INDUSTRY NEWS

Companies respond
to COVID-19
Page 6

SMART
SENSORS
IN CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEMS
Real-time wireless control
in process automation
Page 12

Methods to monitor and identify

flow-induced vibration issues
Page 16

Shaft seal selection

for top-entry mixers
Page 20

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com

 TRADE SHOW PREVIEW

AHR EXPO
Page 28

WIRELESS
INSTRUMENTATION
FOR NATURAL GAS

Implementing MQTT in
industrial IoT applications
Page 12

Case Study: A utility standardizes

its automation practices
Page 16

Q&A: Workforce development and

addressing the skills gap
Page 25

JANUARY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com

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 INSIDE
MAY 2020 | VOL 26 | ISSUE 5

COVER STORY
Autonomous science: The future of
10 chromatography applications
Trends in sensor technology, safety
and automation are revolutionizing
liquid flowmeters in chromatography
applications.

FEATURES
Real-time control with
12 WirelessHART communication
Many manual process automation
applications can be converted to real-time
wireless control, providing significant savings
and other operational improvements.

10 Practical methods in rotating

cover: ID 6039795 © Olivier Le Queinec |
16 equipment vibration analysis
Solutions such as setting up a vibration
Dreamstime.com
analysis program, proper use of sensors,
data collection tools and apps, and
DEPARTMENTS monitoring bearing health can help identify
flow-induced issues.
4 Editor’s Note
6 Industry News Shaft seal selection for top-entry mixers
8 Application & Quiz Corner 20 There are many seal technologies
available in the marketplace, and each
28 Trade Shows & Events has its advantages.

29 Product Focus: Sensors 16 Flow, cavitation, piping and nozzle

30 Product Focus: Instrumentation 25 loads at suction of pumps
31 Advertiser Index Flexibilities should be included in the
suction piping, keeping an eye on liquid
32 FlowControlNetwork.com flow, pressure loss and NPSH margin.

Facebook
facebook.com/flowcontrolmagazine

Twitter
@flowcontrol_mag

LinkedIn
linkedin.com/groups/4068011/profile

Online
flowcontrolnetwork.com 20 29

2 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

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 EDITOR'S NOTE
know everyone is waiting
to see the light at the end of
I the tunnel of the COVID-19
pandemic and hoping that
things will get back to normal soon.
It’s been amazing to see the outpour of
companies responding to the crisis in
positive ways, as well as increasing their
efforts to maintain a steady supply of
parts, keeping workers safe, and stay-
ing productive within essential services
industries. From donations of supplies
for communities and healthcare work-
ers, to changing operations to develop
sanitizer or masks, or refocusing the en-
gineering department to develop a new
product for ventilator systems, we thank
all of you for being part of the solution.
On page 6 of this issue, we’ve included
a handful of these “good news” stories,
as they are pouring in daily. Please keep
your announcements coming, and we
will continue to share with readers.
I also want to thank all of you who
submitted a nomination for our annual
Innovation Awards program. The entries
include many new, innovative solutions,
and I look forward to featuring them in
the next issue of Flow Control. You will
also find them online, and an announce-
ment will be made as soon as the voting
opens in June. Be sure to cast your vote.
For this issue’s cover story, we present
an article by Dr. Moritz Kneipp with
Sensirion AG, who discusses how sensor
technology, safety and automation are
revolutionizing liquid flowmeters in
chromatography applications. Chroma-
tography systems are used in the food and
beverage industry, pharmaceuticals and
in vaccine development.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Bob Steinberg, Sage Metering | Jeff Jennings, Equilibar LLC | Mitch Johnson, JMS Southeast |
Gobind Khiani, Fluor Canada Ltd. | Steve Milford, Endress+Hauser U.S. | John Merrill, PE: EagleBurgmann Industries |
George Weihrauch, ABB Motors & Mechanical | Andrew Yeghnazar, KRE Consulting |
David W. Spitzer, PE: Spitzer and Boyes LLC | Jesse Yoder, Ph.D., Flow Research
4 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
Next, read about real-time wireless
control by Kurtis Jensen and Sean Heine
with Emerson. The authors say that
many automation professionals are us-
ing wired instrumentation networks
such as WirelessHART for monitoring
applications, but few have employed
the technology for real-time control.
Learn how recent improvements are
changing this.
You’ll also find an article by Donald
Nice Jr. with SKF USA Inc. He explains
how solutions such as setting up a vibra-
tion analysis program, proper use of sen-
sors, data collection tools and apps, and
monitoring bearing health can help iden-
tify flow-induced issues. And, John Merrill
and Gabriel Young with EagleBurgmann
talk about seal technologies for top-entry
mixers. Lastly, Amin Almasi discusses
how flow, NPSH, thermal movements
and stress analysis requirements should
be considered simultaneously and how
an optimum configuration is achieved for
suction piping of pumps.
Please continue to check online at
flowcontrolnetwork.com for announce-
ments of trade show cancellations or
postponements, as well as additional
industry-related COVID-19 coverage that
you may find useful during this time.
Stay well and thanks for reading!
EDITOR IN CHIEF
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
@FlowControl_Mag
Publisher Jim Semple
908-963-3008 | jsemple@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
CONTENT
Editor in Chief Molly Rogers
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Contributing Editor Jesse Osborne
josborne@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Group Assistant Editor Daniel Gaddy
dgaddy@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Columnist David W. Spitzer
Art Director Ryan Carlson
rcarlson@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Production Manager Amanda Porter
aporter@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
ADVERTISING
District Manager Jay Haas
281-980-5831 | jhaas@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Account Manager Lisa Williman
518-322-6691 | lwilliman@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
MARKETING
Marketing Manager Sarah De Vos
Digital Product Director Nick Phillips
Digital Operations Manager Mary Beth Romano
Audience Development Manager Anna Hicks
CORPORATE
CEO Chris Ferrell
CRO/CMO June Griffin
CFO William Nurthen
COO Patrick Rains
Chief Administrative and Legal Officer Tracy Kane
EVP Mike Christian
Flow Control (ISSN 2641-6735 is published 12 times a year by Endeavor Business
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 INDUSTRY NEWS
MAY 20 2 0
COVID-19 COVERAGE
Swagelok donates N95 masks to
first responders and hospitals
Swagelok donated up to 20,000
N95 respirator masks to local
emergency medical services (EMS)
and hospital systems in Ohio and
Pennsylvania to support the fight
against the novel coronavirus
(COVID-19). An allotment is also
being delivered to other health-
care facilities through Governor
Mike DeWine’s call for critical PPE
donations. N95 respirator masks
are part of Swagelok’s standard
PPE for a very limited number of
operations, and the company con-
tinues to make them available as
required for its associates.
Grundfos Foundation to donate $29
million to help fight COVID-19
The Grundfos Foundation, owner of
Grundfos, expanded its budget for
donations from planned $18 mil-
lion to $29 million. The main dona-
tion areas remain water, research
and inclusion, but the foundation
will move its attention to the fight
against COVID-19 this year.
Siemens connects healthcare
providers and medical designers to
produce components through AM
Siemens is making its Additive
Manufacturing (AM) Network and
its 3D printers available to the
global medical community to speed
design and production of medi-
cal components. The AM Network
connects users, designers and
3D-print service providers to enable
faster, less complicated production
of spare parts for machines like
6 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
T HE LAT ES T N EW S & EVENT S F RO M A RO UND T H E I ND US T RY flowcontrolnetwork.com
Librestream to provide free remote
collaboration software
Librestream, a global provider of
remote collaboration and com-
munication solutions, announced
a free program for enterprises
facing business continuity and
worker safety challenges related to
COVID-19. Librestream’s Onsight
Courtesy of Equilibar
platform is deployed by aviation,
defense, manufacturing, energy
and inspection companies world-
wide, enabling greater operational
efficiency, reductions in carbon
footprint and improved worker
Equilibar focuses on efforts to increase access safety. Librestream will provide its
to ventilator component parts Onsight Connect remote expert
package to qualified organizations
Equilibar, a manufacturer of specialty luid control valves, began that are new to this capability.
focusing its research and development efforts on modifying the
design of its back pressure regulators to enable them to serve Pernod Ricard is producing
as building blocks for medical ventilator systems. The company is hand sanitizer
working with multiple biomedical engineering partners as part of Pernod Ricard subsidiaries around
an effort to find alternative ventilator components that bypass the the world are contributing to local
existing disrupted supply chain. The company plans to produce its efforts to fight the pandemic and
new devices in volume to make them as accessible and afford- help their communities. In the U.S.,
able as possible. The Equilibar website has a COVID-19 Ventilator initiatives are being rolled out to
Page with regular updates. It includes links to schematics, product produce hand sanitizer within the
cutsheets and videos. group’s plants or to supply stocks
“Progress is happening quickly,” said Equilibar founder Jeff of pure alcohol. Pernod Ricard’s
Jennings. “While we don’t know what role our technology will Ft. Smith, Arkansas, manufacturing
ultimately play, we are energized and inspired to be part of the plant and distilleries for Rabbit Hole
overwhelming global collaboration that is happening now. Early (Kentucky), Smooth Ambler (West
testing shows promise, and we are cautiously optimistic that we Virginia) and TX Whiskey (Texas) are
can make a valuable contribution.” producing hand sanitizer.
SEPCO continues operations
ventilators. The Siemens AM Net- with medically certified printing Sealing Equipment Products Com-
work is available globally and covers capacities, can register for free ac- pany Inc. (SEPCO) and its autho-
the entire value chain from upload cess to the Siemens AM Network. rized distributors are categorized
and simulation to checking the In addition to numerous 3D printers as a critical infrastructure company
design up to the printing process from partner companies, Siemens’ within the critical manufacturing
and associated services. Doc- 3D printing machines are also con- sector. The components produced
tors, hospitals and organizations nected to the network and can be in its facilities are used to support
in need of medical devices, and used to locally print components utilities, power grids, medical fa-
designers and service providers and spare parts for medical devices. cilities, government offices, food
services, data centers and other
vital information technology infra-
structure. SEPCO products support
a wide range of exempted indus-
tries and sectors, such as aero-
space, logistics and transportation,
PPE product manufacturing, chemi-
cal processing and refining, mining,
water and wastewater treatment,
and military applications. Its team
continues to operate with CDC rec-
ommended safety precautions.
ABB accelerates remote
connectivity for customer
operations during crisis
ABB is working with customers to
ensure the access to field operators
and service engineers who cannot
be on site at this time, by deliver-
ing control room livestreams, op-
erational insights, process data and
plant key performance indicators
to users sheltering at home. To
ensure continuous operations, cus-
tomers can access a suite of ABB
remote-enabled solutions, includ-
ing remote condition monitoring of
critical assets; augmented reality
maintenance support; online tools
for training and spare parts stock-
ing; and self-diagnoses that miti-
gate risk to assets, processes and
security. Many of these services
are delivered to customers through
ABB Ability Collaborative Opera-
tions, a suite of digitally enabled
solutions and services.
PSI offers videos on maintaining
critical equipment during shutdown
PSI Repair Services Inc., a subsid-
iary of Phillips Service Industries
and industrial equipment repair
service, is providing free videos to
manufacturers on how to main-
tain their critical manufacturing
equipment during the COVID-19
shutdown. The first video, which is
available on the PSI Repair Ser-
vices website and YouTube, fea-
tures PSI’s General Manager Mike
Fitzpatrick, who shares advice on
maintaining production equipment
during the COVID-19 crisis. Addi-
tional videos will follow.
NewTek Sensor Solutions serves
essential manufacturers
NewTek Sensor Solutions serves
as a U.S. manufacturing source
of LVDT position sensors that can
meet the immediate requirements
of businesses in the chemical and
power generation, food and bever-
age, medical, energy and other
industries. NewTek Sensor Solu-
tions remains flexible in stocking
a surplus of subcomponents and
finished goods in its U.S. site to
quickly respond to customer needs
for new and replacement LVDT
position sensors. The company re-
mains open to serve essential com-
panies with uninterrupted services.
Eaton supports Ohio medical
workers with 360,000 face shields
Eaton is using its manufacturing,
3D printing expertise and partner
network to fulfill a JobsOhio order
for rapid production of 360,000
reusable face shields to strengthen
the state’s fight against the virus.
Eaton collaborated with multiple
hospitals and Cleveland’s Manu-
facturing Advocacy and Growth
Network (MAGNET) to optimize
the face shield design for produc-
tion. Eaton is also working with
Thogus, a local family-owned
custom plastic injection molder, to
rapidly produce the critical equip-
ment at scale.
FCI supports employees,
customers, suppliers and partners
Fluid Components International
(FCI) has been operating under
strict protocols consistent with best
health and safety practices, all
local requirements, regulations and
restrictions in order to continue to
provide its products, services and
support to customers. FCI was rec-
ognized as an essential supplier to
its customers in multiple essential
industries. FCI’s procurement and
purchasing teams continue to take
extra measures daily to ensure its
supply of raw materials to support
uninterrupted manufacturing of
products for FCI customers.
Farwest offers free consultation
for cathodic protection
Farwest Corrosion Control Com-
pany has implemented free tech-
nical consultation for cathodic
protection and corrosion control
through “Ask the Farwest Ex-
pert.” A dedicated hotline and
email have been established to
route inquiries directly to experts
on products, engineering and
construction. The free service is
available to customers and indus-
try colleagues. Farwest experts
can provide information, collabo-
ration, product details, technical
suggestions and best practice in-
sights to inquiries from callers.
Send news and events for consideration
to Molly Rogers at
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com.

