular design is that "we can buy in many thousands of components of the same type' as opposed to thousands and thousands of different types, as we are doing now," said Collins. "That will enable us to get costs out of these devices, so that you are going to get improved precision without paying an awful lot more."
In this regard, Collins also cited how GE Sensing was moving to a new manufacturing technology for high-end products, such as its Ruska sensors, which are all hand-made. "This should give us the same type of performance but mean they can be manufactured in their thousands at a lower cost," he explained.
Collins went on to highlight new concepts for an intelligent sensing technology that allows all calibration data to be stored on the sensor itself. Making all the data inherent to the sensor would allow complete flexibility and plug-and-play capabilities, plus the ability to reconfigure the instrument as requirements change.
Another design concept concerns modules that slide into and out of the device. "When you want a calibration you don't have to take this out of a rack you can actually just slide out the module — the sensor and the controller — and send it for recalibration," said Collins.
Emerson has equipped its new Rosemount E-Series magnetic flow meters with a series of intelligent diagnostics that support improved installation, maintenance and process management practices. The diagnostics include a patented "calibration verification" facility that allows users to check calibration without shutting down the process or requiring complicated external equipment.
These developments build on a theme from Emerson last year, when its Micro Motion unit unveiled technology for end-users to provide in-situ assessment of calibration and condition of its Elite brand Coriolis flow meters. According to Micro Motion, this self-verification technology reduces meter validation efforts and costs — including the need to stop the process — and enables predictive maintenance that addresses issues such as erosion, cracking, pitting or coating within the meter.
Similarly, each E-series device has a signature taken when it is produced that stores all the electrical characteristics of the flow tube and the transmitter into the device. This data provides a base point to tell the customer how well the meter is performing at any stage.
"This is a powerful function to reduce customers' maintenance costs and to enable them to meet regulatory compliance," commented Neil Jackson, Rosemount Flow Division's business manager EMEA.
According to Jackson, process industry customers increasingly want to verify the meter without having to remove it from the line or use special equipment which has to be connected up to prove that the meter is operating correctly.
"A customer can verify his meter very easily, every hour, every day, every week or every six months. Simply by running the optimisation and verification [system] he is referencing back to the signature on the day it left the factory or the day it was installed in his facility," Jackson said, at the 29 June opening of Emerson's new European Flow Center in Ede, The Netherlands (see story p31).
Magnetic flow meters can also be sensitive to process noise: particulates going through the line, electrochemical noise going through the fluid itself, or reaction with the electrodes.
These effects can cause a noisy process that leads to significant variability in the output of the meter. A common solution for end- users is to damp the output of the meter. However, this solution also damps the response of the meter to changes in flow rate.
To tackle process noise issues, the E series includes a patented process-noise diagnostic, which is based on a user-selectable coil drive.
The scaleable coil drive capability, claims Emerson, provides maximum stability with minimum damping and so enables users to improve process control, increase product quality and reduce scrap.
The process-noise diagnostic alerts users when variability is caused by process noise rather than actual flow variation, explained Jackson. This, he said, allows for adjustment to a higher coil drive frequency to stabilise the output without extra damping.
Magnetic flow meters need to be installed properly if they are to perform well, noted Jackson. The very small voltages involved make them particularly sensitive to the quality of grounding, a factor that is often underestimated by customers, who, for example, fail to ensure proper re-grounding after routine maintenance jobs.
The E-series, therefore, includes a diagnostic for grounding and wiring fault detection to continually monitor the noise voltage across the frequency spectrum. This diagnostic, said Jackson, can alert operators immediately if meter wiring or grounding needs to be fixed.
Measuring devices, once launched, tend to stay on the market for years, according to Mike Collins, general product manager, test & calibration at GE Sensing, pointing, for instance, to a simple pressure controller that was developed in 1993 and is still being sold by GE.
"It's a bit of a nightmare to be perfectly honest, because there are parts within this device that are going obsolete," said Collins. "It's not just a matter of identifying a replacement part and sticking that in, we have got to redesign whole parts of the instrument to accommodate the new components."
Likewise, GE Sensing has a long list of indicators in its portfolio, all with different levels of performance to meet the varying requirements and budgetary needs of end-users. Here, again, there are problems with obsolescence and engineers spending a lot of time redesigning parts.
