SOLUTIONS for FLUID MOVEMENT,

MEASUREMENT & CONTAINMENT

The
Preventative
Maintenance
Issue Ensure uptime with a
secure Internet of Things

Also Inside

Coriolis meter
calibration
Real-time pump
monitoring
Proper impeller
trimming
JULY 2017 • Vol. XXIII, No. 7
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Table of Contents | July 2017 • Vol. XXIII, No. 7

Cover Series
Preventive Maintenance
10 The face of maintenance
By Mike Johnston, T.A. Cook Consultants Inc.
Predictive technologies are important, but people will
never go out of style.

12 Tools & handling for long valve life

12
By Gobind Khiani, Fluor Canada Ltd.
Use the right wrenches, installation, treatment and plan.

14 Coiled tubing: Preventive maintenance

& corrosion failure mitigation
By Alex Sheehan, Global Tubing LLC
Recommendations and treatment options to avoid
premature failure

Special Section
IIoT & Cybersecurity
20 22
18 The right time to get started with IIoT
By Michael Risse, Seeq Corporation
Implementation is not only practical, but also a
competitive necessity.
Departments
20 By
IIoT: The future of pump monitoring
Abhinav Khushraj & Arun Santhebennur, Petasense
4 From the Editor
Predictive maintenance technology delivers zero downtime 6 News & Notes
and immense cost savings.
8 Application Corner & Quiz Corner
25 Featured Products
22 By
Guarding the digital perimeter
Saadi Kermani, Schneider Electric 31 Advertiser Index
Managing industrial cybersecurity in the IIoT world 32 FlowControlNetwork.com

Best Practices & Applications

26 Coriolis calibration reduces mass flow 28 trimming
Centrifugal compressor impeller
methods
measurement uncertainty
By Martin Richer, Polycontrols By Amin Almasi
The importance of accuracy cannot be overstated. Effects on gas flow and operation

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

by Grand View Media Group, 200 Croft Street, Suite 1, Birming-
© Entire contents copyright 2017. No portion of this publica-
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2 | July 2017 Flow Control

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 From the Editor EDITOR IN CHIEF
ROBYN TUCKER | 205-981-4698
rtucker@grandviewmedia.com

D
uring the summer months, our
thoughts turn to well-earned
vacations and breaks from our
daily jobs and routines. We vow to leave
the office, plant floor, oil field and other
job sites to take a break from the daily
grind and relax for a few days. However,
the facilities we work in keep going. These
vacations would not be possible without
proper attention to preventive mainte-
actionable data. At the end of our GROUP SENIOR EDITOR, CONTENT MARKETING
MATT MIGLIORE | 484-255-9032
special section on page 20, Petasense matt@grandviewmedia.com
presents a case study of how Stanford CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
University used new IIoT technologies AMY W. RICHARDSON | 205-408-5050
arichardson@grandviewmedia.com
to identify predictive maintenance solu-
JAZMIN HILL | 205-408-3784
tions for real-time pump monitoring. j.hill@grandviewmedia.com
Move on next to page 26, where COLUMNIST
Polycontrols discusses the importance of DAVID W. SPITZER
calibration measurement uncertainty in ART DIRECTOR
mass flow rates. Contributor Amin Almasi RYAN CARLSON

nance, which we focus on in this issue. then goes over impeller trimming methods PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
JAIME DE ARMAN | jdearman@grandviewmedia.com
Our readers are the professionals who on page 28 to close out our features.
GROUP PUBLISHER
implement effective maintenance strat- I hope this issue’s content helps you MICHAEL C. CHRISTIAN | 908-507-5472
egies, a point highlighted in T.A. Cook’s improve your current maintenance strat- mikec@grandviewmedia.com
article on page 10. While technologies egies. Feel free to share your success DISTRICT MANAGER
JAY HAAS | 205-572-1058
are important to ensure accuracy and stories with me.
jay@grandviewmedia.com
other benefits, humans are essential.
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Our cover series continues on page 12 Sincerely, ADDISON PERKINS | 205-861-5303
with Editorial Advisory Board member a.perkins@grandviewmedia.com

Gobind Khiani’s discussion of the proper NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER

JIM SEMPLE | 908-963-3008
tools and handling methods for long
jsemple@grandviewmedia.com
valve life. Next on page 14, Global Tubing Robyn Tucker ACCOUNT MANAGER
presents an article on maintaining and rtucker@grandviewmedia.com LISA WILLIMAN | 205-332-5915
preventing corrosion in coiled tubing. @FlowControl_Mag lwilliman@grandviewmedia.com

The Internet of Things (IIoT) is every- MARKETING MANAGER

NICK PHILLIPS
where, including the preventive mainte-
DIGITAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR
nance discussion. Our special section STUART ANDERSON
on IIoT and cybersecurity, which begins DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER
on page 18, acknowledges this. Find MARY BETH ROMANO
out what it means to implement secure, AUDIENCE MARKETING MANAGER
connected systems that produce ANNA HICKS
SUBSCRIPTION & REPRINT REQUEST
flowcontrol@omeda.com
CORPORATE TEAM
GENERAL MANAGER
MEL BLACKWELL
MARKETING DIRECTOR
ANNEE COOK
(Above) Plant personnel can use AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
augmented reality to monitor pump & ANALYTICS DIRECTOR
system health, as we learned during a HEATHER THOMPSON
demonstration at National Instruments’
NIWeek in Austin, Texas. FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
RANDY LYLE
(Left) The Pepperl+Fuchs team showed PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Flow Control Editor in Chief Robyn Tucker ANDY ESTILL
its mobile devices for hazardous areas at
the Offshore Technology Conference in PRODUCT DIRECTOR
May. JENNIFER RICHARDS

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

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

4 | July 2017 Flow Control

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News & Notes
Oil & gas news
First floating liquefaction
facility begins operations
PFLNG Satu, the world’s first floating liq-
uefaction facility (FLNG), completed de-
livery of its first cargo of liquefied natural
gas (LNG) in April, according to the U.S.
Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Developed by Malaysian oil and natural
gas company Petronas, the versatile fa-
cility has a production capacity of 0.16
billion cubic feet per day, or 1.2 million
metric tons per year. The vessel will be
anchored offshore of Sarawak, Malay-
sia, and will produce from the Kanowit
field for five years before moving to other
natural gas fields in the area.
PADD 1B petroleum product
exports reach record high
Increased exports of finished petroleum
products from the Central Atlantic region
of the U.S. (Petroleum Administration
of Defense District, or PADD 1B) were
driven by lower prices in other regions
in the Atlantic Basin. This resulted in a
record high in February 2017, accord-
ing to the EIA. Distillate fuel and total
motor gasoline were among the exports
that increased.
OPEC net oil revenues in 2016
were the lowest since 2004
Organization of the Petroleum Export-
ing Countries (OPEC) members saw a
15 percent decline in net oil export rev-
enues in 2016, down from $509 billion
earned the year prior. This was the low-
est earnings since 2004, the EIA report-
ed. The drop is blamed primarily on the
fall in average annual crude oil prices,
but can also be attributed in small part
to decreases in OPEC net oil exports.
US crude oil exports
increased in 2016
U.S. crude oil exports for 2016 jumped
12 percent over the previous year
with an average 520,000 barrels per
day (b/d), according to the EIA. This
55,000 b/d increase occurred despite
a year-over-year decline in domestic
crude oil production. While oil exports
6 | July 2017
have increased, U.S. crude oil growth
has slowed significantly since 2013 to
2015, when annual U.S. crude oil pro-
duction grew rapidly.
Indian liquid fuels consumption
beginning to recover
Preliminary estimates from India’s
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
indicate that Indian liquid fuels con-
sumption fell 3 percent during the first
quarter of 2017 compared with the
same quarter the year prior, marking
the first year-over-year quarterly de-
cline since 2013. However, total liquid
fuels consumption in India increased 8
percent to 4.35 million barrels per day
in 2016, the largest increase since
2009, according to the EIA.
Company &
association news
ConocoPhillips sells oil &
gas assets
U.S. oil major ConocoPhillips agreed to
sell oil sands and western Canadian natu-
ral gas assets to Cenovus Energy. The
$12.74 billion deal allows Cenovus to take
ownership of its main oil sands assets in
northern Alberta and double its production
to 588,000 per day. The divestment is the
largest in ConocoPhillips’ history.
Badger Meter acquires
D-Flow Technology
Badger Meter Inc. signed a definitive
agreement to acquire Luleå, Sweden-
based D-Flow Technology AB for ap-
proximately $23 million in cash. D-Flow
Technology specializes in ultrasonic
technology, primarily for flow measure-
ment. The move will help Badger Meter
enhance its E-Series Ultrasonic product
line and lower production costs.
ABB acquires B&R
ABB announced the acquisition of B&R,
the largest independent provider of prod-
uct- and software-based, open-architec-
ture solutions for machine and factory
automation around the world. B&R is
headquartered in Eggelsberg, Austria,
and employs more than 3,000 people,
including about 1,000 research and de-
velopment and application engineers.
The company operates in 70 countries
and generates sales of more than $600
million in the $20 billion machine and
factory automation market segment.
SJE-Rhombus named ESOP
Company of the Year
SJE-Rhombus received the 2017 Com-
pany of the Year award for the Minne-
sota/Dakotas Chapter of the ESOP As-
sociation. The award was presented at
the chapter’s spring meeting.
The award is presented each year to
one of more than 100 ESOP companies
in the local chapter based on a strong
commitment to employee ownership,
a track record of success and wealth
building for shareholders, and promo-
tion of the benefits among successful
employee companies.
Dow and Falcon win 2017
Edison Award for fuel-
marker technology
The Dow Chemical Company’s fuel-
marker technology ACCUTRACE and Fal-
con Analytical’s CALIDUS MT received a
Silver 2017 Edison Award. Together the
unit forms a fuel marking and detection
system that allows governments to en-
force tax law and prevent criminal activity.
The Edison Award honors and recognizes
some of the most innovative new prod-
ucts, services and business leaders in the
country. Finalists are chosen as the “best
of the best” by 3,000 of the world’s top
senior business executives, academics
and innovation professionals.
Scotland establishes $20M
Centre of Excellence for
subsea development
Scotland will establish a world-class
$20 million Centre of Excellence
(CoE) for subsea development in East
Kilbride. Led by TÜV SÜD Limited (NEL),
a provider of research and develop-
ment, consultancy and testing to the
international oil and gas industry, the
investment will provide Scotland with
a unique global capability, build on its
Flow Control
position as a leader in subsea engi-
neering and oil and gas innovation,
and make a significant contribution to
growth ambitions of companies operat-
ing in the oil and gas sector.
MCAA inducts three new
members into Hall of Fame
Fluid Components International (FCI)
co-founders Robert Deane and Malcolm
McQueen along with Magnetrol’s Judy
Stevenson were inducted into the Mea-
surement, Control and Automation Asso-
ciation (MCAA) Hall of Fame during the
MCAA Industry Forum in Atlanta in April.
The three were recognized for contribut-
ing to the instrumentation and control
industry in a significant and memorable
way either through technical achieve-
ments, business accomplishments or in-
dustry leadership. Deane, McQueen and
Stevenson (honored posthumously) join
Gordon Arnold of Sierra Monitor, Wade
Mattar of Schneider Electric/Foxboro
and Dick Morley, all inducted in 2016.
Four BASF employees
recognized by The
Manufacturing Institute
Four BASF employees were among 130
women recognized nationally at The
Manufacturing Institute’s 2017 STEP
Ahead Awards, which focus on science,
technology, engineering and production
(STEP). Each year, the program honors
female leaders for their advocacy, men-
torship, engagement and leadership in
the industry.
BASF employees Debbie Dalley, site
director in Beaumont, Texas; Laura Fish-
er, reliability engineer in Freeport, Texas;
Regina Molisee, quality & continuous
improvement manager in Attapulgus,
Georgia; and Ashley Thompson, process
engineer II in Chattanooga, Tennessee;
received awards. Fisher and Thompson
were also among 30 women designat-
ed as Emerging Leaders. Additionally,
BASF’s Heidi Alderman served as the
2017 STEP Ahead Chairwoman.
John Hrncir appointed VP for
Weir Oil & Gas
Fort Worth, Texas-based Weir Oil & Gas
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
hired John Hrncir as vice president of sales
and service, pressure control. In this role,
Hrncir is responsible for safety, sales and
aftermarket services for Weir’s pressure
control business, which includes wellhead
and surface control products and services.
Previously, Hrncir was director of global
sales and marketing, surface wellhead for
FMC Technologies.
Jim Mugford named head of
Sulzer’s electromechanical
services
Jim Mugford was named president and
global head of Sulzer’s electromechani-
cal services business. He is responsible
for driving Sulzer’s strategy, growth and
profitability for electromechanical servic-
es worldwide and creating synergies with
the company’s turbo services and pump
services business. Mugford joined Sulzer
in 2012, during which he restructured
and improved the company’s Canadian
turbo and pump services operations,
grew the U.S. electromechanical busi-
ness and restructured and integrated
the North American pump services busi-
ness into Sulzer’s Rotating Equipment
Services division.
Borets US names new senior
vice president
Borets named William P. Faubel as
its senior vice president of business
development and sales for Houston,
Texas-based Borets U.S. Faubel is an
experienced oil and gas industry senior
executive, having held numerous presi-
dential and vice presidential positions
in various companies. In his new role,
Faubel is charged with leading the com-
pany’s business development initiatives,
expanding the global client base for
Borets’ new technology. Faubel holds a
degree in mechanical engineering from
Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
Texas. He is also a member of the Soci-
ety of Petroleum Engineers.
New directors, officers named
to Hydraulic Institute board
During its annual conference, the Hy-
draulic Institute (HI) announced the ap-
pointment of John H. White, Jr., CEO
Free info: Enter 200 at fcm.hotims.com
of TACO Inc. as chairman and John
Kahren, president of SPP Pumps Inc. as
president. Each will hold his post for two
years. Additionally, three new directors
joined the board of directors for three-
year terms, including Christy Bermen-
solo, CEO of Engineered Software Inc.;
Brent Ross, Director — Core/Hydronics
Customer Solutions Group for Armstrong
Fluid Technology; and Oakley Roberts,
vice president, Product Management and
Global Sales of ARO Fluid Products, In-
gersoll Rand Industrial Technologies. The
leadership transition took place during
HI’s Centennial Celebration and Awards
Gala where George Harris, CEO Hydro, re-
ceived the Chairman’s Award and outgo-
ing board members were recognized and
thanked for their service. FC
Send news and events for consider-
ation in this section to Robyn Tucker
at rtucker@grandviewmedia.com.
Upcoming events
46th Turbomachinery & 33rd
Pump Symposia
Sept. 11–14
Houston
pumpturbo.tamu.edu
PROCESS EXPO
Sept. 19–22
Chicago
myprocessexpo.com
PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Sept. 25–27
Las Vegas
packexpolasvegas.com
WEFTEC 2017
Sept. 30–Oct. 4
Chicago
weftec.org
2017 Chem Show
Oct. 31–Nov. 2
New York
chemshow.com
July 2017 | 7
 Application Corner
By David W. Spitzer