Flow Control welcomes new Editorial Advisory Board member, Bob Steinberg
Please join us in welcoming Bob Steinberg, president and founder of Sage Metering Inc., to Flow Control’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Bob Steinberg has been in the instrumentation business for
over 40 years. Graduating with a double degree (B.S.E.E.
and B.A.) from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New
Jersey, he went to work at Weston Instruments as a product
marketing engineer, where he promoted the early development of digital
panel meters and digital multimeters. Weston Instruments was known
as a leader in analog low instrumentation to measure voltage, current,
amperage and wattage. Weston patented dual-slope integration, which
significantly improved the state of the art of digital voltmeters, and intro-
duced the world’s first commercially available portable digital multimeter.
With this experience, Steinberg proceeded to work in the gas low-
meter industry, and over the years, managed the sales departments of
Kurz Instruments, Sierra Instruments and Eldridge Products to promote
the growth of thermal mass flowmeters. In September of 2002, he
founded Sage Metering Inc., and he has served as its president and CEO
since its inception. For 18 years, Sage has been an innovator in thermal
mass lowmeter technology, having introduced the first hybrid-digital
driven TMFM, offering drift-free operation and unmatched resolution and
turndown. It also pioneered the in-situ calibration validation check. Sage
Metering provides in-line and insertion-style thermal mass lowmeters to
measure the low rate and consumption of gases for multiple industrial
and commercial applications.
If you are interested in joining Flow Control’s Editorial Advisory
Board, please send an email to Editor-in-Chief Molly Rogers at
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com.

