Flow Control August 2018

SYSTEMS
At Their Best
Achieve peak efficiency
& high quality
Also Inside
Brewery separation
technology
Food & beverage

pressure sensors
Thermowell reliability
AUGUST 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 8

www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
Connect to quality at
EASA
CONVENTION
Page 30
PUMP
Reliability
Motors contribute to
dependability & efficiency
Also Inside
Innovation Awards nominations
Bearing trends & fundamentals
Enhanced oil recovery seals
JUNE 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 6

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Table of Contents | August 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 8
Cover Series
Optimization Solutions
10 5 methods for determining pump
operating point
By Randy Riddell, Essity
Good data can be hard to come by.
14 Sealing the deal in hydraulic cylinders

By Scott Barth, SKF USA Inc.
Consider application parameters and materials for
optimized service life. 10
Special Section
Temperature & Pressure Measurement
17 Developments solve sensor problems in
food & beverage industry
By Ehren Kiker, Endress+Hauser
Pressure sensors subject to CIP/SIP processes can suffer
from condensation and drift. Recent advancements cure 17 26
these problems.
20 How to save thermowells from vortex-

induced vibrations & mechanical fatigue
By Adam DeLancey, WIKA Instrument Departments
Petroleum company uses new design in crude units
4 From the Editor

24 Multiparametric
smarter assets
data analysis for
6 News & Notes
By Abhinav Khushraj, Petasense
Optimization through analytics is the way of the future. 8 Application Corner & Quiz Corner
29 Trade Shows & Events

Best Practices & Applications 30 Featured Products
26 Separation technology saves brewery time,
money & headaches 31 Advertiser Index
By Christian Pettit, Flottweg Separation Technology
Centrifuge system ensures quality and quantity. 32 FlowControlNetwork.com
Flow Control (ISSN #1081-7107) is published 12 times a year

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2 | August 2018 Flow Control

subscribe today.
Flow Control is the voice of fluid handling professionals
in the Process Flow Network, which provides solutions
for the process industries and includes Processing
and Water Technology.
Essential
PROCESS
CONTROL
Automation isn’t optional
Also Inside
Flowmeter accuracy
Tank level measurement
Peristaltic pump safety
MAY 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 5

FC_0518_Cover.indd 1 4/5/18 12:42 PM
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EDITOR IN CHIEF
ROBYN TUCKER
rtucker@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
AMY W. RICHARDSON
arichardson@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
MOLLY ROGERS
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
GROUP ASSISTANT EDITOR
MARIE MCBURNETT
mmcburnett@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
COLUMNIST
DAVID W. SPITZER
ART DIRECTOR
The Nidec Motor Corporation
team showed us their redesigned RYAN CARLSON
Titan 5000 frame at EASA 2018. PRODUCTION MANAGER
AMANDA PORTER
aporter@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
From the Editor GROUP PUBLISHER

MICHAEL C. CHRISTIAN | 908-507-5472
mchristian@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
G
etting more from current equip- Next in our special section on tem- DISTRICT MANAGER
ment and processes helps perature and pressure measurement, JAY HAAS | 205-572-1058
operators achieve peak effi- learn how food and beverage develop- jhaas@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
ciency while maintaining high quality. ments tackle sensor issues (page 17), ACCOUNT MANAGER
Optimization strategies provide solutions how vortices affect thermowells (page ADDISON PERKINS | 205-861-5303
aperkins@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
that allow process plants to make the 20) and how to optimize systems with
NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER
most of their operations, no matter multiparametric data analysis (page 24).
JIM SEMPLE | 908-963-3008
the application. Finally, read about how Alltech opti- jsemple@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
These strategies were evident at mized its brewing process with the imple- ACCOUNT MANAGER
the Electrical Apparatus Service mentation of new separation technology LISA WILLIMAN | 205-332-5915
Association’s (EASA) annual convention at its Kentucky facility on page 26. lwilliman@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
in June. Technical session speakers dis- I look forward to visiting Houston for DIGITAL SALES LEAD
cussed a whole-systems approach to the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia MICHAEL RING | 347-365-0641
mring@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
managing effective processes. Pumps in September. This educational event
MARKETING MANAGER
and motors affect each other and work always teaches our team something
NICK PHILLIPS
together, so for maximum efficiency, new in addition to giving us opportuni-
DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER
the design of the two should be worked ties to meet and speak with those who MARY BETH ROMANO
into the overall system design. keep our industry running.
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Optimization solutions are the focus ANNA HICKS
of this issue. Essity’s Randy Riddell Sincerely, SUBSCRIPTION & REPRINT REQUEST
begins the cover series on page 10 flowcontrol@omeda.com
with five methods to help operators
determine pump operating point. CORPORATE TEAM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Then on page 14, read SKF USA’s Robyn Tucker
CHRIS FERRELL
discussion of seal functions in fluid rtucker@endeavorbusinessmedia.com CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
power applications. @FlowControl_Mag PATRICK RAINS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
SCOTT BIEDA
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Jeff Jennings: Equilibar LLC Tom O’Banion: Emerson Process Management, Micro Motion
MitchJeff Jennings:
Johnson: JMSEquilibar
SoutheastLLC | Mitch Johnson:DavidJMS Southeast Gobind
W. Spitzer,|PE: Khiani:
Spitzer Fluor Canada
and Boyes LLC Ltd.
Gobind Khiani:JimFluor
Lauria: Mazzei
Canada, Ltd. John Merrill,
Injector Company |George PE: EagleBurgmann
Weihrauch: Baldor Electric Industries
Company
Jim Lauria: Steve
MazzeiMilford:
Injector Endress+Hauser
Company Tom O’Banion:
U.S. | Andrew Emerson
Yeghnazar: Automation
Blacoh Solutions
Fluid Control
DavidPE:
John Merrill, W. Spitzer, PE: Spitzer
EagleBurgmann and Boyes LLC
Industries | George
Jesse Yoder:Weihrauch: ABB Motors & Mechanical
Flow Research
Andrew Yeghnazar:
Steve Milford: Endress+Hauser U.S.Blacoh Fluid Control | Jesse Yoder, Ph.D.: Flow Research

MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES
THREE BRANDS
ONE POWERFUL NETWORK
The Process Flow Network covers innovative solutions for

the process manufacturing industries. Together, the three
brands that make up the network — Processing, Flow Control
and Water Technology — reach nearly 150,000 purchase
decision influencers.
Deliver your marketing message to a qualified audience of

engineering, plant operations and executive management
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Visit ProcessFlowNetwork.com to find out how we can help

you build brand awareness and generate qualified leads for
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ProcessFlowNetwork.com
News & Notes
Oil & gas news of loss is less than in the period of 2006 combined to form Dover Precision
to 2016. Automation-enabling technolo- Compents. Originally brought together in
Natural gas consumption gies will inluence future projections. The 2015, the brands intend to better serve
up in 2018 misconception is that these technologies the industrial and energy markets.
Data show that natural gas supply and con- — robotics, machine learning and artiicial
sumption grew from the irst half of 2017 intelligence (AI) — will yield an overall net Pump Systems Matter launches
to the irst half of 2018. Consumption decrease in employment rather than a re- Training Partner Program
rose 11 percent to 87.4 billion cubic feet appropriation of roles and responsibilities. Pump Systems Matter (PSM), a subsidiary
per day (Bcf/d) in the Lower 48 states in The survey found that 67 percent of of the Hydraulic Institute (HI), created the
2018. Natural gas supply rose 10 percent manufacturing respondents had not Authorized Training Partner (ATP) program
to 84.8 Bcf/d. The most growth occurred in implemented Internet of Things (IoT) to bring PSM’s knowledge to personnel
commercial and residential consumption. solutions. Of those, 74 percent were ei- who maintain and operate the pump in-
Export growth was also a contributor; lique- ther investigating, assessing or planning dustries. Nonmembers can participate in
ied natural gas and net pipeline exports to to deploy such solutions in the next 12 if they are active in the industry. Provid-
Mexico grew 23 percent. months. Thirty-ive percent of respondents ers facilitate HI/PSM classes that involve
in manufacturing are assessing AI, and 47 Pump Systems Assessment (PSA), Pump
EIA: Gas prices to decrease percent have deployed or plan to deploy Systems Optimization (PSO), and Pump
The U.S. Energy Information Administra- robotics solutions in the next 12 months. System Assessment Professional (PSAP)
tion (EIA) said U.S. gasoline prices peaked certiication exams. The program teaches
for the summer on May 28 when they 8 transformative technologies how to decrease downtime, improve reli-
reached $2.96 per gallon. The agency for smart manufacturing ability and maintain high energy eficiency.
said prices will fall to $2.84 per gallon in ABI Research’s Smart Manufacturing
September, then down to $2.68 per gal- Transformative Horizon report outlines how Design Ready Controls named
lon by December. Gasoline is often more technologies it together in smart manu- 2018 Manufacturer of the Year
expensive in the summer because of in- facturing. It identiies eight transformative The Manufacturers Alliance named De-
creased demand and regulatory require- technologies: additive manufacturing, AI sign Ready Controls the 2018 Manufac-
ments to manufacture summer-grade and machine learning, augmented real- turer of the Year. Design Ready Controls
gasoline, which costs more to produce. ity, blockchain, digital twins, edge intel- was recognized for sharing improvement
ligence, IIoT platforms and robotics. Over experiences with its peers to beneit the
the next decade, more dynamic factories local manufacturing community.
Market news will depend less on ixed assembly lines
and immobile lines as manufacturers start UCF honors Siemens with
Global mass flow controller to piece together other new technologies. award, receives software grant
market to generate $1.5B The University of Central Florida (UCF)
The mass low controller market will gener- awarded Siemens the President’s Part-
ate $1.58 billion by the end of 2025, ex-
Company & nership Award. Siemens and UCF part-
panding at a compound annual growth rate association news nered to focus on development energy
of 7.6 percent from $8.9 million in 2017, sector development. This includes the
according to Research and Markets. GE exits oil & gas 2017 launch of UCF’s Digital Grid Inno-
Market growth is attributed to signii- About a year after its acquisition of Baker vation Laboratory and the Center of In-
cant rise in semiconductor manufacturing Hughes, GE said it will separate from its novation for Diagnostics and Prognostics
in Asian countries and the U.S. As manu- BHGE stake over the next two to three research program.
facturing increases, demand for techno- years to allow it focus on debt reduction; Siemens awarded UCF with a technol-
logically enhanced mass low conductors leaner operations; and its Aviation, Power ogy in-kind grant of Siemens’ Product Life-
surges. Other factors include the advent and Renewable Energy businesses. cycle Management software with a com-
of low-gas low rate, less processing time, GE will invest in technologies such as mercial value of $593 million.
run-to-run repeatability and steady-state additive manufacturing. It will also imple-
performance of mass low controllers. ment a new GE Operating System to save Frost & Sullivan recognizes
money and operate more eficiently. process safety industry leader
Automation will redefine Frost & Sullivan recognized HIMA as the
manufacturing jobs Dover Precision Components best-in-class company at the Sullivan
The U.S. manufacturing sector is projected formed by 4 companies Asia Paciic Best Practices Awards with
to lose about 736,400 jobs over the next Cook Compression, Inpro/Seal, Wauke- the Growth Excellence Leadership Award
10 years, the most of any sector. This rate sha Bearings and Bearings Plus for the process safety systems industry.