Incinerator combustion
air flowmeter
Part 2: Choosing the right technology

T
he physical properties, operating
conditions and operating con-
straints of a combustion air flow-
meter for an incinerator were discussed
last month. Combustion air flow mea-
surements were required for flows of 15
to 700 units and the flowmeter had to
measure zero flow under reverse flow
conditions, lest the fumes overpower
the combustion air fan and escape to
the atmosphere.
Pipe size (24-inch) precluded the
application of many flowmeter technolo-
gies in this application. Most full-bore
flowmeters could not be used because
of size and/or cost. Various types of in-
sertion flowmeters could be applied. Full-
bore and insertion differential pressure
flowmeters might also be applicable.
Turndown flow requirements elimi-
nate even more flowmeter technologies.
For example, the effective 45-to-1 flow
measurement turndown with a differen-
tial pressure flowmeter would result in a
differential pressure turndown of 2,025-
to-1. Differential pressure transmitters
can exhibit somewhat reasonable ac-
curacy over approximately a 5-to-1 flow
measurement turndown. Stated differ-
ently, the differential pressure generated
at low combustion air flow rates would be
too low for an industrial differential pres-
sure transmitter to measure accurately.
Reverse flow requirements further
eliminate flowmeter technologies. For
example, an insertion vortex flowmeter

An orifice plate flow element has shut-off valves located at each

pressure tap. Its differential pressure transmitter has a three-valve
Quiz Corner manifold. The transmitter is to be removed for shop calibration.
In what sequence should the valves be opened and closed to safely
remove the transmitter and manifold?

A. Close upstream and then downstream shut-off valves | B. Close downstream and then upstream shut-off valves |
C. Close high and then low manifold valves, then close shut-off valves | D. Close low and then high manifold valves,
then close shut-off valves | E. Open manifold bypass valve then close shut-off valves

F
irst, closing one of the shut-off
valves or the low or high three-
valve manifold valve will isolate
one side of the transmitter while the
other side is still connected to the pro-
cess. If the process pressure changes
when one of these valves is closed, a
potentially large differential pressure
can be created across the transmit-
ter that can damage the transmitter,
especially if a process upset causes
the line pressure to change dramati-
cally (on only one side of the differen-
tial pressure diaphragm).
To avoid this possibility, it would
be prudent to protect the transmit-
ter by applying a “hydraulic jumper”
across the transmitter by opening the
manifold bypass valve. This will cause
some fluid to flow from the high tap to
the low tap and generate a relatively
small differential pressure across the
transmitter that can be tolerated.
Additional complicating
factors
Opening the bypass first in high-
pressure steam service will cause
live steam to remove the liquid seal
and flow through the transmitter. Not
only can this damage the transmitter
(because of the presence of live
steam in the transmitter), but it also
creates a potential hazard for the
instrument technician. In this service,
Answers A, B, C or D would be safer
alternatives but Answers C and D
would usually be even safer and more
practical. FC

8 | July 2017 Flow Control

 The differential pressure generated at low combustion air flow rates
would be too low for an industrial differential pressure transmitter
to measure accurately.

could not be used because it registers

reverse flow as if it were forward flow.
Therefore, a flow switch would be need-
ed to force the transmitter output to zero
flow under reverse flow conditions.
In the end, an insertion turbine flow-
meter with a quadrature amplifier (to
sense reverse flow and force the output
to zero) met all of the requirements for
this application and enabled the incinera-
tor to operate more efficiently for years.
In addition, accuracy was reasonable
because flowmeter performance was ex-
pressed as a percentage of flow rate (not
full scale) over the applicable range.
In summary, selecting a flowmeter to
measure a common fluid (air) operating
at nonextreme conditions (atmospheric
pressure and ambient temperature) can
become a challenge because of the
constraints of the process in which the
flowmeter must operate. FC

David W. Spitzer is a regular contributor

to Flow Control magazine and a principal
in Spitzer and Boyes LLC, which offers
engineering, seminars, strategic, mar-
keting consulting, distribution consulting
and expert witness services for manu-
facturing and automation companies.
Spitzer and Boyes is also the publisher
of the Industrial Automation INSIDER. He
has more than 40 years of experience
and has written more than 10 books and
350 articles about flow measurement,
instrumentation and process control.
Spitzer may be reached at 845-623-
1830 or via spitzerandboyes.com.
Click on the “Products” tab to find his
Consumer Guides to various flow and
level measurement technologies.

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www.flowcontrolnetwork.com July 2017 | 9

