Flow Control September 2020 PDF

FIELD DEVICE
HEALTH
MONITORING
Exploring the possibility of

limitless bearing wear
Page 18
Solving control valve

cavitation problems
Page 20
Selecting PVC valves

for chemical processing
Page 26
SEPTEMBER 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
SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 26 | ISSUE 9
COVER STORY
Plant asset management:
10 Automating the final manual frontier
The last area where plants tend
to give up manual monitoring and
take up automation is asset health
management. Here’s why operations
and maintenance teams must take
this critical step.
FEATURES
Condition monitoring, diagnostics,
14 prognostics and failure modes
10 of fluid movement machineries
An efficient monitoring plan manages part
cover: 88793909 © Suwin
replacement and other maintenance to be
Puengsamrong | Dreamstime.com performed as needed to prevent failure.
Exploring the possibility of limitless

DEPARTMENTS 18 bearing wear
Innovations in graphene and graphene-
related materials (GRM) as a lubricant could
4 Editor’s Note enable better, or limitless, bearing wear.
6 Industry News
Understanding and solving control valve
8
28
Application & Quiz Corner
Product Focus
20 cavitation problems
18 Unanticipated cavitation can destroy a
30 Trade Show control valve’s internals and even result
in catastrophic failure, so it is important
31 Advertiser Index to understand what cavitation is, why it
occurs, and how to address it in control
32 FlowControlNetwork.com valve applications.
Facebook
facebook.com/lowcontrolmagazine
26 Selecting PVC valves for
chemical processing
Twitter Critical factors should be considered
@lowcontrol_mag
when choosing PVC or CPVC valves
LinkedIn for a specific application.
linkedin.com/groups/4068011/proile
Online
lowcontrolnetwork.com 26
2 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020
Publisher Jim Semple
908-963-3008 | jsemple@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Editorial Director Angela Godwin

603-891-9221 | agodwin@endeavorb2b.com
CONTENT
Editor in Chief Molly Rogers
EDITOR'S NOTE
mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Contributing Editor Jesse Osborne

josborne@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Group Assistant Editor Daniel Gaddy

dgaddy@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
Columnist David W. Spitzer

t’s September, and for some We also focus on bearings this issue. Art Director Ryan Carlson
rcarlson@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
I of us, that means getting

kids back to school — and
even though class may be a
Chris Johnson with SMB Bearings talks
about how innovations in graphene and
graphene-related materials as a lubri-
Production Manager Amanda Porter
aporter@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
little different this year, those first-day cant could enable better, or limitless, ADVERTISING
butterflies are still there to enjoy. bearing wear. District Manager Jay Haas
I’m looking forward to the cooler You can also read about control valve 281-980-5831 | jhaas@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
temps of fall and winter (the summer cavitation — understanding why it occurs, Account Manager Lisa Williman
518-322-6691 | lwilliman@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
heat has been especially harsh in Ala- how to detect and prevent it, as well as
bama this year) as well as the hopes of solutions, such as avoidance and de-
a COVID-19 vaccine soon so we can signing for it — in an article by TK Arasu
MARKETING
gather in large groups again. with Emerson. Marketing Manager Sarah De Vos
For this issue’s cover story of Flow Lastly, Mark Ligon with Commer- Digital Product Director Nick Phillips
Control, we present an article on cial Industrial Supply discusses some Digital Operations Manager Mary Beth Romano
plant asset management by Ben Myers important factors to consider when Audience Development Manager Anna Hicks
with Endress+Hauser. He says that choosing PVC or CPVC valves for chem-
operations and maintenance teams ical processing applications. CORPORATE
must take the critical step to give up We’ve also included a preview of CEO Chris Ferrell
manual monitoring of process in- WEFTEC Connect, a fully virtual event CRO/CMO June Griffin
struments and take up automation. that offers attendees interactive educa-
CFO William Nurthen
“Today’s sophisticated field devices tion, an exhibitor showcase and net-
COO Patrick Rains
can provide enormous amounts of working experiences.
data … An effective plant asset man- I hope you enjoying reading this issue. Chief Administrative and Legal Officer Tracy Kane
agement solution is designed to col- For next month, we have an exciting an- EVP Mike Christian
lect the extra data and unlock its nouncement to share, and we will pres-
Flow Control (ISSN 2641-6735) is published 12 times a year by Endeavor Business
potential,” Myers explains. ent our Innovation Awards winners. Media. 3918 Montclair Road, Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35213. POSTMASTER:
Next, contributor Amin Almasi dis- Send address changes to: Flow Control, P.O. Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-
3257. Periodical postage rates paid at Birmingham, AL 35243 and additional
cusses condition monitoring, diagnos- Stay well, mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: A controlled circulation publication, Flow Control
is distributed without charge to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription
tics, prognostics and failure modes of rates in the U.S. and Canada: one year, $99; two year, $172. Foreign subscription
rates: one year, $150; two year, $262. Wire Transfer: $180. Please call or email
fluid movement machineries. Read how the circulation manager for more wire transfer information. Single copies $10 per
an efficient monitoring plan manages issue in the U.S. and Canada. Single copies $15 per issue in all other countries. All
subscription payments are due in U.S. funds.
part replacement and other mainte- EDITOR IN CHIEF © Endeavor Business Media, 2020. No portion of this publication may be reproduced
in any form without written permission of the publisher. Views expressed by the bylined
nance to be performed as needed to mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com contributors should not be construed as reflecting the opinion of this publication. Publication
prevent failure. @FlowControl_Mag of product/service information should not be deemed as a recommendation by the publisher.
For Subscription Questions/Inquiries:

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Local: (847) 559-7598
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Toll free: (877) 382-9187
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Todd Loudin, Flowrox | Bob Steinberg, Sage Metering | Jeff Jennings, Equilibar LLC |
Mitch Johnson, JMS Southeast | 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

INDUSTRY NEWS
S E P TEMBER 2 0 2 0 T HE LAT ES T N EW S & EV ENT S F RO M A RO UND T H E I ND US T RY flowcontrolnetwork.com
in ISO 9001:2015 help companies deliver

consistent products and services; measure,
analyze and improve all aspects of their busi-
ness; and ensure customer satisfaction.
PMMI awards scholarships in processing

and engineering
The PMMI Foundation awarded three $5,000
scholarships to university students at four-
year PMMI partner schools, studying for
Courtesy of Rotork
a career in the packaging and processing
industry. PMMI, The Association for Pack-
aging and Processing Technologies, sup-
ports packaging and processing education
at North American colleges, universities and
technical schools through the PMMI Founda-
Rotork launches Lifetime Management services tion. The scholarship recipients are:
• Jordan Wolf, Penn State York,
The new Lifetime Management service changes the way that Rotork Site Services (RSS) Electro-Mechanical Engineering
operates, with a stronger focus on ensuring the most appropriate response based on the (electrical engineering scholarship)
criticality of a customer’s application. The new four-tiered approach is optimal for identi- • Eric Almberg, University of Iowa,
fying the unique needs of a customer and providing appropriate support. These tiers are Mechanical Engineering (mechanical
Health Checks, Planned Maintenance, Enhanced Warranty and Predictive Maintenance. engineering scholarship)
A Health Check is an assessment of actuator asset condition relative to design speci- • April Johnson, University of Nebraska-
fication and operational use. The Planned Maintenance tier encompasses thorough, Lincoln, Food and Science Technology
intrusive product inspections and proactive repair management. Enhanced Warranty (processing scholarship)
provides an extended warranty period and condition-based monitoring. Predictive Main-
tenance encompasses everything that the previous tiers provide, with the added provi- Harrington hosts grand opening of distribution
sion of identifying potential problems before they are able to manifest. center in Indiana
“Lifetime Management centers around maximizing process uptime and asset avail- Harrington, a national distributor of piping
ability for our customers,” said Dave Godfrey, Rotork’s Services & Aftermarkets product products used in the movement of liquids
manager. “The different levels of support on offer allow our customers to mix and match and gases in corrosive and high-purity ap-
in order to design a truly bespoke level of support to best match their individual site plications, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremo-
needs. Having Rotork involved in the management of their assets will allow them to ny in July to announce the grand opening of
keep up to date with product support and service as their installation base matures.” its Fort Wayne, Indiana, distribution center.
The new 68,000-square-foot facility will
service the entire Great Lakes area includ-
continuous ISO certification since 1996. The ing its existing branches in Chicago, Cincin-
COMPANY NEWS thermoplastic valve and pipe manufacturer’s nati, Columbus, Detroit, Grand Rapids and
management system was audited by Bu- Indianapolis. Harrington’s ability to house
Asahi/America receives reissuance reau Veritas and was found to be in compli- expanded quantities of products supports
of ISO certificate ance with the standards required to earn ISO its goal to have the products that custom-
Asahi/America Inc. announced the reissu- 9001:2015 certification. Asahi/America’s new ers need, on the loor and ready to ship, de-
ance of its ISO 9001:2015 certificate. The certificate was issued May 22, 2020, and ex- creasing lead times for project completions
Massachusetts-based company has received pires on May 22, 2023. The standards outlined and increasing productivity.