The company invested in discovering the position after Shigenobu Nagamori, Upcoming events
solutions for the technological age in the company’s founder. Nagamori will be-
oil and gas, chemicals, energy and come chairman and CEO while Yoshimoto Turbomachinery
rail industries. will assume the role of president of presi- & Pump Symposia
dent and chief operating oficer (COO). Sept. 18–20
HORIBA wins iF Houston
DESIGN AWARD Metso Corporation appoints tps.tamu.edu
HORIBA, an OEM of instruments and president & CEO
WEFTEC
measurement systems, earned an iF DE- Metso‘s board of directors appointed Pe-
Sept. 29–Oct. 3
SIGN AWARD 2018 in the Product De- kka Vauramo president and CEO. Vaura-
New Orleans
sign discipline with its VG-200 series of mo has served as president and CEO of weftec.org
self-temperature-regulating capacitance Finnair since 2013 and previously held
manometers, which are used in several management positions at Cargotec and Emerson Global Users
processing industries including pharma- Sandvik. CFO Eeva Sipilä will serve as Exchange Americas
ceutical, food and beverage production, Metso’s interim CEO until Vauramo begins Oct. 1–5
and semiconductor manufacturing. his new role. FC San Antonio
emersonexchange.org
People news Sensors Midwest

Oct. 16–17
Send news and events for consideration Rosemont, Ill.
Nidec names president & COO in this section to Robyn Tucker at sensorsmidwest.com
Hiroyuki Yoshimoto was named Nidec’s rtucker@endeavorbusinessmedia.com.
president. He is the irst person to hold
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www.flowcontrolnetwork.com August 2018 | 7

Application Corner
By David W. Spitzer
Spotting fume flow

measurement problems
T
he time it takes for people to rec- to assure the operator that the fume provided superior destruction of wastes in
ognize an error or oversight can nozzles were being cooled, and to pro- addition to reducing fuel consumption and
be small (think about a hand vide information so the operator could increasing incineration capacity.
exposed to ire) or take decades. The operate the auxiliary air fan when insuf- The downside was that the fume piping
consequences of the former are usually icient fumes were available to cool the was more complex and the fume low to
learned in a short period of time, often fume nozzles. the fume nozzles needed to be continu-
shared with others and hopefully last for a The fume low measurement was not ously maintained and controlled. In addi-
lifetime. The latter often entail subtleties used for control and the process was tion, the fume low could replace up to 80
that become apparent serendipitously or straightforward — the fumes or auxiliary percent of the combustion air and would
when the problem appears again many air were routed to the fume nozzles — so drop to near zero low approximately 5
years later. the existing fume lowmeter measured seconds after the fume blowers turned off
Some years ago, the plant used an ex- the total fume low. It typically measured to either stop production or trip the unit
isting insertion Pitot tube to measure the approximately zero, 30 or 60 percent (which could happen at any time).
fume low to the incinerator. The low of of full scale to relect the number of More next month. FC
fumes not only provided cooling to the operating blowers.
fume nozzles, but also represented a When the incinerator was upgraded,
signiicant mass low in the incinerator. the fumes were partially used in place of a David W. Spitzer is a regular contribu-
Therefore, the fume low was measured portion of the combustion air. This change tor to Flow Control magazine and a
Quiz Corner How should weep holes and vent holes of an orifice
plate be oriented in a vertical pipe?
A. Top of pipe C. Bottom of pipe E. Side of the pipe
B. Three o’clock position D. Nine o’clock position
A
recent Quiz Corner asked the this question, Answer E would be the service) and noncondensable gases
same question and present- best answer because the vent hole (in liquid service) to pass downstream,
ed the same answers with and weep holes are located near the making this question moot.
regard to a horizontal pipe installation side of the pipe.
where the answers had specific orien- However, vent holes and weep Additional complicating factors
tations for liquid and gas flows. holes are not needed when the orifice None! Why complicate the situation? FC
If you have to give an answer to bore itself will allow liquids (in gas

The time it takes for people to recognize an error
or oversight can be small (think about a hand exposed
to fire) or take decades.
principal in Spitzer and Boyes LLC,

which offers engineering, seminars,
strategic, marketing consulting, dis-
tribution consulting and expert wit-
ness services for manufacturing and
automation companies. Spitzer and
Boyes is also the publisher of the
Industrial Automation INSIDER. He has
more than 40 years of experience and
has written more than 10 books and
350 articles about flow measurement,
instrumentation and process control.
Spitzer may be reached at 845-
623-1830 or via spitzerandboyes.com.
Click on the “Products” tab to find his
Consumer Guides to various flow and level
measurement technologies.
Did you
know?
Pumps and valves account
for 0.1 percent of the semi-
conductor market share.
Special pumps, such as
those for sanitary and ultra-
clean applications, make up
30 percent. Instrumenta-
tion accounts for 2 percent
overall, but 30 for ultrapure
measurement devices.
–The McIlvaine Company

mcilvainecompany.com

Cover Series: Optimization Solutions
methods for determining

pump operating point
ispyfriend/iStock
Good data can be hard to come by.
By Randy Riddell, Essity
O
ne of the first things medical An operating point within +5 percent/-10
professionals do when seeing
patients is to baseline their percent of the best efficiency point is generally
conditions with some vital sign mea- a healthy condition.
surements. This is the foundation for
determining whether any other testing is finding either the pump head, flow or are unavailable, and the tank head may
necessary to solve the health problem. power will reveal the operating point. be used as a close enough estimate of
The basic vital signs they may check are It would be easy to have an accurate suction head.
blood pressure, temperature, pulse and reading with a flowmeter in the line or Some corrections for adjusting back
they may even do some bloodwork. The ultrasonic flow measurement. However, to pump centerline and any major fric-
same is true for pumping equipment. It this can be tricky in some plant systems tion piping losses may need to be con-
requires gathering enough vital signs to where good flow data is not available or sidered. Generally the friction losses can
determine the pump operating point, reliable. When flow data are not avail- be ignored when known pressure is close
which will reveal many things about able, operators can use the following to the pump. If a pressure transmitter is
pumping system health. The pump five ways to try and determine a pump in the system, corrections for pressure
operating point will determine things like operating point. differences may be calculated back to
pump efficiency and pump reliability. the pump centerline, as shown in Figure
An operating point within +5 per- Measure total dynamic head 1. After obtaining the pump TDH from
cent/-10 percent of the best efficiency 1 Total dynamic head (TDH) is total these pressures and the correct pump
point (BEP) is generally a healthy con- head developed across the pump curve, the operating point can easily be
dition. Extreme deviation from BEP in centerline reference for a given set of determined. When good pressures are
either direction will cause pump reli- conditions (pump speed, impeller diam- obtained, this is likely the most accurate
ability to decline. So back to the main eter, etc.). The best-case scenario is to of all methods. This also provides direct
subject of this article, which is how does have pressure gauges on the discharge data to the pump performance curve, as
one determine where a pump is oper- and suction sides of the pump. For most shown in Figure 2, where 100-foot TDH
ating? If impeller diameter is known, systems, suction-side pressure gauges was determined. This method may be

involve the measurement of individual
parameters such as current and voltage.
Static Measure or obtain the most accurate
Suction parameters to calculate and determine
Head
the motor load from the basic three-
phase power equation, as shown below.
BHP = 1.732(I)V(pf)η
Figure 1. Pressure gauge readings for TDH. Where

