VACUUM CONVEYORS: POWDER HANDLING’S INCREASE PLANT INSIGHTS BY LEVERAGING www.processingmagazine.

com
ANTIDOTE TO SOARING POST-PANDEMIC COSTS PAGE 18 INSTRUMENT DIAGNOSTIC DATA PAGE 48 MARCH 2023

The future is now for

PREDICTIVE
VALVE
MAINTENANCE

SPECIAL SECTION
PAGES 34-47
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 CONTENTSMARCH 2023 | VOL. 36 | NO. 3

COLUMN: Food & Beverage

12 Controlling food production costs

made simple with NIR analysis
How food processors are navigating rising prices with
proven quality assurance applications.

COVER STORY

14 The future is now for

predictive valve maintenance

14
Advances in digital valve controllers, diagnostics software and
network communications are enabling significant reductions
in maintenance costs and unplanned outages — resulting in
enhanced service life, increased productivity and cost reduction.

POWDER & BULK PROCESSING

18 Vacuum conveyors: Powder handling’s antidote

to soaring post-pandemic costs
Automating powder handling with vacuum conveying systems is
one of the fastest and most economical ways for manufacturers and
processors to mitigate skyrocketing labor, energy and material costs.

22 Combustible dust hazards of dilute phase

pneumatic conveying systems
Proper design, operation and maintenance are critical to
minimize dust explosion hazards when pneumatically conveying
combustible dusts and particles.

30 Different ways to charge material in a

pneumatic conveyor
This article explores the most common types of pneumatic conveying
system line chargers and their usual applications and limitations.
18

WATER TECHNOLOGY

34 Efficiently measuring and accounting

for cooling water
The right instruments ensure that building and maintaining a
reliable cooling water system can be realized with a minimum
of upsets or process fluctuations.

36 Industrial water and steam treatment will be

important for a long time
The first installment in a four-part series examining modern
water treatment and chemistry control/monitoring technologies.

36 48

www.ProcessingMagazine.com Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

facebook.com/ProcessingMagazine @ProcessingMag linkedin.com/showcase/27062974

2 Processing | MARCH 2023

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 CONTENTS
WATER TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENTS

42 A closer look at National Beef’s

new wastewater treatment plant
Beef producer constructs wastewater treatment plant to meet
6
8
Editor’s Note
Industry News
state standards and reduce its dependency on local aquifer with
water reuse for agricultural irrigation. 28 Powder Show preview

46 Case study: Ensuring compliance and

continuous water quality monitoring
Chemical manufacturer uses KETOS SHIELD to improve water
54
55
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
quality and ensure regulatory compliance.
56 ProcessingMagazine.com

FEATURES

48 Increase plant insights by leveraging

instrument diagnostic data
By examining data that is frequently already available, food
VACUUM CONVEYORS: POWDER HANDLING’S INCREASE PLANT INSIGHTS BY LEVERAGING
ANTIDOTE TO SOARING POST-PANDEMIC COSTS PAGE 18 INSTRUMENT DIAGNOSTIC DATA PAGE 48

PREDICTIVE
The future is now for
www.processingmagazine.com
MARCH 2023

and beverage processors can increase batch yields, reduce VALVE

MAINTENANCE
downtime and increase proactive maintenance.

SPECIAL SECTION
PAGES 34-47

2303PRO_C1-C4_Cover.indd 1 3/9/23 11:23 AM

Cover image: Courtesy of Emerson

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 Publisher Jim Semple
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EDITOR ' S NOTE