Endress+Hauser expands digital service of hydraulic products, TRC designs, manufac- Harman International Industries Inc. She is
experience for projects tures and maintains hydraulic components and also a member of the board of directors and
Endress+Hauser expands end users’ digital systems. TRC also engineers customized hy- audit and human resources committees of
experience on instrument projects with the draulic and mechanical solutions and offers the industrial manufacturer Oshkosh Corporation.
release of its digital commissioning appli- additional services of experienced fabricators, Rowland will be based at Xylem’s headquar-
cation and Netilion projects digital turnover welders, machinists and hydraulic technicians. ters in Rye Brook, N.Y. She brings more than
package. These new capabilities empower Based near San Diego, California, F&L In- 25 years of experience in financial manage-
the plant startup team to mitigate project dustrial Solutions has served the southwest ment. Rowland graduated from Lafayette Col-
risks while staying on time and budget and U.S. with full-service aluminum extrusion lege with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and
to track progress in real time. The digital components since 2002. F&L offers local in- business and holds a Master of Business Ad-
service experience enables users to digitize ventory including the 80/20 brand of alumi- ministration from the University of Rochester.
projects for efficiency, eliminating time-con- num, an experienced staff of CAD designers,
suming manual coding and progress reports. in-house machining, digital panel cutting, full Kaman Distribution Group announces
Users are able to see project work progress assembly/manufacturing, on-site delivery, new executive appointments
across the field devices startup phases in installation and custom-designed products. Kaman Distribution Group (KDG) announced the
real time and can lag any potential issues appointment of Stephen Martin as vice presi-
on the commissioning app. Visibility to issues Arla Foods analyzes energy consumption dent — general counsel, and John Crawford as
enables users to reallocate resources to using flow sensors the vice president of human resources. Most
keep the project on time. The web-based ap- Dairy cooperative Arla Foods has created trans- recently, Stephen Martin served as gen-
plication worklow is tailor-built to field tech- parency over the energy consumed in cottage eral counsel and corporate secretary for Ac-
nician and project manager user needs for cheese production at its Falkenberg location. curide Corporation. Martin will be instrumental
greater productivity. Instead of manual loop This involves the use of the Baumer Flex-Flow in the legal department of Kaman Distribution,
folders, documentation is generated digi- sensor, which is able to measure the tempera- overseeing all corporate governance matters,
tally and stored in the Netilion Library digital ture of the medium as well as the low rate. Arla providing broad-based legal support to diverse
service application. This paperless storage installed these sensors at the neuralgic points corporate disciplines, and be a trusted legal ad-
eliminates manual retrieval to facilitate de- in the cooling and heating system and used visor on mergers and acquisitions. Martin holds
velopment of a turnover package complying the measurement results to obtain a clear im- both a Bachelor and Master of Science in electri-
with project deliverable requirements. Netil- age of the energy consumption. The FlexFlow cal engineering from the University of Miami and
ion Library helps users organize asset re- also meets the requirements for protection the University of Southern California, respectively.
cords, drawings, pictures, files and turnover class IP 68 (Baumer proTect+), making this He received his law degree and graduated Cum
package documents. It is a file-sharing and sensor, together with the materials used, ideal Laude from Duke University School of Law. In
data management service for the complete for hygienic applications. Another feature is its addition, Martin served in the U.S. Air Force for
life cycle of an instrument. This saves signifi- maximum temperature range to 150ºC, which six years and received multiple military honors.
cant time when carrying out maintenance or also qualifies it for sterilization-in-process (SIP) John Crawford most recently was the direc-
engineering activities since the often-tedious tasks. Arla has installed around 15 of these tor of human resources for Barnes Group, with
search for information is eliminated. flow sensors in the cooling circuit and heat- responsibility for four global business units.
ing system. The plan is to also integrate the Crawford will be integral in driving the busi-
Motion Industries announces two acquisitions sensors into the CIP return line to monitor and ness culture by creating alignment between
Motion Industries Inc., a wholly owned sub- optimize the energy consumption there as well. employees and the vision and strategy of the
sidiary of Genuine Parts Company (GPC), an- organization. He will also play a major role in
nounced two acquisitions. Motion has entered leading diversity initiatives, creating and in-
into agreements to acquire TRC Hydraulics, a
PEOPLE NEWS vigorating early career development programs,
Canadian-based supplier of hydraulic products and leading the human resource elements of
and services, and F&L Industrial Solutions Inc., Xylem’s CFO retires and Rowland is appointed mergers and acquisitions. In addition to his
a distributor of T-slotted aluminum extrusion Xylem Inc. announced it appointed Sandra time at Barnes Group, he also held positions at
components. Both transactions closed with an Rowland as senior vice president and chief Titan America, Honeywell, and Mitsui-Kinzoku.
effective date of August 1, 2020. financial officer (CFO), effective October 1, Crawford holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychol-
In business since 1986, TRC Hydraulics 2020, reporting to Xylem President and Chief ogy from the University of Massachusetts and
has served the Atlantic Canada region with Executive Officer Patrick Decker. Rowland will a Juris Doctor from Albany School of Law.
several full-service sales and repair facilities succeed Mark Rajkowski, who will retire from
in Canada. In 2019, TRC Hydraulics expanded the company at the end of the year.
by opening a facility near Spartanburg, South Since January 2015, Rowland has served Send news and events for consideration to
Carolina. Along with distributing many lines as executive vice president and CFO of Molly Rogers at mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com.
SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 7

APPLICATION CORNER
Flowmeter billing errors, Part 4

This analysis allowed the parties to have confidence that the
steam flowmeters could be used for billing calculations.
previous Application Corner column
By David W. Spitzer
Principal,
Spitzer and Boyes, LLC
A described a legal case where a steam
producer alleged that its boiler
steam flowmeters were not accurate
David W. Spitzer is a principal because they had not been inspected in 50 years
at Spitzer and Boyes, LLC, and not been calibrated in seven years.
which offers engineering, Despite restrictions on the scope of informa-
focused market research,
writing/editing white papers,
tion that we could legitimately request from
strategic marketing consult- the steam producer, carefully crafted document
ing, distribution consulting, requests and site visits provided sufficient infor-
seminars and expert witness mation to be able to determine the type of water
services for manufacturing treatment system that was installed from which
and automation companies.
Spitzer has written more than
the flow measurement data could be evaluated
400 technical articles and 10 for reasonableness.
books about flow measure- Subsequently, the ratio of the steam flow to
ment, instrumentation and the feedwater flow for each boiler was calcu-
process control. He can be lated and was found to be both reasonable and
reached at 845-623-1830 or
via spitzerandboyes.com.
consistent. The ratios for all but one boiler clus-
tered within approximately 1% to 2% of each
other, which was remarkable considering that
the flowmeters were 50 years old, had never been
inspected and had not been calibrated in seven
years. My recollection is that the steam to feed-
water ratio for the remaining boiler fell 2% or 3%
outside the cluster.
This analysis allowed the parties to have con-
fidence that the steam flowmeters could be used
for billing calculations. The legal case settled
a few days after my deposition, during which, I
presented the findings. It is my understanding
that an eight-figure settlement was reached us-
ing calculations that were based on the boiler
steam flowmeter measurements instead of the
hundreds of calculations based upon less reliable
data obtained from operating equipment.

A differential pressure level transmitter is located 3 feet (36 inches) below the tangent line of a round
flat-bottom water tank that is 30 feet (360 inches) tall and vented to the atmosphere. Approximately
what is the tank level when the measured differential pressure is 66 inches of water column?
A. 8% B. 10% C. 12% D. 60%
The differential pressure transmitter should be Additional complicating factors

calibrated for 36 to 392 inches of water col- The analysis does not take into account den-
QUIZ umn. The 66-inch raw measurement rep-

resents a tank level of 30 inches (66 minus
36). This 30-inch tank level is approximately
sity changes that occur when the water tem-
perature changes due to ambient temperature
conditions during daily and seasonal operation.
CORNER 8.33% level (30 / 360), so Answer A is correct.
ID 108923427 © Chokchai Namthip | Dreamstime.com

INSTRUMENTATION
Plant asset management:

AUTOMATING THE FINAL
MANUAL FRONTIER
The last area where plants tend to give up manual monitoring and take up automation is asset
health management. Here’s why operations and maintenance teams must take this critical step.
By Ben Myers, Endress+Hauser
n the aftermath of an in- and unexpectedly ground to a halt may of the control system where technicians
I cident, some may say that

others did not “connect the
dots” or understand the true
go through a similar discussion. The
process shut down in mid-operation
because of an equipment failure, which
could not access it.
Solving situations like these requires
a field device management system — one
picture. This suggests information existed should have been anticipated and fixed that can recognize which assets need
and may have been collected but did not before a complete breakdown, but no- attention and then provide information
get to the right people. The effort was too body could connect the dots and rec- on how to fix a developing problem before
fragmented to be effective. ognize the indications of the developing the situation escalates into a full failure,
A process manufacturing plant trying problem. Device diagnostic data was possibly causing serious and costly dam-
to determine why production suddenly available but remained lost in log files age. This type of system can collect and