Figures 1–5 courtesy of Essity V = voltage, volts
I = current, amps
Pf = power factor
η = motor efficiency
For a motor, this includes line voltage

and amps, not the nameplate voltage
or amps. Many motors have “460V”
on the motor nameplate, but plant volt-
age may vary 15 to 20 volts. Measure
motor amperage on all three legs of
the three-phase motor to make sure
they are balanced and to improve the
accuracy of this method. Also, use the
adjusted power factor and motor effi-
ciency based on the actual motor load
conditions instead of the nameplate
Figure 2. Pump curve operating point with TDH
values. The power factor can be drasti-
cally reduced for a lightly loaded motor,
Motor efficiency can vary slightly by motor so this must be closely evaluated. This
parameter alone can introduce large
loading, but it is relatively small compared to errors to this method.
the power factor. Motor efficiency can vary slightly by
motor loading, but it is relatively small
challenging for pump curves that are very BHP = H*Q*SG/(3960*η) compared to the power factor. Multiple
flat and for which pressure measurements errors in each variable in this method can
must be extremely accurate to locate the Where result in compounding errors when the
pump operating point. H = pump total dynamic head in feet calculation is made. This method is an
Brake horsepower (BHP) can also be Q = pump flow in gallons per minute indirect method for determining the pump
calculated once the total dynamic head SG = specific gravity of fluid being operating point, but it is also useful to
has been measured. The BHP from the pumped verify a pump operating point when com-
TDH can be used to compare with the η = pump efficiency bined with other data. Some operators
BHP calculated from the motor’s electri- may ratio the motor amps to the name-
cal energy. This is a good check to make Measure motor/driver load BHP plate amps and nameplate motor horse-
sure both methods appear in line with 2 While direct power measurements power (hp) to get actual motor hp, but
each other. The BHP can be calculated may be taken on some drive pan- this can be inaccurate because of power
with the following basic equation. els easily, the most common methods factor differences. The power method can

calculation for system volume change
can be completed. It can be tricky if
an incoming flow must be accounted
for to get the total flow being pumped.
Processes in which flows dump into a
weir can also be effective in determin-
ing an operating point by using a weir
formula or table. For tank volume calcu-
lations, measuring the time for a fixed
volume tank change will yield the pump
flow rate. In the case in Figure 4, the
sump is started and stopped based on
minimum and maximum levels. In this
batch operation example, an incoming
flow is also figured into the calculation.
Other operating data

5 While these data are supplemen-
tal for one of the previous methods and
are not conclusive, they can provide
valuable information when the accu-
racy of one of the other methods is
questionable. It is always good when
all data tell the same story. Some of
this other data relate to vibration on the
pump. Vibration data can show vane
pass frequency, flow turbulence and
Figure 3. Mass balance of pulp process system cavitation. A pump that operates with
elevated vane pass frequency is likely
not operating near BEP but to the left
or right of BEP. Left of BEP may look
like the vibration signature in Figure 5,
in which the pump runs throttled and
exhibits dominant vane pass frequency.
A vibration signature with vane pass and
a raised floor (flow turbulence or cavita-
tion) is likely a pump operating to the
right of BEP. Net positive suction head
required (NPSHR) increases greatly at
high flows beyond BEP. If throttling this
Figure 4. Sump pump operation with batch operation pump reduces the vibration, that will
confirm the cavitation condition. If throt-
also be difficult for high-specific speed solids or slurry, the consistency equation tling makes the vibration worse, the
pumps because of the curve shape. may also be useful. An example of a pump is likely running too far left of BEP.
mass balance on a pulp process system Maintenance records or inspection of
Process instrumentation & pro- is shown in Figure 3. the pump impeller may also reveal clues
3 cess mass balance calculations The use of clamp-on ultrasonic flowme- as to where the pump typically oper-
If a flowmeter exists somewhere in the ters is another way to determine flow con- ates. Vane pitting may indicate cavita-
process system, this can easily be used to ditions. Finding the right location to install tion issues or seal failures may indicate
calculate the operating point. It does not a clamp-on flowmeter is essential, but it extreme throttling and shaft deflection.
always have to be in the main pump line may be difficult on some piping runs. Fluid temperatures can reveal
either. Using simple mass balance calcu- recirculation and dead head conditions.
lations may allow backing into the flow Tank volume changes High pump thrust loads may also result
for the pump. If the fluid is a suspended 4 If the system is a batch process, a with high bearing temperatures.

Figure 5. Vibration velocity spectrum showing
dominant vane pass vibration
Do not to forget that many pumping

systems have multiple operating points.
There may only be one operating point
that is destructive to the pump and
one may be difficult to observe. Various FIND YOUR SOLUTION
forms of continuous condition monitor-
ing such as temperature and vibration or Compare hundreds of products and services from the
process trending of pressures, flows and top manufacturers in the process industries with the
motor loads may be required to catch Process Flow Network Suppliers Resource.
an alternative operating point.
In the real world of industrial process
systems, clean sources of good data are
seldom available to perform a complete
analysis by the book every time. Pump
system analysis may involve data col-
lection from all methods to confidently
determine the pump operating point, so
look for these other modeling methods
to help understand pump operation.
Like a court case, many times it takes
the combined evidence to reveal what is
happening in pump systems. FC
Randy Riddell, CMRP,

PSAP, CLS is the reli-
ability manager for
Essity at the Barton Mill,
Alabama. He has more than 28 years of
industrial experience with a career focus
on equipment reliability. Riddell has
a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Browse by manufacturer or product category to ind
Engineering from Mississippi State
the ideal solution for your application.
University. He is a Certified Maintenance
& Reliability Professional from the suppliersresource.processflownetwork.com
Society of Maintenance & Reliability
Professionals. Riddell is also a Pump
System Assessment Professional, PSAP,
from the Hydraulic Institute. He can
be reached at randy.riddell@essity.com
or 256-370-8105.

Cover Series: Optimization Solutions
Sealing the deal

in hydraulic cylinders
Consider application parameters and materials
for optimized service life.
By Scott Barth, SKF USA Inc.
F
luid power systems in which the
working fluid is liquid (instead of
Hydraulic seals fall into one of two categories:
air) rely on hydraulic cylinders to dynamic or static.
push and/or pull a load or selectively
resist motion under load using fluid Seal types & functions Rod seals act as pressure barriers
pressure. Hydraulic cylinders, in turn, Hydraulic seals fall into one of two cat- and keep the operating fluid inside
depend on seals to close gaps between egories: dynamic or static. the cylinder, regulate the fluid film that
various cylinder components (such as Dynamic types seal between compo- extends with the surface of the piston rod
pistons and cylinder bores and rods and nents in relative motion. For example, in (important to inhibit rod corrosion and to
head glands) for optimized system per- a hydraulic cylinder, a rod sealing sys- lubricate a wiper seal and the rod itself)
formance. These seals are expected to tem seals dynamic reciprocating motion and accept the lubrication film back into
hold hydraulic pressure, withstand wide between the piston rod and head, while the cylinder when the rod retracts.
temperature ranges, and be compatible a piston sealing system seals dynamic Buffer seals protect the rod seal from
with hydraulic fluids. reciprocating motion between the piston fluid pressure peaks in excess of system
With hundreds of different hydraulic and cylinder bore. pressure, attenuate the fluctuations in
seal designs and material combinations Each dynamic seal in a hydraulic cyl- system pressure (thereby improving rod
— and existing innovations and those in inder performs practical functions: seals performance by allowing the rod
the pipeline — an understanding of the Piston seals act as pressure barriers seal to accommodate more constant
basics can help point the way toward and prevent fluid from passing the or gradually changing pressure) and act
the appropriate sealing technology for piston (important for controlling the as internal excluders to prevent system
an application. cylinder motion, maintaining position contaminants (such as metal particles)
and holding a load). from damaging the rod seal.
Example of a hydraulic cylinder integrating seals between various components. All graphics courtesy of SKF USA Inc.

Cutaway diagram
of a hydraulic
cylinder with call-
outs that show
various seal
locations
Wiper seals exclude external con- installation, duty cycles and envi- wear and lubrication of interact-
taminants from entering a cylinder ronmental factors (such as external ing surfaces in relative motion.)
assembly and the hydraulic system and temperature and contaminants)
accept the lubrication film back into the In general, the world of seal materials
cylinder when the rod retracts. A material difference is populated by the major polymeric
By comparison, static types seal Materials play vital roles in enabling material groups (with modifications and
between components fixed together optimized performance and service life special grades always possible to meet
without relative motion. Hydraulic cyl- of hydraulic seals. Evaluating the dif- the requirements of an application). The
inders use static seals in numerous ferent properties exhibited by different most common materials considered for
locations, depending on the cylinder’s materials and/or material combinations hydraulic seals include:
design and construction. The most com- will help guide in proper seal selection. • Thermoplastic elastomers, such
mon are static seals between the piston Included in the overall “wish list” of as polyurethanes, provide excellent
and piston rod and between the head material properties for consideration are: resistance to wear and pressure
and cylinder bore tube. • Good elasticity over a wide tem- and exhibit elasticity and flexibility.
perature range, especially at low • Rubbers, such as nitrile rubber
Criteria for seal selection temperatures. (NBR), are widely used as dynamic
Selecting the appropriate hydraulic seal • Excellent compression set and seals in the fluid power industry.
material and profile is governed largely stress relaxation behavior to main- Depending on the chemical com-
by application parameters. Among the tain the sealing force. position, rubbers can cover a wide
application considerations are: • Adequate hardness and flexibility temperature range and withstand
• Fluid pressure range, including fre- to avoid leakage and allow easy many hydraulic fluids.
quency and pressure peak severity installation. • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is
• Temperature range of the fluid • Superior gap extrusion resistance a polymer with a unique composi-
and cylinder assembly when oper- to cover the increased pressures of tion and properties and, among
ating and at rest fluid power equipment. plastics, offers the highest chemi-
• The stroking speed of the recipro- • Adequate working temperature range. cal resistance and the lowest coef-
cating piston rod • Good chemical compatibility to ficient of friction (providing superior
• Fluid media, including type cover a wide assortment of hydraulic startup behavior, minimized stick-
and viscosity fluids, such as mineral and synthetic slip phenomenon and accurate
• Hardware dimensions such as oils, biodegradable and water-based positioning of hydraulic cylinders).
rod and bore diameters, seal groove fluids or fire-resistant fluids. This polymer is often modified by
dimensions and gaps, overall cylin- • Excellent tribological properties adding organic and/or inorganic
der length and stroke length, and (low friction values and high wear fillers to improve specific proper-
surface finish specifications resistance) to achieve a high ties, such as wear or extrusion
• Cylinder application, including efficiency and avoid early failures, resistance.
the type of equipment for the cylin- especially when sealing against • Rigid thermoplastics and ther-
der and how the cylinder will oper- rough counter-surfaces. (Tribology mosets (and their composites)
ate in the equipment, as well as is the study of the design, friction, are characterized by much higher