CONTENT
Chief Editor Jesse Osborne
josborne@endeavorb2b.com

Managing Editor Daniel Gaddy

dgaddy@endeavorb2b.com

Senior Editor Nate Todd

W
ntodd@endeavorb2b.com

elcome to the March issue of Processing. Art Director Ryan Carlson

rcarlson@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
First off, some exciting news to share: This
issue features our first special section fea- Production Manager Josh Troutman
jtroutman@endeavorb2b.com
turing content from sister brand Water
Technology. Articles and case studies
focused on industrial water and wastewa-
ADVERTISING
ter will be featured in the pages of Processing on a quar- District Manager Jay Haas
281-980-5831 | jhaas@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
terly basis this year, with additional special sections
planned for the June, September and December issues it meet regulations and reduce its dependency on a Account Manager Lisa Williman
518-322-6691 | lwilliman@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
in 2023. local aquifer.
The Water Technology section starts on Page 34 of this Lastly, KETOS founder and CEO Meena Sankaran
issue with an article from Emerson’s Cheng Vue that provides a case study that outlines how the company
MARKETING
discusses how the right instruments help to efficiently helped a major chemical manufacturer ensure regula- Digital Product Director Nick Phillips
nphillips@endeavorb2b.com
measure and account for cooling water. tory compliance via continuous water quality monitor-
Vue writes: “There are different systems that require ing at one of its production facilities. Digital Operations Manager Mary Beth Romano
mbromano@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
cooling, whether in power generation or chemical pro- I hope you find this content both interesting and infor-
cess applications, and knowing the water used for the mative. For more content related to industrial water and Marketing Manager Lexi Richards
alexisr@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
process of cooling and temperature regulation allows wastewater, please visit www.watertechonline.com.
for accurate accounting and reporting. Considering Audience Development Manager Anna Hicks
ahicks@endeavorbusinessmedia.com
that most often the water used in these instances “The Powder Show” returns April 25-27
comes from municipal sources, it stands to reason a The International Powder & Bulk Solids Conference Endeavor business media
facility wants to know how much they are using and & Exhibition returns to the Donald E. Stephens CORPORATE
where the wastewater goes after it has run through the Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, from April
process. Accounting for wastewater is also required for 25-27. Turn to Page 28 for a brief preview of this year’s CEO Chris Ferrell
environmental reporting.” “Powder Show” to find out more about this year’s event. President June Griffin
Next, Brad Buecker and Katie Perryman team up on Be sure to check out www.processingmagazine.com in CFO Mark Zadell
the first installment of a four-part series that will exam- the weeks leading up to the show for more information, as COO Patrick Rains
ine modern water treatment and chemistry control/ well as brief video interviews with subject matter experts Chief Administrative and Legal Officer Tracy Kane
monitoring technologies. Part 1 takes a closer look at who are presenting educational sessions at the event.
EVP/Industrial Group Mike C. Christian
makeup water treatment. They write: “Inattention to
makeup water system operation and maintenance Sincerely,
can cause serious deposition and corrosion issues in
steam generators. Subsequent failures can be costly and Processing (ISSN 0896-8659, print; 2641-6581, digital) is published monthly by Endeavor
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Email: processing@omeda.com

Christine Banaszek, Sales Manager, ROSS Mixers | Frederic Baudart, CMRP, Senior Product Application Specialist, Fluke Accelix
Eric Maynard, Vice President, Jenike & Johanson | Jack Osborn, Senior Engineer, Airdusco | Colin Barbeau, Bulk Materials Handling Specialist, Hatch
Todd Smith, Manager, Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Center | Bill Bremer, Principal, Food Safety, Kestrel Tellevate
Robert Rogers, Senior Advisor for Food Safety & Regulations, METTLER-TOLEDO | David Brewer, Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager, Sealing Equipment Products Co. (SEPCO)
David W. Sptizer, PE, Spitzer and Boyes LLC | Mike Klimes, Applications Engineer, Tsurumi (America) Inc.