 Figure 2. The primary measurement captured by a smart field instrument represents about 3% of the
data it generates. The remaining 97% can be put to work for asset health management and other uses.
 Figure 1. An individual technician can Capabilities of asset health

evaluate instruments one by one, but this monitoring solutions
manual approach cannot keep up with
a large population of field devices. Today’s sophisticated ield devices can
All images courtesy of Endress+Hauser provide enormous amounts of data. Es-
timates suggest that the basic primary
variable represents barely 3% of the
This involves connecting to the indi- data originating from an instrument or
vidual instrument and scrolling through analyzer. So, what does the other 97%
perhaps dozens of variables and conig- represent? (See Figure 2.) Naturally, it
uration settings. If they happen to catch varies based on the type of instrument
a developing problem by recognizing — a differential pressure transmitter
something drifting out of its normal will produce diferent information than
range or if they view an alert message, a Coriolis lowmeter or smart valve ac-
it might prompt timely remedial action. tuator. But, in general, it includes:
Unfortunately, such technicians are • Diagnostics: Discrete and continu-
rare at many end-user process industry ous indicators for internal problem
companies, so the likelihood of one be- states and random failures of the
ing in the right place at the right time is sensor and electronic components.
very low. he critical information is avail- These can be indicated in various
able from the instrument, but no one is ways, including alerts and alarms.
there to see it, and the failure results. Also, device calibration history
Imagine posing questions to the pro- resides here.
analyze large amounts of data from a duction manager of a typical petrochemi- • Monitoring: Continuous asset
population of smart ield devices, includ- cal plant unit: Why do you have all this and process indicators, such as
ing process analyzers and instruments, automated, computer-driven control process noise, which can indicate
along with other control devices such as system equipment working with all those changes outside of an instrument’s
valve actuators and positioners. he sys- electronic field devices? Wouldn’t it be primary function.
tem can connect the dots automatically better to operate the plant manually? • Soft sensing: Secondary, tertiary
to ensure efective operation without he question would be considered non- and even additional variables. hese
interruptions, supplemented by more sensical. Responses would undoubtedly can work individually or in conjunc-
efective use of maintenance resources. include points like the huge number of tion with other instruments to ap-
people it would require to perform repeti- proximate process measurements
Manual versus automated tive and tedious manual tasks, contrasted not directly measurable.
monitoring with the eiciency and efectiveness of a
Well-trained and experienced techni- well-designed distributed control system An effective plant asset management
cians equipped with appropriate field (DCS). A follow-up question might be solution is designed to collect the ex-
communicators (as shown in Figure 1) harder to answer: So then, why is so much tra data and unlock its potential. When
can do a lot to diagnose the condition of your asset health monitoring still man- implemented properly, it will improve
of a lowmeter or a pressure transmitter. ual? Shouldn’t it be automated as well? plant availability and effectiveness

either case, health monitoring does not much of the functionality to minimize
depend on the DCS to carry out its pri- required end-user integration time and
mary functions. cost. This includes standard desktop
Naturally, providing the means to workstations and mobile clients. More
gather data is only the first step. The advanced functions of on-site systems
asset health monitoring system must can include:
deliver a basic suite of functions: • Centralized database support for
• Digital communications to all of the multiple networks.
field devices. • Live web overview of field device status.
• Continuous monitoring and logging • Diagnostic events stored in a data-
of smart device health status. base with easy access.
• Presentation of status data suitable • Field device notification history
for different types of users. analysis used to optimize mainte-
 Figure 3. In legacy environments without the • Analysis of the installed base to deter- nance activities.
required smart device digital communication mine the most critical devices. • Parallel access from central station
capabilities, a parallel connection can carry data • Utilize self-checking and perfor- via computer or tablet.
without interfering with normal DCS functions.
mance verification built into devices • Use of NAMUR NE107 standard cat-
to extend calibration intervals. egorization (see Figure 4) of diag-
while reducing production interruption nostics and graphics.
risk, maintenance time and effort. Criti- How a system implements these func- • Continuous monitoring and logging
cal benefits include: tions is where the various options emerge of instrumentation health status with
• Data analysis helps direct preven- and allow a plant to customize its solu- easy access.
tive maintenance efforts to save tion. One approach is to host it entirely • Cause and remedy instruction acces-
time, especially for devices with high on-site using the plant’s servers for all sibility for maintenance technicians.
maintenance requirements. processing and data storage functions.
• Much faster troubleshooting, elimi- If required, it is a simple matter to pull Sophisticated technologies
nating the need for checking indi- device health status through the DCS extend capabilities
vidual instruments. using a client/server architecture to The capabilities mentioned so far should
• More effective use of technicians’ time provide the functions just mentioned. be part-and-parcel of any asset health
since they can check the status of in- Such systems are modular and highly management system. These are the most
struments before performing repairs. scalable to adjust to a given site’s needs, basic asset health monitoring tools, but
• Data collected and displayed on and they support incremental adoption even these will put a plant miles ahead
dashboards for real-time perfor- if desired. of sporadic manual checks. Still, there
mance, plus captured in histories for Since the basic functions tend to are many new capabilities that have
later analysis. be similar regardless of the plant type emerged from industrial internet of
or size, it is possible to pre-engineer things (IIoT) and digital transformation
Understanding the mechanics
An asset health monitoring system
works in parallel with the larger DCS. It  Figure 4.
NAMUR NE107
gathers the diagnostic, monitoring and has standardized
soft sensing data from all the smart field the presentation
instruments and other smart devices us- of device condition
information so
ing a digital communications protocol — operators do not
for example, HART or Profibus PA. need to interpret
It is false to assume a complete DCS cryptic messages
to determine what
upgrade is required to integrate a new is wrong.
asset health monitoring system. Many
legacy DCS systems are already able to
interface directly with smart devices,
but when the legacy system does not
provide the required communication
capability, data collection can be done
outside of the DCS (see Figure 3). In

long-term evolution (LTE) wireless net-
works, providing additional flexibility
for delivering data to the cloud.
Equally exciting is the potential for
intelligent field devices that are cloud-
ready natively. These include their own
SIM card (see Figure 6) so they can send
process variables and diagnostic data di-
rectly to the IIoT hub. The ultimate result
will be an IIoT ecosystem where all data,
both process and diagnostic, will be part
of one fully integrated system. Plant pro-
 Figure 5. Cloud-based systems can off-load platform hosting, as well as support asset health monitoring duction, maintenance and even corpo-
as a service, such as Endress+Hauser's Netilion Health. rate management will be able to access
appropriate areas to gather and analyze
real-time data to improve the process,
transfer IT-related maintenance and reliability and profitability.
support to a third-party, allowing the
plant to concentrate on production Connecting the dots
and process optimization rather As important as these new technologies
than IT services. When the sys- are, it is vital to keep the needs of a given
tem moves to the cloud, the plant in mind and concentrate on the
whole implementation can be a overall benefits that asset health manage-
solution as a service, including ment and other tools can bring, such as:
initial setup. • Reduction of unexpected failures
and process interruptions.
Using today’s networking • Live view of asset status with easy
technologies access, saving time required for rou-
The HART protocol has served as tine maintenance.
the primary tool for sending de- • Reduction of complexity for techni-
vice diagnostic data for decades, and cians, providing greater productivity
it remains the leading protocol today. with less training and fewer tools.
While it has gone through many im- • Less time spent on manual rounds
provements, its speed and bandwidth and calibration.
 Figure 6. Some newer field instruments, remain limited, particularly where a
such as the Endress+Hauser Micropilot FWR30
radar level transmitter, can provide worldwide HART solution is retrofit onto legacy The dots are out there, and the tools to
transmission of measured data and events via hardwired I/O. WirelessHART, whether complete the picture for more effective
email and SMS using an integrated GSM/GPRS using a native wireless instrument or and more profitable operation are ready
modem and battery-powered transmitter.
retrofitting a conventional HART infor any plant to adopt now.
strument, offers some improvements,
developments to drive advances much but newer networking protocols, such Ben Myers is the prod-
further, taking advantage of new net- as Profibus PA, have expanded the uct marketing manager for
working and communication options. range of options and offer improved Solutions and Ser vice at
One of the first differences is where performance. Endress+Hauser. Prior to his
the system resides. There is now no ne- Networking protocols used in larger current role, he spent four years as a process
cessity for a plant to maintain this kind IIoT implementations can improve automation engineer on Endress+Hauser’s
of system on its own servers. Cloud- communication and offer a wider range Solution engineering team. In that role, he
based systems (see Figure 5) are now of options for installations. Modbus was heavily involved with the field engineer-
a reality and used to host a variety of and Bluetooth edge device protocols ing and execution efforts of various solutions
sophisticated applications, including help interface with new instrumenta- projects. Myers has a bachelor’s degree in
asset health monitoring. tion technologies. Many of these edge manufacturing engineering technology from
Growing numbers of plants are em- devices are set up for global systems Purdue University and a Master of Business
bracing this cloud-based approach to for mobile communications (GSM) and Administration from Anderson University.