Cover Series: Preventive Maintenance
The face of maintenance
Predictive technologies are important, but people
will never go out of style.
By Mike Johnston, T.A. Cook Consultants Inc.
N
ew predictive maintenance (PdM)
technologies are designed and
improved all the time. Condition-
based monitoring (CBM) components are
built directly into new equipment or retro-
fitted into existing machines and systems.
With increasingly advanced automation,
a tendency develops in some circles to
wonder if nuts and bolts, knuckle-busting,
grease-under-the-fingernails preventive
maintenance will soon go the way of
the horse and buggy. Will preventive
maintenance always be necessary? While
PdM and CBM are increasingly sophis-
ticated and prevalent, qualified mainte-
nance craftsmen will always be needed.
Their roles may evolve and new skills are
required to stay up-to-date and interact
with new technology. However, for the
foreseeable future, some form of human
interaction must remain.
Machines are not without their flaws.
Although PdM greatly reduces unex-
pected failures, extends equipment life
cycles and generally creates a mainte-
nance environment that was but a dream
only a few generations ago, it is neither a
panacea for all issues nor a stand-alone
solution. Once data is acquired from the
PdM program or the CBM alarm, a quali-
fied person needs to analyze and inter-
pret the information, interact with the
machine, make the required corrections
and use deductive reasoning to prevent
failures or deterioration. When it comes
Reactive maintenance Preventive maintenance
Figure 1. The five-rung best practices ladder can help operators prioritize maintenance needs. Graphic courtesy of T.A. Cook.
10 | July 2017
to maintenance, the human element
cannot be completely eliminated.
Back to the basics
The backbone of any maintenance pro-
gram revolves around three basic princi-
ples: cleaning, lubrication and inspection.
These activities may be calendar-driven,
prompted by data gleaned from PdM
and CBM or hour-based depending on
the equipment. No matter how state-of-
the-art a site’s computerize maintenance
management system may be, a great
deal of work will fall under one of the
three preventive maintenance umbrellas.
Operations staff will be responsible for
performing these tasks proficiently with
occasional training and assistance from
the maintenance department. Each of
these three groupings requires someone
to get the job done.
1
Cleaning — When was the last
time a car cleaned itself or
the laundry was automatically
washed, dried and folded? Although
it would be nice if dirty dishes could
walk themselves into the dishwasher,
this does not happen. Although innova-
tors dream of a day when this kind of
automation becomes a reality, tech-
nology has not eliminated the need
for good, old-fashioned elbow grease.
The same holds true for production
equipment, whether in the food and
Operator-involved
Predictive maintenance
maintenance
bottling, manufacturing, or oil and gas
industries. Even with a clean-in-place
system, a person has to determine the
need for cleaning, schedule the time
frame, and either program the system
or at the very least push a button.
Whether it is a heat exchanger or a
soft drink palletizer, all equipment gets
dirty. Eventually equipment will require
intervention and some effort to return
it to proper operating parameters and
cleanliness. Some environments are
more severe than others, in which
case an employee must determine how
frequent this maintenance task should
take place. The basic, simple act of
cleaning is extremely important to pre-
vent further deterioration and/or loss of
performance.
2
Lubrication — Automobiles are
now sophisticated enough
to notify the owner when it is
time to change the oil, perform basic
upkeep, and even inflate or rotate
the tires. However, car maintenance
also includes taking the vehicle to a
mechanic’s shop, where a human
being performs mundane but essen-
tial preventive tasks to increase the
machine’s life and usefulness.
Practically all equipment designed to
move or rotate will require some type
of lubrication. On many sites, this task
is still performed by an employee with
Total productive
maintenance/best
practices
Flow Control
a grease gun making rounds. In more
high-tech units, equipment may be
automatically lubricated via a canister
or fixed lines attached to a bearing,
or a grease system that may con-
tinually lubricate the entire unit. Even
then, someone must be responsible
for checking the system to see if the
lubrication needs replenishing. A moni-
tor with a level on display may be used,
or a lubricant vendor can visit the site
each week to check in on the system.
In short, all gauges and dials need a
person assigned to monitoring tasks.
3
Inspection — The operator should
perform a general look, listen,
kick-the-tires inspection before
The backbone of any maintenance program
revolves around three basic principles: cleaning,
lubrication and inspection.
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commencing operation, or if the equip-
ment is already operational, at the begin-
ning of each shift. The operator is, or
should be, intimately familiar with the
equipment and its particular sounds,
behaviors and parameters under varying
conditions and circumstances. By taking
advantage of daily walk-arounds, whether
it is on one piece of equipment or a
whole unit, the operator will be the first
to note if something is amiss or not func-
tioning properly and notify maintenance.
Of the five-rung best practices lad-
der (see Figure 1), preventive and
operator-involved maintenance are Nos.
2 and 3, respectively. Low-tech, cleaning,
lubrication and inspection are all
essential to a site’s upkeep. Regardless of
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how advanced plant systems become,
these tasks cannot be overlooked or
reduced. Even in the age of smart houses
and the Industrial Internet of Things, when
it comes to following a dynamic, effective
maintenance program, humans on the
ground will never go out of style. FC
Mike Johnston, CMRP,
is a senior consultant at
T.A. Cook Consultants
Inc. Following a number
of engineering roles at HBS Reliability
Technologies/ABB as senior continu-
ous improvement analyst, he joined
T.A. Cook in 2009. Johnston provides
strategic turnaround, maintenance
work process and uptime improvement
advice to businesses in the oil and gas,
petrochemical, and chemical industries
in North America.
July 2017 | 11
Cover Series: Preventive Maintenance
Tools & handling for
long valve life
Use the right wrenches, installation,
treatment and plan.
By Gobind Khiani, Fluor Canada Ltd.
P
roper valve and piping material
handling begins with knowing the
proper tools to use and how to
use them. Wrenches are important tools
on piping jobs, but improper use can
cause considerable damage. Choose the
right type and size to avoid job delay.
Wrench examples
Hex and monkey — Size zero square jaw
wrenches that turn smoothly are best
for hex end valves and fittings. They fit
better on the part to be turned and do
not have the crushing effect of a pipe
wrench. Because of the jaw shape, hex
or monkey wrenches cannot be used on
pipes or other round objects.
• Pipe tongs or chain — Used for
larger pipe sizes, (3 inches and up),
but they are available for smaller sizes.
12 | July 2017
• Strap — Used mainly when working
with plated or polished materials to
avoid marring the surface. They are
useful for tight places that are dif-
ficult to reach with pipe wrenches.
• Pipe — Designed for use on pipe-
and screwed-end fittings. They are
less efficient than monkey wrenches
on hex ends. The tightening of this
wrench could damage valve ends.
• Open end — Most suitable for valve
maintenance and can be worked
with quickly. The right size helps
avoid wrench slippage, which could
cause bruised knuckles and can
wear the nut and bolt heads round.
• Pipe vise — Used for pipe only. A
combination vise with square and
gripper jaws is suitable for other
work including pipe. Experienced
As important as it is to select the right valve
for the application, it is also important that the
right valve is installed in the right place, height
or location.
All images courtesy of Fluor Inc.
piping workers never excessively
squeeze the part or pipe or force the
working valve parts of out of line.
Overall, avoid bearing down on the
joint with an oversize wrench or a
wrench with an extension handle. It
often results in more leverage than
necessary and may result in pulling up
a joint so tightly that the fitting will be
cracked, the valve will twist out of shape
or the pipe will run clearly into the seats.
Always put a wrench on the end of the
valve or fitting being made up. This gives
better leverage and prevents the pos-
sibility of twisting an unsupported valve
body or damaging its working parts.
One should use copper or lead covers
on vise jaws when holding a valve for
repair work to prevent damage to fin-
ished surfaces. Valves should be placed
in vise with valve ends — not the valve
sides — between the jaws as a precau-
tion against damaging the valve body.
Valve installation measures
Foreign matter will create an operational
issue. To avoid this, protectors should
be put on valve ends at the manufac-
turing plant as the valve is prepared for
shipment. The protectors should not
be removed until the valve is installed.
Storing piping materials properly will pay
dividends after installation.
It is good practice to prevent break-
downs caused by the presence of sand,
dirt and scale that may settle in the
pipe when it is stored in a pipe yard
prior to installation. Common methods
to remove dirt include thorough swab-
bing the pipe or using blowing it out
with compressed air. It is good practice
to open all valves fully to flush or blow
out dirt. This removes any loose scale,
foreign matter, dust, dirt, etc.
When threaded ends are damaged,
avoid taking chances with the joint. If
the end is badly damaged, cut it off
and rethread it. Usually the damage
Flow Control
can be repaired by running a die over
the threads to clean up and straighten
them. Damaged threads can usually be
repaired by screwing a tap into them.
Handling
If a valve will not operate easily, do not
apply brute force. Putting a wrench,
steel bar or a hammer on a wheel for
extra leverage may damage the valve.
To close a valve properly, bring the disc
to its seat gently, back it off a turn and
repeat two or three times. This action
should flush away whatever foreign mat-
ter had lodged on the seat. If it does
not, take the valve apart, inspect and
clean it. Do not forget to hydro test per
rating to design pressure prior to instal-
lation to check for all leaks (replace soft
goods if damaged).
As important as it is to select the right
valve for the application, it is also impor-
tant that the right valve is installed in the
right place, height or location to access
the operation. One cannot expect a valve
to contribute to the overall efficiency of a
system if it is installed in a location that is
difficult to access. Manual valves cannot
be operated efficiently if an operator can-
not reach the hand wheel. Abused valves
will not operate efficiently. Do not expose
them to damaging blows. A bent stem
not only cripples a valve, but may cause a
shutdown that results in costly operations
delay and replacement or repair.
Preventive maintenance
To maintain the valve properly, the
operator should implement a sched-
uled routine of sealant system top-offs
with synthetic lubricant. Typically a new
valve will require top-offs more often
than a valve that has been in opera-
tion for years. It is during the first year
of operation that the valve seals sit
tightest against the ball, plug or gate
and lubricant is required to reduce the
breakout torque during operation. Top
off the lubricant every time a valve is
stroked for the first year in addition to a
semiannual full-service schedule. It may
A small investment in time and preventive
maintenance on the front end could save a lot of
money on the back end.
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
seem excessive, but a small investment
in time and preventive maintenance
on the front end could save a lot of
money on the back end when taking
into account pipe section isolation dur-
ing emergency shutdowns. Compared
to the cost of an emergency valve body
sealing job, a preventive maintenance
routine will quickly pay for itself.
For example, if a leak occurs at the
flange seal, retighten the cover nuts.
If the leak is still present, install a new
flange seal. To do this, reduce the valve
pressure to zero.
If a leak is present at the stuffing box
packing:
• For live-loaded valves — Recheck
the calibration of the load cells
in accordance with the manual
instructions. If the leak continues,
repack the valve by performing a
shutdown.
• For valves without live-loading
— Retighten the gland nuts. If the
leak remains, repack the valve.
On suspicion that an internal leak
exists or that the valve is not working
properly, reduce the valve pressure to
zero and allow the valve to reach ambi-
ent temperature. One or more of the
following actions should then be taken:
• If possible, perform a thorough
visual examination of the valve’s
inside. Remove any foreign matter
from the seating areas.
• Place the valve on a test stand and
conduct testing to detect any inop-
erative features or leakage.
• Return the valve to the manufac-
turer or authorized repair shop for
engineering, inspection, testing
and any necessary repairs.
• Remove the valve from the line and
disassemble for inspection and
necessary repairs.
For actuated valves, make sure before
removing the valve from the line for test-
ing or overhaul that the problem is not
in the actuator or electrical connections.
Conclusion
Much of this information is not new, yet
thousands of valves in the energy indus-
try are scheduled for replacement each
year, which causes lost production. One
could almost eliminate valve replace-
ment before their service life expectancy
ends with a few simple steps. In com-
bination with specialized sealants and
pumping equipment, it is conceivable
that any valve could stay in service indefi-
nitely and retain sealing integrity. FC
Gobind Khiani is a pro-
fessional engineer with
more than 23 years of
experience in the petro-
leum industry. He is a global piping
valve subject matter expert in the Piping
Department at Fluor.
July 2017 | 13
Cover Series: Preventive Maintenance
Coiled tubing: Preventive maintenance
& corrosion failure mitigation
Recommendations and treatment options to avoid premature failure
By Alex Sheehan, Global Tubing LLC
C
oiled tubing plays a critical role in
the completion of oil and gas
wells in the modern, uncon-
ventional oilfields of North America.
The reliability and predictability of each
string of coiled tubing is critical to
continue providing safe, cost-effective
completions support. However, corro-
sion in the field continues to be a chal-
lenge and to be properly mitigated, a
thoughtful, preventive maintenance and
corrosion mitigation program must be
employed. This will enable coiled tubing
to continue to be the preferred solution
for conventional and unconventional oil
and gas well completions.
What is coiled tubing?
Coiled tubing is a continuously produced
length of steel pipe used primarily for
intervention (service/workover) in oil and
gas wells and delivered on large reels.
Skelp end welds join shorter lengths
of flat steel prior to forming into tube
and welding longitudinally using a high-
frequency induction welding process.
Typically the lengths of continuously
milled tubing, known as strings, vary
in diameter from 1 to 3.5 inches and
in length from 5,000 to 35,000 feet
and have a nominal wall thickness of
14 | July 2017
up to 0.250 inches. The ultimate ten-
sile strength of coiled tubing can range
from 80,000 to 140,000 psi. Coiled
tubing is deployed downhole by plasti-
cally deforming the pipe off the reel, and
recovering by reeling back on the reel.
Each time it is deployed, it is plastically
deformed, which accumulates fatigue
and will eventually cause failure if not
properly managed. The service duration
of a string of coiled tubing is dictated by
its low cycle fatigue life.
Utilization of coiled tubing has dramatically increased
in volume and intensity during the past six years of
the shale (unconventional) play evolution.
Importance of coiled tubing
maintenance
Utilization of coiled tubing has dramati-
cally increased in volume and intensity
during the past six years of the shale
(unconventional) play evolution. This
evolution in utilization requires opera-
tors and manufacturers of coiled tubing
to be increasingly vigilant with preven-
tive measures to reduce the possibility
of failures on the well site. Such failures
of coiled tubing can result in health,
safety and environmental damage. The
All images courtesy of Global Tubing LLC
value at stake can range from the coiled
tubing string itself to substantially more.
Typical failure modes
Significant effort has been employed to
understand the low cycle fatigue life of
steel coiled tubing; However, localized
degradation in the form of corrosion
creates isolated wall loss within the
string of tubing. While additional efforts
have been undertaken to understand
the residual fatigue life of a variety of
damage and corrosion types, detection
of an isolated area on the inside and/
or outside diameter of an approximately
20,000-foot string of tubing is an oner-
ous challenge.
Localized corrosion damage is one of
the leading causes of premature failure
(relative to predicted fatigue life) in the
coiled tubing industry. Corrosion causes
approximately 30 percent of premature
retirements and failures. Corrosion pre-
vention is critical to the predictability of
coiled tubing.
Flow Control
 Modes of failure from corrosion vary quite low, anaerobic bacteria such as heterogeneity. Thus if the MIC-induced
from storage corrosion to acid damage sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) form a pitting corrosion occurs at the weld, the
to microbiologically influenced corrosion biofilm on the steel surface, resulting pit would grow much more rapidly. Also,
(MIC). The last of these, MIC, continues in MIC and localized pitting corrosion. the MIC is not necessarily associated
to be the biggest challenge for North Biological analysis of the fluid obtained with the welding zone. Tracks of cor-
American operators. from the corroded tubing has identified rosion and localized pitting in the base
a dozen different types of bacterium steel are present in many corrosion-
Understanding corrosion & MIC populations. related failures.
Corrosion of metal (steel) structures Furthermore, the residual stresses in
occurs in many industrial environments. coiled tubing from reeling are near the MIC basics
Internal corrosion in particular may yield strength of the material. It has been MIC is the deterioration of metals as a
have different mechanisms and rates established that applied stress enhances result of metabolic activities of vari-
depending on the availability of dis- corrosion of steels. Moreover, corrosion ous microorganisms in the environ-
solved oxygen in the service fluid. The may occur preferentially at bias welds ment. MIC is not a new corrosion
rate is generally regulated by whether because of the local microstructural mechanism, but the integration of the
the environment is aerobic or anaerobic
but either way is responsible for uniform
corrosion. However, an accumulation
of microbial populations along with the
uniform corrosion results in localized pit-
ting, which can grow rapidly and cause
pinholes in the tubing. Image 1 depicts
the localized corrosion damage that can
occur due to MIC type corrosion cells
within the base material and the skelp
end weld.
When the coiled tubing is between
jobs, fluid may be removed by nitrogen
purge, but the residual fluid drains
to the lowest wraps. Since oxygen is