6 Processing | MARCH 2023

 MARCH 2023 N E W S, N OT E S A N D I N S I G H T S F R O M A C R O S S T H E P R O C E S S I N D U S T R I E S
EXXONMOBIL to deploy Honeywell
carbon capture technology
H
oneywell announced that ExxonMobil
will deploy one of Honeywell's carbon
capture technologies — Honeywell's
CO 2 Fractionation and Hydrogen
Purification System — at its integrated
complex in Baytown, Texas. This tech-
nology is expected to enable ExxonMobil to cap-
ture about 7 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)
per year, the equivalent of the emission of 1.5 mil-
lion automobiles for one year.
Honeywell UOP's carbon capture tech-
nology will be integrated into the design of
ExxonMobil's low-carbon hydrogen production
facility and enable it to capture more than 98
percent of associated CO2 emissions. The cap-
tured CO2 is expected to be sequestered and
permanently stored by ExxonMobil.
ExxonMobil's Baytown low-carbon hydrogen,
ammonia and carbon capture facility is expect-
ed to produce around one billion cubic feet of
low-carbon hydrogen per day, making this the
largest low-carbon hydrogen project in the
world at planned startup in 2027-2028.
8 Processing | MARCH 2023
processingmagazine.com
INDUSTRY EVENTS
PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2023 on track to be
largest show in its history
In keeping with industry growth, PACK EXPO Las
Vegas 2023 (Sept. 11-13; Las Vegas Convention
Center) is on pace to be the largest, most com-
prehensive edition of this trade show since its
inception, according to show producer PMMI,
The Association for Packaging and Processing
Technologies.
As the premier destination to explore cutting-
edge packaging and processing solutions, PACK
Image courtesy of Honeywell
EXPO Las Vegas will include more than 2,000 sup-
pliers, as well as new and growing show features
that address key industry trends.
PACK EXPO Las Vegas has already surpassed
final exhibition space for PACK EXPO Las Vegas
2019 and continues to increase. Industry growth
is driving the expansion, with 60% of consumer
packaged goods (CPG) companies indicating that
their investment in packaging machinery will
increase in 2023 and 64% saying their scheduled
projects will increase, according to PMMI’s 2023
Purchasing Plans and Priorities report.
“Our industry is stronger than ever and posi-
tioned for unprecedented growth, making the
kinds of connections and innovations that come
ExxonMobil's Baytown integrated complex is
from a world-class trade show more crucial than
home to the largest olefins plant in the United
ever,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI.
States. The site is located on approximately
“PACK EXPO Las Vegas will provide unrivaled
3,400 acres along the Houston Ship Channel.
opportunities to move projects forward, forge rela-
"ExxonMobil's investment in carbon capture
tionships, and gain valuable insights on industry
technology shows our commitment to sup-
trends — all in one place.”
porting customers in their decarbonization
Due to a significant increase in demand, The
efforts and to reducing emissions at our own
Processing Zone is currently 44% larger than it
operations," said Dan Ammann, president of
was in 2021 and growing. This growth tracks with
ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. "The scale
the increase in processing suppliers joining PMMI,
of this project is expected to enable up to 30%
with 27% of companies joining in the last two
of Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our Baytown
years offering processing solutions.
facility by switching from natural gas as a fuel
PACK EXPO Las Vegas is filled with several
source to low-carbon hydrogen."
must-see features addressing critical industry
"The use of Honeywell's technology enables
needs, such as a brand-new show floor destination
ExxonMobil to reduce CO2 emissions at a large
focusing on sustainability. The Logistics Pavilion
scale," said Barry Glickman, vice president
will make its Las Vegas debut nearly double the
and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable
size it was at PACK EXPO International 2022. The
Technology Solutions. "Our ready-now carbon
Containers and Materials, PACKage Printing and
capture technology works to decarbonize pro-
Healthcare Packaging Pavilions are also larger
duction processes and is effective because it can
than previous shows, offering even more targeted
allow for significant emissions reduction that
solutions in easy-to-navigate show areas.
can play a major role in the energy transition."
“We are excited to be offering such a compre-
hensive show with features directly addressing the
trends, opportunities and challenges facing our
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expanding industry," says Laura Thompson, vice
president of trade shows, PMMI. “Attendees will
have the opportunity to explore and learn about all
available packaging and processing solutions and
innovations. There is nothing quite like the experi-
ence of PACK EXPO Las Vegas.”
Attendee registration for PACK EXPO Las Vegas
will open April 3. For more information visit
www.packexpolasvegas.com.
EASA announces program for 2023
Convention & Solutions Expo
The Electrical Apparatus Service Association
(EASA) will hold its annual Convention and
Solutions Expo on June 24-27, 2023, at the Gaylord
National Resort & Convention Center in National
Harbor, Maryland. The 2023 Convention theme is
“Together Towards Success.”
EASA’s 2023 Convention education line-up fea-
tures a wide-ranging program designed to address
all areas of the electromechanical sales and repair
business. This year’s featured keynote speaker,
Connie Podesta, will kick off the convention by
bringing her message “Together for Success! Really?
But Life Would be Easy If It Weren’t for Other
People” challenging and empowering attendees to
understand and get along better with the people in
their life. More than 30 education sessions are avail-
able throughout the convention, including:
• Sustainability: Emerging and Developing
Opportunities in the Motor Service Industry
— examining new market trends with energy
savings, sustainability and circular economy.
• Te chnolog y Up d at e for Condition
Monitoring: Sensors, IoT and AI — challenges
of IoT deployment in industrial applications.
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• Pump Repair: Working with Close Tolerance
Fits — much of mechanical repair is getting
the close tolerance components to fit together
correctly.
• Peer to Peer: Leveraging New Technologies
— how remote condition monitoring provides
valuable insights and reduced costs.
Each day of the EASA Convention features the
Solutions Expo where the industry’s leading man-