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 7

 APPLICATION CORNER
By David W. Spitzer
Principal,
Spitzer and Boyes, LLC
David W. Spitzer is a principal
at Spitzer and Boyes, LLC,
which offers engineering,
focused market research,
writing/editing white papers,
strategic marketing consult-
ing, distribution consulting,
seminars and expert witness
services for manufacturing
and automation companies.
Spitzer has written more than
400 technical articles and 10
books about flow measure-
ment, instrumentation and
process control. He can be
reached at 845-623-1830 or
via spitzerandboyes.com.
8 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
Litigation considerations
Examples of small cases include a boiler outage
at a greenhouse or a flowmeter problem at a winery.
revious articles presented some
P pointers on becoming an expert in
your plant or organization. The op-
portunity to obtain meaningful work
can come in many forms and sizes. Let’s return to
the discussion of legal work.
By observation, legal cases typically come in
three sizes based upon the potential for monetary
recovery: small, medium and large. While there is
a potential for a large number of small cases, few
such cases are pursued aggressively because the
potential monetary recovery of damages usually
does not warrant the costs and risks associated
with hiring a lawyer and expert(s). Examples of
small cases include a boiler outage at a greenhouse,
a flowmeter problem at a winery and a potential
natural gas flowmeter issue at a fast-food restau-
rant. The potential monetary recovery of damages
in these cases was small. In particular, the natural
gas flowmeter case resulted in a determination
that there were no damages, reassuring the owner
that the flowmeter was accurate (which, in and of
itself, has value).
The potential monetary recovery of damages
associated with medium-size cases is larger than
for small cases but still involves a determination
of whether the amount of recovery is worth the
cost of litigation and the risk of not recovering any
damages. For example, recovering $100,000 may
sound enticing but paying lawyers and experts to
do so should make one think twice about the risks
involved, especially since the court could rule in
the other party’s favor and leave you with a (say)
$75,000 legal bill to pay.
These considerations are similar to projects
typically encountered working for operating com-
panies. Large cases that are usually more com-
plex, more challenging and more interesting will
be discussed next month.
ID 110757983 © Oleksandr Shyripa | Dreamstime.com
 It is desired to control the level in a process tank where the flow out of the tank is measured and
manipulated by varying the speed of its discharge pump using a variable speed motor drive.
Which of the following control strategies could be used?
A. Feedback B. Feedforward C. Cascade D. Feedforward and cascade

A feedback controller could be applied where the level
is the process variable and the speed of the pump is
the manipulated variable. Answer A is applicable.
Feedforward control is used to modify the controller
output in response to a measured disturbance. There
is no measured disturbance so Answers B and D are
level process and a slave controller for the faster flow
loop generally results in superior control because the
user can tune the relatively slow-acting level controller
and the relatively fast-acting flow controller indepen-
dently. Answer C is applicable.

QUIZ not applicable.

Cascade control can be used where a level control-
ler (master) provides the set point for an outflow con-
CORNER troller (slave). Using a master controller for the slower
Additional complicating factors
A measurement of the flow coming into the process
tank allows the possibility of using feedforward control
to adjust the outflow to improve control of the tank level.

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 9

 INSTRUMENTATION
COVER STORY
AUTONOMOUS SCIENCE
THE FUTURE OF CHROMATOGRAPHY APPLICATIONS
Trends in sensor technology, safety and automation are
revolutionizing liquid flowmeters in chromatography applications.
By Dr. Moritz Kneipp, Sensirion AG
n chromatography appli-
I cations, smarter systems,
machine learning and ever-
increasing amounts of data
are creating new possibilities to auto-
mate, reduce unplanned downtime and
predict maintenance schedules. This, in
turn, widens the customer base to in-
clude a wider spectrum of professionals,
not just specifically trained scientists.
These developments are in part fueled
by leaps in sensor technology that, for
ID 6039795 © Olivier Le Queinec | Dreamstime.com
example, allow online liquid flow rate
measurements down to single nanoliters
per minute.
Artisan science
Early iterations of chromatography sys-
tems required their operators — typically
a highly trained scientist in a high-tech
research facility — to manually prepare
each sample for the next experiment.
While an analytical procedure or pro-
cess can be as short as minutes or even
10 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
seconds, typical sample preparation
steps take hours to complete. This sam-
ple preparation depends on the specific
compounds of interest and may include
weighing, filtering, evaporation, liquid-
liquid extraction and homogenization.
But the manual work was not yet
done. Each of the painstakingly prepared
samples then had to be loaded into the
system, one by one, at just the right time.
This required the operator to be dedicated
to the system during the entire process.
Even after the experiments were fin-
ished, the work continued in the form of
number crunching of the experimental
results. The potential for optimization
and automation was huge.
A new state of the art
Current systems are automated to much
higher degrees and offer full workflow
integrations ranging from sample prepa-
ration to data analysis and visualization.
Automation systems can differ in their
design, and they can range from systems
to replicate and emulate manual meth-
ods to closed systems that do part of the
sample preparation, for example, in a
benchtop system. Whereas the latter au-
tomates specific processes to an op-
timal degree, the former
can be more flexible.
Robotic systems that
mimic a typical manual
process can be adapted
to perform different steps
to complete another pro-
cess in a similar auto-
mated fashion. One key
driver of increased automa-
tion is, of course, to reduce
costs and manual workload.
However, due to advances in
sensor technology, workflows
can be monitored online and
thus optimized to increase not
only their speed and reproduc-
ibility, but also their stability
and safety.
Versatile impact
This is, however, only the begin-
ning. The high value of the test
results of chromatography work-
flows and analytical instruments
in general will cause their success
to do nothing but increase. Current
fields of interest include the food
and beverage industry, where the
results give insights into the safety
of our nutrition. Given the ever-
increasing demand for highly opti-
mized and high-yield food production
processes, every production batch will
reach an ever-increasing number of
consumers. Their health and safety thus
 Sensirion’s smart sensors for life science, diagnostics and analytical applications.
depend on the safety and stability of the
production processes.
Pharmaceutical products aim to help
and heal the sick population, a group
whose immune system is, in many cases,
already compromised. For these patients
in particular, the safety, security and reli-
ability of controlled production processes
is key. Analytical instruments and work-
flows are already used to control for these
safety aspects, and with newer and more
complex treatments becoming available,
the demand for such workflows to be effi-
ciently and seamlessly integrated into the
production processes will increase further.
Already at the development stage of
vaccines, for example, chromatography
systems help identify the specific anti-
bodies involved in fighting different dis-
eases and thus enable fast production of
specific compounds to combat the spread
of potentially life-threatening epidemics.
 Sensirion’s liquid
flow sensor
Courtesy of Sensirion
Courtesy of Sensirion
Hidden champions
With the prevalence of such analytical
systems only increasing in industry and
research, the demand for and develop-
ment of automated and stable processes
for completing the workflows around
the actual analysis will also increase.
A large portion of these develop-
ments are enabled through smart sen-
sor solutions. For example, Sensirion’s
sensor solutions enable dispense vali-
dation, process control and optimization
and failure mode detection in myriad ap-
plications. Whether an application re-
quires the monitoring of environmental
factors such as humidity and tempera-
ture, CO2 concentration or particulate
matter or the precise measurement
and control of liquid and gas flows,
Sensirion’s fully calibrated and digital
sensor technologies offer a reliable basis
for process and workflow automation
and control.
Dr. Moritz Kneipp is key account manager
of Life Science, Diagnostics, and Analytical
at Sensirion AG. Headquartered in Stäfa,
Switzerland, Sensirion AG is a manufac-
turer of digital microsensors and systems.
Its product range includes gas and liquid
flow sensors, differential pressure sen-
sors and environmental sensors for the
measurement of humidity and tempera-
ture, volatile organic compounds ( VOC),
carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and par ticulate
matter (PM2.5).
MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 11
 PROCESS CONTROL & AUTOMATION
Real-time control with
WirelessHART communication
Many manual process automation applications can be converted to real-time wireless
control, providing significant savings and other operational improvements.
By Kurtis Jensen and Sean Heine, Emerson
any automation professionals
M are using wired instrumen-
tation networks such as
WirelessHART for monitoring
applications, but few have employed the
technology for real-time control. This
paradigm is changing due to improved
wireless gateway communications, along
with specific wireless control algorithms,
empowering end users to realize the ben-
efits of wireless control.
Why wireless?
Increasing numbers of companies are
taking advantage of wireless instrumen-
tation networks for process monitoring
due to the following benefits compared
to wired infrastructure:
• Low cost installation
• Ability to obtain process measure-
ments from moving equipment, such as
 Figure 1. The cylindrical devices shown
here — Emerson THUM wireless modules
— are installed on Coriolis flowmeters.
All images courtesy of Emerson
12 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
rotary drum dryers, mobile carts, etc.)
• Ability to “try” process measurements
in a variety of areas to obtain the opti-
mum location
• Low cost of adding a wireless mea-
surement allows a company to add
process data measurements that could
not be economically justified with
wired installations
All of the information provided by wire-
less measurements can now be brought
into the automation system for monitor-
ing, alarming, historization and improved
operations — as well as for real-time
control in certain applications.
While the number of wireless moni-
toring applications has grown dramati-
cally, far fewer people have utilized
wireless for real-time control. When asked,
most automation professionals will cite
concerns of unreliable communications,
slow and variable update times, and a
reticence to be on the bleeding edge of
technology. However, that thinking is
changing as those and other concerns
are addressed.
WirelessHART provides self-organiz-
ing, adaptive mesh communication and
offers high-speed, reliable, secure and re-
dundant wireless communications. Spe-
cific control algorithms such as PIDPlus
have been developed to handle the vari-
able update rates inherent with wireless
communications. Major companies are
starting to build distillation units, and
even entire plants, using all wireless in-
strumentation. These facilities take full
advantage of the previously mentioned
benefits of wireless.
  Figure 2.
Emerson’s
Operational
Certainty process
provides a roadmap
for improvements to
existing operations.