Image 1. (Opposite) MIC cells can rapidly

corrode steel in isolated, localized areas.

Image 2. (Right) After the formation of a biofilm,

MIC can rapidly attack larger surface areas.

Image 3. (Below) A polyurethane ball can

be used to push the majority of fluids out of
the string, and a brush pig can be used to
mechanically clean the surface and rupture the
biofilm prior to chemical treatment.

www.flowcontrolnetwork.com July 2017 | 15

 Half
the Price & Size role of microorganisms in the corro-

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sion process. Generally, microorganisms
tend to attach themselves to a metal
surface, colonize, proliferate and form
biofilms, which produce an environment
at the biofilm/metal interface radically
different from the bulk medium in terms
of pH, dissolved oxygen and solution
chemistry. Because of the heterogeneity
of biofilms, corrosion attack may start
on the surface locally, usually in the
form of pitting corrosion, as shown in
Image 2. Even if corrosion occurs on the
whole surface of a metal component,
the corrosion rate under biofilms would
be much faster than that at other areas.
Thus, localized corrosion is always asso-
ciated with the presence of microbes.
The environments to support MIC
must contain water. Moreover, the
microbial growth requires electron
donors that are oxidized to release elec-
trons (such as iron or organic matters),
electron acceptors that are reduced to
consume electrons (such as oxygen,
SO42- and NO3-), energy (such as light
or chemicals) and carbon sources (such
as organic substances). Environmental
factors that affect microbial population
growth include temperature (usually less
than 90oC), pressure (the upper limit is
varied), water pH (not too acidic and not
too alkaline), salinity (less than 7 per-
cent by weight) and a certain range of
redox potential.
No single mechanism exists for MIC.
The MIC process depends strongly on
the type of microbes and the envi-
ronmental conditions. Furthermore, no
single effective method exists for MIC
detection. MIC identification is usu-
ally based on a comprehensive testing
program that integrates biological test-
ing, water chemistry analysis, corrosion
morphology observation and corrosion
product characterization.
Present practices for integrity
maintenance
Coiled tubing integrity maintenance has
always been a priority in the industry but
varies greatly by region because of dif-
ferent environments. Acid stimulations,
continuous use, offshore applications
Image 4. Biofilms can protect bacterial cells
from fluid flow, allowing for rapid deterioration of
the steel microstructure.
and long-term storage demand different
treatment programs. However, a large
percentage of failures are still attribut-
able to corrosion. In addition, the cur-
rent practices for treating well fluids
vary greatly by service company and oil
company, and often they are reactive to
failures in the field rather than proactive.
Generally, the industry emphasizes
the use of batch treatment as the fluids
arrive on-site or continuous treatment
during operations. However, the con-
sistency of the fluids, and cleanliness
of the tanks and tanker trucks are
often unreliable, as is the availability of
chemicals for treatment. Therefore, a
catch-all treatment program is difficult
to monitor or maintain. In addition,
post-job coil maintenance is the sole
responsibility of the service company
and is not a priority of the oil company.
The emphasis at the end of the job is
to move to the next completion opera-
tion; Therefore, extra time to pig and
pump inhibitors or biocides is difficult
to manage in addition to managing the
resources to properly capture the coil
maintenance fluids or pigs on-site.
The implementation of rigorous treat-
ment programs has contributed to a
reduction in corrosion-related failures
in some regions. However, localized
corrosive attack still accounts for some
unpredictable failures in the field.