hardness and stiffness and reduced In addition, innovative material varia- plastics can enhance sealing capabili-
elasticity compared with polyure- tions have expanded the portfolio of ties and extend a seal’s service life.
thanes, rubbers and PTFE. As a sealing technologies. As examples,
result, they will suit components for bonding urethane to PTFE and other rigid Fluid compatibility a ‘must’
which mechanical strength is more plastics has demonstrated improved The fluids used in various hydraulic
important than flexibility, such as performance at high pressures, tem- systems consist of formulated chemi-
special piston seal arrangements peratures and speeds, while bonding cal compositions and viscosity grades
for heavy-duty applications. thermoset materials to PTFE and other consistent with an application. While
mineral oil-based fluids with various
additives represent the most commonly
used media in hydraulic systems, alter-
native fluids may be encountered.
A notable example is an increasing
use of biodegradable fluids. However,
these fluids are more susceptible to
entrained water and most seal-grade
urethanes will fail from hydrolysis when
exposed to high temperature, water or
humidity. As a solution and performance
upgrade, hydrolysis-resistant urethanes
have been introduced.
Because fluids essentially vary by
manufacturer, types of additives and
contaminant levels, careful consider-
ation should always be taken to ensure
compatibility between the fluid and all
seal materials (as well as the tempera-
ture and mechanical loads on the seal
material). A best practice is testing the
compatibility of a seal in the actual fluid
and under actual operating conditions.
Sealing technologies for fluid power
applications will continue to evolve in
response to advances in technology
and the demands imposed by applica-
tions. These demands include increased
operating pressures, wider temperature
ranges (higher and lower), more aggres-
sive system fluids and longer expected
service life, among others. Innovations
in hydraulic seal solutions will follow. FC
Scott Barth is business development

manager for Hydraulic Seals at SKF USA
Inc. He can be reached at scott.barth@
skf.com or 801-973-9171. For more
information, visit skfusa.com.

Special Section: Temperature & Pressure Measurement
Developments solve sensor problems

in food & beverage industry
Pressure sensors subject to CIP/SIP processes can suffer from
condensation and drift. Recent advancements cure these problems.
By Ehren Kiker, Endress+Hauser
P
ressure measurements in food
and beverage production are typi-
cally focused on monitoring and
controlling line pressures, tank levels and
flows. Because pressure is used in these
three common applications, it is one of
the most widely used measurements
throughout the process industries.
When exposed to clean in place/steril-
ize in place (CIP/SIP) processes, pres-
sure sensors (see Figure 1) can be
compromised. This article explores
methods for dealing with condensation
and calibration drift caused by CIP/SIP
and other factors.
The regulatory world

In addition to dealing with process con-
ditions, food and beverage production
must meet strict regulatory compliance,
product quality/safety and production
uptime requirements.
Compliance with federal, state and
local regulations is critical. Failure to
meet minimum regulatory guidelines
regarding accurate and thorough mea- Figure 1. Pressure instruments in the food
surement of process variables can result and beverage industry are subject to drift
from condensation and temperature.
in penalties ranging from monetary
All graphics courtesy of Endress+Hauser
fines to shutting down facilities, and in
extreme cases, criminal charges against
facility personnel.
Product quality and safety, which is result in costly product recalls. A poor and/or beverage product to meet mar-
closely related to regulatory compliance, safety record and/or product recalls can ket demands.
is important to plant operators for obvi- drive consumers to other competitive/ If pressure sensors drift out of calibra-
ous reasons. Consumers expect food alternative products. tion or drift because of condensation,
and beverage products to meet certain Production uptime is the ability to pressure readings can be so far off they
standards of quality regarding taste, keep a process running as long as pos- could endanger regulatory requirements
texture, appearance and smell. Failure sible to produce the maximum amount or even shut down a process.
to meet these quality expectations can of product in a safe manner while meet- Drift occurs when the measurement
result in consumers purchasing compet- ing all regulatory compliance require- strays (or “drifts”) from actual process
itive products. More importantly, failure ments. It is important because it allows conditions. Since the deviations associ-
to meet product safety standards can a facility to produce enough of the food ated with drift are not typically large,

Next to temperature, pressure is one of the most
common process variables measured in food and
beverage production.
Figure 2. A vent in the housing of a pressure

instrument allows the sensor to “breathe.”
they can be difficult to identify, leading

to the possibility of operating processes
in unacceptable conditions without real-
izing it. For this reason, food and bever-
age process owners should be keenly
aware of conditions that can cause Figure 3. A condensation-resistant pressure instrument — such as this Endress+Hauser Deltapilot
with a Contite sensor — is impervious to condensation-related drift because it has no vent to ambi-
measurement drift and take proper ent air. The green section is a low-pressure side diaphragm.
steps to minimize those conditions or
select instruments that are less suscep- side of the sensor needs to be exposed measurement drift until the transmitter
tible to drift in those conditions. to ambient pressure — usually via an “dries out” and the sensor references
internal capillary and vent in the housing actual atmospheric pressure conditions
Pressure measurement issues (see Figure 2). This leaves the instrument again.
Next to temperature, pressure is one of vulnerable to condensation that can plug High-temperature conditions typically
the most common process variables the vent and leave the instrument sus- go away once the instrument has had
measured in food and beverage produc- ceptible to potential drift and subsequent time to come to equilibrium. But a com-
tion. Pressure measurement is most loss of measurement reliability. mon problem is that plant maintenance
commonly used for three reasons: Food and beverage processes are personnel trim the instrument output
1. Pressure readings in pipes and vessels particularly susceptible to calibration to eliminate the error before the instru-
2. Hydrostatic level measurement drift because many of the processes run ment recovers, thus locking in the drift
in tanks CIP/SIP processes that produce sudden error rather than eliminating it.
3. Flow measurements derived from temperature shocks to the pressure To allow the instrument to come back
differential pressure instrument. This can lead to significant to equilibrium, downtime must be added
errors caused by drift. between cleaning cycles or other high-
In all three applications, plant opera- Sudden temperature shocks can temperature events to allow the instru-
tors need pressure instruments suited cause measurement drift from density ments to recover. This can have sig-
to the specific demands of food and changes in the fill fluid around the sen- nificant impact on process uptime when
beverage applications to produce reli- sor and an inability of typical pressure the number of pressure instruments on
able and repeatable measurements. transmitters to respond fast enough such applications is considered, along
Good pressure measurement prac- to those changes to correctly measure with the time required for each to return
tices use sensors designed to meet the pressure during such upset conditions. to equilibrium.
application’s requirements and deal with Condensation causes drift because of
process conditions encountered — such potential plugging of the atmospheric Solving condensation
as condensation and calibration drift. venting required to make gauge pres- & drift issues
When using pressure for hydrostatic sure measurements. When the atmo- Manufacturers provide several unique
level measurement on vented tanks, spheric vent is plugged, the sensor is no solutions to specifically address con-
it is necessary for the instrument to longer referenced to local atmospheric densation issues with pressure instru-
“breathe.” That is, the low-pressure conditions. This can lead to periods of ments. Typically these are identified

as “condensation-resistant” — or Universal process connections they need to be replaced. This is often
something similar — pressure instru- Approximately 50 percent of all product because of fatigue of metal diaphragms
ments (see Figure 3). recalls in the food and beverage industry from repeated on/off pressure cycles and
For example, Endress+Hauser’s are related to microbiological contami- temperature shifts in the routine process
Deltapilot pressure instruments with nation because of inadequate hygienic operations of food and beverage produc-
Contite sensors are designed to provide installations. Using the correct hygienic tion. For this reason, facilities often keep
a solution for measurement issues cre- process connection is critical to avoiding a stock of standard instruments for quick
ated by condensation within food and possible contamination that results in replacement when needed.
beverage facilities. The sensor makes costly product recalls. These instruments are often unique for
the instrument impervious to conden- A standard universal process connec- specific applications because of the need
sation-related drift and allows it to tion (see Figure 1) allows for hygienic for different process connection types
respond quickly to temperature shifts and nonhygienic pressure sensors to be within the same facility. This can lead to
caused by CIP/SIP processes. mounted to a pressure instrument. The often high and costly stocking levels to
The sensor is a standard piezoresistive universal process connection is simply keep a facility running at peak efficiency.
sensor element with a metal process dia- a thread connection on pressure instru- If the plant standardizes on universal
phragm and appropriate fill fluid. Where ments that includes a flush-mounted process connections, it eliminates the
it differs from standard pressure instru- process diaphragm. need for numerous, unique instrument
ments designs is on the low- configurations for use on dif-
pressure side. Rather than ferent applications. It also
a vent and capillary bringing allows for easy replacement
ambient pressure directly of products within the facility,
to the low-pressure side of regardless of the instrument
the sensor, the Contite sen- supplier.
sor has a low-pressure side
diaphragm that provides a Conclusion
hermetically-sealed pres- Food and beverage facility
sure sensor impervious to operators are faced with
condensation. numerous challenges when
The capillary allowing the operating processes to meet
sensor to “breathe” is a strict regulatory requirements
porous tube running from Figure 4. Tri-clamp while producing safe prod-
the vent to the low-pressure hygienic process ucts with consistent qual-
connector
side diaphragm through a ity. They must also optimize
desiccant chamber. This facility output to meet con-
ensures completely dry air reaches the An instrument with a universal sumer demand.
sensor diaphragm, so no plugging of the process connection can be threaded Reliable pressure measurement is crit-
capillary can occur because of excess to a wide variety of process connection ical to allowing facility operators to
moisture from condensation. adapters, allowing it to be mounted successfully meet these challenges.
The following types of sensors provide directly to virtually any pipe or tank. Solutions such as condensation-resistant
advantages for food and beverage plants: Pressure instruments with universal pressure sensors and universal process
• Hermetically sealed sensors are process connections provide advantages: connections address leading pressure
condensation- and climate-proof, • Wide variety of process adapters measurement issues, providing more
reducing drift errors. (hygienic and non-hygienic) available. uptime and increased throughput. FC
• An internal temperature sensor • Short (2-inch) and long (6-inch)
with process temperature correc- versions are available to accom-
tion in the instrument provides modate almost any vessel or piping Ehren Kiker is prod-
excellent accuracy, long-term sta- configuration. uct marketing man-
bility and response time — even • The flush-mounted diaphragm allows ager for pressure and
during and following CIP/SIP cycles. for installation with a true hygienic temperature products at
• Remote transmitter electronics are process adapter such as tri-clamp Endress+Hauser. He has more than
available for easier installation in (see Figure 4) and varivent. 20 years of automation experience
extreme washdown areas and/ focusing on process measurement
or to provide access in hard-to- Once put into service, pressure instru- instrumentation.
reach locations. ments have a finite lifespan before