The following example highlights

how one company used wireless to im-
prove operations.

A moving dilemma
A large chemical company based in
North America recently employed
WirelessHART control in its product
development lab area. The lab was
comprised of a large number of small
batch reactors processing a variety of
different new products. Since the raw
materials varied significantly from reac-
tor to reactor and from day to day, the
lab utilized a collection of mobile raw
material carts to charge materials into
the reactors.
Each cart consisted of three Coriolis
flowmeters, three control valves with
digital valve positioners, and three local
low controllers. The charges were set up
by the operators, who manually entered  Figure 3. THUM wireless module installed on a digital valve positioner.
the charge amounts and continuously
monitored the lows to ensure the low
rate and total charge values were cor- Using Emerson’s Operational Certainty Wireless control is the solution
rect. There were several significant limi- process (see Figure 2), the plant analyzed After evaluating their options, the facil-
tations to this arrangement: their current situation and realized there ity decided to pursue a wireless control
• Each cart had to be continuously was potential for significant improve- strategy. Rather than replacing the instru-
monitored by an operator in the area. ment if they could bring the data from ments, which would have been expen-
This limited the number of simulta- the mobile cart instrumentation into sive and time-consuming, they installed
neous reactor charges. their automation system. THUM wireless modules on each trans-
• There was no means to historize the This new arrangement would improve mitter (as shown in Figure 1) and a digital
data or analyze it after the fact, which low control, allow the operator to consis- valve positioner (as shown in Figure 3).
was particularly important when tently monitor simultaneous charges from a A THUM module allows a wired trans-
batches did not turn out as expected. single remote location, provide a means to mitter to communicate over a WirelessHART
• The batch automation system was historize the data, and allow the batch sys- network by transmitting the 4-20 mA
blind to the raw material low charges tem to control the entire process and save process variable signal to the automa-
and had no means other than manual the associated data. The project would yield tion system, and it allows a valve posi-
tasks to monitor and/or control these even greater savings if it did not require re- tioner to be controlled by the automa-
lows. It also could not save the data placement of the existing hardwired instru- tion system via WirelessHART. When
into the electronic batch record. mentation and control valve positioners. used with a digital valve positioner, the

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 13

 The flow control data for all of the re-
actor flow loops is now available on any
operator station, and charge flows for
numerous reactors can be continuously
monitored and alarmed. In addition, all
the flow data can now be trended and
stored in the historian for future reference.
The charges can be programmed
into the batch system, with the result-
ing charge values written to the batch
record upon completion of the charge.
What’s more, none of the existing Coriolis
meters, control valves and digital posi-
tioners required replacement — resulting
in significant savings.

 Figure 4. A WirelessHART system is controlled

Wireless control issues to consider
by a network manager, ensuring deterministic update While this is just one example of a wire-
of the process measurement. less control application, there are count-
less others that can offer significant
value. However, there are some technical
positioner is placed in digital mode the system using PIDPlus control blocks limitations to wireless control, including:
and the valve position is commanded (see Figure 5). The PIDPlus algorithm was • The fastest update time for a THUM
via HART. specifically developed to allow the con- module is eight seconds, so THUM
The THUM also provides a fully func- troller to continue to operate consistently modules are not well-suited for very
tional HART communication interface, and reliably despite variable update times high-speed flow and pressure control
allowing device diagnostics to be moni- of up to 30 seconds. Once those modules loops or for any loop that must be
tored and the device to be configured, were created, the flow loops were added updated in less than eight seconds.
all via the WirelessHART gateway. The to the automation system graphics and • Native wireless instruments can up-
gateway is connected to the automation the material charges were incorporated date at faster rates, but if the instru-
system by a hardwired communications into the batch program. ment is battery powered, the battery
link via Modbus TCP. life will be significantly shortened.
Since the cart required 120 VAC power The results • The variable update times inherent
for Coriolis meters, the same power source The improvements were dramatic and in wireless tend to create unstable
was used to feed a 24 VDC power supply immediate and have proven to be valu- control with a standard PID control
that powered all six instrument loops. able over both the short and long term. algorithm when control periods are
To facilitate communications with the
cart instrumentation, the plant installed
a redundant WirelessHART gateway and
tied it into their automation system net-
work (see Figure 4).
The wireless communications use a self-
organizing network based on an adaptive
mesh arrangement that can automatically
self-heal if communication with an instru-
ment is interrupted. The security of the
data transfer is protected by encryption,
authentication, verification, anti-jamming
and network key management.
Once the data links were established
between the field instrumentation and
the automation system, the rest of the
project was quite straightforward. The
flow control loops were programmed into  Figure 5. Wireless communications enable real-time control of mobile cart operations.

14 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

 “The wireless communications use a self-organizing network must be evaluated, the savings and value
offered by wireless control make the tech-
based on an adaptive mesh arrangement that can automatically nology worth considering for many pro-
self-heal if communication with an instrument is interrupted.” cess automation applications.

less than one minute. So a modi-
fied PID algorithm should be used,
such as PIDPlus, which takes these
infrequent update times into con-
sideration as the control response
is calculated.
• Wireless downstream communica-
tions to output devices are not cur-
rently scheduled and can be signifi-
cantly delayed. However, the next
generation of HART gateway wire-
less software will include scheduled
downstream communications.
• If battery-powered devices are used,
the battery status should be moni-
tored, and the batteries should be
periodically replaced to avoid unex-
pected loss of data.
• Wireless output devices should be
configured to fail safely should they
lose communication with the au-
tomation system for an extended
length of time.
Despite these limitations, wireless control
is viable for many process automation
applications — as most do not require
fast update rates.
Conclusion
Recent improvements in wireless gate-
ways, wireless mesh networks and con-
trol algorithms have taken WirelessHART
control from the world of research studies
and theory into operating plants. While
there are technical considerations that
Kurtis Jensen is a global man-
ager for Emerson. He is respon-
sible for product development,
serving as an advocate and pro-
moter of innovative technologies that benefit
end users. Jensen has over 35 years’ experi-
ence in field service, control systems, SCADA,
RTUs, communications, cybersecurity wireless
technologies and field instrumentation.
Sean Heine is an account
manager for Novaspect. He
is responsible for Emerson’s
Final Control portfolio. Heine
has been working in various capacities at
Novaspect for the last fi ve years, including
six months at Emerson’s Fisher facility in
Marshalltown, Iowa.

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MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 15

 VIBRATION ANALYSIS

Practical methods in rotating equipment

vibration analysis
Solutions such as setting up a vibration analysis program, proper use of
sensors, data collection tools and apps, and monitoring bearing health
can help identify flow-induced issues.
By Donald Nice Jr., SKF USA Inc.

n processing industries, there
I are several challenges that can
lead to flow-induced issues,
ranging from the degradation
of a piping structure to the misapplication
of a pump. Flow-induced vibration can
come in many forms due to the various
configurations of process piping, pumps,
sumps and tanks that have an impact on
the hydraulic applications.
Typically, data collection routes are cre-
ated to help monitor and identify machine
health changes over time, including condi-
tions that create a low-induced vibration.
It is important to determine whether the
root cause is due to suction or discharge
at the impeller and housing location. After
this is determined, the application or com-
ponent causing the issue — such as an
“Flow-induced vibration can come in many forms due to the
various configurations of process piping, pumps, sumps and
tanks that have an impact on the hydraulic applications.”
impeller, casing, bearing, etc. — needs to familiar with the intended use of the ma-
be identified. chine or, in the worst case, may not fol-
For example, the initial processing low best practices for pump overhauls.
steps in the paper industry can be ex- An improperly installed impeller can
tremely abrasive as raw materials are cause shaft or housing damage and fail-
converted into paper. Often, sand from ure over time.
the tree harvest is present in wood pulp. Besides the risk of lost productivity,
This can lead to degradation of the pump safety concerns and the environmental
housing or volutes in certain application impact that comes with pump failures in
areas — either of which then creates a luid processing are both relevant. Pump
low-induced issue. failures — particularly in the oil and gas
Another challenge is that pumps are industries — can be dangerous to hu-
often outsourced to third-party repair man health, while also seriously detri-
centers or rebuilders who may not be mental to the environment.

