As the most frequently measured parameter in process automation, temperature measurement has considerable potential for optimising

processes in many industries. Some measurements, however, such as those in high vibration applications on pumps, compressors and
turbines are difficult to accurately measure.

Vibrations in any process can often lead to premature ageing or failure of components.For RTD temperature sensors, these failures often
present themselves in the form of breakages around the element tip and ultimately (often critically) lead to temperature measurement failure.

In situations where the temperature sensor cannot be relied upon to continually perform, operational costs spiral as sensors must be replaced
more frequently, often involving stopping the process to do so and consuming maintenance resource to carry out the work. More worryingly,
unreliable temperature monitoring on rotating parts (such as pump or turbine bearings) can lead to a safety risk through overheating of
equipment.

The development of thin film RTDs in recent years has seen significant improvements in performance. The creation of very fast response
temperature elements to help increase and boost efficiency of fast moving processes has been a common development. However, it is
apparent that increased performance with regards to vibration resistance was also an avenue that required exploring.

Conventional thin film RTD inserts traditionally house a measuring element embedded in a ceramic powder. This typically provides vibration
resistance up to 3g across a frequency range of 10Hz to 500Hz - the tolerance detailed as a requirement within IEC 60751. Robust RTD
inserts designed to work in high vibration applications, such as the Endress+Hauser’s iTherm StrongSens RTDs are designed and
constructed in a way to endure the harsh conditions of high vibration applications way beyond this requirement.

Unlike conventional thin film RTDs, these sensing elements are sealed in a special ceramic potting compound that ensures the filling is free
from voids or gaps. This results in significant improvements to mechanical stability and thermal properties. In fact, the capability of these
elements can outperform the IEC 60751 requirements by up to 20 times, providing resistance of up to 60g of vibration (with changing
frequencies in the range of 10-500Hz).

This increased resistance to the effects of strong vibrations and oscillations in the process leads to reduced failure rates of temperature
sensors. In turn, this leads to a reduction in plant downtime and the consumption of the resources required for instrument repair.

Furthermore, the increased measurement stability of these robust sensors provides a more reliable and accurate measurement over a longer
term than standard temperature sensors. This helps to develop confidence and reliability in the instrument, extends the time period between
calibration points and provides a boost to plant efficiency and process safety – and that can’t be a bad thing!

As the most frequently measured parameter in process automation, temperature measurement has considerable potential for optimising
processes in many industries. Some measurements, however, such as those in high vibration applications on pumps, compressors and
turbines are difficult to accurately measure.

Vibrations in any process can often lead to premature ageing or failure of components.For RTD temperature sensors, these failures often
present themselves in the form of breakages around the element tip and ultimately (often critically) lead to temperature measurement failure.

In situations where the temperature sensor cannot be relied upon to continually perform, operational costs spiral as sensors must be replaced
more frequently, often involving stopping the process to do so and consuming maintenance resource to carry out the work. More worryingly,
unreliable temperature monitoring on rotating parts (such as pump or turbine bearings) can lead to a safety risk through overheating of
equipment.

The development of thin film RTDs in recent years has seen significant improvements in performance. The creation of very fast response
temperature elements to help increase and boost efficiency of fast moving processes has been a common development. However, it is
apparent that increased performance with regards to vibration resistance was also an avenue that required exploring.

Conventional thin film RTD inserts traditionally house a measuring element embedded in a ceramic powder. This typically provides vibration
resistance up to 3g across a frequency range of 10Hz to 500Hz - the tolerance detailed as a requirement within IEC 60751. Robust RTD
inserts designed to work in high vibration applications, such as the Endress+Hauser’s iTherm StrongSens RTDs are designed and
constructed in a way to endure the harsh conditions of high vibration applications way beyond this requirement.

Unlike conventional thin film RTDs, these sensing elements are sealed in a special ceramic potting compound that ensures the filling is free
from voids or gaps. This results in significant improvements to mechanical stability and thermal properties. In fact, the capability of these
elements can outperform the IEC 60751 requirements by up to 20 times, providing resistance of up to 60g of vibration (with changing
frequencies in the range of 10-500Hz).