CONDITION MONITORING
Condition monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics

and failure modes of fluid movement machineries
An efficient monitoring plan manages part replacement and
other maintenance to be performed as needed to prevent failure.
By Amin Almasi
ondition monitoring is the monitoring allows the maintenance to Diagnostics, prognostics and
C process of collecting, inter-
preting and monitoring dif-
ferent operating parameters
be scheduled and performed at the right
time. This efficient plan manages part
replacement and other maintenance
condition-based maintenance
The capabilities to assess the current and
future health and condition of machiner-
such as vibration, temperature, flow, actions to be taken at the time when ies are known as diagnostics and prog-
acoustic emissions and performance needed to prevent both failure and un- nostics, respectively. Diagnostics is the
data of machineries in order to identify necessary maintenance. Condition mon- identification of the current health and
a change that is indicative of a develop- itoring has a unique set of benefits; it lets condition. Diagnostics uses a different set
ing fault or problem. This is an impor- machinery continue to operate uninter- of tools and methods; this is also applied
tant tool in modern-day operation and rupted until a fault or issue is detected. logic, analytics and experience to deter-
reliability of fluid movement machiner- This article discusses diagnostics, mine cause and effect used to determine
ies such as pumps, compressors, fans prognostics, failure modes, condition the causes of symptoms, mitigations and
and blowers. monitoring and condition-based main- solutions for problems of a machinery.
Condition monitoring can be used to tenance for fluid movement machiner- In other words, diagnostics includes
develop a smart maintenance plan to ies. There are many failure modes for anomaly detection, fault isolation, fault
shut down the machinery and repair or different machineries and their compo- classification and its uncertainty.
replace a part only when needed. Such nents. Common failure modes — with On the other hand, prognostics is
a plan is known as a condition-based associated prediction models and con- an engineering discipline focused on
maintenance plan or predictive main- dition monitoring methods capable to predicting the time at which a system,
tenance plan, instead of relying on detect them — are also discussed. Many machinery or component will no lon-
historical data and associated crude failures and problems of machineries ger perform its intended function. The
life estimation, which is known as are related to bearings and gears; there- mentioned lack of performance is usu-
time-based maintenance or preven- fore, these two critical components are ally a failure or a stop in the operation.
tive maintenance. The use of condition discussed as well. This is a completely different method

 Figure 1. An example of a large high-pressure, are many other additional benefits in- approaches depending on the task, for
high-low machinery during installation. Such
machinery needs sophisticated control and
cluding reduced mean maintenance instance, a combination of data-driven
condition monitoring systems with many sensors. time due to fault localization, reduced and physics-based models. Normally,
Courtesy of Amin Almasi operation disruption, and increased for diagnostics, a fault is detected by
safety due to the reduction of unexpected comparison between the outputs of the
failures, among others. physics-based model and the measure-
from rough life estimation based on ments from the real condition monitor-
some historical data, which is often Evaluation of health and ing system. An example of diagnostics
used in preventive maintenance. condition of machineries using this method is the classification of
Prognostics science is an engineer- Different methods are used to evaluate bearing defects by measuring the natu-
ing prediction of remaining lifetime the health and condition and fault de- ral frequencies of the components of
based on condition monitoring and detection of a machinery or system. For the bearing.
tails of possible failure mechanisms. To example, physics-based models, data- For prognostics based on physics-
develop prognostics capabilities, prior driven models and hybrid models have based models, degradation models are
knowledge of the current health status been used for such evaluation. used to represent the degradation mecha-
of the machinery or system (diagnos- Physics-based models use mathemat- nisms of the system or machinery, and the
tics) is required. The predicted life is ical models that describe the physics of remaining useful life can be estimated as
then known as the remaining useful the component to assess its current and an output of these models. For instance,
life, which is an important concept future health. he performance of such degradation models based on Paris-Erdo-
in decision-making for maintenance models depends on the capability of the gan law to represent crack growth can be
planning and contingency mitiga- models to accurately represent the fail- used to estimate remaining useful life of a
tion. In addition to the estimation of ure and degradation phenomena. component in machineries or equipment
remaining useful life, the prognostics Data-driven models are based on subject to fatigue and crack(s). Paris-Erdo-
results should ideally include the un- statistical and machine-learning tech- gan law relates the stress intensity factor
certainty of the prediction and incipi- niques and do not rely on the knowl- range to sub-critical crack growth under a
ent fault detection. edge of the physics that govern the fatigue stress regime. In this physics-based
Prognostics science predicts the fu- system or its degradation mechanisms. formulation, the number of load cycles is
ture performance of a component or The main advantages of these tech- calculated as a function of allowable crack
machinery by assessing the extent of niques are their potential to be used in growth, difference between the stress in-
deviation or degradation from its ex- several machineries and systems — as tensity factor at maximum and minimum
pected normal operating conditions. knowledge of the physics of the system loading and material constants. his is a
The science of prognosis is based on are not required, thus they are easily scal- popular fatigue crack growth model used
the analysis of failure modes, detec- able to different machineries and sys- as a physics-based model for machineries.
tion of early signs of degradation, wear, tems. hey are sometimes used for cases
aging and fault conditions. An effec- where physical models are too compli- Failure modes and condition
tive prognostics solution needs sound cated or not well known. However, there monitoring for bearings
knowledge of failure mechanisms are some problems with data-driven Bearings are necessary to provide
that are likely to cause the degrada- models such as risk of overfitting or the support for the rotating machineries,
tions leading to eventual failures. It is necessity of large training data sets. transmitting the radial and axial loads
therefore necessary to have data and Physics-based models have always from the rotating components, such as
information on the possible failures in- been preferred due to many reasons; for shafts or rotors, to the casing or struc-
cluding the failure modes, causes and instance, the synergies between phys- ture and to minimize the friction losses.
mechanisms. Such knowledge is im- ics-based models and models used dur- Rolling-element bearings are widely
portant to identify the parameters that ing the design phase of the machinery used in many small and medium-size
should be monitored. or equipment make them particularly machineries. They are also used in
The main benefits of a condition- useful and suitable. Also, the physical certain large machineries. Failures
based maintenance strategy are the concept can be derived and understood; of these bearings are one of the main
time and cost reductions due to the this is helpful in understanding and reasons for unavailability and repair of
higher efficiency and effectiveness of evaluating the condition monitoring, fluid movement machineries such as
planned maintenance and the optimi- diagnostics and prognostics processes pumps, compressors and fans.
zation of the component life compared and their results. There are many failure modes for
to time-based strategies and other tra- Hybrid models refer to the integra- rolling-element bearings. hese can be
ditional maintenance methods. There tion of different models or using various divided into failures caused by excessive

operational conditions, by the lubrica- useful techniques available to detect for condition monitoring. Many bearing
tion, and by assembly and disassembly lack of lubrication, contaminations in faults are assumed to produce impulses
errors. Being able to detect lubrication the lubrication and general lubrication that affect the vibration spectrum. here-
anomalies, which are responsible for problems, such as online lubrication oil fore, vibration monitoring is an effective
around 50% of all the premature bear- sensors and systems to detect debris. tool for bearing monitoring.
ing failures in oil-lubricated bearings, In rolling-element bearings, vibra- Acoustic emission monitoring is
would help to detect incipient failures tion monitoring along with temperature also successfully used in the combina-
by controlling the cause of the damage monitoring and lubrication-related moni- tion of vibration or both vibration and
instead of the effect. There are many toring are the most common techniques temperature, or sometimes used as the
only method. his is based on the mea-
surement of acoustic (elastic) waves in
solids that occurs when a material un-
dergoes irreversible changes in its in-
ternal structure, for example, as a result
of crack formation or plastic deforma-
tion due to aging, temperature gradi-
ents, external mechanical forces, etc.
In particular, acoustic emission occurs
during the processes of mechanical
loading of materials and structures ac-
companied by structural changes that
generate local sources of elastic waves.
As a very rough indication, the applica-
tion of acoustic emission takes place
between 100 kHz and 1 MHz. Unlike
conventional ultrasonic testing such as
those employed for other nondestruc-
tive tests ( for instance, for welds), the
devices are used to monitor acoustic
emissions produced within the material
during failure or stress. he monitoring
of the level of acoustic emission activity
during multiple load cycles is useful for
fault detection. hese techniques have
proven to be effective in detecting many
defects and faults, such as those in lu-
bricated sliding contacts, including roll-
ing bearings and others.
Degradation models have been de-
veloped to represent different faults
and defects such as spalling. Spalling
can be detected by different monitoring
methods; for instance, it can be detected
using vibration analysis and time-
frequency analysis to take into account
the low-frequency spectrum of the in-
cipient spalling and the high-frequency
impulsive response of severe spalling.
Failure modes and condition

monitoring for gears
Gears and gear units are used in many
fluid movement machineries. Gears

are subjected to high cyclic loads and harsh environments;
therefore, condition monitoring and failure modes of gears
are important. Scuffing is a commonly reported problem that
consists of damages in the sliding direction due to metal-
metal contact caused by insufficient lubrication, causing the
subsequent transfer of material and increased vibrations and
noise. Scuffing can be modeled using advanced wear models,
in particular, models that predict metal-metal contact be-
tween the teeth. Usually a sophisticated physical model should
be used for such a problem that considers all aspects of the
problem such as surface parameters, mixed lubrication effects
and roughness parameters. The model should be able to de-
tect scuffing in gears under a variety of speeds, torques and
oil conditions and temperatures. Other failure modes, such as
permanent deformations including indentation and scratches
caused by foreign objects, permanent deformation of the teeth,
tooth breakage, pitting and spalling, should also be mentioned
as frequently reported for gears.
Pitting and spalling are important failure modes for gears.
Pitting consists of surface fatigue between rolling and sliding
contacts, leading to small scattered holes. If initial pitting is
not detected, it can lead to spalling, which consists of macro-
pitting caused by the association of small cracks into bigger
ones. Pitting and spalling have been caused by stresses that do
not lead to permanent plastic deformations; instead, the main
degradation mechanism is driven by the high number of cycles
for a relatively low load. Tooth breakage, total or partial, can
have diverse causes and be produced by a single very high load
or after a few cycles of high loads, and the fracture can vary
from ductile to brittle fracture.
Vibration analysis can indicate broken or worn gear teeth.
Partial breakage of the tooth, called chipping, can also be de-
tected by different vibration monitoring methods such as
looking at the differences in the mesh frequency side bands
in the time-frequency domain. This problem is usually caused
by a single event; there is no continuous degradation from
healthy to faulty conditions.
Amin Almasi is a lead mechanical engineer in Austra-