16 | July 2017 Flow Control


Therefore, a more systematic and robust
methodology is required to minimize the
premature corrosion failures in the field.
Recommendations for MIC con-
trol & preventive maintenance
Multiple options exist for treating MIC
that need to be evaluated for perfor-
mance, practicality and cost. The cost
of a single corrosion-related failure far
outweighs the initial costs of treatment.
Therefore, it is critical to develop an
appropriate and effective chemical treat-
ment program that consistently deploys
high-performance anticorrosion and anti-
bacterium products for the actual service
fluid, especially between jobs.
The chemical inhibitors’ anticorrosion
and antibiodegradability properties
should be highly compatible. Some bio-
cides and inhibitors are not compat-
ible and can counteract effectiveness,
so compatibility is crucial. In addition,
the importance of periodic “pigging” for
dewatering and descaling of the tubing
should not be underestimated. Even
short periods of time during idle use
should be addressed to minimize scale
development. Image 3 shows a polyure-
thane ball that can be used to push the
majority of fluids out of the string, and a
brush pig can be used to mechanically
clean the surface and rupture the biofilm
prior to chemical treatment.
Treatment options include:
1. Frequent tube purging of treated flu-
ids using foam balls and nitrogen to
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
ensure rigorous removal of all fluids,
followed by inhibition for potential
remaining fluid.
2. Mechanical cleaning to descale the
surface by means of brush-type pigs
followed by chemically compatible
biocides and inhibitors and a nitro-
gen purge.
3. Pickling of inside surface followed by
inhibitor slug and nitrogen purge. For
this option, determining the appro-
priate fatigue derating factor for wall Electromagnetic Flow Meter
loss is critical. for Commercial & Industrial Applications.
Furthermore, the selection of materials
and specific products conducive to or
demonstrative of improved resistance
to preferential corrosion is recommend-
ed. Quench and tempered coiled tubing
has significantly improved microstruc-
tural homogeneity to resist such bacterial
attack on the skelp end welds.
In summary, a significant knowledge gap
in relation to the chemical treatment of
fluid for coiled tubing operation and the
successful long-term preservation of the
facility has existed. This gap presents a
high risk to operators’ key infrastructure
developments and their multimillion-dollar
investments. Using thoughtful preventive
maintenance and corrosion mitigation
measures presented in conjunction with
optimized coiled tubing products are critical
to the long-term reliability of coiled tubing
in unconventional resource basins. FC
Alex Sheehan is vice president – sales
operations for Global Tubing LLC. He holds
a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
After serving as a field engineer with a
major oilfield service company, Sheehan
served in several roles in coiled tubing
manufacturing including technical sales
engineer, product development engineer,
engineering manager, vice president —
service and customer support, and most
recently, vice president — sales opera-
tions. Visit global-tubing.com or call 713-
265-5000 for more information.
Free info: Enter 206 at fcm.hotims.com
July 2017 | 17
Special Section: IIoT & Cybersecurity
The right time to get
started with IIoT
Implementation is not only practical, but also a competitive necessity.
By Michael Risse, Seeq Corporation
T
he distributed nature of flow
movement, measurement and
control systems lends itself to
the benefits of an Industrial Internet
of Things- (IIoT) based solution. Current
basic deployment scenarios of the IIoT
solutions implemented for process manu-
facturers and related companies include:
• Greenfield deployments, primarily
smart solutions related to advanced
monitoring and visibility
• Brownfield upgrades, the introduc-
tion of IIoT technologies and
approaches to existing facilities to
expand asset and process visibility
and analytics
• New asset-monitoring services, or
“servicization,” for vendors that
provide remote predictive analytics
and monitoring assets
The common benefit of these solu-
tions is visibility and insight into assets
and processes in real time, regardless
of location. IIoT solutions collect, inte-
grate and organize data for engineers
and scientists to analyze and improve
production outcomes. Benefits of these
solutions include improved mainte-
nance programs for higher reliability at
lower cost, optimized resource usage
and predictive analytics to detect and
deal with problems before they occur.
These benefits are why the enthusi-
asm and growth in IIoT momentum
over the last year has been so strong.
This enthusiasm does not mean the
industry has agreed on its naming con-
ventions, so the industry continues to
refer to “digital transformation,” “smart
manufacturing,” the “fourth industri-
al revolution” and “Industry 4.0” in
addition to IIoT.
18 | July 2017
Regardless of what a sensored, con-
nected and integrated plant or facility
is called, the IIoT continues its march
forward as the expected architecture.
The competitive advantages enabled by
increased and consistent visibility, accu-
racy and data-driven insights on produc-
tion results are too important to ignore.
A $50 billion opportunity exists from IIoT
implementations in oil and gas alone,
with other sectors of industry expected
to see similar, if not better, results.
If an organization has not begun its
IIoT journey, it is time to play catch-up.
Seize the day
Research shows a large gap between the
expectations and advantages of IIoT, and
the state of deployment efforts. Further,
IIoT deployments are generally piecemeal
rather than broadly applied. IIoT benefits
are therefore not realized by many end
users because the opportunities are
still future possibilities instead of being
already recognized in bottom-line results.
Part of this gap may be caused by the
often-cited advice that companies
should start small and focus on IIoT
deployments to prove value and impact
before moving on to more widespread
implementations. This advice is hard to
argue with and aligns with the limited
number of large IIoT deployments within
process industry companies.
Early success will bode well for orga-
nizational enthusiasm and continued
IIoT investments, but the time between
starting small and deploying widely
must be kept to a minimum, preferably
months instead of years. This ensures
a company will not fall further behind
more forward-thinking competitors.
Focus on business impact,
not technology
In many IIoT discussions, the starting
point is the sensor, the origination
point for data flowing through a com-
munications network to a centralized
application with data storage, integra-
tion with other data and finally, ana-
lytics. It is easy and fun to focus on
sensors and other hardware and soft-
ware given the prevalence of interesting
new technologies like microsensors;
Arduino, Raspberry Pi and Intel Galileo
platforms; long-life batteries; low-power
wireless systems; and builder kits from
Microsoft, IBM and Amazon. However,
technology is just a means to an end.
Unfortunately, these technologies often
do not serve the business end. The right
question is not what is possible with new
technologies, but what is important to a
business: a quantifiable, positive impact
on production and business outcomes.
This impact can be realized in many
ways such as increased uptime,
improved quality, higher yields and better
asset utilization. Positive results could
also include motivating and incentivizing
employee behavior through visibility of
their actions and effects on production.
The best IIoT deployment stories are
those that demonstrate positive impacts
on the bottom line. These stories stress
impacts and work backward to the tech-
nologies making these benefits possible.
How to add value
Servicization, or remote monitoring
services, represents the transition from
an asset view to a capability view. This
opportunity is typically framed from
the point of view of the asset vendor,
but probably should instead be framed
Flow Control
in terms of end-user benefits. GE, for
example, talks about moving from sell-
ing turbines to selling services, and
many major pump manufacturers use
similar rhetoric.
Organizations often ask what should
be outsourced in IIoT. Pump vendors may
have expertise that is difficult to dupli-
cate in-house, particularly because most
vendors monitor hundreds or thousands
of pumps in other industrial applications.
The savings in scheduled pump main-
tenance alone could justify the cost of
an outsourced monitoring service in
some cases. In other cases, however,
remote monitoring services can be a
disruptive issue for employees and pro-
cesses, so care must be taken when
deciding what to outsource and what to
keep in-house.
By tapping expertise on assets from
vendors, end users can focus more on
results from the value created by asset
integration than on the status of one link
in the process. If the end-user company’s
differentiating expertise is in asset optimi-
zation, then this may be less important,
but the company should ask where the
organization creates the most value.
Recognize analytics
requirements
IIoT solutions typically rely on an assump-
tion that at some point the “magic hap-
pens here” to close the gap between raw
data and actionable insight. Typically,
this magic is buried under a banner of
machine learning, big data or advanced
analytics. Where and how these key
insights are revealed is often given insuf-
ficient consideration, though.
Looking at end-user examples, the real
work of analytics includes “data wran-
gling” or the aggregation, cleansing and
contextualization of business and pro-
cess data. Typically, 70 to 80 percent of
analytics is simply getting the data right
before the analysis can be performed,
and this will only become more compli-
cated as end users install more connect-
ed products that provide more streams of
data for integration (see Figure 1).
The issues of engineer productivity,
team collaboration and process industry
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
Figure 1. Many manufacturers find themselves awash in data but thirsting for information, with the
proliferation of data expected to grow substantially in coming years.
Graphic courtesy of Seeq
capabilities must also be dealt with in the
context of analytics offerings. These are
hard issues, and therefore the specifics
of analytics requirements deserve the
same attention as the business cases.
The right path likely addresses these
needs — in terms of data and in team-
work — by providing end-user engineers
and production experts with applications
to quickly create actionable information
from raw data. These tools rely on visu-
alization of data from which insights can
be derived.
Any new project or proposal requires
effort to overcome the inertia of doing
nothing. IIoT projects are in the balance
between the availability of necessary
technology and the risks and rewards of
execution, a difficult juncture. And for
IIoT, the two reasons — some would say
excuses — for lack of forward progress
are often standards and cybersecurity.
With standards, for example, this or
next year will not bring a world of func-
tional, compatible, Lego blocks an end
user can use to create a mixed-vendor,
distributed IIoT solution. Customers must
jump in at some level and get started
instead of waiting for winning standards.
Meanwhile, cybersecurity is consis-
tently a leader on lists of IIoT require-
ments, concerns and issues. Heating,
ventilation and air conditioning, super-
visory control and data acquisition
and other systems have been hacked.
Unfortunately, no easy answer to these
issues exists. What is needed is hard
work, best efforts and solutions with
limited exposure to the outside world.
But using a lack of standards or fear of
cybersecurity issues as an excuse to not
move ahead on IIoT implementations
pushes the required learning and experi-
ence further down the road, and puts
end users further behind in the IIoT race.
Getting started
A new generation of sensors means
data can be economically generated
and gathered from flow control and
related systems in quantities previously
unavailable. Data can then be sent to
process control and monitoring systems.
This data can be used to improve
automated real-time control and help
plant engineers and operators make
better decisions. Personnel can use it
can use to increase efficiency, diagnose
equipment problems and improve safety.
The IIoT is here, and whether organiza-
tions implement it directly or leverage
offers from asset vendors, it is the model
and opportunity for the next generation
of plant and facility infrastructure. FC
Michael Risse is vice president and chief
marketing officer at Seeq Corporation.
He can be reached at michael.risse@
seeq.com.
July 2017 | 19
Special Section: IIoT & Cybersecurity
IIoT: The future of pump monitoring
Predictive maintenance technology delivers zero
downtime and immense cost savings.
By Abhinav Khushraj & Arun Santhebennur, Petasense
T
his case highlights the tremen-
dous value that Stanford’s Central
Energy Facility (CEF) realized
because of its move from time-based
preventive maintenance to condition-
based predictive maintenance (PdM).
Background
Nestled in the heart of the Silicon Valley,
Stanford University is one of the most
reputed educational and research insti-
tutions in the world. Stanford com-
pleted the reconstruction of its 125,000
square-foot CEF in 2015. The idea was
to replace the previous fossil fuel-based
system with grid-sourced electricity and
a first-of-its-kind, high-efficiency heat
recovery system to foster sustainability,
energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
Transforming the campus-wide distri-
bution system was a massive endeavor.
It required converting 22 miles of steam
pipes to hot-water pipelines across the
entire 8,000-acre campus, in addition
to retrofitting 155 buildings.
The results are impressive: Greenhouse
gas emissions are slashed by 68 percent;
fossil fuel use by 65 percent; and cam-
pus-wide water use by 15 percent. This
comprehensive Stanford Energy System
Innovation (SESI) system is expected to
20 | July 2017
eliminate 150,000 tons of carbon diox-
ide emissions annually, the equivalent of
removing 32,000 cars from the road every
year. Expected energy savings to Stanford
over a 35-year period is $425 million.
To achieve these goals, Stanford’s
energy facility utilizes a fleet of critical
pumps to supply hot and cold water to
the entire university, including Stanford
School of Medicine and Lucile Packard
Children’s Hospital.
Challenge
Meeting the enormous water supply
demands across the nearly 13-square-
mile campus came with its own set
of challenges. Moreover, as the team
scaled operations, the CEF experienced
unplanned downtime and loss of produc-
tivity caused by critical machine failures.
The CEF needed to closely monitor
equipment health to maintain round-
the-clock uptime. It used a preventive
maintenance system that involved time-
based inspection and repair of all critical
machinery repair.
The facility’s engineers at the facility
quickly realized their current mainte-
nance model was ineffective and they
turned to innovative Industrial Internet