This increased resistance to the effects of strong vibrations and oscillations in the process leads to reduced failure rates of temperature
sensors. In turn, this leads to a reduction in plant downtime and the consumption of the resources required for instrument repair.

Furthermore, the increased measurement stability of these robust sensors provides a more reliable and accurate measurement over a longer
term than standard temperature sensors. This helps to develop confidence and reliability in the instrument, extends the time period between
calibration points and provides a boost to plant efficiency and process safety – and that can’t be a bad thing!

Process control under the high temperature, corrosive and abrasive conditions

Energy from waste facilities utilise incineration as a method for both disposing of waste (municipal or biological) and generating heat energy
by directly controlling the burning of waste in the presence of oxygen at temperatures in excess of 800°C. The net energy produced depends
on several factors, including but not limited to the density and composition of the waste, the relative percentage of the moisture and inert
materials within the waste (which add to heat loss), the ignition temperature, the size and shape of the constituents and the design of the
combustion system amongst others. In practice, about 65 to 80% of the energy content of the organic matter burnt can be recovered as heat
energy, which can then be utilised for either direct thermal applications or for producing power with the help of steam turbine-generators.

The combustion temperature of conventional incinerators fuelled only by wastes is about 760°C in the furnace and in excess of 870°C in the
secondary combustion chamber. These high temperatures are needed to avoid harmful and odorous gasses which can be a byproduct of
incomplete combustion. However, these high temperatures are still not hot enough to burn or even melt some inorganic contents such as
glass. To avoid this, some modern operations utilise higher heat, achieving temperatures of up to 1650°C through the addition of auxiliary
fuel. This reduces waste volume by nearly 97% and converts some of the inorganic content such as metal and glass to inert ash.

While incineration is extensively used as an important method of waste disposal, it is associated with some polluting discharges which are
understandably of environmental concern. Fortunately, these pollutants can be effectively controlled by installing pollution control devices,
ensuring suitable furnace construction and the correct control of the combustion process.

An important part of the control of that combustion process is the critical measurement of temperature within the furnace. In order to
successfully measure this temperature, three or more temperature probes are inserted into the furnace directly above the flame.

Due to the high temperatures, corrosive gasses and abrasive ash found within the furnace, the operational lifespan of these temperature
instruments can be as little as four weeks creating a regular need to fit replacements. As changing the probes isn’t always straight forward due
to their elevated position, an increase in resource time can be added to the cost of buying replacement probes, resulting in a complicated and
sometimes expensive procedure.
However, the correct application of appropriate thermowell materials can help elongate the life of temperature probes in this measurement.
This not only saves the need to regularly exchange the probes in operation but also controls costs by reducing consumption of the
instruments without over engineering a costly solution.

High temperature probes such as the Endress+Hauser Omnigrad TAF16, which are available with a wide selection of thermowell materials
such as Kanthal, Incoloy, Siliciumnitrid and other specially sourced materials have been proven to last up to 12 months in operation in the
harsh conditions found in an energy from waste combustion chamber, without failure and are installed in over 30 energy from waste sites
across the UK.

Pressure measurement is used widely across the process industry to monitor a variety of parameters. In its simplest form, this could be to
monitor the process pressure of a vessel or pipeline. In more complex applications pressure measurement can be used to calculate the level of
fluid in vessels or when used in conjunction with a restrictive primary element (such as a pitot tube or orifice plate) to measure flow rate.

However, simply mounting a pressure instrument directly to a process is not always possible. When high process temperatures or vibrations
are present, measures need to be taken to protect the transmitter’s sensitive electronics from these damaging conditions. Impulse tubing can
be used to distance the transmitter from these process conditions but if there is a chance of line blockage from the measured medium or
compliance to cleaning regulations requiring a flush mounting instrument (in hygienic applications for example), this is often not a suitable
solution.

In some cases, the harsh conditions of an application require a different approach. If an application to measure an aggressive media is being
considered, then the standard membrane of the pressure transmitter, often stainless steel, could be unsuitable and a membrane made from
Hastelloy or another exotic material may be required.