lia. He is a chartered professional engineer of Engi-
neers Australia (MIEAust CPEng – Mechanical) and
IMechE (CEng MIMechE) in addition to a M.Sc. and
B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and RPEQ (Registered Professional
Engineer in Queensland). He specializes in mechanical equipment
and machineries including centrifugal, screw and reciprocating com-
pressors, gas turbines, steam turbines, engines, pumps, condition
monitoring, reliability, as well as fire protection, power generation,
water treatment, material handling and others. Almasi is an active
member of Engineers Australia, IMechE, ASME and SPE. He has
authored more than 150 papers and articles dealing with rotating
equipment, condition monitoring, fire protection, power generation,
water treatment, material handling and reliability. He can be reached
at amin.almasi@ymail.com.

BEARINGS
Exploring the possibility of

limitless bearing wear
Innovations in graphene and graphene-related materials (GRM)
as a lubricant could enable better, or limitless, bearing wear.
By Chris Johnson, SMB Bearings
rocess industries and mod- opts for a dry, silicon or mineral lubri-  Graphene is a two-dimensional material with
P ern manufacturing rely

heavily on bearings. They are
used extensively in almost
cant, an oil or grease, the aim will be to
minimize friction by reducing or pre-
venting metal-to-metal contact between
unique friction and wear properties.
Illustration 146378255 © ProductionPerig |
Dreamstime.com
every type of rotating equipment. How- rolling elements and raceways.

ever, rolling, rotating or sliding contact While design engineers have long Graphite paste remains the most
interfaces in every man-made, natural or searched for ultra-low friction bearing common form of solid lubricant on the
biological system generate friction. technologies to reduce wear and pre- market today. But, graphene is a two-di-
If not reduced or effectively con- vent corrosion, there are new material mensional material, so it offers unique
trolled, high torque bearings can in- coatings that, when used on bearings, friction and wear properties that are
crease the power required to overcome dramatically reduce friction compared typically not seen conventionally. Besides
the resistance and drive the equipment. to the lubrication and surface treat- its well-established thermal, electrical,
This results in a greater cost to move ment options currently on the market. optical and mechanical properties, gra-
the load and a greater energy output re- Friction is the result of microscopic phene can serve as a liquid or colloidal
quired to operate the equipment. In ad- imperfections in surfaces. On the atomic lubricant for bearings and can even be
dition, a high level of friction often leads scale, however, friction concerns the applied as flakes to the surface.
to higher wear and, ultimately, poor reli- attractive forces between individual A 2019 study conducted by the Insti-
ability and equipment failure. atoms. This opens up the phenomenon tute of Machine Design and Tribology2
It is clear that reducing friction is of super lubricity, where the atomic at Leibniz University looked to reach
a high priority for engineers. How- scale structural mismatch makes it im- a conclusion regarding the frictional
ever, bearing friction is a complicated possible for multiple atoms in one sur- properties of graphene as a grease addi-
problem, as it is not constant and is face to get close to atoms in the other, tive. It investigated the frictional torque
addressed using certain tribological leading to extraordinarily low friction. for sliding contacts and rolling bearing
phenomena that occur in the lubricant Since super lubricity was first pro- application. For the latter, two bearing
film between the rolling elements, race- posed in 1990, several researchers have test rigs were used to monitor the piv-
ways and cages. observed the effect, but it has been dif- oting movement for more than 1 mil-
It is estimated that a third of bearing ficult to scale because of the inconsis- lion test cycles. The study concluded
failures1 can be attributed to improper tency between macroscopic surfaces, that the thickness of the graphene
lubrication. Choosing a bearing lubri- that is, until now. layers affected the coefficient of fric-
cant is not an optional extra — it is a tion (COF), but all tested thicknesses
fundamental part of the design process Graphene and GRM reduced friction significantly.
and must be expertly matched to the Graphite was first used as an additive Since graphene is ultrathin, even
application requirements and operating in early lubrication investigations due with multiple layers, it can be applied
conditions. Whether a design engineer to its layered lattice-like properties. to systems with oscillating, rotating

and sliding contacts to reduce friction and Tribology, https://www.mdpi.
and wear, as well as protect bearings
“Since graphene is ultrathin, com/2075-4442/8/1/3/htm.
from corrosion when exposed to water, it can be applied to systems 3. Tribological Behaviour of Gra-
a process commonly known as tribo- with oscillating, rotating and phene Coated Bearing Steel (EN31).
corrosion. This is because graphene R Moharana et al 2019 J. Phys.:
exhibits a slippery texture, which could sliding contacts to reduce Conf. Ser. 1240 012040. https://
potentially make it an excellent lubricant. friction and wear, as well as iopscience.iop.org/10.1088/1742-
According to a study into the tribo- 6596/1240/1/012040/pdf.
logical behavior of graphenex coated
protect bearings from corrosion.” 4. Argonne National Laborator y.
bearing steel,3 the COF of the graphene https://www.anl.gov/article/slippery-
coated material was reduced by up to when-dry.
200% compared to that of the uncoated the surface of a bearing can last a con- 5. Graphene: A New Emerging Lubri-
material. By increasing the sliding siderable amount of time due to the cant. Diana Berman, Ali Erdemir,
speed, the wear rate and the average ability of the flakes to reorient them- and Anirudha V. Sumant. Materi-
value of the COF of the graphene-coated selves during the initial wear cycles, als Today. https://doi.org/10.1016/
bearing decreased. providing a very low COF. j.mattod.2013.12.003.
Further studies build on this re- In a study on the potential of gra-
search. In addition to being low shear phene as a new emerging lubricant5, Chris Johnson is managing di-
and highly protective, the application researchers estimated that the reduced rector of EZO bearings supplier
of graphene in bearings prevents oxida- loss of energy to friction offered by new SMB Bearings. He has held this
tion of the steel surfaces due to its rela- materials would yield potential energy position for over 10 years, as a
tive lack of permeability to liquids and savings of 2.46 billion kilowatt-hours specialist in bearing and lubrication services.
gases. Research conducted by the U.S. per year, equivalent to 1.5 million bar- For more information, visit smbbearings.com.
Department of Energy’s Argonne Na- rels of oil.
tional Laboratory4 shows that the small
number of layers in graphene reduces Conclusion
not only friction in steel seven times Graphene and its tribological potential
more, but also wear-and-tear 10,000 as a bearing lubricant remains relatively
times more, reducing tribo-corrosion. unexplored, with few investigations
This research may have far-reaching into its use as a self-lubricated solid
implications in many industries. It or as an additive for lubricating
could help wind turbines move with oils. However, innovations in
greater ease, allowing them to produce graphene and newly discovered
more energy, and it could better seal materials have real potential
off machinery, as it pumps oil or gas as lubricants for bearings
from the ground or out at sea. While and, once fully developed,
the researchers at the Argonne Na- could have positive impacts
tional Laboratory have also developed on many mechanical ap-
a high-performance dry lubricant by plications that could lead to
combining nanodiamonds with two- tremendous energy savings.
dimensional molybdenum disulfide,
this is a more expensive process than Resources
the graphene lubricant option. 1. Bearing Damage and Fail-
The process of adding a graphene ure Analysis, SKF. https://
coating to bearings is relatively easy www.skf.com/binaries/pub12/
compared to adding a traditional lubri- Images/0901d1968064c148-
cant — graphene does not require any Bearing-failures---14219_2-EN_
additional processing steps, other than tcm_12-297619.pdf.
just sprinkling a small amount of solution 2. Investigations on Graphene Plate-
 A lubricant minimizes friction by reducing or
or spraying the solution on the surface, lets as Dr y Lubricant and as
making this process simple, environ- Grease Additive for Sliding Con- preventing metal-to-metal contact between rolling
mentally friendly and cost effective. tacts and Rolling Bearing Applica- elements and raceways in a stainless steel bearing.
Also, graphene flakes that are added to tion. Institute of Machine Design Courtesy of SMB Bearings

