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4-7.

Coriolis Mass Flowmeters


4-7-1. Principles Mass Flow A dual-tube Coriolis meter (Figure 4-7a) consists of sensor - two flow tubes that are vibrated in opposition to each other and a transmitter. The frequency of oscillation of the sensor tubes is detected by coil assemblies called pick-offsone on the inlet side of the tubes and one on the outlet side of the tubes. When the tubes are filled with fluid, but there is no flow, the inlet and outlet sides of the tubes are subject to the same force operating in the same direction. The inlet and outlet pick-offs register oscillations at the same time. However, when there is flow through the tubes, it is accelerating (changing direction) on the inlet side and decelerating on the outlet side. This produces a slight twist in the flow tubes, which causes the inlet pick-off to register before the outlet pick-off. The magnitude of the time delay between the inlet and outlet sides of the tubes is directly proportional to the mass flow of the fluid.

Figure 4-7a. Dual Tube Coriolis Sensor Density The density of the fluid can be directly determined by changes in the natural frequency of the tubes' oscillations. The natural frequency is based on the mass of the flow tubes themselves, plus the mass of the fluid. When the total mass increases, the natural frequency decreases. Because the volume of fluid contained within the flow tubes is constant, and because the mass of the flow tubes is constant, the only cause of a change in total mass (and by extension the natural frequency) is a change in fluid density.

Temperature Most Coriolis meters include an RTD for process temperature measurement. The temperature value can be used to compensate measurement for the effect of temperature on flow tube stiffness. This effect is typically measured at the factory and included in the factory calibration Volume Flow Coriolis meters can calculate a highly-accurate volume flow measurement based on the direct mass flow, density, and temperature measurements. Concentration Coriolis meters can also calculate a highly-accurate concentration measurement when the concentration of one or two components has a dominant effect on the fluid density. 4-7-2. Selection As mentioned, Coriolis sensors provide direct measurement of both mass flow and density, with an included direct temperature measurement, and can derive volume flow and concentration. Coriolis meters can provide a bidirectional flow measurement. Fluid viscosity, Reynolds number, and velocity profile do not affect Coriolis sensor measurements. Coriolis meters can measure the actual density and mass flow of a stream that results from a mixture of fluid states (gas, liquid, and solid). For example, Coriolis meters can measure the true density and mass flow over a specified concentration range of bubbles and solids. Coriolis sensors offer the best accuracy and turndown of any flowmeter. Coriolis meters can provide a more accurate totalization of charges to operations than loss in weight calculations form load cells. Coriolis sensors have no moving parts and require no periodic maintenance except for cleaning in applications with fouling or coating problems. There are no flow conditioning or straight-run requirements for Coriolis meters. Coriolis meters can provide in-situ verification of meter performance without the need for special tools or process downtime. The lifecycle cost a Coriolis meter comes down to mostly to the cost of the meter and wiring. If you expand the concept of a Coriolis meter to include process performance benefits, the lifecycle cost is often negative in that the reduction in cost of goods from an improvement in process efficiency and or the increase in revenue from greater process capacity outweighs the initial cost of the Coriolis meter. For process streams, a Coriolis meter is the right choice if the materials of construction match the process requirements and a large size (e.g. > 4 inch) does not cause the meter cost to exceed the savings in lifecycle cost from reduced maintenance and better process

performance. For utility streams, accurate mass flow and density measurements may not be important. Coriolis meters come in various tube designs. Besides the dual U-tube and straight tube designs shown in Figure 4-7a there are other geometric configurations for the tubes as shown in Figure 4-7b. The straight tube design is particularly used for streams containing particles to prevent impact and erosion at the bends and accumulation in the tube.

Figure 4-7b. Various Coriolis Sensors While the Coriolis sensor is inherently multivariable (mass, density, volume, and typically temperature), it can be paired with either a single-variable or multivariable transmitter, depending on application requirements. A typical installation does not require a temperature sensor or a flow computer; pressure data can be input to the transmitter if pressure compensation is required. For applications that require highly accurate temperature correction, an external temperature measurement may also be input to the transmitter. 4-7-3. Specification Performance 1. Accuracy: i. Mass and Volume Flow: 0.05% for liquid 0.35% for gas ii. Density: 0.0002 g/cm3 iii. Temperature: 1C 0.5% Repeatability: 0.025% of actual flow rate Resolution: 0.017% Rangeability: 200:1 Drift: None