A common way to deal with these types of conditions is to use a diaphragm seal.

As an addition to the pressure transmitter, a diaphragm seal introduces a process facing membrane, ahead of an oil filled chamber, mounted
in front of the pressure transmitter’s measuring membrane. As the measured pressure pushes against the process facing membrane, the oil
fill behind transfers that pressure through the diaphragm seal to the measuring membrane behind.

For high temperature applications a diaphragm seal can be used to help distance the pressure transmitters sensitive electronics from the
process heat, while maintaining a flush mounting for the process membrane. The addition of a ribbed design to this extension piece also
allows heat dissipation - aiding cooling of the internal fill fluid.

For hydrostatic level measurement within pressurised vessels it is good practice to use a differential pressure (DP) instrument to measure the
fluid height. This allows the pressurised gas blanket above the fluid to be compensated for, providing more accurate measurement. If the DP
instrument can’t be connected directly to the vessel at both measuring points, a flexible extension section, referred to as a capillary tube or
line, can be used to extend the Low Pressure (LP) and High Pressure (HP) measuring sides of the instrument to their required installation
locations, while maintaining a flush fitting process membrane.

Due to their flexibility, capillary tubes are often used to address other installation considerations too. For example, a capillary tube can be
used in high vibration applications to help dampen or eliminate any vibration that may be transferred from the process to the transmitter.

As discussed, diaphragm seals have a place in difficult applications but can bring their own considerations to pressure measurement. For
smaller pressures, such as millibar ranges, a larger process membrane, which provides more incremental movement, should be used to
provide increased sensitivity, reducing inaccuracies in measurement. To accommodate this larger membrane, a larger process connection is
often required and therefore mechanical fittings such as adaptors need to be used for installation. Adaptors not only bring additional cost,
they can also take up additional space around fittings and increase the number of potential leak points in the installation, therefore reducing
on-site safety.

Changing temperatures, either from the process itself or the surrounding environment (for example, partial heating of the instrument from
sunlight) can also be problematic for diaphragm seals, with capillary system designs being particularly affected in this way. When heated
sufficiently, the diaphragm seal fill fluid will expand, applying pressure to the measuring membrane and in turn the sensing element. This
pressure is interpreted by the instrument as a change of pressure in the process, causing the transmitter to think a process pressure is being
measured and reacting accordingly, resulting in a ‘drift’ in output.

Advancements in membrane design can resolve issues like those described above. By utilising a more flexible process membrane with
increased deformation properties, such as Endress+Hauser’s patented TempC membrane, any change in fluid volume is physically absorbed,
drawing affect away from the sensing membrane, subsequently reducing any potential error.

By increasing the thickness of the material and altering the pattern pressed into the membrane, the behaviour of the process membrane is
altered to create a different response when pressure is applied.
The increased flexibility of this type of process membrane helps reduce the inaccuracies that are caused by fill fluid expansion and helps to
provide a more accurate performance, without the requirement to increase process membrane size. This in turn negates the need to utilise
adaptors for transmitter installation and therefore reduces potential leakage points on-site around the fitting.

Reduced sensitivity to measured pressure and increased sensitivity to external heat sources are characteristic traits of diaphragm seals, no
matter which configuration is used and should be considered along with the significant advantages that using a diaphragm seal can bring.
However with modern developments from specialists within the instrumentation field and the resulting technological advancements that this
brings, the effect of these issues can be mitigated to increase the reliability and safety of this measurement technique along with reducing
installation costs.

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 
 Temperature
 Self-calibrating temperature sensor
The world's first self-calibrating temperature
sensor
Save time, money and maintenance effort with TrustSens
Endress+Hauser's TrustSens probe contains unique technology to provide autonomous
inline self-calibration. Instrument calibration can be costly to your process in terms of
your budget and production time. Stopping your process in order to perform
calibrations, the purchase and maintaining of specialist equipment and allocating
engineer resource to perform instrument calibrations can reduce overall efficiency
while driving up repeated annual costs of operation.
Benefits
 Achieve return on investment in less than two years! Save time, money and
maintenance effort.
 Eliminate unscheduled production downtime with automated and fully
traceable inline self-calibration.
 Minimise your risk of product wastage due to instrument drift.
 Automatic digital document production (stores up to 350 calibration points).
  Enjoy full regulatory compliance and audit trail with printable certificates.
Self-calibration at 118°C