16 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

 Figure 1. New digital data collection tools health data to help identify issues and
and mobile apps give MRO engineers, managers potentially mitigate faults before the op-
and technicians a cost-effective entry point
for a do-it-yourself, predictive maintenance program. eration is affected.
All images courtesy of SKF Rpm and the number of vanes in a
pump play a key role in identifying flow-
induced vibration. For example, a six-vane
Bearing health pump should create vibration at six orders
Bearings can be contributors to overall of running speed. Analysts should look for
pump vibration. Bearings that are im- variations in the vibration signature that
properly specified, stored, installed or are uncommon, such as a raised noise
maintained can significantly affect pump floor in the spectral data, modulation of
operations in processing plants. Bearing the time capture or higher frequency that
lubrication can also contribute to pump appears to be random noise — typically in
failure — whether it is too much, not an acceleration spectrum with and fre-
enough, the wrong type of lubricant or quency setting at 300 kcp or 5 kHz).
the wrong application frequency. When a
bearing begins to fail, it may start turning Proper use of sensors
on the shaft. When the shaft begins to fail, When conducting vibration analysis, it is
the impeller may twist off. critical to maintain the consistency of the
If the pump was not assembled prop- data. Techs often use a handheld device
erly and there is not enough clearance that is carried throughout the plant to
from the backplate on the volute, it can monitor and record vibration. The sensor
cause poor suction and create unwanted should be placed in the same location on
vibration from the beginning of opera- the rotating equipment, which should be
tion. Bearing and flow issues are unre- clearly marked on the asset. This allows
lated to the pumping application but for consistency between data collection
manifest in the vibration signature in the intervals. Ideally, the same sensor would
same frequency range. be used each time since different sensors
may not measure vibration at the exact  Figure 2. Failing bearings are a key contributor to
Setting up a vibration same level, and the calibrations can be flow-induced vibration.
analysis program
Companies interested in monitoring
machine and pump health through vi-
bration analysis should start by deter-
mining the criticality of all their assets.
Which pumps can run to failure without
consequences and which can pose sig-
nificant cost and/or safety issues upon
failure? It is important to identify spe-
cific collection points on an asset where
the vibration collection will provide the
most accurate indication of machine
health. These points will not be the same
on every asset.
Identifying the collection points can
take some time depending on the appli-
cation, but this allows operators and ser-
vice techs to establish an accurate base-
line for acceptable performance. Factors,
including rpm or variable speed, number
of vanes and type of volute, should all be
considered when setting up a vibration
analysis program. Accurate and com-
plete input will lead to accurate machine  Figure 3. Pump failures — particularly in the oil and gas industry — can pose serious safety and environmental risks.

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 17

  Figure 4. SKF connects users to expert analysis,
advice and diagnostic reports for their rotating
equipment via connected devices and intuitive
mobile apps.

slightly diferent. his is true even if they

In- Line Sensors:
• No calibration required
• Sensors connect to monitors that can be
integrated to a control system or PC
• The sensor can be disposed of after use to
eliminate cleaning of product contact areas
• Available in different sizes with both barb
and lange ittings
are the same type of sensor.
Proper mounting of the sensor also
plays a key role in consistency. Portable
sensors typically have a magnet-based
mount that the analyst moves from asset
to asset. If the sensor is not set on a solid
base and is allowed to move, it may give
an inaccurate reading. Ideally, sensors
should have the same mounting at each
location, but that may not always be prac-
tical from an operations perspective.
Some applications make it diicult to
mount the sensor in certain locations, so
an analyst may pick certain sizes of sen-
sors and magnets to acquire data at all of
the locations. Additionally, if a vibration
program is being conducted by more than
one analyst, it is essential they receive the
same initial training to ensure consistency
and commonality between data collection.

Mobile apps complement

data collection
Pressure
Newly introduced handheld data collec-
tion tools and mobile apps have recently
given MRO engineers, managers and tech-
nicians a cost-efective entry point for a
do-it-yourself, predictive maintenance pro-
Temperature gram. For example, an easy-to-use, portable
sensor may be combined with an intuitive
mobile app that allows users to quickly
monitor machine health and predict issues
before they afect the operation.
The portable sensor provides instant
feedback via the app. If help is needed, some
Conductivity companies like SKF ofer in-app communi-
cations that connect users to expert analy-
sis, advice and diagnostic reports. hese
tools and technologies can also comple-
ment a broader existing vibration analy-
UV/VIS/NIR Absorbance
sis program, especially in asset-intensive
plants where resources may be limited.

Optimizing pump performance

Digitalization and technology develop-
ments are rapidly becoming key drivers in
Princeton, NJ USA
www.pendotech.com the manufacturing industry. The internet
of things (IoT) is connecting machines with

18 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

big data, which offers new, actionable can help plants mitigate reliability issues, Services Division. He has over 30 years of
insights into machine performance with minimize unplanned maintenance and experience in the vibration testing field and
more opportunities to improve efficiencies. repairs, maximize equipment availability has been in the predictive maintenance field
Condition monitoring with vibration and reduce overall operating costs. since 1992. Nice is a certified maintenance
analysis is essential to ensure a pump and reliability professional (CMRP) from
is running on the curve for its optimal Donald Nice Jr., CMRP, is the the Society of Maintenance and Reliability
performance. Having the ability to cross- service manager for the met- Professionals and has several certifications
functionally compare vibration, temper- als, mining and petrochemical in the disciplines utilized in the predictive
ature and oil analysis allows operators industries for SKF USA Inc. maintenance industry.
to get an overall snapshot of machine
health. Connecting, collecting and cor-
relating data offers a new way for people
to interface with machines to increase
efficiency and productivity.
Companies like SKF are not only using
big data to help plants monitor and ana-
lyze the health of their machinery, but
they can also help original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) improve machine
design. For example, data insights can
be shared with OEMs to enhance pump
design — recommending a different
bearing or seal — that could alleviate a
specific design challenge experienced on
a global scale.
This type of sophisticated data min-
ing not only provides insight that drives
strategic, operational decision-making
but can also optimize product design
and development.

ROI of vibration analysis

Setting up a proactive vibration analysis
program can save companies thousands
of dollars. Identifying a flow-related issue
before damaging the internals of a pump
can prevent a $3,000 repair from turn-
ing into a $25,000 repair. Factoring in the
loss of productivity that can also occur
when a pump fails further contributes to
the return on investment (ROI).
Companies that want to use digitali-
zation to maximize performance, reduce
costs and be more competitive — but
do not necessarily have the resources or
expertise in-house — can turn to third-
party experts to transform their business.
New fee-based business models designed
around performance criteria allow com-
panies to approach machine mainte-
nance, performance management and
procurement in a different way.
Pay-for-performance contracts, such
as SKF Rotating Equipment Performance,