ufacturers and service providers showcase the lat-
est developments in electric motors, drives and
controls, generators and other equipment and ser-
vices for the electromechanical industry.
For the complete program, exhibitor listing and
to register, visit www.easa.com/convention.
COMPANY NEWS
eschbach Awarded Bronze Sustainability
Rating from EcoVadis
Global software developer eschbach, the provider
of Shiftconnector enterprise software platform
for process manufacturing, recently announced
that it has received a Bronze Sustainability Rating
from EcoVadis, which ranks the company in the
top 50th percentile of organizations rated across
the world. Achieving such a high ranking from
EcoVadis, the world's largest and most trusted
provider of business sustainability assessments,
reinforces eschbach's commitment to sustainabil-
ity at all levels of its business.
The EcoVadis methodology scores companies
on 21 sustainability criteria across four themes:
Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and
Sustainable Procurement and produces a per-
UPSTREAM TRIM!
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improvement over time. As part of its corporate
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tainability in all areas of its business and contin-
ue to support ways in which Shiftconnector can
assist process manufacturers in their efforts to
meet these same environment, social and gover-
nance (ESG) criteria.
Water technology company Aquafortus
raises $17M in funding
Aquafortus, a water technology company that
purifies high-salinity brines and derives valuable
metals and minerals from them in the process,
recently announced the closing of a $17 million
oversubscribed Series A1 financing.
Until now, brine desalination has been pro-
hibitively expensive: thermal-based evaporation,
the most common technology today, is highly
energy-intensive. Aquafortus uses a non-thermal,
zero-liquid-discharge recovery and crystallization
approach that uses 90% less energy, costs 60%
less, and turns 98% of high salinity brine into fresh
water, while extracting lithium, copper, magne-
sium salts and other metals and minerals.
Aquafortus targets industries that produce sig-
nificant volumes of hypersaline water: mining,
oil and gas production, chemical manufacturing,
and power generation. The financing will allow
the construction and deployment of a relocatable
demonstration unit and commercial pilot across
major U.S. oil and gas basins and operators, as well
as investment in research and development.
Send news and events for consideration to
josborne@endeavorb2b.com
®
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 COLUMN: FOOD & BEVERAGE
By Chris Pike
KPM Analytics
Chris Pike is the senior global
business development director for
NIR products with KPM Analytics.
12 Processing | MARCH 2023
Controlling food
production costs
made simple with NIR analysis
How food processors are navigating rising prices
with proven quality assurance applications.
A
s the global food market
becomes more specialized
and competitive, processors
are feeling the pressure to
innovate while meeting the
high expectations set by their
consumers. However, with inflation
impacting the food industry hard today,
these pressures are compounded.
From flour to seasoning sprays, food
ingredients have always been among
the highest routine expenses for any
food processor. These ingredients are
generally sold to food processors based
on the availability of specific qual-
ity parameters such as moisture, fat/
oil content, protein and crude fiber, to
name a few. In most cases, food proces-
sors take suppliers at their word regard-
ing the quality of their ingredients.
Once in production, however, they may
find that their ingredients may affect the
processing of the food product, and poten-
tially yield a poor-quality final product.
Then, for various reasons, ingredient
properties can change during the food
production process. Routine at-line or
in-process product quality analysis is
also necessary to maintain high stan-
dards and avoid over-formulating (or
overusing) costly ingredients.
Few options to control
essential parameters
One option is to submit ingredient or
product samples to external quality
laboratories for analysis. Over time, this
can become quite costly; sample analy-
sis typically costs an operation between
$20 and $50 per sample. Also, it can
take days to receive results, which
means the ingredients or food products
could have been used in production
and distributed to consumers.
As an alternative, more food proces-
sors are investing in near-infrared (NIR)
technologies to help fortify their quality
assurance protocols. In this process, the
instrument transmits near-infrared light
onto a product sample, which absorbs
at various wavelengths. A detector on
the device reads the reflected NIR light.
Then, using a calibration, the instru-
ment generates data on a specific qual-
ity parameter (moisture, fat, protein,
 The MCT466-SF on-line NIR analyzer shown here
offers real-time monitoring of moisture and oil content
in various process stages to help operators make data-
driven decisions to save costs and improve efficiencies.
All images courtesy of KPM Analytics
etc.). Most NIR instruments will provide
comprehensive data in under 30 sec-
onds and in-process instruments can
transmit data in real time.
Customized calibrations to
analyze ingredients or product-
specific traits
NIR is not a new technology. Because of
this longevity, NIR calibrations for vari-
ous food products have become more
repeatable due to continued research
and application customization.
Every NIR calibration is a mathemat-
ical correlation between raw NIR data
taken from a sample compared with
a chemical constituent or property of
interest. The product samples used to
create a calibration should represent
future samples in all areas of potential
variability, including range(s), origin,
seasonal variation and others. Also,
it is possible to transfer the same NIR
calibration to multiple instruments or
production sites. Companies can com-
mand consistent product quality no
matter where the product is produced.
As many companies have found, the
flexibility of NIR technologies can help
spark new ideas to measure quality at
various stages of the production pro-
cess. For instance, a product calibration
for a benchtop NIR instrument to verify
moisture and fat content could lay the
framework for an in-process instru-
ment to measure product in real time.
How food processors are
employing NIR technologies
Analysis of incoming raw ingredients:
NIR instruments analyze incoming
raw ingredients for compositional and
physical parameters. These data ensure
the compositional profile needed to