CAVITATION
Understanding and solving

control valve cavitation problems
Unanticipated cavitation can destroy a control valve’s internals and even result
in catastrophic failure, so it is important to understand what cavitation is,
why it occurs, and how to address it in control valve applications.
By TK Arasu, Emerson
ou are standing near a re-
Y circulation valve on a high-

pressure boiler feedwater
pump. You notice the pipe
and valve shaking violently, and it
sounds like rocks are passing through  Figure 1. Typical
the valve, but you know the line con- pressure curve of
tains clean water. What is going on? a cavitating liquid
passing through
It is cavitation — a liquid flow phe- a control valve.
nomenon that can occur in control All images
valves, pumps, boat propellers, pipes and courtesy of Emerson
any situation where liquids are moving
across a huge pressure differential. Be-
fore discussing the issues caused by cavi- is increased, pressure must fall. This pressure, then vapor bubbles will be-
tation and the ways to address them, it explains the pronounced dip in the gin to form. However, when the pres-
is important to understand exactly what pressure curve. As the fluid passes sure recovers above the vapor pressure
cavitation is and why it occurs. through the restriction, it must speed downstream of the vena contracta, as
Figure 1 shows the instantaneous pres- up, lowering the pressure at that shown in Figure 1, the bubbles (or vapor
sure as liquid moves through a control point. Vena contracta is the minimum cavities) will immediately collapse back
valve. The internal passages of a valve area of a flow stream, and it is located into the liquid. his formation and col-
vary in a cross-sectional area, and the in- downstream of the flow constriction. lapse of the bubbles is called cavitation.
let and outlet areas are generally much his is the point in flow where the aver- If the outlet pressure is less than the
larger than the area around the plug and age flow velocity is the highest, and vapor pressure of the liquid, these vapor
seat. Since the total flow at any location mean pressure is the lowest. Once the cavities will persist downstream of the
in the valve is the same, the liquid velocity liquid enters the much larger outlet valve. his is called flashing.
around the plug and seat must be much piping, it slows down, and some pres-
higher to pass the same flow. sure is recovered. How dangerous can a bubble be?
By Bernoulli’s law, the total energy If the instantaneous pressure in the While either flashing or cavitation can
at every point is constant, so if velocity vena contracta falls below the vapor cause severe damage to a control valve,

Detecting and/or
predicting cavitation
It is quite difficult to predict the onset of
incipient cavitation, but there are some
methods to predict and detect the sever-
ity of cavitation. The first method is the
obvious noise and vibration created by a
severely cavitating liquid. The valve and
 Figure 2. Diagrams of a collapsing vapor bubble inside a cavitating valve. downstream piping will sound like it has
gravel flowing through it and will usu-
ally be vibrating significantly. A standard
this article will focus on the effects of the bubble as it condenses back to valve in this service will not last long. The
cavitation. It may be surprising, but most liquid. The implosion of bubbles cre- rough, irregular and cinder-like pitted
of the damage associated with cavitation ates high-speed, destructive microjets damage of the valve internals (as shown
does not occur when the bubbles are and localized shock waves. Either of in Figure 3) is also a sign of severe cavita-
formed, but rather when the bubbles col- these phenomena, when located near tion in an application.
lapse and disappear (see Figure 2). the material surface, can cause severe Predicting the severity of cavitation
Initially, the bubble is spherical, but damage to valve elements such as the during the design phase is preferable
a collapsing bubble usually develops plug, seat, body and associated pipe to detecting it after installation. ISA’s
a dimple, which ultimately penetrates (see Figure 3). Cavitation will not only Recommended Practice 75.23 (Consid-
erode the internals of the valve, but it erations for Evaluating Control Valve
will also hasten chemical attack if the Cavitation) defines a cavitation index
fluid is corrosive. (σ) for an application, which is a ratio
Cavitation might also limit between (P1-Pv) to (P1-P2). Depending
valve flow capacity. As the on the value of σ, the severity of cavita-
level of cavitation rises, tion can vary from incipient cavitation
the amount of vapor in to severe vibration, choking and mate-
the valve outlet begins rial damage.
to restrict flow. At some The cavitation index does not convey
point, the downstream any information about the performance
vapor load will become of a particular valve in an application.
so high that the flow be- Different valves can tolerate varying
comes choked. For a set levels of cavitation, and each applica-
inlet pressure and fixed valve tion may be focused on a different as-
position, a valve under choked pect of cavitation — for instance, noise
flow conditions cannot pass more versus vibration versus damage.
liquid, regardless of how low the down- Valve manufacturers establish limits
stream pressure is reduced. for their designs based on experience
with the application and the specific de-
sign features of their products. Cavita-
tion might be more pronounced on high
recovery valves such as butterfly, ball
and plug valves. High recovery valves
typically have a lower vena contracta
pressure (see Figure 4), thereby increas-
ing the chances of bubble formation
 Figure 3. Samples of and cavitation.
cavitation damage. Cavitation The key process parameters required
can erode and destroy plugs,
seats and the walls of the valve
to evaluate cavitation damage potential
or downstream piping. The are upstream and downstream pres-
damage is usually characterized sures, fluid temperature, and the vapor
by a dark, pitted and rough
surface. Whole sections of
pressure of the liquid. Vapor pressure
valve internals can be missing. is usually easy to obtain for a pure fluid

location where the liquid is approach-
ing its vapor pressure, the likelihood of
cavitation in the control valve is high.
Now consider Figure 6. In this case,
the valve has been moved to a dif-
ferent location where the pressure is
higher. Perhaps the valve is closer to the
pump, so the line losses are reduced, or
the valve is located in a section of pipe
where the head pressure is higher. In
either case, the valve outlet pressure is
well above the vapor pressure, and cavi-
tation is less likely.
If valve placement is not flexible, flow
resistance can be added downstream
of the control valve utilizing an orifice
plate or a valve. Fluid pressures within
the valve increase, and it will experience
less pressure drop. However, this tech-
nique may simply displace cavitation
from the valve to the downstream re-
 Figure 4. This graph compares the vena contracta pressures of a high recovery (ball, butterly) valve striction and may not effectively control
versus a low recovery (globe) valve for the same process conditions. Notice the vena contracta pressure the cavitation in the system. This may
in a high recovery valve is signiicantly lower, increasing the likelihood of cavitation. also increase valve size, as less pres-
sure drop is available to pass the same
amount of flow. Other means of avoid-
(water, ammonia, methanol, etc.), but Cavitation solution #1: Avoidance ing cavitation might include shaving a
can be quite difficult to determine for The best way to handle cavitation is to pump impeller or installing a variable
combinations of fluids, hydrocarbon avoid it altogether. Cavitation occurs frequency drive on a pump to reduce
mixtures or poorly studied intermediate when the outlet pressure of the valve is the pressure drop across a valve.
compounds. An accurate estimation of fairly close to the vapor pressure of a liq-
vapor pressure is critical to evaluate the uid. Consider the valve shown in Figure Cavitation solution #2:
intensity of cavitation. 5. As the fluid moves down the pipe, the Design for it
Cavitation is much more likely if pressure gradually falls due to line losses. If cavitation cannot be avoided, then
a valve is taking a very high pressure If the valve happens to be installed in a the valve must be designed to handle it
drop or the liquid temperature is el-
 Figure 5. Control
evated, translating to a high vapor
pressure. The boiler feedwater pump valve is located far
recirculation valve (described at the down the pipe where
the outlet pressure
beginning of this article) had both of happens to be close
these conditions. to the vapor pressure.
Cavitation damage potential is a This valve will likely
cavitate.
function of the duty cycle of the cavi-
tating conditions. If the valve will ex-
perience the cavitating condition only
during a rare upset, this condition may
not jeopardize the overall performance
of the valve since the damage effects are
time-dependent. Also, cavitation issues
generally scale with flow rates. A larger
flow rate means more fluid is available
to cavitate, and there is a greater poten-
tial for damage.

“If cavitation cannot be avoided, then the valve
must be designed to handle it and minimize the
damage. There are three ways to accomplish
this: robustness, isolation and elimination."
 Figure 6. Control valve is moved upstream

where the line losses are reduced or the liquid
head pressure is higher. In either case, the outlet
pressure is well away from the vapor pressure,
and cavitation is avoided.
and minimize the damage. There are

three ways to accomplish this:
• Robustness
• Isolation
• Elimination
Often, a combination of two or even

all three techniques is employed in
valve design.
Robustness utilizes high-strength,
hardened materials for critical parts of
the valve that will encounter cavitation.
Cavitation may ultimately damage the
valve internals, but high-strength ma-
terials resist damage for a longer period
of time. Notice the difference in Figure 7
between an Alloy 6 valve plug versus the
standard stainless plug subjected to the
same service conditions for the same
amount of time. Damage to the high
strength alloy is minimal.
 Figure 7. The valve plug on the left has a high

strength Alloy 6 tip, while the valve plug on the
right is made of 316 stainless. Both have been
subjected to the same lashing conditions for a
similar duration.