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 19

 SEALING SYSTEMS
Shaft seal selection
for top-entry mixers
There are many seal technologies available in
the marketplace, and each has its advantages.
By John Merrill and Gabriel Young, EagleBurgmann
ndustrial mixers are used
in every industrial market
I sector. The most common
configuration is referred to
as top-entry, which includes a vertical
cylindrical tank with a rotating shaft that
enters through a nozzle at the top of the
tank and drives the mixing blades below.
A sealing device is necessary to keep the
tank contents from leaking past the shaft
entry point and to prevent the surround-
ing atmosphere from entering the tank.
The immediate choices of sealing tech-
nology for an application are dictated
by the health, safety and environmental
risks (HSE). Product containment is the
primary concern. Some industrial mixing
20 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
ID 103293205 ©TraimakIvan| Dreamstime.com
processes involve hazardous luids enter-
ing the tank and can even produce hazard-
ous fluids as a result of an intentional
or potential chemical reaction within
the tank. Product leakage to atmosphere
is often the vapor above the liquid level,
which can result in invisible and pervasive
 Figure 1. Top-entry mixer
clouds that can harm people, reach spark
or heat sources, corrode other equipment, All igures courtesy of EagleBurgmann
or contaminate off-site areas downwind.
Secondary to HSE, mixer shaft offset is
a practical factor in selecting seal tech- offset is the out-of-concentricity of the
nology for general use. For our purposes, shaft centerline relative to the nozzle
we define offset as a shift of the shaft bore. Common causes of this include
from its original position when the seal settling of the tank foundation and dam-
device was installed. (Offset does not aged steady bushing assemblies. Simi-
include dynamic shaft motion.) Radial larly, axial offset is upward or downward

 Figure 2.
Compression packing
Advantages
Low cost, market availability, simple concept
Axial offset, radial bushing effect
Replaceable in situ, meaning the sealing
elements can be replaced without having to
disturb the mixer shaft
shift of the shaft. Common causes of this
include relative thermal growth of the
shaft relative to the tank, aging of the
gearbox drive, and mechanical looseness
in the shaft section couplings.
Each of the five generally accepted
technologies for sealing top-entry mixer
shafts is described in the following sec-
tion. The basic advantages and disadvan-
tages are listed, but there are exceptions
to every statement based on the specific
seal design and application. Nonethe-
less, these will help start a good discus-
sion among the end user and the mixer,
tank, motor and seal manufacturer.
Compression packing
Compression packing is comprised of a
network of tightly interwoven fibers and
lubricants formed into a square cross-
section and wrapped around the shaft
in stacked rows. A metal gland is drawn
to a stuing box with threaded fasteners,
compressing the packing and forming a
seal. Water or grease can be injected be-
tween intermediate rows to lubricate the
sealing surface and extend life.
Disadvantages
Not considered a containment solution
High gland water consumption
Wear to shaft or sleeve surface
“Multiple lip seals can be stacked in series for more effective
sealing, and grease can be injected between intermediate lip
elements for the same reasons water is injected into packing.”
Advantages
Simple concept, easy to repair, low cost
Axial offset
Replaceable in situ
Lip seals
A lip seal is a molded elastomeric ele-
ment with a flexible lip on the inner
diameter that seals to the shaft. Mul-
tiple lip seals can be stacked in series for
more efective sealing, and grease can be
injected between intermediate lip ele-
ments for the same reasons water is in-
jected into packing.
Clearance ring seals
Clearance ring seals are segmented
bushings that provide a very small radial
gap around the shaft to limit leakage of
a low-pressure gas injected between in-
termediate rows of the bushings. These
seals normally have large annular gaps
inside the housing grooves that contain
the clearance rings. This allows the clear-
ance rings to move radially within the
housing but stay centered on the shaft.
Axial ofset is essentially unlimited, but
practically limited by the length of the
shaft or sleeve surface machined to the
required tolerances.
 Figure 3. Lip seals
Disadvantages
Not considered a containment solution
Wear to shaft or sleeve surface
MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 21
 The housing can be split into two
halves so that the segmented bushings
can be replaced without disturbing the
mixer. Some designs also have a split
wear sleeve for bushings designed to have
a very slight interference during run-in.

Mechanical seals
Mechanical seals are comprised of axi-
ally opposed rotating and stationary
rings in direct contact or separated by
an extremely thin lubricating film. here
 Figure 4. Clearance rings are several configurations available, such
as single dry-running seals, axially split
seals, and dual-pressurized liquid or gas
Advantages Disadvantages
seals. Mechanical seals can be supplied
Axial and radial offset Not considered a containment solution
with many options such as integral bear-
ings, cooling flanges and debris wells.
Dual mechanical seals are often used in
Replaceable in situ Barrier gas required top-entry mixers so that an external seal-
ing fluid (barrier fluid) can be introduced
High speed Slight wear to shaft or sleeve surface between two sets of seal faces. he barrier
fluid is maintained at a higher pressure than
the tank so that the tank contents cannot
leak to atmosphere. The barrier fluid can
“Mechanical seals are comprised of axially opposed be either an acceptable liquid lubricant —
so that high speeds and pressures can be
rotating and stationary rings in direct contact or separated achieved — or a gas so that the purity of the
by an extremely thin lubricating film.” tank contents can be maintained.

 Figure 6.
 Figure 5. Single mechanical
Single mechanical seal seal, axially split

Advantages Disadvantages

Moderate product containment Very limited shaft offset (without bearing)

Split seal can be repaired in situ Higher purchase and repair cost

Installation training required

22 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

 “The barrier fluid can be either an acceptable
liquid lubricant — so that high speeds and
pressures can be achieved — or a gas so that
the purity of the tank contents can be maintained.”

 Figure 7. Dual mechanical seal

Many dual mechanical seal designs
include a radial bearing in the seal car-
tridge to limit radial and angular ex-
cursions of the shaft during operation.
Many top-entry mixing applications can
be quite turbulent or create large radial
forces on the mixing blades. The radial
bearing in the mixer gearbox and steady
bushing in the tank may be too distant
from the seal to keep the shaft deflection
from damaging the seal components or
disrupting the thin lubricating film be-
tween the faces. This can add cost and
complexity but may be the only way to
achieve safe operation with high reli-
ability and long life.
Magnetic couplings
A magnetic coupling is a hermetic
seal that couples the drive shaft outside
the tank to the rotating element in the
tank via a magnetic field. The drive
and driven rotors are separated by a
containment shell attached to the
tank wall.
Conclusion
The selection of the safest and most reli-
able seal technology for mixers is not easy.
Shaft sizes range from 20 millimeters to

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 23

 Advantages

High level of product containment

High pressure (60+ bar)

THANK Very large shaft sizes (300 mm+)

Long life

YOU! Disadvantages

Support system required, more complex

We’ve received
Very limited shaft offset (without bearing)
your nominations.
Higher purchase and repair cost

Installation and system training required

Thank you to ever yone
wh o submitted an
I n n o v a t i o n Aw a r d s e n t r y .  Figure 8. Dual mechanical
The nominations will be seal with bearing

ann ounced next m onth, and

r e a d e r s w i l l h a v e a ch a n c e
to cast their v ote.

Advantages Disadvantages

Hermetically sealed for Requires specific tank

full containment and rotor design

Simple to operate,
Torque considerations
high MTBR

 Figure 9.
High sterility product
protection
Magnetic coupling

over 400 millimeters, tank volumes from
5 liters to over 100,000 liters, and there are
an enormous range of pressures, temper-
atures and shaft speeds.
Many industrial applications involve
a sequence of mixing steps — each
with its own operating parameters —
so selecting one seal technology suit-
able for all conditions is required. It is
recommended to have a detailed dia-
logue among the end user, mixer man-
ufacturer, seal manufacturers and even
the tank manufacturer so that a safe,
reliable and cost-efective selection can
be made.
John Merrill is a principal engineer with Eagle-
Burgmann and resides in Charlotte, North
Carolina. He has worked in the seal industry since
1990. Merrill received a Bachelor of Science in
mechanical engineering from the University of Tul-
sa and a Master of Science from Western Michi-
gan University. He is an active participant in the Hy-
draulic Institute, API 682, and ASM International.
Gabriel Young is a senior engineer with Eagle-
Burgmann in Denver, Colorado. He received his
Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineer-
ing from St. Louis University and has worked in
the seal industry since 2012. Young is an active
participant in the Hydraulic Institute.