support final product quality or ensure
ingredients meet contract specifica-
tions and support claims for out-of-
specification materials.
Chocolate, for instance, is a vital
ingredient for many baked goods and
snack foods. Cocoa liquor is mixed
with sugar and cocoa butter to produce
chocolate. Cocoa butter introduces fat
to chocolate, which influences product
texture and taste. Cocoa butter is also
one of the most expensive ingredients
in chocolate production.
It is not uncommon for bakeries or
snack food companies to struggle with
the frequent reworking of products
due to chocolate quality inconsisten-
cies. These struggles worsen as suppli-
ers raise their prices due to commodity
pricing increases.
More companies are turning to NIR
technologies to verify incoming choco-
late’s fat, moisture, sugar and lactose
content. This analysis helps significantly
reduce instances of rejected or reworked
products while holding suppliers
accountable for their promise of quality.
In-process analysis of moisture and oil:
NIR analyzers positioned in or over a
production line provide real-time feed-
back to help operators adjust process
parameters such as oven temperature
or conveyor speed.
For example, crunchy snack foods get
their texture through a frying or baking
process that removes moisture from
raw products. Tortilla and corn chips,
for instance, usually require a moisture
level between 1% and 2.5% depending
on specifications set by the manufac-
turer. Fat (oil) content is another essen-
tial factor that generally needs to stay
within 25% to 35% in the final product.
Quantifiable, real-time data on prod-
uct moisture and fat content are essen-
tial to ensure product consistency
while reducing energy costs.
A tortilla chip manufacturer recently
installed rugged NIR moisture and fat
analysis sensors to continually monitor
these critical parameters of products
before and after the fryer or oven. With
this technology, the operator can opti-
mize the cooking oil or energy used in
a production run or adjust temperature
and belt speed to achieve proper levels.
Monitoring sugar and seasoning
application:
Food processing companies employ
various methods to apply sugar and sea-
sonings to food products. Suppose, how-
“monitoring
Using NIR technology for the at-line or in-process
of food production lines can mediate raw
material costs and ensure consistent product quality.
”
ever, that machinery begins to function
out of specifications. This can negatively
impact a company’s bottom line and the
consumer experience.
In cereal production, for instance,
sugar is crucial for customer accep-
tance. Tumbling applicators are an
efficient, low-impact way to sugarcoat
entire products in high volumes. The
sugar or seasoning adherence on the
final product is a function of many
factors, including moisture in the mix,
humidity and product temperature.
One cereal producer routinely struggled
with over-formulated final products. As
a result, its production crew would com-
monly over-formulate sugar added to
the tumbler by 2% ( from 10% to 12%) to
ensure total product coverage. This pro-
cess became cost-prohibitive over time.
With the help of an at-line NIR
instrument to regularly inspect in-pro- Finding a “sweet spot” for product  Sugar and seasoning additives repre-
cess samples, this cereal manufacturer moisture and fat content is challeng- sent some of the highest routine expenses
for food processing companies.
reduced sugar use by over 15%, saving ing for many food processors. Too little
the operation $3,000 daily. moisture or fat can result in a crumbly
Another sugar or seasoning applica- texture. Too much moisture or fat can
tion method involves spray nozzles, lead to a soggy product and microbial or
which can be positioned at various mold growth.
points of the production process to Examining products for moisture, fat
apply a consistent seasoning mixture. and other parameters before packaging
Operators can adjust the load by regu- can help ensure the best possible custom-
lating the sprayer pump, but changes in er experience while improving shelf life.
the consistency/viscosity of the season- NIR technologies offer a more efficient
ing, clogged nozzles and other factors way to verify final products than IR mois-
can influence seasoning load. ture balances or routine lab analysis.
These changes were a common occur-
rence for one popcorn manufacturer. Taking advantage of
To address sprayer inconsistencies, proven methods