How to save thermowells from vortex-

induced vibrations & mechanical fatigue
Petroleum company uses new design in crude units
By Adam DeLancey, WIKA Instrument
T
he helical design has long been Thermowell reliability the thermowell wall and then to the
used to dampen flow-induced Temperature is the most measured temperature sensor.
forces in a variety of appli- parameter across industries and sec- Thermowells have another advantage:
cations. It also helps control vortex- tors. The variety of temperature sensors They allow operators to easily replace
induced vibrations in thermowells, a includes thermocouples, resistance ther- a temperature measurement sensor.
problem that plagued a major petroleum mometers (RTDs) and bimetal thermom- Remove, replace and it is finished.
company. The goal: To find an efficient, eters. These instruments can be used These thermowells are robust, reliable
economical and long-lasting alternative as-is or with a simple metal sheath. and long-lasting. However, they some-
to using support collars to stabilize its However, in particularly harsh environ- times fail because of mechanical fatigue.
thermowells. ments, sensors need a better buffer. How and why does this happen?
Thermowells are used worldwide to
protect temperature sensors from high The trouble with vortices
process pressure, aggressive media When any object is inserted into moving
and the like. Most thermowells are liquid, the flow can produce hydrostatic
machined from solid bar stock, usually and aerodynamic forces around that
stainless steel or other corrosion-resis- object. Under certain conditions, the
tant alloys — depending on the process fluid that flows around the cylindrical
conditions. The sensor is inserted into thermowell creates a wake. This wake
the bore of the thermowell, which, in generates vortices that rotate in oppo-
turn, is placed directly into the process site directions and then detach (shed).
stream. Heat transfers from the fluid to The phenomenon, as most students
of fluid dynamics know, is the Kármán
vortex street.
Vortex shedding creates a periodic lift
force normal to the direction of the flow
and a periodic drag force inline with the
flow. These forces cause the thermowell
to shake. The frequency of vortex-
induced vibrations (VIV) is determined
by the frequency of the wake, which,
in turn, depends on the thermowell’s
diameter and the fluid’s velocity.
Shedding frequency increases linearly
with fluid velocity, but the induced
(Left) Under rapid-flow conditions, a wake forms

behind the thermowell and generates vortices
that rotate in opposite directions. These vortices
are then shed, resulting in oscillating lift-and-
drag forces that cause the unsupported stem to
vibrate to the point of mechanical failure.
All graphics courtesy of WIKA Instrument

4 traditional methods for
reducing thermowell
vibrations: Pros & cons
Changing the structural design of a
thermowell can reduce the effects
of vortex-induced forces. Engineers
can make the following adjustments:
1 Shorten the insertion length. A

shorter unsupported length increases
the strength of the thermowell, mak-
ing it less likely to vibrate. This meth-
od is an easy fix and, therefore, is the
first step taken to pass the WFC.
CON: If the vibration is very strong,
the length may have to be trimmed
so much that it becomes too short
to reach the process medium.
2 Increase the root diameter. A

change in the thermowell diameter
affects its natural resonance fre- The helical strakes of this thermowell stem break up
quency. This is the second step to the flow and impede the formation of defined vortices,
avoiding vibration excitation and, as a consequence,
resolve a WFC fail if a shorter length no resonance of the thermowell occurs.
does not do the job.
CON: The root diameter may
have to be enlarged so much that it
no longer fits into the nozzle of the
thermowell connection.
3 Increase the tip diameter. A

larger tip diameter reduces the Temperature Measurement Solutions
thermowell’s vortex-shedding fre-
quency. This is the third step to
resolve a WFC fail if the above two
methods do not help.
CON: The tip may have to be
widened so much that it no longer
fits into the nozzle of the thermowell
connection. An increased tip diam-
eter also leads to a longer sensor
response time.
4 Add a support collar. To stabi-

lize a thermowell stem, technicians
could fit a metal ring inside the
• Bimetal Thermometers: Industrial, Testing & General Purpose, cost
flange nozzle. This is the measure to reductions of up to 28% & significantly improved delivery times of 5-7 days
take if none of the above methods
• Electronic Sensors: Platinum Resistance & Compact OEM Transmitters,
sufficiently reduces vibrations.
Digital Indicators, Electronic Indicating Transmitter/Switch
CON: Because adding a support
• Industrial RTDs: Probe-Type, Explosion-Proof
collar requires extensive on-site
machining, this process is expen- • Thermowells: Stepped, Straight, Tapered, Lagging - Flanged and
sive and time-consuming. Sanitary options
www.noshok.com

forces increase with the square of design to use, it is important to consider characteristic value for gaseous media
the velocity. As a result, even small its potential for VIV within a particular is NSC > 2.5; fluids typically have an
increases in fluid velocity can result in application. To do that, find the wake NSC < 2.5. The static results of ASME
much stronger forces. When the shed- frequency calculation (WFC) of a ther- PTC 19.3 TW-2016 are generated from
ding frequency approaches the thermo mowell per ASME PTC 19.3 TW-2016. the maximum permissible process
well’s natural frequency, the thermowell This calculation takes into account pressure (dependent on the process
could “lock in” and go into resonance resonant frequency, static stresses, temperature and the geometry of the
— thereby rapidly increasing the force dynamic stresses and limits in permis- thermowell) and the bending stress in
of the vibrations. The more a bluff body sible pressure among other things. The the area of the thermowell root.
is exposed to vibrations, the sooner calculation is divided into dynamic and If the WFC passes, all is well. If the
it could fail because of mechanical static calculation results. The evaluation WFC fails, the user must alter either the
fatigue. For a thermowell, the failure of the dynamic results is made using medium (impractical and undesirable)
usually occurs at the base, where the the damping factor NSC. (The Scruton or the thermowell (much more doable).
bending stress is strongest. Number NSC has a direct relationship
to the permissible frequency ratio rmax Helical thermowells: Proven
Wake frequency calculation from the vortex-shedding frequency fs to concept, new application
When determining which thermowell the natural frequency fn.) Simplified, a Scientists have long known that a heli-
cal design is good for controlling flow-
induced forces. For decades, helical
When determining which thermowell design to use, strakes have helped reduce vortex-
it is important to consider its potential for vortex- induced vibrations in many applications,
including chimney stacks, car anten-
induced vibrations within a particular application.
nas, offshore risers and suspension
bridge cables.
Using this same concept, thermowell
8 - 20 1 stems with helical strakes break up the
• Compressed Air 198 8
Eldridge Products, Inc.
• Boiler Air & Gas 465 Reservation Road process fluid flow and hinder the forma-
• Flue & Flare Gas Marina, CA 93933 tion of Kármán vortex streets. The vor-
• Natural Gas Phone: (831) 648-7777
• Aeraion Air tices found behind helical thermowells
Toll Free: (800) 321-FLOW
• Biogas – Digester & Landfill Gas Fax: (831) 648-7780 are small and weak. The amplitude of
• Many other gases available
Web: www.epiflow.com the diffused VIV is considerably reduced
30th and does not excite the thermowell.
Celebraing 30 Years of Thermal Mass Flow Meter Excellence
With no excitation, thermowell reso-
Accurate • Reliable • Economic “Pick Three” nance is not a risk.
…Too Much Goodness to List… A thermowell with a helical design
Product Family’s - can reduce the amplitude of oscilla-
• Master-Touch™ - Industrial Flow Meter
• ValuMass™ - Value Priced Industrial Flow Meter
tions by more than 90 percent while
• FAT™ - Flow Averaging Tube Thermal Mass Flow Meter still allowing the maximum permissible
• BlueMax™ - Boiler Air & Gas Flow Meter
• MuliPoint™ - Muli Sensor Stack & Duct Averaging System pressure load using the original stem’s
• HPX Series – Ultra High Purity Flow Meters
dimensions. As with conventional ther-
Free/Included Sotware & Firmware –
• EPICommunicator™ or EPICom™ Windows Based communicaion Tool mowells, these innovative fittings are
• E-Logger™ - Data Logging in EPICom™ & in Flow Meter
• Epi-Val™, Field-Val™, LiveZero™ - Flow Meter Field Validaion
easy to install. Operators do not need
to tweak the length or diameter, or go
Standard Included Communicaion Protocols & Signal Outputs –
• RS-232, RS-485 ASCII, Modbus (RS-485 Modbus RTU), BACnet through the time and expense of retro-
• Two 4 to 20 mA, Two 0-5 VDC, Two User Programmable Relays
fitting thermowells with support collars.
Other Standard Features -
• Ex Cerified Products – Choice of ATEX, IECEx, CSA, CUS, KOSHA
The helical design can be used in all
• Calibraion Traceable to NIST solid-machined thermowells with sever-
• Rugged 316L Stainless Steel Sensor & Body/Probe Construcion
• Display Two Line 16 Character - Rate, Total, Temp, Sensor mW, Relays al process connections, including flange
• Flow Accuracy +/-(1.0% Reading + 0.5% Full Scale) Over 100:1
• Minimum Velocity Response of 15 Feet Per Minute connections, Vanstone design and weld-
Opional – in or screwed process connections.
• HART, Profibus DP
• High Temperature Stack Sensors to 850 °F (450°C)
This type of thermowell is particularly
• Hastelloy C-276 Construcion well-suited for petrochemical process-
es, on/offshore applications and plant
construction. It is also recommended