of Things- (IIoT) based solutions to
An example of equitable distribution of pumps with
the goal of increasing equipment lifespan
Image courtesy of Petasense
optimize maintenance costs and
improve equipment reliability. The big
question was: If machine failures do not
follow a set pattern, why does a main-
tenance program need to follow one?
The CEF began looking for state-of-
the-art predictive maintenance technol-
ogies to monitor its critical machinery.
Goals
Stanford’s CEF maintenance team set
the following criteria to evaluate various
predictive maintenance solutions:
1. Simplicity and short time-to-deploy
— Stanford wanted a PdM system
that was simple to install and quick
to launch. The team did not want
to incur the expenses of wiring
traditional sensors to the building
control systems. Additionally, the
university did not want to undertake
any custom IT projects just to visu-
alize sensor data.
2. Elimination of manual data collec-
tion — Some of the wireless PdM
offerings that Stanford evalu-
ated still involved manual data
Flow Control
 collection. The CEF looked for tech-
nology that continuously monitored
the machines and fully automated
the data collection process.
3. Easy access to real-time insights
— Finally, and perhaps most impor-
tantly, the CEF team wanted to
receive immediate alerts when a
machine deviated significantly from
its P-F curve. It was also valuable
for them to track the utilization
of machines to maximize equip-
ment life cycles. This information
needed to be accessible anytime
from mobile devices or computers.
Solution & benefits
After a thorough evaluation, Stanford
deployed an end-to-end industrial inter-
net-based PdM solution that includ-
ed state-of-the-art wireless sensors
and cloud-based predictive analytics.
Stanford’s energy facility installed tri-
axial vibration sensors, connected them
to the facility’s Wi-Fi network and began
receiving data and actionable intelli-
gence in real time.
The system began building a baseline
to determine machine health. This pro-
prietary machine learning process took
place in the cloud, where multiparam-
eter data are stored and analyzed for
trends and anomalies. Engineers were
able to view the vibration data instantly
with web and mobile applications. With
a color-coded machine health dash-
board, the CEF team could focus on the
machinery that needed attention.
As a result, Stanford’s reliability team
can focus on deteriorating machines
and gain insights into equipment utiliza-
tion. Now they are able to increase the
equipment lifespan by equally distribut-
ing the use of these pumps.
Key highlights included:
1. Wireless sensing
As IIoT technologies become pervasive,
internet-connected sensors are read-
ily available and more affordable than
ever. For the industrial world, this means
that all critical machinery can be easily
instrumented for continuous monitoring.
Today wireless sensors are the obvious
choice since they help avoid wiring costs
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
and safety concerns.
Benefits:
• Deployment is simple and affordable.
• Data is collected more frequently and
precisely with minimal human effort.
2. Cloud-based architecture
On the surface, the cost savings of hav-
ing a cloud-based system are apparent.
With affordable remote infrastructure,
plants and facilities do not need to
invest capital in building an on-premise
data center. Today cloud service pro-
viders offer superior, enterprise-level
security to traditional IT departments.
They also allow the flexibility to start
small and scale up as usage increases.
Further, industrial operations call for
round-the-clock monitoring, even when
personnel are off-site. Web and mobile
interfaces provide maintenance teams
with remote access to health of critical
machinery and equipment.
Benefits:
• Implementation is quick and cost-
effective.
• The system can be readily acces-
sible from any device at any time.
3. Automated data analysis
While wireless sensors generate pet-
abytes of data, the need for automated
analysis becomes evident. Advanced
machine learning algorithms can auto-
mate basic analysis and enable quick
detection of anomalies within massive
amounts of sensor data. As a result,
machine learning can quickly identify
faulty machines so analysts may focus
on more complex diagnostics.
Benefits:
• Reduces costs associated with
redundant preventive maintenance
• Eliminates unplanned downtime by
catching defects as early as possible
• Lowers costs associated with man-
ual analysis
Conclusion
This solution enabled Stanford’s CEF to
monitor its entire fleet of critical pumps
in real time. Within weeks of installa-
tion, the machine learning algorithms
were able to detect anomalies and
prevent significant failures. Stanford
has now rolled out continuous vibra-
tion monitoring across the entire facil-
ity, which protects against early stage
mechanical failures. Next steps would
involve obtaining a holistic picture of
machine health by correlating vibration
with other parameters like pressure
and current. This data-driven approach
can help Stanford’s energy facility sig-
nificantly reduce costs associated with
traditional preventive maintenance.
With actionable diagnostics in real time,
IIoT and machine learning technology
makes it possible to continuously monitor
and assess the health of critical rotating
machines like pumps and compressors.
By utilizing automated analysis as a
first line of defense, facilities can uti-
lize personnel to focus on problem
machines and complex diagnostics,
avoiding redundant maintenance time.
While this strategy applies to all indus-
tries, it is particularly useful to those
that rely heavily on the movement of
fluid loads, such as oil and gas, power
generation, and critical facilities man-
agement. With current trends in sensing
and machine learning technologies, a
shift toward wireless condition monitor-
ing is imminent. The age of industrial
internet and predictive maintenance has
arrived. FC
Abhinav Khushraj is co-
founder of Petasense
and heads product and
engineering. He brings
more than a decade of experience
in business development, strategy and
product and engineering built at icon-
ic companies like Nokia and Citrix.
Arun Santhebennur is co-
founder of Petasense and
heads sales and market-
ing. He brings more than
15 years of experience in
building high-tech startups in the enter-
prise software space. He holds an MBA
from IIM Calcutta. For more informa-
tion, visit petasense.com.
July 2017 | 21
Special Section: IIoT & Cybersecurity
Guarding the digital perimeter
Managing industrial cybersecurity in the IIoT world
T
By Saadi Kermani, Schneider Electric he rise of the Industrial Internet
of Things (IIoT) brings numerous
opportunities for organizations
to leverage their data to unlock new
insights and efficiencies. This marriage
of advanced information technology (IT)
and operational technology (OT) digital
capabilities with physical assets creates
new, augmented manufacturing systems
that empower businesses to generate
more sophisticated, more personalized
products — faster, at larger scales and
with greater agility — than ever before.
Unfortunately, this also means new ways
for hackers to exploit, manipulate and
infiltrate these systems, making indus-
trial cybersecurity a modern imperative.
While industrial cybersecurity may
seem relatively new and unfamiliar, it
must be weighted equally as a business
risk like any other corporate operational
risk factor. Leading industrial companies
adapt their corporate risk models to
include industrial
cybersecurity and
associated digital
capabilities as part of
their overall risk man-
agement strategies. The
most competitive indus-
trial companies leverage
modern advances in IT,
data connectivity and
analytics combined with
advanced manufacturing
techniques and OT to con-
tinue to stay relevant, com-
petitive and differentiated in their
New attribute-based access control modifies access privileges based on
contextual factors for increased security. All images courtesy of Schneider Electric
22 | July 2017
markets without compromising their risk
profiles.
Best-in-class companies know they
cannot address every risk on day one.
Rather, they align themselves with a
cybersecurity risk management maturity
model such as the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Cybersecurity
Framework, which provides a policy
framework of computer security guid-
ance for how private sector organiza-
tions can assess and improve their
ability to prevent, detect and respond to
cyberattacks. This article discusses best
practices when managing an organiza-
tion’s industrial cybersecurity risk.
Recognize the new
normal perimeter
The first step is to baseline where expo-
sure to attacks exists — defining the
security perimeter. In the past, a plant
system’s information network was fairly
simple — It entailed following the cables
and wires from one end of a device
to another. However, leading indus-
trial companies today recognize the
newly defined digital perimeter called
the Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP).
It is no longer just a single network,
but a much larger virtual perimeter
that includes interactions within their
own networks and that of their supply
chains, suppliers, partners and custom-
ers. This significant horizontal expansion
is necessary to be as lean, agile and
integrated as possible across the value
chain. For example, the latest Open
Flow Control
 Key points to consider
Traditional hierarchal networks and
their classic profile-based access
controls are transitioning into new
digital, architecturally flattened soft-
ware defined perimeters (SDPs) with
granular and adaptive security con-
trols that extend horizontally (includ-
ing partners, suppliers, vendors and
potentially customers) and vertically
(from connected products straight to
cloud based services via modernized
IT layers of protection).
Recommendations: Baseline
digital footprint and assets, expand
the evaluation of the baseline
to include interactions and end-
points (APIs) within the larger
digital software-defined perimeter.
Identify security gaps and areas of
improvement. Align the business to
a cybersecurity maturity model and
plan accordingly to attain an ideal
security posture.
Web Application Security Project Top 10
Application Security Risks for 2017 list
now includes Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs).
Another dimension to the SDP is the
collapse of traditional hierarchal-based
network topologies. A shift from tradi-
tional hierarchal-based networks that
gradually and successively built up from
the Purdue Reference Model (PRM) to
a much flatter, interconnected set of
network segments or zones has taken
place. Increasingly, companies turn to
The software-defined
perimeter requires a new
approach to industrial
cybersecurity.
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
existing, trusted technology partners to
provide new value-added, cloud-based
services that can reduce the on-prem-
ises IT burden. This means that vertical
connectivity extends well beyond the
traditional levels of the PRM and into
services provided by cloud service pro-
viders (CSP), a role that trusted tech-
nology partners are rapidly adopting as
natural value extensions to their existing
offerings and relationships.
Since information flow is dynamic and
interconnected between network zones
instead of the traditional layers, increas-
ingly modern industrial networks no
longer see the need to “pass through”
the business layer before reaching the
internet. Instead they are routed directly
to IT network zones that are made of
multiple defense layers and tools that
then are connected to the internet after
scrutiny and filtration. In other words,
the networked business layer no longer
offers inherent network protection.
Now that this extended perimeter has
been discussed, what is the implication
for managing the cybersecurity risks
associated with these ideas? Ironically,
as digital footprint reach increases, the
need to manage security has to get
smaller, more precise and more granu-
lar. Security attributes must be embed-
ded into each device, application, ser-
vice and each network zone.
Managing, maintaining &
monitoring digital perimeter
Once the digital perimeter is estab-
lished, it is imperative to close any
identified gaps compared against best
practices. It is even more important to
continuously and proactively monitor
the digital perimeter for any vulnerabili-
ties, threats or infiltrations.
Because the digital perimeter is so
flexible, security authentication is of
paramount importance. For this rea-
son, traditional security tools such as
simplistic firewalls and username and
password credentials are no longer suf-
ficient or adequate. Rather, next-gener-
ation firewalls (NGFWs) with intrusion
detection systems (IDS) and intrusion
prevention systems (IPS) combined
with mandated use of encrypted traffic
between networked zones — especially
to external partners in the extended
digital perimeter — can greatly reduce
the chances of the perimeter being
compromised.
The creation of networked zones and
conduits to manage data flow between
them is critical, as are created safe
spaces for transitions between major
network segments. An example is the
use of demilitarized zones (DMZs) with
dual (NGFW) firewalls on entry and exit
of the DMZ — one for each directional
flow of data so that if one firewall is com-
promised, no data can be returned to
July 2017 | 23
 Key points to consider
• Managing cybersecurity risk
today is about properly and con-
tinuously managing specialized
network segments and zones.
Rather than monitoring tradition-
al traffic between network layers
with a generic security template
approach, apply a tailored secu-
rity policy that addresses all data
and data pattern types.
• Traditional security tools such as
simplistic firewalls and username
and password credentials are no
longer sufficient, nor adequate.
Rather, next-generation firewalls
(NGFWs) with intrusion detec-
tion systems (IDS) and intru-
sion prevention systems (IPS)
combined with mandated use of
encrypted traffic between net-
worked zones and partners within
the greater digital perimeter can
greatly reduce the chances of
the networks or perimeter being
compromised.
Recommendations: Seek to
understand the security posture of
each element of the digital perim-
eter across hardware and software.
Insist where possible that security
controls exist at the lowest granular
levels and that they are aware of
contextual environmental factors.
Look for trusted technology part-
ners with deep domain expertise
to help quickly accelerate business
capabilities while taking advantage
of their dedication to cybersecurity
best practices to complement the
business’ own.
its source. DMZs are extremely effective
at making data flows between network
segments highly visible under tightly con-
trolled and limited enabled endpoints.
Security now must also be adaptive to
the context in which it is being tested.
Companies have traditionally relied on
role-based access control (RBAC), but
in today’s world, a bulk assignment of
privileges to an administrator role is too
broad and creates unnecessary elevation
of privileges that are not always strictly
required to support a particular activ-
ity. RBAC also ignores the environmental
24 | July 2017
context under which the security model is