Isolation attempts to divert or di-
rect the collapsing bubbles into the
middle of the flow stream where micro-
jets and shock waves cannot impinge
on valve components. There are many
techniques to accomplish this, includ-
ing the two valve designs shown in
Figure 8.
Elimination strives to minimize cavi-
tation by taking the pressure drop in a
series of stages rather than all at once.
A single pressure drop tends to have a
large dip (as shown in Figure 1), which
drops below the vapor pressure of the
liquid. If the pressure drop is taken in a
 Figure 8. The Fisher Cavitrol III 1-stage trim series of three or four stages, the pres-
(shown above) employs several engineered low sure dip is eliminated, and the pressure
recovery holes in the hardened steel trim to take remains above the vapor pressure (see
the pressure drop. The bubbles of cavitation are
injected into the middle of the low stream where Figure 9).
they can do little damage to the plug, seat or valve
walls. Other trims, like the Micro-lat design (shown Conclusion
at right), use a downward angle body with a liner
insert to direct the bubbles into a protected area Cavitation can occur whenever a valve
away from the seat. takes a very high pressure drop or

when a liquid is near its vapor pres- valve design to handle the challenging
sure. If unanticipated, cavitation can process conditions.
quickly destroy valve internals and
even erode through pipe walls. How- Thirumalai Karthik (TK) Arasu
ever, calculations are available to is a critical control valve
anticipate cavitation problems in ad- specialist with Emerson. He
vance. Armed with that knowledge, has 13 years of application
designers can either rework the equip- experience specializing in anti-cavitation,
ment design to eliminate or mitigate anti-noise and high-performance engi-
cavitation, or they can partner with a neered control valves.
control valve vendor to select the best
 Figure 9. Rather than

taking a single pressure
drop as depicted in Figure 1,
some anti-cavitation trims
use a series of pressure drop
stages, resulting in the
pressure curve (shown here)
and avoiding cavitation. The
Fisher CAV 4 trim (far right)
reduces pressure through four
discrete, independent, unequal
and low-recovery stages with
adequate recovery areas.
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VALVES
Selecting PVC valves for

chemical processing
Critical factors should be considered when choosing
PVC or CPVC valves for a specific application.
By Mark Ligon, Commercial Industrial Supply
electing the right valve in a chemical processing application
S is extremely important. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) valves are

used in a variety of systems, and most are not industry spe-
ciic. here are many options to choose from, including ball
valves, butterfly valves, check valves, gate valves and diaphragm valves.
With a variety of options available, factors need to be considered, in-
cluding the material of the valve being used, temperature and pressure
requirements, flow control, and fluid type. his article discusses PVC
and chlorinated PVC (CPVC) valves in chemical processing.
Common types of PVC valves for chemical processing

When choosing a PVC valve for chemical processing, there are many
options depending on the application. Ball valves, for instance, incor-
porate a rotating ball into a quarter-turn valve, which can either block
flow completely or allow it to move downstream. Ball valves can be
selected based on their speciic degree of flow regulation. Most come
with a lever or handle, which serves as a visual for the direction and
status of the valve. Use PVC ball valves in applications where flow
must be easily shut off, including high-pressure hydraulic systems and
compressed air lines.
Butterfly valves are also quarter-turn valves. hey utilize circular
flaps that swing into or out of the flow stream for regulation of flow.
Manual butterfly valves use a handle for adjustment, while gear valves,
made for larger lines, utilize a wheel. hey are not as effective as ball
valves in high-pressure applications, but they are less expensive. But-
terfly valves are commonly used in wastewater plants, processing
plants and chemical processing, as well as larger diameter pipelines.
For applications where flow is moving in a single direction, check
valves may be the best option. here are several types of check valves
on the market today. Swing check valves use hinged gates or wa-
fers activated by a spring to close ports as pressure decreases. hey
are more common in low-pressure systems. Lift-type check valves,
on the other hand, use a ball or piston, combined with a spring, to
open at a speciic pressure and close when the pressure decreases.
ID 35643432 © Supakitmod | Dreamstime.com

Lift-type check valves are often used on Temperature and pressure resistance, maintenance and re-
gas lines and pumps where flow must requirements placement costs are less.
move in a single direction. When selecting plastic valves like PVC or 3. CPVC valves can handle higher
While other valves regulate flow, gate CPVC, it is extremely important to deter- temperatures and higher pressures.
valves are used to completely block mine temperature and pressure require- Unlike PVC valves, which can with-
flow when necessary. They utilize a ments. Selecting the wrong valve for the stand temperatures reaching 140˚,
plate-like barrier, which is lowered into job could diminish the functionality and CPVC valves are designed to with-
the stream to completely shut off flow. cause additional problems on the line. stand 210˚. They will also maintain
However, flow remains consistent when CPVC valves should always be used when higher pressures and will not cause
the valve is fully opened. Some gate consistently higher temperatures and pressures to drop like their metal
valves are rising stems, which means pressures are expected. Some valves, like counterparts.
the operator can see when the valve is ball valves, can be used in higher pressure 4. CPVC valves are resistant to many
open. While this can be a useful feature, situations and can even be selected based chemicals and corrosives. It is al-
it also leaves the valve exposed to the on specific pressures, while others, like ways important to check the manu-
elements when open. Nonrising stem the butterfly valve, may not be well-suited facturer’s specifications, but most
gate valves are also available. for high-pressure applications. CPVC valves can handle acids, bases
Diaphragm valves are also extremely and salts that could lead to leaks
effective at blocking flow. This option Flow control and damage in metal systems.
uses flexible membranes to completely Consider the design of the system and
seal off sections of piping, allowing the flow control needed. For instance, PVC and CPVC valve use in
the actuator and the process fluid to ball and butterfly valves are effective in industrial applications
remain separate. Diaphragm valves both vertical and horizontal lines, while With many options available for valves in
provide a nearly leakproof seal, which check valves will only work vertically if the chemical processing, it can be challenging
makes it the right fit for pharmaceuti- flow is moving upward. In addition, some to select the right option. First, consider
cal, cosmetic and food processing. valves are better suited for regulating flow, the material of the valve. Both PVC and
while others, like the gate and diaphragm, CPVC valves are chemical resistant, light-
How to choose the are specifically designed to stop flow. weight and strong. CPVC valves, however,
right valve can withstand much higher temperatures
Key considerations to keep in mind Type of fluid and higher sustained pressures. Choose a
when selecting a valve include the ma- Fluid type is also an important factor in valve with the right flow control for the ap-
terial of the valves, any pressure and determining which valve is best, espe- plication. Some, like the ball, butterfly and
temperature requirements, the need for cially in chemical processing. Butterfly check valves, help regulate flow, while gate
flow control, and the type of fluid flow- valves, for instance, may not be the best and diaphragm valves effectively close the
ing through the valves. choice for fluids containing particu- line, stopping flow completely. Consider
lates. They are, however, easy to remove, the type of liquid or gas passing through
Material of construction clean or replace, which is especially the pipeline. Fortunately, CPVC valves are
When choosing the right valve for a spe- helpful when dealing with potentially resistant to most chemicals, unlike their
cific chemical processing application, corrosive liquids and gases. metal counterparts. As always, it is impor-
it is important to consider not just the tant to check the manufacturer’s specifica-
functionality of the valve, but also the 4 reasons CPVC valves are tions to be sure that the valve selected can
material. Most valves can be manufac- suited for chemical processing withstand the unique conditions of the
tured in both PVC and CPVC. Valves While PVC and metal valves are com- chemical processing application.
made of PVC are a cost-effective option monly used in other applications, CPVC
with strong resistance to sunlight, oxi- offers advantages for chemical process- Mark Ligon is the marketing
dation and chemicals, including acids, ing systems. The reasons for this include: manager at Commercial Indus-
bases, salt solutions and organic sol- 1. CPVC valves are easier to work with. trial Supply, a supplier of com-
vents. They are lightweight and strong. They are lightweight and, unlike mercial PVC and CPVC pipe,
CPVC valves are also resistant to most metal valves, welding is not needed. fittings and valves. Ligon enjoys educating
chemicals, with the added benefit of 2. CPVC valves cost less than metal businesses on the parts of piping systems so
having a higher heat resistance and valves. Because they are easier to managers can make informed decisions. He
pressure handling. However, CPVC work with, labor costs are often can be reached at webmaster@commercial-
valves are more expensive than their much less with CPVC valves. In ad- industrial-supply.com. For more information,
PVC counterparts. dition, because of their chemical visit commercial-industrial-supply.com.

P R O D U C T
FOCUS
Send products for consideration in this section
to mrogers@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
1 | tank level gauge 2 | smart sensor 3 | flammable gas sensors 4 | seal valves
The new Ashcroft TC tank level Petasense’s Vibration Mote NevadaNano’s microelectro- Conval offers low- and high-
gauge provides liquid level Model 3 (VM3) is a sensor mechanical systems (MEMS)- pressure Clampseal bellows
measurement for any shape of that combines speed detection based gas sensors, the seal valves for demanding
vented storage tank or vessel. with triaxial vibration and Molecular Property Spectrometer applications. Low-pressure
The analog dial is scaled to temperature, enabling continuous (or MPS) Flammable Gas ASME Class 150-900 bellows
customer requirements, while monitoring of variable speed Sensors, are integrated into seal valves are ideal for toxic,
the 160 mm size provides assets. Users can trend Blackline’s portfolio of cloud- corrosive and caustic applications
easy reading. Indication is readings under consistent connected G7 connected and regulation of severe-service
separated by an integral operating conditions. VM3 safety wearables. The sensors process control. They feature
capillary line, up to 90 offers event-based measurement, are able to simultaneously low weight and seismic profile;
feet, facilitating the remote such as taking readings only and accurately monitor the leak-proof integrity; inline
mounting of the seal housing. when the asset is running at environments for the lower servicing; high cycle bellows; high
Choice of 316 SS fittings a specific speed. It provides explosive limit (LEL) levels of the low capacity; and no fugitive
and mounting configurations battery life up to five years. Data 12 most common combustible emissions. High-pressure single
allows for external or internal from the VM3 is transmitted over gases. With combustible gas and double bellows seal valves
(submerged) installation. Wi-Fi to the ARO Cloud, with detection monitoring, worker are ideal where packed valves
The model TC does not detailed analyst tools. VM3 also safety is enhanced, with nearly may not reliably contain light
require power. offers Bluetooth connectivity. no false alarms. gases or hazardous system luids.
ashcroft.com petasense.com nevadanano.com conval.com