for critical measuring points and high And this was just one unit. Future In the best possible world, a thermow-
process loads. capacity increases in other units would ell protects the sensitive temperature
lead to similar failed calculations and sensor, has a short response time, and
Switching from smooth to necessitate retrofitting. is fast and inexpensive to install. It also
helical: A case study The petroleum company asked a needs to pass its WFC. A helical design
The petrochemical industry relies on measurement technology manufacturer on the thermowell stem provides all that
thermowells to protect temperature for suggestions. After analyzing the spe- — and more — for the highest process
sensors from the harsh conditions found cific conditions of the crude unit, the loads in the oil and gas industry. FC
in pipelines. At the same time, the ther- manufacturer suggested switching to a
mowells themselves must be protected thermowell with helical strakes. The new
from the mechanical fatigue that comes instrumentation with a helical design Adam DeLancey is Electrical Temperature
from vortex-induced vibrations. What is accomplished the client’s four goals: Measurement (ETM) Center of Excellence
more, the adjustments that are effective 1. Pass WFC for the current (CoE) product manager at WIKA
for one flow condition may not be suf- capacity increase. Instrument. He joined WIKA in 2004 after
ficient for another. 2. Leave room for future velocity studying engineering design and draft-
Crude units, for example, work with increases and capacity upgrades. ing. After serving as product manager for
liquid and vapor. Each phase has its 3. No need for expensive, time- WIKA Canada for several years, DeLancey
own velocity, with the vapor generally consuming work on-site to fix noz- transferred to the CoE for ETM covering
moving faster than the liquid through zle issues or install support collars. the Americas, supporting manufacturing
a pipe. That is why it is possible for a 4. Provide a fast response time by and sales with engineered ETM solu-
thermowell to pass the wake frequency using a standard tip diameter rath- tions. He focuses on special applications
calculation in the liquid phase but pos- er than one with a larger diameter. for temperature measurement including
sibly fail in the vapor state. tubeskin and multipoint products.
The usual first step to shrinking VIV is
to shorten the stem length (see side-
bar). If that does not help, changing the
root or tip diameters might succeed in
reducing the wake frequency. The usual
last resort is to retrofit a thermowell noz- NSF/ANSI 61
CERTIFIED
zle with a support collar — an expensive
and time-consuming process, especially
when one considers the number of
thermowells that a typical petrochemi-
cal plant uses. The advantage, though, Proco Products, Inc. - Bringing you the best in rubber
is that support collars allow thermowells
to pass WFC.
expansion joints & check valves for potable water systems.
For one petroleum company, chang-
Find our complete range of NSF/ANSI Certiied joints
ing the standard thermowells’ dimen-
sions did not sufficiently reduce VIV and Valves at procoproducts.com
in its crude units because of the high
velocity of the process. Support collars
proved to be a good solution, but only
for a while. But when the engineers
upgraded a unit to increase its capac-
ity, the thermowells attached to the
piping were exposed to greater velocity
and, thus more VIV. The result? The
instrumentation failed calculations. To
pass WFC, the engineers realized they
would need a new set of nozzles to fit
new support collars because the existing
nozzle necks were badly welded. This THE EXPANSION JOINT AND CHECK VALVE PEOPLE
option would require extensive — and 209-943-6088 | procoproducts.com
expensive — on-site machining.

Multiparametric data analysis

for smarter assets
Optimization through analytics is the way of the future.
By Abhinav Khushraj, Petasense
A
leading pharmaceutical com-
pany began monitoring its air
handler units (AHUs) using wire-
less vibration sensors. It was pleased
with the ability to receive real-time
data to monitor and predict the health
of these critical heating, ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC) machines.
The company could now obtain real-
time information and insights about
machine health without having to spend
thousands of dollars. Wireless sensing,
cloud computing and real-time analytics Figure 1. The data from a high-vibration alert puzzled the reliability engineer.
were all available in a single solution. All graphics courtesy of Petasense
Then one day something happened.
The facility received a high-vibration
alert. The reliability engineer logged in
and was puzzled by the data in front
of him (see Figure 1). He was not sure
what to make of it.
Were high vibrations a problem? Are
the data erroneous? Is action neces-
sary? Yes, no, maybe?
It took a lot of manual data analysis
to determine that the peaks in the chart
were during business hours and every-
thing else corresponded to off hours or
weekends when the load was low. There Figure 2. Further analysis revealed a direct relationship between the peaks in vibration and increases in the
running speed of the AHU. This was further correlated to the facility’s operations during business hours.
lies the big challenge of monitoring
assets with a single parameter. be sensor inputs such as temperature, for asset reliability and optimization. It has
This article discusses what multipara- pressure, flow and vibration. They could usually been reserved only for the 1 per-
metric analysis means, why one should also include process-related inputs from cent of assets that are extremely critical
do it and how one can accomplish it historians or building automation sys- such as gas turbines. But what about
cost-effectively. tems. When these parameters are com- the 99 percent of assets that are unin-
bined, they often give a much clearer strumented? They are often relegated to
What is multiparametric picture of the asset’s reliability or how infrequent walk-around data collection
data analysis? optimally an asset operates. programs, and even if they are continu-
When someone visits a doctor, various ously monitored, it is often restricted to
test results must be evaluated in unison Why is multiparametric data just one parameter.
to diagnose a person’s health. Similarly, analysis important? With the widespread adoption of wire-
asset health needs to be reviewed While multiparametric sensor inputs are less and cloud technologies, collecting
by taking into consideration multiple common for process monitoring, it has data from assets is becoming techni-
inputs. The various parameters could traditionally been used in a limited fashion cally and economically easier than ever.

But the reasons for turning to multipa- equipment. It can be accomplished in a monitored in a manufacturing plant or a
rametric data collection and analysis go few simple ways: building facility are pressure, tempera-
well beyond technology. They actually • Smart wireless transmitters that ture, vibration, current and ultrasound.
help solve real industrial problems. can take input from various sensor A few examples of industrial applica-
For example, for rotating assets it is types and push the data up to the tions where multiparametric monitoring
insufficient to look at just the vibration cloud in a plug-and-play fashion. leads to much better business out-
data in isolation. It is extremely impor- The sensors plug into the transmit- comes include:
tant to analyze vibration data under con- ter with a short cable from the point • Rotating machine reliability with
sistent conditions. The two most variable of measurement to the transmit- vibration, current and ultrasound
conditions for rotating machines are ter’s port. The transmitter itself can • Pump optimization with pressure
running speed and load. To accurately send the data to the cloud over and flow sensors
interpret the vibration data, it needs to Wi-Fi or other wireless protocols. • Steam trap failures with tempera-
be analyzed in correlation with running • In many cases, users have previ- ture sensors and ultrasound
speed data and load information. ously installed sensors that were • Energy optimization using current
This same principle applies to most used for walk-around data collec- and voltage sensors
asset types, beyond just rotating tors. Wireless transmitters can be
machines. For transformers, analyze the retrofitted to many such analog Conclusion
oil quality along with temperature. For sensors that output 4-20 mA or The reliability engineer at the pharma-
steam traps, one could combine temper- zero to 30 volts. ceutical company decided to implement
ature information along with ultrasound. • Finally, PLCs are present in the field a multiparametric data collection and
Multiparametric information is particu- that have never been connected to analysis approach to monitor all the
larly important when looking at asset the network. Instead of dealing with AHUs. Current sensors help capture
optimization. Pumps are notorious for the costs and complexities of wiring the running speed and load, pressure
operating sub-optimally, even if they the PLC to a control system and sensors help capture the flow rate, and
have no underlying faults or mechanical then programming all the ladder vibration sensors capture the overall
issues. Pressure sensors help reliability logic, a modbus over transmission and spectral features for a more holistic
engineers ensure suction pressure is suf- control protocol- (TCP) based port diagnosis and prediction of machine
ficient, which in turn can help prevent in a wireless transmitter can help health. Multiparametric asset analytics
cavitation. Valve position sensors and extract the data easily without jeop- is paving the way for smarter asset reli-
acoustic emission sensors can ensure ardizing the security of the control ability and optimization. FC
valve functionality, preventing major systems network.
issues such as deadheading. Therefore,
to optimally operate a pump, one must Collecting the data is only half the Abhinav Khushraj is the
measure various parameters such as battle won. The other half is being able co-founder and CEO of
suction pressure, outlet pressure, acous- to easily view and analyze all of this mul- Petasense. He brings
tics, flow rate, etc. When these parame- tiparametric data alongside each other. more than a decade of
ters are considered together, the system That is where cloud and online software experience in business development,
can be optimized as a whole. comes into play. With a few simple con- strategy and product and engineer-
figuration steps, one can start seeing ing from leading enterprise compa-
How can I do multiparametric the multiparametric data in real time. nies like Nokia and Citrix. Khushraj
data analysis? A good cloud-based software should holds engineering and management
Traditionally, collecting new parameters be able to provide interactive charts degrees from BITS, Pilani and MIT.
meant installing input/ouput (I/O) mod- with ease and enable the flexibility of
ules onto the control systems network, viewing multiple trend lines alongside Petasense is an IIoT company that
if one existed. Then one had to allocate each other. is transforming asset management
engineering and IT resources to extract The cloud software should also pro- with its Asset Reliability & Optimization
that data from programmable logic con- vide the ease and flexibility to configure (ARO) System comprised of multipara-
trollers (PLCs) or control systems out to alarms or events based on multiple metric sensor analytics software and
a historian. parameters. For instance, instead of the Transmitter, a wireless device that
With widespread availability of wire- setting an alarm only on vibration, one connects multiple sensors to the ARO
less and cloud platforms, collect- should be able to configure it so the Cloud. Clients include industry leaders
ing sensor data and other inputs are vibration alarm only triggers when the like JLL, SVP, C&W Services and several
much easier. Personnel do not have to load is within a certain range. others. More information is available
deploy expensive wiring and complex Common parameters that need to be at petasense.com.