the quality control team utilized NIR As the food industry continues through
technology to analyze grab samples of these tumultuous times, processors —
products after receiving their propri- with the help of NIR technology — can
etary seasoning blend. access the data they need to qualify
They developed a custom NIR cali- incoming ingredients and confidently
bration to analyze specific parameters reduce ingredient over-formulation
of products against parameter read- Using NIR technology for the at-line or
ings from an ideally seasoned product. in-process monitoring of food production
This effort has helped the team reduce lines can mediate raw material costs and
applied seasoning by 5%, saving the ensure consistent product quality.
company over $1,000 daily.
Final product examination:
Just as NIR technologies can analyze MORE
product parameter quality before and ONLINE Visit processingmagazine.com
during production, the same principles for more on food and beverage.
can apply to qualify final products before
packaging.
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 13
 VALVES & ACTUATORS
The future is now for
predictive valve maintenance
Advances in digital valve controllers, diagnostics software and network communications
are enabling significant reductions in maintenance costs and unplanned outages
— resulting in enhanced service life, increased productivity and cost reduction.
By Saurabh Pathak and Naman Tahan, Emerson
P
rocess manufacturers have pursued the
elusive goal of predictive maintenance for
decades because they know that deploy-
ing resources and focusing on equipment
that is about to fail, while allowing healthy
devices to remain in service, will save mil-
lions in maintenance costs. Avoiding unplanned
outages and shutdowns would undoubtedly save
millions more. It stands to reason that every com-
pany should be run this way, yet few have accom-
plished that goal because predicting the future is
notoriously difficult.
This article discusses a variety of diagnostic and
data-driven initiatives that make predictive mainte-
nance possible. These efforts have been years in the
making and are bearing fruit in the automated valve
industry, with ongoing development underway.
14 Processing | MARCH 2023
Proactive versus reactive repair
Automated control and on-off valves are critical
components in a vast number of processes, and
their unanticipated failure can cost millions of
dollars annually. Unfortunately, many automated
valves offer no obvious hint of developing prob-
lems. When the PID controller is set to automat-
ic, which is typically the case, it compensates for
degrading valve performance, so the loop contin-
ues to function, albeit with reduced performance.
Eventually the valve fails completely, upsetting the
process or forcing a shutdown.
In reality, there often are hints of an impending
failure, but these signs can be quite subtle (Figure 1).
Still, if these signs could be detected and acted upon,
it would be possible to gather the necessary repair
components, schedule a brief outage or bypass to
 Smart digital valve controlers, such
as the Fisher FIELDVUE DVC6200
SIS Digital Valve Controller, employ
sensors that detect air, actuator,
packing and valve problems.
All images courtesy of Emerson
perform the repair, and minimize production loss.
The key ingredient that makes this predictive
maintenance possible is data, and ideally the more
information one has, the more accurate predic-
tions can be. Historically, automated valve data
has been limited to valve position, but with every
generation of smart diagnostic digital valve con-
troller, more information has become available.
These digital valve controllers employ an array of
sensors to monitor the valve and detect abnormal
conditions as they develop. Higher-tier units allow
both offline and online monitoring. Valve signa-
tures and as-installed data can be captured and
compared with future tests to note discrepancies.
These types of online measurements capture ongo-
ing valve performance and transient problems that
can otherwise be difficult to detect.
 The next generation of digital valve controllers
are already well into the design stage, and they
will provide even more data that can be utilized
to monitor valve operation, packing performance,
system integrity and much more. New software
apps will automatically analyze all available data
to provide insights and recommendations.