2
1 4
1 | flare measurement system 2 | clamp-on ultrasonic 3 | panel meter 4 | flow transmitters

Sierra Instruments’s QuadraTherm
flowmeter Otek’s SSAM-N is a form, it AW-Lake’s EDGE family of Flow
qMix RealTime Flare Measurement VorTek Instruments’ SonoPro and function replacement for Electronics interface with PD
System (FMS) can adjust low portable clamp-on lowmeter the analog DB40 and VS252 or turbine lowmeters. When
readings when lare gas incorporates high accuracy meters and part of its series installed on a lowmeter, it can
composition changes in seconds transit-time ultrasonic technology, of digital panel meters. With force the sensor to output a
to match real-time readings delivering accurate and reliable Plug and Play technology, frequency or analog signal output
from a gas analyzer. The low metering and dependable the SSAM-N is designed to for lexibility when interfacing
system includes the accuracy BTU energy or mass low replace almost any 4-inch with readout equipment or
of QuadraTherm thermal mass measurement. Matched precision ANSI meter without requiring control rooms. Modbus output
lowmeters and the qMix RealTime transducers and signal processing the surrounding panel and adds system compatibility.
app. It has four sensors: three circuitry accurately measure wiring to be changed or A Bluetooth mobile app supports
platinum temperature sensors low of most liquids over a wide removed and with minimal signal processing, allowing
and one no-drift DrySense mass range of velocities. Clamp-on operator training. Powered users to monitor and program
velocity sensor. Flow range is transducers create no wear, zero by the signal it measures, lowmeters from a smartphone.
extended to ultra-low lows down pressure loss, and do not require the SSAM-N was designed The EDGE family includes FAC-R
to 0.1 sfps (0.03 smps) to extreme process interruptions to install without any critical digital Frequency to Analog Converter,
high lows, 120,000 sfpm (600 them since they are attached to assets to avoid vulnerabilities Flow Sensor, and Battery-
smps), with a 1000:1 turndown. the outside of the pipe. to cybersecurity attacks. Powered Flow Rate Transmitter.
sierrainstruments.com vortekinst.com otekcorp.com aw-lake.com

ID 1171317153 © kingwin | Getty images
TRADE SHOWS
Mon., Oct. 5: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Logo courtesy of WEFTEC

Tues., Oct. 6: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 7: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 8: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 9: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
weftec.org
WEFTEC Connect brings water quality

professionals together in a virtual event
EFTEC is the world’s most • Watch video product launches and “Not Just Blowing Hot Air: Aeration De-
W comprehensive gathering of
water quality professionals
and thought leaders, fea-
equipment demonstrations and
download resources.
• Connect with community through
sign and Optimization.”
Solutions Sessions will include topics
such as “Nutrient Analyzers and Sensors”
turing the sector’s leading conference text chat channels or audio/video- as well as “Fundamentals — Secondary
program, an extensive exhibition show- enabled roundtables. School on Aeration Blowers, Diffusers,
casing the field’s most cutting-edge • Allow AI-technology to match and Process Control.”
solutions, and a variety of valuable net- peer-to-peer exchanges with WEFTEC will also include Operations
working opportunities. other attendees and exhibitors Challenge, which has been reshaped
WEFTEC 2020 will be a fully virtual based on data provided in for a virtual experience. Two-person
event on the WEFTEC Connect online participant proile. teams will compete remotely in three
learning platform that offers attend- categories: process control, laboratory
ees interactive education, an exhibitor In addition to exhibitor hours, each day and collections. Judges will score each
showcase and networking experiences. of the conference will include keynote team in real time during their scheduled
The event will run Oct. 5-9 from 11 speakers, Solutions Sessions and Ask virtual session, and the winners in each
a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT, with dedicated ex- the Expert sessions. category will be announced at the Op-
hibitor hours from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event will be kicked off by key- erations Challenge awards ceremony on
Features of WEFTEC Connect include: note speaker René Rodriguez, who will Oct. 8. For the most up-to-date informa-
• Live, interactive learning use his training in applied behavioral tion about the competitions, go to www.
with Q&A. neuroscience to teach water profession- weftec.org/attend/operations-challenge.
• Prerecorded technical presentations. als how to reframe adversity and har- Each day of the conference will close
• View content on demand for a ness the power of courage to become with fun social events like a trivia night,
full year. more thoughtful, engaged and adapt- movie night, happy hour and a network-
• Talk directly with product and able leaders. ing roundtable.
service suppliers in the water sector. Ask the Expert session topics in- Visit www.weftec.org/faqs for answers
• Set up 1:1 audio/video-enabled clude “Knowledge Development Forum: to frequently asked questions, and go to
appointments or instantly Theoretical and Practical Debate to www.weftec.org/register to view a full
message company contacts. Improve EBPR Modeling Practice” and list of policies and deadlines.

Connect
SOLUTIONS FOR FLUID MOVEMENT, MEASUREMENT & CONTAINMENT
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AutomationDirect ........................................................................BC Festo Corporation ....................................................................... 16
Badger Meter Inc .......................................................................... 1 GF Piping Systems ..................................................................... IFC
Bronkhorst USA ............................................................................ 5 KROHNE Inc ................................................................................. 3
Calbond, a part of Atkore International ......................................... 25 Messe Dusseldorf North America ................................................ 17
Check-All Valve........................................................................... 24 Sika USA Inc .............................................................................. 25
Electro Static Technology ............................................................ 23 Spitzer and Boyes LLC ................................................................ 24
Endress+Hauser Inc. ................................................................. IBC
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ONLINE
EXCLUSIVE
FC
FlowControlNetwork.com
Courtesy of Celeros
@FLO W C O NTR O L_MAG
Flow-related vibration is a
common cause of high-cycle
fatigue, and challenges
should be addressed to It seems likely that business focused around capital investment may be paused or reduced, but
ensure safety and reliability there will be a greater demand for servicing and maintenance. Critical equipment will always need
of piping systems | maintenance and emergency service, even if customers are not replacing or ordering new equipment.
ow.ly/lOPr50ANEqi
— Tim Old, Celeros Flow Technology
These tips and tricks can bit.ly/3kUfmEQ

help successfully
troubleshoot a drive and
ID 76278465 © Nostal6ie |
motor system | ow.ly/

Zuoy50AJlJ0 @MIMotionInd
WHAT'S ON FACEBOOK
Dreamstime.com
#QuizCorner: What is the

approximate flow rate into a
circular 1,000-gallon vertical
tank that is filled in 10 minutes?
ow.ly/hyoL50AFcfu
Specifying a thermal mass
flowmeter for gases
Q&A: @eatoncorp’s Paul Olis
discusses harmonic risks To ensure accuracy and success
and solutions, such as clean in a gas low application, there are
power drives, to reduce important factors to consider when
energy costs and protect specifying a thermal mass lowmeter.
systems | ow.ly/V7tr50ABlsC
bit.ly/2Y9qeFo
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FIELD DEVICE

Exploring the possibility of

Solving control valve

Selecting PVC valves

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com

Case Study: A utility standardizes

Q&A: Workforce development and

JANUARY 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com

Discover how our flow meters can

Exploring the possibility of limitless

Editorial Director Angela Godwin

Contributing Editor Jesse Osborne

Group Assistant Editor Daniel Gaddy

Columnist David W. Spitzer

I of us, that means getting

For Subscription Questions/Inquiries:

4 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

in ISO 9001:2015 help companies deliver

PMMI awards scholarships in processing

6 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 7

Flowmeter billing errors, Part 4

8 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

A. 8% B. 10% C. 12% D. 60%

The differential pressure transmitter should be Additional complicating factors

QUIZ umn. The 66-inch raw measurement rep-

ID 108923427 © Chokchai Namthip | Dreamstime.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 9

Plant asset management:

I cident, some may say that

10 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

 Figure 1. An individual technician can Capabilities of asset health

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 11

12 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 13

Condition monitoring, diagnostics, prognostics

14 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 15

Failure modes and condition

16 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

Amin Almasi is a lead mechanical engineer in Austra-

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 17

Exploring the possibility of

P ern manufacturing rely

every type of rotating equipment. How- rolling elements and raceways.

18 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 19

Understanding and solving

ou are standing near a re-

Y circulation valve on a high-

20 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 21

22 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

 Figure 6. Control valve is moved upstream

and minimize the damage. There are

Often, a combination of two or even

 Figure 7. The valve plug on the left has a high

SEPTEMBER 2020 | flowcontrolnetwork.com 23

24 FLOW CONTROL | SEPTEMBER 2020

 Figure 9. Rather than

Need Sensors for

Explore your options…contact us today!

(800) 536-2248 atkore.com/calbond Made in Germany…Quality by tradition