Best Practices & Applications
Separation technology saves

brewery time, money & headaches
Centrifuge system ensures quality and quantity.
By Christian Pettit, Flottweg Separation Technology
T
wo years ago, a Lexington, the Kentucky Ale family of beers. It is the through fermentation. But the brewing
Kentucky, beer brewery and oldest craft brewery in Lexington. Alltech arm of the company has grown substan-
bourbon distillery was wasting founder and president Dr. Pearse Lyons tially in the past decade.
product using a filtering process that was acquired the 200-year-old Lexington “When I first came to Alltech nine
inefficient for production and ineffective Brewing Company in 1999 and resur- years ago, they made 3,800 barrels
in producing the quality it demanded. rected the Lexington brewing and distill- each year,” Lee said. “Now we brew
The company installed separation tech- ing tradition that dates back to 1794. more than 40,000 barrels a year and
nology that it allowed it to produce more In the fall of 2011, ground was broken are opening another brewery and dis-
product of higher quality in a shorter on Town Branch Distillery, which was tillery in Pikeville, which will be brewing
period of time. added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail beer with an identical system as the one
in 2012. Today the distillery produces we have here in Lexington.”
The history Town Branch Bourbon, Town Branch Rye,
An hour away from 95 percent of the Bluegrass Sundown liqueur, Kentucky The challenge
world’s bourbon brewers, Alltech Ale, Kentucky Kölsch and Pearse Lyons Two years ago, Alltech experienced an
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. is Reserve, the first malt whiskey produced issue with processing time constraints
a unique stop on the world-famous in Kentucky since Prohibition. and decided to try installing a centrifuge
Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Alltech is one of Alltech is famous for aging its brew in system. The company discovered that
a handful of joint brewing and distilling bourbon barrels. “A honeymoon goes on with a centrifuge, it could achieve more
operations in the world. and whatever is in that barrel becomes throughput and yield than by using a filter
The site is home to Town Branch a part of the beer,” said Alltech master or letting the brew settle in fermenters.
Distillery and a brewery that produces brewer Ken Lee. Alltech was using a small filter that
Alltech’s main business is animal broke down frequently because of the
nutrition, producing animal supplements yeast. “We were losing beer,” said brewer
Mitchell Pace. “So we decided to try the
Flottweg separation technology.”
The solution
The disk stack centrifuge system
Alltech’s cypress wood tanks

hold fermented whiskey
wash that is about 8 percent
alcohol. From the tanks, the
wash moves to the wash
still in which it is heated,
vaporized and condensed to
become 23 percent alcohol.
All graphics courtesy of
Flottweg Separation Technology

separates the yeast from the beer,
which helps it filter. When putting the
brew into barrels, it is important to
avoid a second fermentation, said Pace,
who has worked at Alltech for four
years. The centrifuge system separates
the liquid and sends it to a holding tank
before filtration.
“This centrifuge system is very impor-
tant to our operation,” Pace said.
“Almost everything we do goes through
this separation technology.” (Above) The centrifuge system separates
The equipment has been installed for the liquid and sends it to a holding tank
before iltration.
two years without any major issues,
Pace noted. “It helps with temperature (Right) The centrifuge equipment helps with
temperature control and clarity and minimizes
control, clarity and our barrels coming
pressure out of the cooler because the yeast
out of the cooler don’t have as much has been removed.
pressure on them because the yeast
has been removed. Using this technol-
ogy is very good for the barrels and the How it works
aging process. The machine helps us The centrifugal separators are used for
maintain our necessary volume. It saves separating solids from liquids, thereby
hours, money and headaches. As with permitting highly efficient clarification.
any new equipment, we had some kinks The product to be clarified runs through
in the beginning, but Flottweg was right a stationary infeed pipe to the interior
here to help us work through that and of the bowl and is gently accelerated
learn how to operate it effectively.” by the distributor to the full speed of
Pace said the only maintenance rotation. The disc stack in the bowl
required is an occasional hard reset causes the product stream to be divided
when the machine has been running into many thin layers, creating a large A hydrohermetic seal in the separator
nonstop for a while. “This system is so surface area. makes it possible to seal the product
easy to operate,” according to Pace. The solids are separated from the space off from the surrounding atmo-
“You simply press the start button, press liquid within the disc stack. The high sphere. As a result, the configuration
the pause button, press the stop button centrifugal force makes the solids that avoids unwanted oxygen absorption and
— that’s pretty much it. The CIP process are separated out collect at the edge of foaming. The hydrohermetic configura-
is built in. Once you are finished with a the bowl. A hydraulic system in the base tion comprises a stationary disc that
run, you can press the ‘clean’ button of the bowl periodically ejects the sepa- is immersed in a liquid (e.g., degassed
then ‘OK,’ and boom — it goes into rated-out solid at full speed of rotation. water), thus creating an exclusion from
cleaning. It discharges itself. It allows The clarified liquid flows out of the disc the surroundings.
us to produce more product because no stack into the impeller, which discharges Solids are emptied from a separator
time is wasted on the process.” the liquid under pressure. using a discharge system. This system
enables extremely quiet self-emptying of
the separator bowl.
The pipes are clearly marked to indi-
cate where beer comes in and where
it comes out. A fermentation vessel is
charged with carbon dioxide to ensure
no oxygen gets in. The beer pass-
es through the piping and makes its
way into the centrifuge. The system
reads the turbidity and settings can be
Using this centrifuge technology is good for the

barrels and the aging process. It helps maintain
the necessary volume while saving hours, money
and headaches.

This site is home to Town Branch Distillery and
a brewery, which produces the Kentucky Ale
family of beers.
established based on which product is

being produced. Production is moni-
tored through two site gauges with
backlighting so the beer can be seen
coming in. From there, it goes into
the centrifuge bowl through piping. As
the beer flows in, it throws the debris
against the sides of the bowl and the
Is Now separated beer can be seen in the other
ISO 9001:2015
Certified site gauge. Any hops, debris or yeast is
discharged from the side chamber.
PRECISION FLOW METERING The operator can check the turbidity
(European Brewery Convention [EBC])
QUALITY & PERFORMANCE at any time to make sure it is within
specification. If it is hazy, the system
can reroute and send the liquid back
Sonic-Pro
HYBRID ULTRASONIC
®
through until the end goal is achieved.
When the system confirms the correct
turbidity (EBC), it sends the liquid back
FLOWMETER through the discharge pipe and pulls a
SONIC-PRO® ULTRASONIC sample that can be quality checked. The
FLOWMETERS with non-invasive separated liquid makes its way to the
clamp-on transducers, work with
both clean and dirty fluids, with a exit pipes, which flow directly into the
high capacity flow velocity range of tanks. This is the part of the process
up to 30 feet per second (9 meters that prepares the product for shipping.
per second).
• View real time flow and
download data log files The results
remotely on a Since installing the separation technol-
Windows® PC. ogy, life has been easier for Pace and
• Housing is NEMA 4X his team of operators.
(IP 66) wash down.
“Today, I’m running 14,000 gallons of
beer,” said Pace. “Without this machine,
we would probably lose 5,000 gal-
lons, and it would take 48 hours, at
least. This separation technology saves
money, time, and headaches. The beer
F-2000 spins really fast at 6,700 rpm and

sends the yeast to the ground. The
beer goes to a stabilization tank with
DIGITAL
PADDLEWHEEL less yeast. Since we started using this
FLOWMETER machine, life is just better.” FC
THE
THOUGHTFULLY Christian Pettit is the sales manager for
ENGINEERED F-2000 series combine innovative features and benefits, and Brewing, Distilled Spirits and Wine for
the finest materials of construction to provide an accurate and versatile Flottweg Separation Technology Inc. He
Digital Flowmeter. Available in a variety of mounting styles.
holds a mechanical engineering degree
and has 14 years of centrifuge experience,
www.blue-white.com
including stents in the service department,
714-893-8529
process engineering and sales. He can be
5300 Business Dr., Huntington Beach, CA 92649 USA • sales@blue-white.com
reached at cpettit@flottweg.net.

Trade Shows & Events
Sept. 18–20
EXHIBITION HOURS
Free to the public:
Tue., 2:30–7 p.m.
Wed., 2:30–6:30 p.m.
Thurs., 9:30 a.m.–noon
Paid attendees only:
Turbomachinery & Tue., noon–2 p.m.