applied, such as the difference between a
known employee who is attached to the
corporate network and physically on-site
using a familiar device versus a remote
employee who uses a public Wi-Fi signal
on a public PC. Does it make sense to
accord full administrative privileges to the
latter use case? Probably not.
The new security model is called
attribute-based access control (ABAC).
It takes into consideration contextu-
al elements of “who, what, where,
when, why, how” and “to what extent”
access is required. These elements
are dynamic and depend on various
conditions. Therefore, a set of policies,
rules and relationships are needed to
enforce varying levels of scrutiny, proof-
of-identity and assurance before giving
permissions. To summarize, RBAC puts
security emphasis on the subject being
protected in a static way whereas ABAC
puts security emphasis on the iden-
tity and environment that requests the
access in a dynamic way.
Another key element to maintaining a
solid security posture is to constantly
ensure that all software applications —
on-premises and cloud-hosted — are
kept up to date with security patches
and software updates. Cloud hosted
software-as-a-service (SaaS) type sub-
scriptions typically are at an advan-
tage in this regard since the cloud
service provider (CSP) will do this on
your behalf automatically and transpar-
ently in a nondisruptive manner. This
particular practice of keeping software
continuously updated and patched was
made all the more relevant given the
recent “WannaCry” malware attack. This
malware, which infected more than
200,000 systems across 150 countries
around the world, according to Europol,
took advantage of a Microsoft software
exploit that was already addressed by
Microsoft in a patch released more than
a month prior to the attack for sup-
ported operated systems.
Speaking of cloud based services,
many industrial automation companies
are now becoming CSPs themselves
with industrial offerings set to extend
their deep domain expertise capabili-
ties. The leaders in these new services
will have best-in-class cybersecurity
practices included. When looking for
industrial cloud service providers to
partner with, check if they transparently
disclose how they will protect data, their
stances on the data location (a.k.a.
data residency and digital sovereignty),
obtained certifications, how they view
data ownership and finally, what service
level agreements they offer to ensure
data availability.
What is next?
A good first step is education. With new
digital threats emerging regularly, it is
important to understand the potential
business impact, and cyberattacks can
be prevented by determining who is best
placed to address the risk. Assigning
accountability to appropriate people
helps an organization actively engage in
a solid cybersecurity posture. If it is no
one’s job, it will be everyone’s problem.
Start today by baselining the cyberse-
curity digital perimeter. Then, make
sure the organization takes the steps to
strengthen that perimeter with the secu-
rity resources needed to support it. Align
with a plan compared against a cyberse-
curity maturity model. Start by filling in
the gaps. Partner with vendors who can
help accelerate the organization’s capa-
bilities and take on some of the burden,
and the business will be well on its way
to a secure digital perimeter. FC
Reference
1
bbc.com/news/technology-39913630
Saadi Kermani is the
technology evangelist
and business develop-
ment manager for the
Industrial Information Management
portfolio at Schneider Electric. He
has 13 years of experience in indus-
trial automation. Kermani can be
reached at saadi.kermani@schneider-
electric.com. Visit software.schneider-
electric.com for more information.
Flow Control
Featured Products
Visit fcm.hotims.com for free information about the products on this page.
Use the number listed with each product to learn more. Send products for
consideration in this section to rtucker@grandviewmedia.com.
Power conditioner
AMETEK Solidstate Controls’ two new
families of power products, the DVS Power
Conditioner and ISN Ferroresonant Regula-
tion Transformers, are designed for use with
its inverters, uninterruptible power supplies
systems or stand-alone operation. Suitable
for harsh environments, the robust design
of these units accommodates wide varia-
tions of incoming AC line voltages, while simultaneously
producing a well-regulated, isolated AC output.
FREE INFO: 100
Coriolis mass flowmeter
AW-Lake’s new MicroTRICOR TCM-100
Coriolis Mass Flow Meter is the small-
est TRICOR Coriolis meter designed for the
accurate measurement of very low flow
rates. The flowmeter was designed for
dosing, blending and batching in applica-
tions such as chemical injection, precision painting and
coating applications, and batch processing associated
with liquid or gas handling and dispensing. Without any
moving parts, the meter uses smooth tubes through
which material flows at rates as low as 5cc/min (300
grams/hr., .001 gallons/min).
FREE INFO: 102
Wireless motor protection relay
Littelfuse’s MP8000/MP8100 Series Bluetooth
Enabled Motor Protection Relay allows mainte-
nance personnel to com-
municate with the relay
from up to 30 feet with a
smartphone or tablet app. Real-time data and trouble-
shooting fault codes are available from a safe zone to
protect workers while increasing productivity through
reduced PPE usage. The relay combines tools to monitor
overload, voltage, phase loss and reversal, voltage and
current unbalance, power monitoring and underload in
one package.
FREE INFO: 104
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
Explosion-proof electric actuator
Asahi/America's low voltage/low current
LVLC Series 92 explosion-proof electric
actuators are designed for oil and gas
applications including pipeline transmis-
sion, well head control, gas lift, drilling
fluids and chemical plants. The actuator
features a die cast aluminum alloy enclose,
which is UL1203 certified for Class I, DIV
1&2 locations, and is fitted with an O-ring, maintaining
its NEMA Type 4x protection. The unit features a revers-
ing, 120-VAC or 220-VAC, capacitor-run motor or an
LVLC DC motor.
FREE INFO: 101
Electronic pressure controller
Equilibar offers its EPR-3000 high-
pressure electronic controller for pressure
control up to 3,000 psig. It is designed
to efficiently control pressure within a
closed system or in applications with
small, constant flow rates. The EPR-
3000 features dual proportional valve construc-
tion, with one solenoid valve functioning as the inlet to
raise pressure and the second acting as the exhaust
to decrease pressure by venting. Users can control the
device manually with the keypad and push-buttons or
electronically with digital or analog communications.
FREE INFO: 103
Variable volume pump
Tri-Rotor’s 220TV variable volume,
rotary piston pump responds
instantly to changes in the
discharge line, providing optimal
delivery of a liquid with chang-
ing viscosity. The pump allows smaller drives to reduce
energy consumption. It has only three moving parts and
is equipped with 4-inch flanged ports and an extra-long
bronze shaft bearing. Designed for high-viscosity liquids
to 5,000,000 ssu/1,000,000 cps with speeds matched
to viscosity up to 220 gpm, it does not chew, aerate or
foam pumped material.
FREE INFO: 105
July 2017 | 25
Best Practices & Applications
Coriolis calibration reduces mass
flow measurement uncertainty
The importance of accuracy cannot be overstated.
By Martin Richer, Polycontrols Technologies
T
he Coriolis flowmeter’s perfor-
mance in measuring fluid flow in
a closed pipe is unmatched. It is
arguably the most advanced and reliable
technology for process, testing and cus-
tody transfer. It measures direct mass flow
rate and fluid density and is unaffected by
fluid property variations such as pressure,
temperature, viscosity and flow patterns.
Its acquisition cost is higher than other
flowmeters, but when considering total
cost of ownership, Coriolis is an option
because it diminishes the need for addi-
tional instrumentation. It has no moving
parts, requires minimal maintenance and
offers long-term stability and reliability. It
is increasingly used in critical applications
such as fuel measurement in aerospace,
pharmaceutical manufacturing and mass
transfer in oil and gas processes.
After a period of operation, it is neces-
sary to verify instrument performance
and measurement accuracy. A flowmeter
may fall out of calibration for several rea-
sons: physical modifications and corro-
sion within the process; internal parts can
gradually degrade and affect the meter’s
performance; or process variations,
initialization or inadequate procedures
can cause an impact.
26 | July 2017
Integrated electronic diagnostics, in-
situ proving and validations are reliable
methods that ensure meter efficiency,
but periodic calibration in a laboratory is
always essential because it:
• Ensures homogeneity and repeatabil-
ity of the instrument’s performance
• Reduces process variations over
time (measurement errors)
• Avoids product recalls
• Respects the company’s quality sys-
tem or governing body requirements
Measurement uncertainty
Most manufacturers publish an accu-
racy of ±0.1 percent or better. This is
impressive considering that some prov-
ers and primary standard rigs do not
even match that level of accuracy. A
leading Coriolis flowmeter brand claims
a standard accuracy of ±0.1 percent
and optional ±0.05 percent on its high-
end model, including the combined
effects of repeatability, linearity, hyster-
esis and orientation.
However, it is important to understand
the difference between meter accuracy
and total uncertainty of the measured
value. Accuracy has been calculated
by evaluating the performance of the
The primary flow calibration lab uses the gravimet-
ric method for an expanded mass flow measurent
uncertainty of 0.02 percent.
Image courtesy of Polycontrols Technologies
meter’s output while the total uncer-
tainty includes the error generated by
the transmitter, improper zeroing, fluid
properties and environmental conditions.
In a laboratory with a controlled envi-
ronment and optimal conditions, errors
generated by external sources, fluid
properties and installation effects are
negligible. Extended uncertainty of mea-
sured value equals accuracy (which-
ever is greater, between zero stabil-
ity and meter’s stated accuracy) plus
error generated by the transmitter. Most
manufacturers do not mention out-
put tolerance in product specifications,
which can create misconceptions of
total uncertainty. Also, transmitters offer
better total uncertainty using frequency
and digital outputs over the analog
output, which is frequently used despite
low resolution.
Another important factor that affects
accuracy is zero stability, an inherent
Coriolis flowmeter characteristic. It sig-
nificantly affects accuracy when the
Flow Control
measured flow rate approaches the low
end of full range. Typically its effect begins
when turndown is greater than 20-to-1.
Above this threshold, accuracy equals
zero stability/flow rate times 100 percent.
ISO 17025 & calibration
measurement uncertainty
ISO 17025 is an international standard
for evaluating laboratories and specifies
the requirements for the competence to
carry out calibrations. It ensures the cali-
bration process is traceable to national
and international standards. The accredit-
ing body ensures personnel remain tech-
nically competent and the laboratory has
a quality system where measurements
consistently produce valid and repeatable
results within the scope of accreditation.
The accreditation procedure includes
evaluation of the measurement uncer-
tainty of each component on the cali-
bration rig and interlaboratory profi-
ciency testing with other ISO 17025
accredited labs. The “expanded cali-
bration measurement uncertainty” is
required to issue a calibration certificate
with a statement of compliance. In
other words, it indicates whether each
test point passes or fails.
The laboratory then calculates a Test
Uncertainty Ratio (TUR), the ratio
between the accuracy of the tested
device being tested and the total uncer-
tainty of the reference measure. If the
TUR is greater than 4-to-1, good prob-
ability exists within the confidence inter-
val that all measured values are compli-
ant or noncompliant (pass or fail).
ISO 17025 requires the guardbanding
technique be applied for each test point
when the TUR is less than 4-to-1. The
primary objective is to control the risk
of accepting an out-of-tolerance unit or
rejecting an in-tolerance unit. It restricts
compliance limits based on certain cri-
teria and can lead to situations in which
it is impossible to determine pass or
fail status. When the test measure-
ment is too close to the upper or lower
limit, it could be declared undetermined.
This too-close tolerance depends on the
established confidence level and the
laboratory’s guardbanding strategy.
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
Calibration methods
Many measurement methods exist for
flowmeter calibration. From high-end
primary standards to transfer standard
meters, the selection of the method
and the importance of the uncertainty of
the measures become essential criteria
in the decision-making process for the
selection of the calibration laboratory.
One common mistake is to accept a
volumetric calibration when the flowme-
ter is used for measuring mass flow. The
correlation between a volumetric flow
and a mass flow is density. If the lab
measures volumetric flow rate and does
not have a density measurement, no
traceability exists in the mass flow rate
and the calibration has no value for a
Coriolis flowmeter used for mass transfer.
It is challenging to find a laboratory
capable of achieving better uncertainty
than the accuracy of a Coriolis flowme-
ter. A highly accurate Coriolis can be
used as a transfer standard meter to
calibrate other types of flowmeters and
other Coriolis meters. These meters are
proficiency testing artifacts traceable
to a primary flow standard. They can
achieve an impressive ±0.03 percent
total uncertainty, although they do not
quite achieve the 4-to-1 TUR.
Another approach to achieving high
accuracy is the use of a primary standard
rig by gravimetric method. Gravimetric cal-
ibration consists of weighing the quantity
of fluid during a time period, consequently
measuring mass flow rate. Some calibra-
tion laboratories that use this method
have achieved calibration uncertainty of
±0.02 percent or better. It is recom-
mended that a highly accurate Coriolis
flowmeter be calibrated by this method to
ensure optimal calibration measurement
uncertainty.
Calibration by manufacturer
or independent laboratory
Whether meter calibration performed
directly by the manufacturer warrants
better accuracy is an ongoing debate.
A manufacturer’s calibration services
have advantages. The laboratory offers
additional services such as extensive
repairs and defective unit rebuilds. The
manufacturer, a specialist of its own
product, is more apt in identifying sensor
failures and wears and tears of the tube.
The manufacturer also has access to
advanced features and diagnostic tools.
Alternatively, independent labs often
provide calibration adapted to specific
customer needs and can evaluate the
true meter’s metrological performance
(total uncertainty of measured value),
providing a whole system (including the