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Process Operating Ranges 1. 2. Minimum and Maximum Mass Flow Rates: 0.01 kg/h to 2,550,000 kg/h (0.022 lb/hr to 5,621,792 lb/hr) Maximum Pressure: i. Sensor rating up to 119 bar (1730 psi) for typical stainless steel, 197 bar (2855 psi) for nickel alloy, and 413 bar (6000 psi) for high-pressure models ii. Secondary containment rated for ASME B31.3 up to 58 bar (850 psi) Minimum and Maximum Temperature: 240 to +350C (400 to +662F) Minimum and Maximum Velocity: See Min/Max Flow Rates (velocity is mass flow rate divided by the product of the cross-sectional meter volume and density) Minimum and Maximum Viscosity: None

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Wetted Materials of Construction 304L, 316L, C-22 Ni Alloy, Titanium, Super Duplex Meter sizes 2mm to 300mm (0.1 to 12) 4-7-4. Considerations As has been mentioned, Coriolis meters have no special pipe-run requirements, are immune to variations in flowrate and fluid composition and physical properties, and are straight forward to install. The maintenance requirements are negligible, if cleaning is not needed, calibration for regulatory compliance purposes is not necessary, and pressure and temperature is either within the calibration range or used for correction of the calibration, Coriolis meters are suitable for nearly all process control applications where they meet the process requirements for meter size and materials of construction. They are available in high-temperature and high-pressure models, and with a variety of wetted materials for process compatibility. Coriolis meters maintain their high measurement accuracy over a wide turn-down.

Figure 4-7c. Coriolis Meter Measurement Accuracy The direct density measurement provided by Coriolis meters can provide precise, in-line concentration measurement without the need for laboratory analysis or additional devices. This feature is often of great value in the food-and-beverage and oil-and-gas industry segments. It is possible to measure abrasive fluids and slurries (e.g., sand) with straight tube Coriolis meters with no impact on reliability. Some Coriolis designs can provide improved measurement performance in applications involving entrained gas in liquids. Environmental and installation effects occasionally experienced when using Coriolis meters can be divided into two general categories: zero effects, which are flow rate dependent; and span effects, which are flow rate independent. 4-7-5. Sizing Coriolis meter sizing is highly important because of the need to balance flow rate, accuracy, and pressure loss. In general, Coriolis meter manufacturers provide sizing software programs to accommodate the need for sizing Coriolis meter applications. These sizing programs consider key information such as minimum and maximum flow rates, desired accuracy, and maximum pressure loss. 4-7-6. Applications Applications and fluids measured include (among others) batching, bioreactor feeds, bleaching agents, carbonation and bottling, catalyst feeds, compressed natural gas, concentration measurement, coatings, combustion control, continuous blending, custody transfer, drilling mud quality and returns, endpoint detection, evaporator control, fermentation, hygienic applications, interface detection, leak detection, loss control, mass balance, net oil measurement, pill coating, mixing, dilution, fueling, sterile gas feeds, and vial filling. Soft Drink Blending in the Food and Beverage Industry Soft-drink blending is one type of continuous blending application (Figure 4-7d). Soft drink process lines can include few or many ingredients. More sophisticated process lines include CO2 injection and the ability to handle multiple recipes. Almost all producers require concentration measurement in Brix (for High Fructose Corn Syrup, or HFCS), hygienic conditions, a packaging solution, and tight control of temperature, from very hot (for pasteurization) to very cold (for storage).

Figure 4-7d. Soft Drink Blending Application of Coriolis Meters Typical measurement and control challenges associated with soft drink blending include: High fluid viscosity Wide viscosity range Wide turndown requirements to accommodate the pressure differences between recipes Limited space and opportunities for instrumentation

In addition, producers have the following business challenges to remain competitive: Increase throughput

Improve quality and consistency Reduce waste Minimize raw material inventories

Coriolis flowmeters have successfully addressed these challenges: Coriolis meters can calculate Brix (a form of concentration measurement) from inline process data. This reduces or eliminates the delays associated with manual sampling and laboratory analysis. Coriolis meters are immune to changes in temperature or viscosity. One meter can measure any fluid in any process condition. A wide turndown is inherent in Coriolis technology. Coriolis solutions save space. A Coriolis multivariable device can replace several other instruments while providing equal or better measurement, and Coriolis solutions are available in a variety of footprints and mounting options. Coriolis solutions are easy to clean, require little maintenance, and have a low incidence of failure. The result is increased process uptime. Coriolis solutions provide accurate realtime measurement across a wide variety of process conditions, allowing manufacturers to shift setpoints closer to the target, reduce off-spec product, and reduce ingredient waste. Coriolis solutions enable tighter process control, allowing manufacturers to predict material use and manage inventories more accurately and efficiently. Coriolis solutions can be implemented with batching and filling enhancements to support packaging applications.

LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) Production in the Chemical Industry Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a very common plastic used in packaging films, wire and cable coating, injection molding, housewares, bottles, toys, insulation, and plastic bags. It is characterized by high flexibility, high impact strength, and relatively low heat resistance. LDPE is produced from ethylene and a catalyst in a high-pressure (20,000 to 35,000 psi) high-temperature (400 to 500 F) continuous process (Figure 4-7e). The reaction is fast and exothermic, requiring careful temperature control for both product quality and plant safety. Temperature control mechanisms include feeding the ethylene into the reactor at a controlled rate, and constant drawing off the polymerized result (polyethylene) to maintain a chemical balance. Both require accurate measurement Because ethylene is expensive and only 1520% of the ethylene is converted to polyethylene, significant effort is devoted to ethylene recovery.

Figure 4-7e. LDPE Production Process Application of Coriolis Meters Manufacturer challenges include: Maintaining plant and personnel safety. Maximizing output and optimizing materials utilization. This requires precise reaction chemistry and precise control of the ethylene feed and the catalyst feed into the reactor. Different grades of LDPE and different solvents (used for catalyst delivery) require different balances and feed rates. Measuring processes that are both high-pressure and low flow. Tracking costs accurately. Ethylene and other feeds are very expensive. Slight errors in vendor measurement can result in very large errors in billing. Accurate measurement enables better internal accounting and better vendor relationships. Optimizing the ethylene recovery system.

Coriolis solutions: Measure accurately across wide variations in temperature, pressure, and flow rate. Do not require process shutdown for maintenance or meter verification. Minimize instrumentation and therefore minimize potential leak points. Meet custody transfer accuracy requirements for most process fluids in most countries in the world. Are available with custody transfer security enhancements and other specializations.

Alcohol Recovery in the Food and Beverage Industry

The quintessential distilling application in the United States is beer. At one plant, approximately 100,000 gallons are processed each day, in the production of several different brands. Alcohol is lost: During product changeovers During CIP (Clean In Place) cycles During filling operations In tank bottoms In waste yeast

Lost alcohol is costly in several respects: It incurs waste disposal costs. It has a negative impact on the environment. It doesnt take advantage of the waste alcohol market. Waste alcohol can be used as a fuel additive if it meets the proof requirements (190 proof, or 95.5% alcohol).

To sell reclaimed alcohol, the producer must extract it, treat it, distill it to the required proof, and then ensure that the alcohol content is measured accurately for invoicing and taxation purposes. Steam is required for distillation. Manual sampling for proof is timeconsuming and, although accurate for the sample, is not accurate enough for continuous process control. Coriolis flowmeters have been used successfully in the alcohol reclamation and sales process. An eight-week test period compared Coriolis proof readings (a form of concentration measurement) with lab readings and found that variation was within acceptable limits (Figure 4-7f). As a result, manual sampling is performed only during process audits. The realtime proof measurement enables more consistent alcohol content, narrower setpoints, reduced steam and energy usage, and higher volume output.

Figure 4-7f. Alcohol Recovery Process Application of Coriolis Meters 4-7-7. Setup and Calibration Coriolis meters are zeroed at the factory, and in many cases, the factory zero can be used in the field. Coriolis meters are also calibrated at the factory for mass flow and density measurement. Mass flow calibration is achieved by direct comparison to either a gravimetric reference or a master meter reference. Volume flow calibration is achieved as the result of the combination of the mass flow and density calibrations. The factory calibration typically includes both on air and water before shipment to set calibration factors (Figure 4-7g). A temperature coefficient is used to automatically compensate for any effect of temperature on the stiffness of the flow tube material. The result of the factory calibration is the linear relationship defined by the two points. Water calibration is transferable to all other process liquids, so recalibration in the field is unnecessary to maintain accuracy. Because there are no moving parts, no period recalibration is required to maintain accuracy, although calibration verification may be required to comply with regulations. For regulatory proving purposes, a proving skid or other meter in the same line may be used.

Figure 4-7g. Air and Water Calibration

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