©Endress+Hauser

The accredited and traceable self-calibration of TrustSens occurs without instrument

removal or a break in production, only requiring a heat cycle that rises up to 123°C
and cools back past 118°C whenever a calibration is required.
Reliable and fully certified

©Endress+Hauser

As a self contained and autonomous instrument, TrustSens not only calibrates itself
against an internal reference (traceable to ITS-90) but also produces a digital
calibration certificate and stores this document, along with 349 other entries, within its
electronics. These calibration certificates are ready to be extracted whenever is
convenient for you and your process.
Reducing the cost of calibration

This feature works to create benefit by minimising calibration costs of the instrument
while helping to reduce the risk of product wastage by introducing more regular
calibrations eradicating unacceptable, unidentified instrument drift. Our self-
calibrating temperature probe will achieve return on investment in (typically) less than
two years - and often much quicker!
Will the output signal be adjusted if there is a deviation?

No, TrustSens will not adjust the output signal following a self-calibration - it will
only record the deviation amount on the calibration certificate. An acceptable upper
and lower level of drift, determined by the user, can be programmed into the
TrustSens parameters and an alarm status can be set against each of these limits
highlighting an out of tolerance accuracy.
How do I extract the calibration certificate from TrustSens?

Each calibration certificate generated (up to a maximum of 350) is stored within the
memory of the TrustSens instrument and can be easily accessed via Endress+Hauser's
DeviceCare or Fieldcare software across HART communication.
Why should I trust a one-point calibration?

Each TrustSens device is transmitter/sensor matched at the point of manufacture using

the CVD algorithm to produce a highly accurate instrument. Should the Pt100 sensor
drift in a linear manner (an offset failure), then a one-point calibration will show a
deviation that is equally apparent across the full range. If required, a manual
adjustment can be made.

Should the Pt100 drift in a non-linear manner (a failure of the gradient or curve) than
any deviation will be much more apparent at higher temperatures, which means a
calibration at 118°C will show this deviation far more clearly than at lower
temperatures (at 37°C for example).
Interested?

For further information on how TrustSens will help reduce your calibration costs
(including a tailored cost savings calculation), please contact your local
Endress+Hauser representative or our Manchester office in 0161 286 5000.
Watch video > TrustSens: the world's first self-calibration temperature sensor!
In the spotlight

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Sanitary RTD - iTHERM TrustSens TM371

The award-winning iTHERM TrustSens TM371 sanitary RTD with the world's first self-
calibrating Pt100 sensor unit
Sanitary RTD iTHERM TrustSens TM371
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 News

  Monitoring & testing

  Pressure & temperature

  Temperature measurement

Combating RTD failure due to strong vibrations

Click for full image 

Temperature sensor for high-vibration applications 

1/1

28 March 2018

Endress+Hauser’s iTherm StrongSens sensor cuts replacement costs and improves

safety.

Processes with high vibrations caused by pumps, compressors and turbines, for
example, can often lead to premature failure of temperature sensors and increased
operational costs as sensors need to be replaced more frequently. More worryingly,
unreliable temperature monitoring on rotating parts (such as bearings) can lead to a
safety risk through overheating of equipment.

Conventional thin film RTD inserts traditionally house a measuring element embedded
in a ceramic powder. This typically provides vibration resistance up to 3g across a
frequency range of 10Hz to 500Hz – the required tolerance detailed within IEC 60751.

Unlike conventional thin film RTDs, Endress+Hauser’s robust iTherm StrongSens RTDs
are sealed in a special ceramic potting compound that ensures the filling is free from
voids or gaps. This results in significant improvements to mechanical stability and
increased vibration resistance up to 60g: 20 times that of a normal RTD.

This increased resistance to the effects of vibration leads to reduced failure rates of
temperature sensors and in turn a reduction in plant downtime and the cost of
instrument repairs as well as increased plant safety.

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