Data is only useful if you use it

Data is certainly a key requirement to enable pre-
dictive maintenance, but no predictions are pos-
sible unless a knowledgeable entity receives that
data and properly evaluates it to draw accurate
conclusions. The whole process is stymied by a
host of problems.
• The currently installed valve controller may be
an older model lacking the ability to sense and
capture the necessary data.
• The digital valve controller may capture the
data, but it has no way to serve up the data,
unless a technician goes to the valve and
accesses the information directly.
• The digital valve controller may be tied to some
type of maintenance network and the data trans-
mitted to a common location, but there are no
resources to look at the data. Even if resources
are available, they may lack the experience and
knowledge to accurately interpret the informa-
tion and draw actionable conclusions.
These issues are being addressed in a number of
ways. The first problem is resolving itself with time.
As older valve positioners fail, most users are replac-
ing them with diagnostic digital valve controllers,
which have improved sensors and advanced com-
munication technologies. However, there are tiers
of performance with these devices, with higher-end
equipment providing out-of-service and in-service
diagnostics, as well as partial stroke testing.
If a company wishes to position itself for predic-
tive maintenance, it may need to invest more in
the digital valve controller for any repaired or new
valves. This is particularly true of any valve that
is critical to production or operates in severe ser-
vice. Higher-tier digital valve controllers for these
valves will almost always pay for themselves in
short order due to improved diagnostics capability,
lower maintenance costs and increased uptime.
The second issue, that the data is captured but
not transmitted anywhere, has been addressed in a
variety of ways, with further improvements already
 Figure 2: One
common method
of valve data
capture utilizes
the control system
connections to
transmit the
information to a
maintenance
database, which
monitors for
problems.
 Figure 1: A valve will often exhibit subtle signs of degradation well in advance of outright failure
If these conditions are noticed and appropriate actions are taken, unplanned outages can be avoided.
in development. Higher-tier digital valve control-
lers have multiple options for transmitting the
data via a number of different wired and wireless
communication protocols (Figure 2).
Predictive maintenance is only possible if the
data can be continually accessed and monitored
in near real time. Therefore, the most successful
plants have some means of pulling the data up
through the control system and transmitting it to a
central location where it can be reviewed, or trans-
mitting the data directly from the digital valve con-
troller to its intended destination.
Transforming data into savings
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of a predictive
maintenance system is finding a knowledgeable
resource that can assess the information, detect
developing issues and initiate actions that can
address the problems in advance of outright fail-
ure. Fortunately, a number of solutions are already
in place, with several more in development.
Valve data management packages, such as Fisher
FIELDVUE ValveLink software, are an on-site solu-
tion that can automatically perform scheduled
online testing of each valve as it operates, as well as
continuously monitor and alarm issues with air pres-
sure, performance degradation and packing. Future
software enhancements will use software apps with
built-in machine learning and artificial intelligence to
flag developing problems and suggest solutions.
If the plant lacks the resources to monitor valve
information, it can securely transmit the data
to trained automation experts located remotely,
who can serve as an extension of on-site staff. The
experts can communicate developing long-term
issues to plant personnel, as well as problems
requiring immediate response (Figure 3).
These services free plant resources to perform
other tasks by detecting degrading performance
and impending failures before operations are
impacted. They also provide plant personnel with
access to valve experts on an on-going basis for
consultation on performance, along with recom-
mended corrective measures.
Data investments pay dividends
A herbicide plant used advanced control valve
diagnostics to transition from reactive to predic-
tive maintenance, reducing annual maintenance
costs by $230,000. In one case, the plant saved
nearly $100,000 an hour by detecting and address-
ing a developing control valve issue before it shut
down the unit.
A refinery identified 26 critical valves in their
hydrocracker unit that could cause unplanned
shutdowns. The plant lacked resources, so they
engaged their valve vendor to provide remote ser-
vices for continuously monitoring these valves and

MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 15

 reporting issues. The service detected a develop-
ing air leak on a large anti-surge valve, as well as
issues with several heating valves. Using this infor-
mation, all repairs were planned and executed
without production impact, avoiding a $5.6 million
unplanned outage, and saving $400,000 a year by
improving performance of the heating unit.
A combined cycle power plant saved $68,000 in
one outage after installing a number of upgraded
digital valve controllers and implementing diag-
nostic alert software, enabling the facility to focus
repair efforts more efficiently. Annual mainte-
nance cost reductions totaled $33,500, and plan-
ning for outage repairs was significantly improved,
particularly by ordering repair parts in advance.

Conclusion
Predicting the future is not easy, but it is pos-
sible when the right data can be gathered and
reviewed by a knowledgeable entity. Many exist-
ing digital valve controllers can provide the
required data, and next generation digital valve
controllers will gather even more data. Once
captured and transmitted to the right repository,
advanced software tools and remote experts can
translate the information into specific actions
 Figure 3: When a plant lacks the proper knowledge or resources, critical valve that can be taken to resolve problems and avoid
data can be securely transferred to remote experts for continuous monitoring. unplanned failures.

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 Rugged, Field-Proven Solenoid
Significant advances in digital valve controllers — including newer commu-
nication technologies such as Ethernet APL and local real-time control — are Valves for a Wide Range of
already in progress, rapidly improving prediction accuracy to cut maintenance
costs and increase uptime. Processing Applications
Wise investments in equipment upgrades or new equipment specifications,
along with remote expert services when needed, will pay big dividends in the future.
Predictive maintenance is finally possible, and it will only improve with time.