24 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

 PUMP SYSTEMS
Flow, cavitation, piping and
nozzle loads at suction of pumps
Flexibilities should be included in the suction piping,
keeping an eye on liquid flow, pressure loss and NPSH margin.
By Amin Almasi
any papers and articles have
M been published about cavi-
tation, net positive suction
head (NPSH) requirements
and pressure drop on suction piping of
pumps. However, complicated cases of
how all flow, NPSH, thermal movements
and stress analysis requirements are
considered simultaneously and how an
optimum configuration is achieved for
suction piping of pumps have not been
thoroughly discussed.
Flow management, cavitation avoid-
ance and proper stream of liquid at suc-
tion of pumps are key topics for reliability,
safety and operation of pumps. For pumps,
the suction piping is almost always more
critical than the discharge piping, even
though the discharge piping operates at
much higher pressure than the suction.
In addition to key flow and NPSH re-
quirements, the suction piping configura-
tion should not cause excessive misalign-
ment between the pump and its driver.
As a rough indication, the shaft displace-
ment of the pump shaft should be less
than 300 micrometers (0.3 mm). This is
closely related to allowable nozzle loads,
and piping reaction loads should be as
low as possible. Satisfying different nozzle
load conditions ensure that any pump
casing distortion will be within allowable
limits. An important reaction load is from
the suction piping, because the diameter
of suction piping is more than the diam-
eter of discharge piping — due to flow
requirements. Also, the suction piping
is relatively shorter and stiffer than the
discharge piping. A discharge piping of a
pump can be provided with many differ-
ent loops and flexibility provisions; there-
fore, the load on discharge nozzle is more
manageable and generally lower.
Challenges at suction
Suction piping systems of pumps have
always been challenging. This is due to
the sensitivity of the pump to the flow
problems and pressure drop on the suc-
tion and due to the larger size of the pip-
ing normally used in the suction side.
On one side, the suction piping should
be straight, simple and short to miti-
gate issues associated with suction flow,
Courtesy of Amin Almasi
NPSH and cavitation avoidance. This
is unique to the suction, and a manda-
tory minimum pressure is maintained at
the pump entrance to ensure the proper
flow of liquid and operation of the pump.
On the other hand, this is a relatively
large diameter piping, and stresses and
reaction loads should be considered.
In many cases, the liquid handled is
near saturation at suction. In other words,
the liquid at surface level is at saturation
temperature or close to saturation. Be-
cause liquid temperature is maintained
throughout the piping system, if at any
time the pressure drops below the satura-
tion pressure, vaporization occurs.
As the pump operates, the pressure loss
causes the liquid pressure to decrease.
The pressure loss is a function of the flow
and the suction piping (size, route, etc).
The entire operating envelope of the
pump should be considered. For in-
stance, when the pump is operated at the
far right side of the best efficiency point
(BEP), the flow is higher than normal flow
and there should still be enough margin
on NPSH. Another key factor is diameter
MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 25
and proper route of suction piping. In
many cases, some flexibilities should be
included in the suction piping, keeping
an eye on liquid flow, pressure loss and
NPSH margin. Flexibilities should be ac-
counted for, and the overall required pip-
ing length, added bends and such should
be minimized to keep flow characters
and pressure drop under control. In many
cases, the flexibility at the suction vessel
nozzle (or suction drum nozzle) is also
important and should be included.
First support at suction piping
Generally, the suction piping should be as
short as possible, as straight as possible
and as simple as possible. Usually, there
are one or two elbows or bends maxi-
mum. A major problem could be high re-
action forces of such a stiff suction piping
in a differential temperature case.
Often, the piping reaction load can be
considerably reduced by placing stop(s)
at strategic locations at suction. The
exact location of the stop is determined
by iterations. There have been cases in
which a stop for the vertical direction
was included to limit the reaction load in
the vertical direction. This is an effective
method, as many pumps have suction
piping with a relatively long vertical run.
As a rule-of-thumb, the support point
should be roughly located at the same
elevation as the centerline of the pump
shaft. The inal decision should be made
based on the stress analysis. There have
been many successful suction piping sys-
tems where the first support (and usu-
ally only support) was considered at the
elbow upstream of the pump.
The main purpose of such a support is
to bear the weight of the vertical piping,
often referred to as the riser. The correct
point to apply the support is the one in-
line with the vertical piping. Otherwise,
a bending moment is created between
the weight application point and the
support. This is a case often wrongly ap-
plied by inexperienced engineers. At this
support point, the thermal movement of
the piping between the ixed point of the
casing and the support point should be
included as a support displacement.
A loop in suction piping
In some cases, a loop might be needed
in the suction piping to handle extreme
temperature differences. Such a loop on
suction piping is only acceptable as the
last solution. When it comes down to pro-
viding an expansion (contraction) loop,
the location of the loop is extremely im-
portant. One may try to place a loop at a
higher elevation due to better space and
support structure availability. However,
when handling near-saturated fluids, the
high elevation loop can be the cause of
many operational problems. First, this loop
uses four elbows that generate excessive

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26 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020

pressure drop and flow disturbances. As a CPEng – Mechanical) and IMechE (CEng power generation, water treatment, material han-
rough indication, four elbows generate a MIMechE) in addition to a M.Sc. and B.Sc. dling and others. Almasi is an active member
pressure loss equivalent to 10- to 20-meter- in mechanical engineering and RPEQ (Regis- of Engineers Australia, IMechE, ASME and
long pipe, depending on the pipe size. The tered Professional Engineer in Queensland). SPE. He has authored more than 150 papers
loss can easily reduce the pressure to below He specializes in mechanical equipment and and articles dealing with rotating equipment,
the saturation pressure at a higher loca- machineries including centrifugal, screw and condition monitoring, fire protection, power
tion due to less hydrostatic head available. reciprocating compressors, gas turbines, generation, water treatment, material han-
Once vaporization occurs, the fluid starts steam turbines, engines, pumps, condition dling and reliability. He can be reached at
to bang and the pressure drop further in- monitoring, reliability, as well as fire protection, amin.almasi@ymail.com.
creases. The loop, if absolutely necessary,
should be placed at the low elevation sec-
tion (bottom portion) as low as possible.
Although this portion of piping is generally
more congested, the loop should still be
placed at the bottom portion in combina-
tion with original bends. The combination
with original bends reduces the number of
elbows required. This reduces flow turbu-
lence and pressure drop.
Preferably, the loop should be laid out
in such a way that pivot points are created
for installing stops. Because of the horizon-
tal run, the suction piping is pushing the
pump in the horizontal direction. The hori-
zontal reaction force can be reduced by in-
stalling a stop in the horizontal direction.
By fine-tuning the location of this stop, the
horizontal force at the pump nozzle can be
reduced to a minimum. he same also ap-
plies to the vertical stop as discussed.

Expansion joint at suction

he application of expansion joints should
be avoided due to maintenance and op-
erational problems. However, when there
is no way to make the piping reaction load
meet the allowable limit, an expansion
joint may be considered. Although the
expansion joint is an expensive item, re-
quiring special engineering, it is still better
than a system that will not work. In some
cases, due to considerably high tempera-
ture diferences and large sizes of piping,
it is absolutely impossible to design a pip-
ing system that will meet the allowable
load. Loops or other flexibility-providing
options cannot be used due to many
diferent reasons, and then the only re-
maining option is an expansion joint.