Wed., noon–2 p.m.
Pump Symposia
Short courses: Sept. 17
Symposia: Sept. 18–20
tps.tamu.edu
A
All graphics courtesy of Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia
t the 47th Turbomachinery and Transition to a Low Carbon Society

34th International Pump Users • Leakage and Force Coefficients for
Symposia (TPS), attendees and Pump Annular Seals Operating with chemical and water industries rely on
exhibitors will exchange ideas to impact Air/Oil Mixtures: Measurements vs. these technical programs.
the industry. Held in Houston at the Predictions and Air Injection to The programs consist of short cours-
George R. Brown Convention Center, Increase Seal Dynamic Stiffness es, case studies, discussion groups,
the Turbomachinery Lab at Texas A&M • Maximum Efficiency for High Head lectures and tutorials and are hand-
University in College Station will host Process Pumps — Optimizing Side picked by advisory committees made
the annual event. Channel Pumps up of recognized leaders in the tur-
TPS will offer a forum for connecting • Pipe Flow and Interaction with bomachinery and pump communities.
and communicating about ideas Pumps
between rotating equipment engineers • Design and Verification Testing of Exhibition hall
and technicians worldwide. TPS is Balance Piston for High-Viscosity At the center of TPS is an exhibit hall
known for its impact on turbomachin- Multiphase Pumps that hosts leading international com-
ery, pump, oil and gas, petrochemical, • Centrifugal Compressor Evolution panies. 2017 was a record-breaking
power, aerospace, chemical, and water — From Stegosaurus to Star Wars year for the show with 89 new compa-
industries through two pathways: the • Considerations in Piping Plan nies and 359 total exhibiting compa-
technical program and the exhibition. 53B Applications nies. The exhibit hall spanned 216,600
• Best Practices for Mechanical gross square feet and featured full-
Technical education Seal Installations size equipment, new technology and
The conference’s technical program is emerging industry trends from leading
hand-selected by advisory committees Attendees can take part in discussion turbomachinery and pump companies.
made up of key industry players. The groups based on several topics, including: This year, companies and industry
program is led by highly respected • Advanced Topics In Centrifugal experts from across the globe will again
practitioners and leaders in their fields. Compressor Design demonstrate their full-size equipment
Topics cover maintenance, reliability, • Dry Gas Seals for Compressors and products while sharing insights on
troubleshooting, instruction on emerg- • Turbomachinery Bearings and current practices and future trends. The
ing designs, technology and best Annular Seals exhibit hall also offers many networking
practices that include case studies • Steam Turbine Design, Operation opportunities, cultivating a valuable
with real-world relevance on problems and Maintenance transfer of knowledge that has become
solved and lessons learned. • Centrifugal Pump Operation, the hallmark of TPS.
The symposia’s professional continu- Maintenance and Reliability The proceedings from each TPS are
ing education program consists of • Improving Mean Time Between available to the public at no cost six
short courses, case studies, discus- Pump Failures months after the event. This means all
sion groups, lectures and tutorials. It • Cryogenic Fluid Pumping Applications of the content from all TPS technical
is led by highly respected practitio- sessions is accessible at no charge
ners and pioneers in their fields. Each The professional continuing educa- online. The Turbomachinery Laboratory
area extensively covers turbomachinery tion programs are additional assets at Texas A&M is proud to host a
and pumps. of the Turbomachinery Lab. Rotating platform for the exchange of ideas
Lecture, tutorial and case study top- equipment and pump engineers and that impact turbomachinery, pump and
ics to be presented include: technicians worldwide from the oil and related industries. FC
• The Role of Turbomachinery in the gas, petrochemical, power, aerospace,

Featured Products
Send products for consideration in this section

to rtucker@endeavorbusinessmedia.com.
Clutch brake Digital gas flow computer
Force Flow’s Posidyne clutch The HIT-4G from Hoffer Flow

brakes feature oil shear technol- Controls Inc. is a compact gas
ogy for rapid and precise stop- measurement rate and total
ping, starting speed change and computer with temperature, pres-
positioning without adjustment or sure and AGA-8 compressibility
maintenance. They are designed compensation. Features include
to allow higher cycle rates for dual totalizers, Modbus and data
applications with frequent start/ logging. The HIT-4G is conigu-
stop cycles, such as batch feed- rable for 4-20mA loop power or
ers and rotary tables. The brakes direct current power. Enclosure options include explosion-
are totally enclosed for use in hostile environments. The proof, NEMA 4X and panel mount. Operators can use an
hydraulic actuation package includes a hydraulic pump, included magnetic pointer to operate front control panel
solenoid valve, regulators and a ilter. functions without removing the enclosure cover.
Direct-drive pump Wear ring
Sundyne released upgrades to its LMV Trelleborg Sealing Solutions ex-

801 vertical direct-drive centrifugal panded its HiMod Slydring HC wear
pump line. The 801CS includes a self- ring range. More than 180 addition-
contained process seal. The cartridge al part numbers are now available in
seal is designed to reduce installa- outer diameters from 1 to 12 inches
tion error and prevent seal failure. The for various luid power applications.
801CS has a new bearing box for a The HiMod material is high-modulus
stiffer shaft, larger oil capacity, easy plastic developed internally for ap-
seal access and enhanced oil cooling. plications that require high wear and chemical resistance
The 801S uses magnetic drive technol- performance. HiMod Slydring HC prevents metal-to-metal
ogy and complies with API 685 and API contact between components. Intended for many opera-
610. Retroit kits allow conversion without disconnecting tional conditions, the wear rings are designed to speed up
the LMV-801 casing and diffusers from piping. installations and increase wear life between changeovers.
Servo drive PLC panel
The Closed Loop 4Q Weil Pump offers programmable

Pump (CLSP) servo drive logic controller (PLC) panels for a
from Voith Turbo Inc. platform for pumping systems. The
features automatic, load- panels can control up to four pumps
dependent shifting of the and work with many types of level
hydraulic transmission to controls. Designed to provide early
reduce the drive’s con- fault detection and ensure smooth
nected load. As a result, the self-contained drive features a systems operations, the PLCs feature
more compact motor and inverter. Design to yield 20,000 advanced monitoring capabilities, multiple fail-safes and
hours of operation, the CLSP operates with a force of up to built-in troubleshooting. Other features include detailed
500 kN. Its three components — servo motor, 4Q internal pumping operation metrics, maintenance intervals and
gear pump and a directly coupled hydraulic cylinder — are alarm histories, color touch screen and intuitive user inter-
integrated directly into the servo drive. face. It uses BACnet and Modbus connections.

Connect
SOLUTIONS FOR FLUID MOVEMENT, MEASUREMENT & CONTAINMENT
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Badger Meter Inc. ....................................................................... IBC KROHNE Inc................................................................................... 1
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Check-All Valve .............................................................................. 7 O’Keefe Controls ............................................................................ 9
Eldridge Products ......................................................................... 22 Proco Products ............................................................................ 23
Endress+Hauser Inc.....................................................................BC Spitzer and Boyes LLC.................................................................... 7
BC = Back Cover IBC = Inside Back Cover IFC = Inside Front Cover

FEATURED
CONTENT
FlowControlNetwork.com
Graphic courtesy of Tsurumi America
@FLOWCONTROL_MAG
One of the most fundamental

#chemical compatibility con-
cerns is whether the media
sealed inside the system will
damage the #sealing ele-
ment. | ow.ly/yCxe30kAKW7
@ViegaLLC
One of the simplest ways to prevent
Rule No. 2 for achieving pump cavitation is to properly operate a
a reliable, long-running pump best suited for the application.
#pumpsystem: Choose
the correct cabling & -Mike Klimes, Tsurumi America
ground it properly | ow.ly/
TCBI30kzbdQ
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WHAT'S ON FACEBOOK
RT @reman_controls: Liquid
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@FlowControl_Mag #con-
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Selecting a #flowmeter
installation location solely Q&A: Industrial level
based on ease of installation measurement questions
is often shortsighted. The answered
end user should consider
What’s next for level measurement
the location’s flow distur-
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SYSTEMS

Food & beverage

AUGUST 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 8

Innovation Awards nominations

Bearing trends & fundamentals

Enhanced oil recovery seals

JUNE 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 6

Magazine E-News Directory

ONICON Incorporated ONICON Incorporated ONICON Incorporated

www.onicon.com www.greyline.com www.airmonitor.com

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Marshall Excelsior Company Marshall Excelsior Company Marshall Excelsior Company

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14 Sealing the deal in hydraulic cylinders

20 How to save thermowells from vortex-

4 From the Editor

29 Trade Shows & Events

Flow Control (ISSN #1081-7107) is published 12 times a year

2 | August 2018 Flow Control

Tank level measurement

Peristaltic pump safety

MAY 2018 • Vol. XXIV, No. 5

FC_0518_Cover.indd 1 4/5/18 12:42 PM

From the Editor GROUP PUBLISHER

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

4 | August 2018 Flow Control

The Process Flow Network covers innovative solutions for

Deliver your marketing message to a qualified audience of

Visit ProcessFlowNetwork.com to find out how we can help

6 | August 2018 Flow Control

People news Sensors Midwest

More than a Check Valve

Spring-Loaded check valves

www.flowcontrolnetwork.com August 2018 | 7

Spotting fume flow

8 | August 2018 Flow Control

principal in Spitzer and Boyes LLC,

–The McIlvaine Company

www.flowcontrolnetwork.com August 2018 | 9

methods for determining

10 | August 2018 Flow Control

Figure 1. Pressure gauge readings for TDH. Where

For a motor, this includes line voltage

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Other operating data

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Do not to forget that many pumping

Randy Riddell, CMRP,

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Sealing the deal

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Scott Barth is business development

16 | August 2018 Flow Control

Developments solve sensor problems

The regulatory world

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Figure 2. A vent in the housing of a pressure

they can be difficult to identify, leading

18 | August 2018 Flow Control

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How to save thermowells from vortex-

(Left) Under rapid-flow conditions, a wake forms

20 | August 2018 Flow Control