However, these issues will soon be addressed by a new modular approach to the design of the components that make up these devices. GE Sensing, said Collins, is developing a common platform for its next generation devices to facilitate a common look and sharing of components across the ranges. This, he said, will mean "that devices should never become obsolete as it will be possible to continuously evolve these instruments."
This also creates the option of combining various modules into single pieces of equipment so that customers can specify exactly what sort of instrumentation they require. As Collins explained: "A bit like Dell when you configure the PC that you want, you will be able to tell us to include a pressure module, a temperature module and maybe humidity as well."
Another advantage of modular design is that "we can buy in many thousands of components of the same type' as opposed to thousands and thousands of different types, as we are doing now," said Collins. "That will enable us to get costs out of these devices, so that you are going to get improved precision without paying an awful lot more."
In this regard, Collins also cited how GE Sensing was moving to a new manufacturing technology for high-end products, such as its Ruska sensors, which are all hand-made. "This should give us the same type of performance but mean they can be manufactured in their thousands at a lower cost," he explained.
Collins went on to highlight new concepts for an intelligent sensing technology that allows all calibration data to be stored on the sensor itself. Making all the data inherent to the sensor would allow complete flexibility and plug-and-play capabilities, plus the ability to reconfigure the instrument as requirements change.
Another design concept concerns modules that slide into and out of the device. "When you want a calibration you don't have to take this out of a rack you can actually just slide out the module — the sensor and the controller — and send it for recalibration," said Collins.
Emerson has equipped its new Rosemount E-Series magnetic flow meters with a series of intelligent diagnostics that support improved installation, maintenance and process management practices. The diagnostics include a patented "calibration verification" facility that allows users to check calibration without shutting down the process or requiring complicated external equipment.
These developments build on a theme from Emerson last year, when its Micro Motion unit unveiled technology for end-users to provide in-situ assessment of calibration and condition of its Elite brand Coriolis flow meters. According to Micro Motion, this self-verification technology reduces meter validation efforts and costs — including the need to stop the process — and enables predictive maintenance that addresses issues such as erosion, cracking, pitting or coating within the meter.
Similarly, each E-series device has a signature taken when it is produced that stores all the electrical characteristics of the flow tube and the transmitter into the device. This data provides a base point to tell the customer how well the meter is performing at any stage.
"This is a powerful function to reduce customers' maintenance costs and to enable them to meet regulatory compliance," commented Neil Jackson, Rosemount Flow Division's business manager EMEA.
According to Jackson, process industry customers increasingly want to verify the meter without having to remove it from the line or use special equipment which has to be connected up to prove that the meter is operating correctly.
"A customer can verify his meter very easily, every hour, every day, every week or every six months. Simply by running the optimisation and verification [system] he is referencing back to the signature on the day it left the factory or the day it was installed in his facility," Jackson said, at the 29 June opening of Emerson's new European Flow Center in Ede, The Netherlands (see story p31).
Magnetic flow meters can also be sensitive to process noise: particulates going through the line, electrochemical noise going through the fluid itself, or reaction with the electrodes.
These effects can cause a noisy process that leads to significant variability in the output of the meter. A common solution for end- users is to damp the output of the meter. However, this solution also damps the response of the meter to changes in flow rate.
To tackle process noise issues, the E series includes a patented process-noise diagnostic, which is based on a user-selectable coil drive.
The scaleable coil drive capability, claims Emerson, provides maximum stability with minimum damping and so enables users to improve process control, increase product quality and reduce scrap.
The process-noise diagnostic alerts users when variability is caused by process noise rather than actual flow variation, explained Jackson. This, he said, allows for adjustment to a higher coil drive frequency to stabilise the output without extra damping.
Magnetic flow meters need to be installed properly if they are to perform well, noted Jackson. The very small voltages involved make them particularly sensitive to the quality of grounding, a factor that is often underestimated by customers, who, for example, fail to ensure proper re-grounding after routine maintenance jobs.
The E-series, therefore, includes a diagnostic for grounding and wiring fault detection to continually monitor the noise voltage across the frequency spectrum. This diagnostic, said Jackson, can alert operators immediately if meter wiring or grounding needs to be fixed.