transmitter) and/or source-to-screen cali-
bration. The manufacturer usually per-
forms a default factory calibration as a
standard service, sometimes generating
new meter factors or resets with original
factory settings.
It comes down to one question: How
important is the flow rate measurement in
the process or test? An expensive Coriolis
flowmeter was purchased. A cost analysis
was performed and the cost of a failure or
shifted measurement was identified. If it
is regulated, it is compliant and respects
calibration requirements.
Ultimately, a laboratory must meet
four conditions to perform optimal cali-
bration on Coriolis meters. It must be:
• ISO 17025 accredited with a calibra-
tion procedure by gravimetric method
specific to Coriolis flowmeters
• Competent in calibration perfor-
mance with a measurement uncer-
tainty of four times better than the
uncertainty of the meter
• Specialized in Coriolis mass flow
technology
• Willing to adjust to the customer’s
conditions and specific requirements
And most importantly, service must
come with a smile. FC
Martin Richer is sales
manager at Polycontrols
Technologies and has
been a partner since
2014. He participated in the flow
calibration laboratory growth through
business development and the
implementation of best practices in
customer service.
July 2017 | 27
Best Practices & Applications
Centrifugal compressor impeller
trimming methods
Effects on gas flow and operation
T
By Amin Almasi rimming of impellers can be an
important way to change the
characteristics of a centrifugal
compressor. Sometimes in a centrifugal
compressor performance test at the
shop or site, performance does not
meet expectations. A possible solution
is slightly trimming one or some impel-
lers to achieve reasonable compressor
performance and avoid impeller rede-
sign and refabrication. This trimming
process can offer considerable com-
mercial benefits since the impeller or
compressor redesign and remanufactur-
ing are expensive. Delays in compressor
delivery and plant startup are extremely
costly. Using properly designed impeller
An example of a
3D impeller in trimming to avoid weeks or months of
a centrifugal delay could offer significant advantages.
compressor system. Impellers used in cen-
Graphic courtesy trifugal compressors
of Siemens are two-dimensional
(2D) closed-type
impellers, three-
dimensional (3D)
28 | July 2017
closed-type impellers and 3D semiopen
impellers. Each impeller type requires a
specific set of rules for trimming.
Impeller trimming can be an effective
method of modifying the performance
of a centrifugal compressor without sig-
nificantly compromising the efficiency.
Few works are published on impeller
trimming topics. This article offers prac-
tical guidelines for the impeller trimming
of centrifugal compressors.
For a given design, the impeller may
be trimmed radially so the exit radius is
reduced. This method can be used for
nearly all types of compressor impel-
lers. For 3D impellers — particularly
3D semiopen impellers or to a lesser
extent for 3D closed-type designs —
the impeller might be trimmed axially
so the exit blade height is reduced, or
along the entire meridional length of
the blades so that the passage
area is reduced.
Trimming: Simple
patterns
Because of conserva-
tive engineering
practices, inaccu-
rate impeller designs
or other errors in the
engineering or fabri-
cation of a compres-
sor, the impeller flow or
the impeller-generated head might be
different than what they need to be.
Sometimes the head is more than
required, but often it is less than what
it should be. Centrifugal compressor
impellers can sometimes be oversized.
For a fixed speed centrifugal compres-
sor, limited options are available to deal
with such an issue. Impeller trimming
Flow Control
is usually the best or only option. In
many variable speed compressors, the
trimming of the impeller should also be
studied and employed.
In a compressor casing or a compres-
sor train where all impellers are oper-
ated with the same speed, too often
some impellers generate more head
than is required, while others produce
head that is less than what is required.
These may compensate each other.
However, special circumstances such
as compressors with side-streams and
others where accurate head generation
of each set of impellers may be present.
For such a compressor casing, speed
adjustment might not solve the opera-
tional problem and impeller trimming is
necessary.
Trimming often involves machining
the different parts and sections of an
impeller to modify some dimensions or
angles. Trimming should be limited to
certain levels because excessive trim-
ming can result in operational and reli-
ability problems such as a mismatched
impeller and casing. Trimming can affect
the clearances between the impeller
and casing, which could increase inter-
nal flow recirculation, cause head loss,
lower overall efficiency, etc. Turbulences
could increase at the vane tips as
the impeller is trimmed because the
shroud-to-casing clearance increases.
Impeller trimming is often used to
change the performance characteristics
(head-versus-flow) and is sometimes
employed to limit driver loading. The
goal is often to adjust the head and
sometimes to reduce the head.
A simple trimming option is the trim-
ming of the impeller radius to adjust
the head. In this case, the prediction
of the trimmed radius is crucial to a
compressor impeller. As a rough indica-
tion, the formula “head” proportional
to “(radius)2” can be used. The flow is
not a constant after trimming and all
these parameters are related. For a
constant flow, speed adjustment might
be required in addition to impeller trim-
ming. In other words, a combined speed
adjustment and impeller trimming could
be employed to achieve head reduction
www.flowcontrolnetwork.com
while the flow is kept constant. Use cau-
tion; The Affinity Laws apply satisfacto-
rily for pumps and fans (incompressible
flow) but do not accurately describe the
performance of turbocompressors.
Usually a sophisticated simulation
should be applied in a trial-and-error
procedure to find the outer rim of any
impeller for even a simple radius trim-
ming. Many factors make a single trim-
ming difficult, so only comprehensive
simulations with the trial-and-error pro-
cedure should be used to find trimming
of different impellers and obtain the
best result considering the flow, surge
limits, efficiency and more.
Sometimes one gap, dimension or
angle should be changed whereas other
gaps or the distance should be reduced
or kept constant. For example, for many
Impeller trimming can be an effective method of
modifying the performance of a centrifugal compres-
sor without significantly compromising the efficiency.
years, machinery engineers have been
machining the vane tips to reduce
frequency vibrations passed by the vane
(the clearance between the impeller
vanes and the casing) while carefully
maintaining the clearance between the
impeller shrouds to the casing (or volute).
Excessive shroud to casing clearance
and the resultant recirculation to the low-
pressure side of the compressor could
produce “eddy flows” around the impeller,
causing low-frequency vibrations (usually
axial vibrations) that can translate to seal
problems or, in severe cases, to axial
bearing issues. This can be a concern in
large or high-pressure machines.
In many cases, trimming results in
steeper curves and a narrower oper-
ating range. Some impeller trimming
can change the way the gas exits the
impeller. For instance, if the gas-exit
angle is changed as the impeller is cut
back, the head capacity curve might
become steeper.
The exit angle of the gas might
change the performance, resulting in a
higher head at rated flow. Because of
reductions in the wake of fluid exiting
the vanes, the efficiency of the com-
pressor should usually stay the same or
just slightly be changed. The smaller the
size of the impeller, the larger the effect.
Usually no change in shut-off head is
associated with such a trimming.
A particular range of specific speeds
is most appropriate for each centrifu-
gal compressor impeller design, and
impeller radius trimming could increase
the specific speed of the machine.
Therefore, radially trimming an impel-
ler of low specific speed could move
the specific speed closer to an optimal
value, while radially trimming a high
specific speed impeller will move the
design further from the range of optimal
performance.
Trimming: Complex patterns
In a centrifugal compressor, trimming
can be done on the impeller or impeller
blades. Usually both options can be con-
sidered, which results in relatively com-
plex patterns of trimming. A complex
pattern of trimming can change the per-
formance characteristics of an impeller.
Several impeller trimming methods may
be employed to change the impeller
flow rate, the generated head, the pres-
sure ratio or all these parameters. The
blade and impeller trimming limitations
and the effect on the flow fields should
be thoroughly understood before any
trimming is attempted. Computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations should
be used to model the effects of different
methods of blade and impeller trimming
on compressor operation and reliability.
Each trimming method has been
found to be limited at some point by
surge or choke flow, particularly the
choke flow (the limit of overload at the
right-hand side of a compressor curve),
which could be an issue for some
trimming plans.
July 2017 | 29
Modifications on impeller
passage areas
Designs for lower flow rates are usually
achieved by reducing the passage area.
However, the passage area and impel-
ler width are often difficult to trim. The
passage area trimming can be done in
a range of impeller designs, mainly 3D
impellers and sometimes on 2D impel-
lers. This method is also known as “flow
trimming.” It is used to produce a modi-
fied impeller with the same pressure
rise as the baseline design but with new
flow rate characteristics. In other words,
this method is used with the objective of
changing the impeller flow rate but not
the pressure ratio. Using this method,
the blades and internal parts of an
impeller are trimmed so the inlet and
outlet areas are changed, usually by a
given ratio. The blades are trimmed pro-
portionally from inlet to outlet along the
meridional length of the blade.
Considering the sources of loss in a
centrifugal compressor, narrowing the
passage would tend to increase wall fric-
tions. On the other hand, larger passages
might reduce wall frictions. However,
compressor performance also has a
strong dependency on the inlet relative
Mach number. This need should also be
considered in any trimming plan.
Trimming the passage area from inlet
to outlet along the meridional length
might change the flow rate of the
impeller and will probably narrow the
effective operating range. The head
coefficient and efficiency relative to the
choked flow coefficient usually remain
unchanged for each trim area. A linear
relationship could exist between the
passage area and the resultant choked
flow rate.
The flow trimming should be limited.
Beyond these trim limits, the overall
pressure ratio does not usually reach
the design value. Other operational
problems could also occur. As an indica-
tion, flow trimming of some 3D semio-
pen impellers should be limited to 30
percent of the original impeller blade
height and to specific speeds of impel-
lers as well.
30 | July 2017
Trimming 3D semiopen
impellers
Trimming the impeller blades in the axial
direction in 3D semiopen impellers
can cause the head coefficient to be
reduced while maintaining a constant
flow coefficient. This trimming method is
limited by choking in the radial portion
of the passage, and the head coefficient
for the impeller studied was reduced
by up to 10 to 12 percent before fur-
ther trimming limited the choked flow
rate. Such a trimming method in 3D
semiopen impellers could be a better
option compared to trimming the impel-
ler radius to achieve a lower head.
Shifting the original shroud profile axi-
ally and radially in proportion to the
desired flow coefficient allowed the pres-
sure ratio and efficiency of the original
impeller to be maintained while changing
the flow coefficient. Trimming the blades
axially so that the original shroud profile
is maintained could produce a change
in pressure ratio while maintaining the
original impeller flow coefficient.
Practical notes
One important goal in trimming is to
maintain the efficiency of the original
design as far as possible. In other
words, all the process and trimming
planned should be optimized to arrive
at similar efficiencies (or just slightly
lower efficiencies). A linear regression
could explain approximately how much
loss in efficiency can be assumed for a
trimming process compared to the base
design. Important considerations for
keeping the efficiency are the studies
and analyses for better inflow conditions
into the diffuser. The greater the impel-
ler trimming and the higher the specific
speed of the impeller, the more the effi-
ciency could be affected with impeller
trimming. The impeller efficiency can-
not usually be influenced significantly
by the change of the shroud contour
if the shroud contour was not a bad
design originally. Therefore, a significant
improvement cannot be expected. The
diffuser performance, however, can be
maintained or even improved, verified
by higher pressure recovery and lower
total pressure loss coefficients. Another
important target is to maintain the surge
margin of the impellers under trimming.
As the planned trimming and associ-
ated optimization are applied to the
best point of the nominal speed (100
percent of nominal speed), the speed
variation range influence should also be
investigated. An optimization of the best
efficiency point on the normal speed
does not simultaneously keep the effi-
ciency over the entire speed range. In
some cases, properly designed trimming
with good efficiency at nominal speed
has resulted in lower efficiencies for an
entire part-load speed range. For com-
pressor applications with more frequent
part-load operation, it may be neces-
sary to optimize the trimming plan while
considering the whole speed variation
range of the machine. In other words,
the trimming plan should depend on
the speed variation range with respect
to the compressor application.
Structural strength and stress patterns
are sometimes important considerations
when deciding on impeller trimming. For
example, how much to reduce the vane
diameter might be an important consid-
eration because a large portion of unsup-
ported shroud cannot be left unsupport-
ed. Experts recommend an oblique cut
that will improve the vane exit flow and
add some strength to the shrouds. These
patterns require accurate CFD simula-
tions and comprehensive stress analysis.
In some specific cases, fluid-structure
indications should be investigated. Sharp
corners after a trimming can initiate
cracks and eventual impeller failure. FC
Amin Almasi is a senior
rotating machinery con-
sultant. He is a chartered
professional engineer
of Engineers Australia and IMechE.
Almasi is an active member of Engineers
Australia, IMechE, ASME and SPE and
has authored more than 100 papers
and articles dealing with rotating equip-
ment, condition monitoring, offshore,
subsea and reliability.
Flow Control
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