Amin Almasi is a lead mechani-

cal engineer in Australia. He is a
chartered professional engineer
of Engineers Australia (MIEAust

MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 27

 TRADE SHOWS & EVENTS
Sensors Expo & Conference connects
sensor industry professionals
elebrating its 35th year,
C Sensors Expo & Conference,
North America’s largest event
dedicated to sensors, con-
nectivity and IoT, will celebrate its 35th
year. The event will be held June 22-24 at
the McEnery Convention Center in San
Jose, California.
With more than 350 sensor industry
giants covering the expo floor and a
comprehensive conference program cov-
ering today’s applications and future
trends, attendees have the tools to explore
sensing technologies that are driving
tomorrow’s solutions.
More than 65 conference sessions will
be held featuring a three-day program
with nine new and updated tracks: Ad-
vanced Technologies, Industrial & Man-
ufacturing, IoT & Connectivity, MEMS,
Robotics & Drones, Security & Privacy,
Smart Buildings & Cities, Standards, and
Systems Design. The expo will also in-
clude more than 100 additional speakers.
Co-located with the Sensors Expo
are three events:
Embedded Technologies Expo & Con-
ference (ETC): At the second annual
event, attendees will experience more
than 100 hours of education and training
covering embedded systems, IoT, con-
nectivity, edge computing, AI, machine
learning and more.
The Autonomous Technologies Con-
ference (ATC): The event brings to-
gether major OEMs, startups, analysts
and the investment community to dis-
cuss the challenges and opportunities
in the emerging market of autonomous
devices. In an expanded two-day pro-
gram, the conference will feature in-
depth technical sessions and interactive
panels that will explore the state of the
industry, the issues it is facing and the
roadmap for development and commer-
cialization ahead.
28 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
The IoT Implementation Forum (IIF):
This is the first conference in the IoT mar-
ket to focus exclusively on IoT implemen-
tation. Powered by market-leading brands,
FierceWireless and FierceElectronics, the
two-day conference will bring together
technology executives, IoT solution pro-
viders and leading analysts to tackle this
fast-growing market, expected to reach
$520 billion by 2021. IIF will address the
biggest challenges in IoT deployments —
integration, interoperability, security and
more — in a format of keynotes, analyst
presentations, use cases and panels ses-
sions delivered by the industry’s leading
IoT implementors and solution providers.
The event will also include
five symposia:
Symposium 1: Exploring the MEMS
Ecosystem to Build a Smarter Tomor-
row, organized and moderated by Valerie
Marty of Connected Micro LLC
Symposium 2: Implementing Energy Har-
vesting and Higher Energy Eiciency Sen-
sor Designs, organized and moderated by
Randy Frank of Randy Frank Associates
Symposium 3: Artificial Intelligence -
Coming to a Sensor Near You, organized
and moderated by Arduino
Symposium 4: Challenges & Applica-
tion Opportunities for Printed, Flexible,
Stretchable & Functional Fabric Sensors,
Sensor-Based Systems & Electronics, or-
ganized and moderated by Roger Grace
of Roger Grace Associates
Symposium 5: Hey Network, It’s Me,
Sensor: Opportunities & Challenges in a
Connected World, organized and mod-
erated by FierceElectronics
Keynote speakers for the event include
Gregory Travis, managing director of Sup-
porwell LLC, and Dr. Kathleen Gallagher
June 22-24
San Jose, California
EXHIBIT SCHEDULE
Courtesy of Sensors Expo
Monday, June 22, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23, 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
sensorsexpo.com
Boggs, part of NASA’s exploration capabili-
ties development team lead. Using the ex-
ample of what went wrong with the Boeing
737 MAX, Travis will examine the engineer-
ing, cultural and systems design/software
development approaches that can lead to
negative outcomes and what today’s orga-
nizations can do to build safer systems.
Boggs will discuss NASA’s current ex-
ploration plans and the challenges associ-
ated with human voyages to the moon and
Mars. It describes key human spaceflight
capabilities that must be advanced to en-
able NASA’s exploration goals, including
sensors and avionics that can survive ex-
treme environments, systems that enable
crew and vehicle autonomy, and highly re-
liable environmental monitoring systems
that require minimal maintenance.
Announcement regarding COVID-19
As of April 4, the exhibition looks forward
to welcoming attendees to the Sensors
Expo & Conference. The announcement
includes this statement:
“The safety and health of our attendees,
partners, and exhibitors is our number one
priority. Please be assured that we are moni-
toring the situation very closely and are in
constant contact with our speakers, spon-
sors, exhibitors, and attendees. Should there
be any changes to the current status, we
will take account of any recommendations
from the relevant federal and state authori-
ties, and the municipal health authorities,
and implement all appropriate instructions.
Questex is monitoring the situation closely
and will react accordingly via instruction
from government authorities.”
The McEnery Convention Center in
San Jose is also monitoring the COVID-19
situation and taking measures to ensure
the safety of attendees and exhibitors.
 P R O D U C T
FOCUS
Send products for consideration in this section
to mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
1 | flow sensor
AW-Lake Company’s EDGE
Flow Sensor with optional
Bluetooth mounts on flowmeters
to provide a frequency, current
or analog signal. The sensor
offers three optional pulse output
configurations including push/
pull, sinking and sourcing as well
as a Modbus output. A Bluetooth
mobile application allows
users to monitor and program
flowmeters from a smartphone.
Operators can remotely
configure, set parameters,
fine-tune adjustments and
troubleshoot the sensor.
aw-lake.com
2 | sensor-to-cloud transmitter
The SignalFire RANGER, a
universal IIoT platform to connect
industrial sensors to the cloud using
MQTT technology over cellular
networks, is now certified by
Verizon to operate on its wireless
network. It comes with a web-
enabled interface to monitor, trend
and receive alarms. The SignalFire
Cloud platform provides for remote
configuration of the RANGER
transmitter and its attached
sensor(s). Operators can turn on/
off the relay output from the Cloud
interface to remotely control pumps,
motors, valves and more.
signalfire.com
3 | sensor app
Sensaphone’s cloud-based
Sentinel PRO system with
supporting iPhone/Android app
helps water and wastewater
facility operators monitor
equipment and environmental
conditions. Users can view data
values in real time, set alarms,
acknowledge alerts, review data and
generate reports from their mobile
device. The system supports
both Modbus RTU-485 and TCP
protocols and can monitor
up to 64 Modbus registers and
12 different digital or analog
status conditions.
sensaphone.com
4 | single-use sensor
Emerson’s Rosemount 550pH
sensor and Rosemount 550DW
dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor
adapter meet the needs of the
biopharmaceutical single-use
market. The technology provides
greater sensor stability, reducing
risk in process quality and yield. It
also offers shortened startup time,
ease of use and low maintenance.
The sensor offers the capability
of being stored wet for immediate
verification and standardization.
The 550DW DO adapter enables
placement into the bioreactor
single-use bag.
emerson.com
MAY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 29
 P R O D U C T
FOCUS
Send products for consideration in this section
to mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
1 | thermal flowmeter
Fluid Components International
(FCI)’s ST80 Series Thermal
Flow Meter provides optimal
performance and the necessary
features for accuracy and
repeatability in demanding biogas
flow measurement applications.
It features Adaptive Sensor
Technology (AST), combining
constant power (CP) and constant
temperature (CT) thermal
dispersion sensing technologies. It
is suitable for pipe diameters from 1
to 99 inches and air/gas temps up
to 850°F. The meter has extensive
outputs and user interface choices.
fluidcomponents.com
30 FLOW CONTROL | MAY 2020
2 | density digital converter
Dynatrol’s CL-10-HY density cell
and Series 2000 density digital
converter measure the density
of crude oil, butane, diesel fuel,
distillates, gasoline, ethane gas,
isobutene, jet fuels and LPG.
The cells come in a range of
corrosion-resistant materials
that are weather tight and
explosion proof. They serve
broad temperature and pressure
ratings with no moving parts.
The CL10HY-V2 Cell is double-
sealed for protection against leaks.
The Series 2000 digital converter
has an onboard microcontroller.
dynatrolusa.com
3 | electromagnetic flowmeter
Endress+Hauser’s Proline Promag
W 300/400/500 flowmeters
with the 0 x DN full bore option
measure with high accuracy
(±0.5%). They are suitable in
tight spaces because they do
not need any inlet or outlet runs.
The Promag W (0 x DN full bore)
can easily handle swirls that
frequently occur downstream of
obstacles such as pipe bends
and insertion devices and even
those downstream of unknown
obstacles such as buildup on
the pipe wall, protruding seals or
different inside diameters.
endress.com
3
4 | shutoff valve
Emerson’s ASCO Series 158 Gas
Valve and Series 159 Motorized
Actuator are designed for
burner-boiler applications.
The valve offers a higher close-off
pressure of 75 psi (5.2 bar) to
ensure safe shutoff in the event
of a fuel train system failure.
Installation is easy with end
connectors that eliminate the need
for piping unions and a ventless
compatible monoblock design that
eliminates the need for additional
vent piping. The actuator has
a rugged construction and can
mount in any position.
emerson.com
 Connect
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