For over 75 years,

Saurabh Pathak is the digital valve global marketing director at Emerson Automation Magnatrol has been
Solutions, with global marketing responsibility for next-generation product development of
valve prognostics, hardware and sensor-based technologies that tie into analytics-based
manufacturing high quality,
valve management software. He has been with Emerson for 16 years, working across general purpose, two-way
North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, where he is currently based. Pathak holds bronze and stainless steel
a bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Queensland University of Technology in Australia.
solenoid valves to control
Naman Tahan is the director of engineering and operations for Digital Valve Services at the flow of oil/fuel oil,
Emerson Automation Solutions, with global responsibility for all deployment and perfor- biofuel, natural gas,
mance aspects of the company’s valve condition monitoring remote services. He has
been with Emerson for the past 28 years in various sales, operations and project man-
solvents, hot liquids
agements roles, and he is currently based in Houston, Texas. Tahan holds a bachelor’s and gases, corrosive
degree in Electronics Engineering from Aleppo University in Syria. fluids, water, steam,
Emerson and other sediment-
www.emerson.com free fluids.

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Connect with us on LinkedIn

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call 973-427-4341, E-mail:
info@magnatrol.com or
visit magnatrol.com.

processingmagazine.com Magnatrol Valve Corporation

67 Fifth Avenue • Hawthorne, NJ 07507

MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 17

 POWDER & BULK PROCESSING
Vacuum conveyors:
Powder handling’s antidote to
soaring post-pandemic costs
Automating powder handling with vacuum conveying systems is one of
the fastest and most economical ways for manufacturers and processors
to mitigate skyrocketing labor, energy and material costs.
M
anufacturers and processors have
survived economic downturns and
market shifts since the beginning
of the industrial revolution. Even in
good times, cost control and efficien-
cy have always been, and will always
be, reigning topics in manufacturing.
The COVID-19 pandemic — much like the Great
Depression and World War II — tested manu-
facturing processes in the extreme, highlighted
shortcomings in current practices and challenged
manufacturers and processors to rethink standard
operating procedures to maximize efficiency.
“We’ve never experienced inflation, recession,
pandemic, supply chain issues, social inflation, and
18 Processing | MARCH 2023
| By Doan Pendleton, Vac-U-Max
labor shortage — all converging at the same time,”
notes Matthew Moore, executive vice president
and president of underwriting for Liberty Mutual
Global Risk Solutions.1 In the “landscape of turbu-
lence” described by Moore, automating processing
and packaging lines with vacuum conveyors is log-
ical because it cuts costs in many ways.
Mechanical conveyors, such as aero-mechanical
and flexible screw conveyors, are cheaper on the
front end but may be more expensive when con-
sidering the total cost of ownership. Mechanical
conveyors have more moving parts than vacuum
conveyors and require regular downtime for main-
tenance and replacement parts. Mechanical con-
veyors also require more floor space than vacuum
 A sanitary vacuum
conveyor keeps a
tablet press filled in
a pharmaceutical
environment.
All images courtesy
of Vac-U-Max
conveyors. Floor space is already a focus point for
plant managers, and that will most likely intensify
as manufacturers reimagine just-in-time (JIT) sup-
ply chain approaches.
Vacuum conveyors are the most hygienic meth-
od for transferring powders and bulk solids. The
systems are fully enclosed, which protects mate-
rials from air, dirt and waste. Because material
does not escape from a vacuum conveying system,
particulates that can endanger worker health, jam
expensive equipment or result in cross contamina-
tion do not escape into the environment.
Automating powder transfer with a vacu-
um conveying system — whether it is a com-
plex PLC-controlled, computer-compatible,
multi-ingredient storage batching and processing  Starting with a
system, or a simple “up-and-in” material transfer properly designed
pickup point with
system — reduces labor costs, reduces injury and phase-density control
its associated costs, increases throughput, fortifies impedes future
quality, and allows manufacturers to rethink how issues with line plug-
ging and inconsistent
they purchase raw materials. material flow.

Conveyor components and design

Versatile, small-footprint vacuum conveying systems
easily integrate with existing processes by routing
conveying lines between floors, through partitions or
around machinery, and they can be easily rerouted to
accommodate process modifications.
Vacuum conveyors are fairly simple systems
comprising four basic components — a pickup
point, a power/vacuum source, a vacuum receiver
(also called a filter receiver) and a control panel —
which work together to gently transfer powders
and bulk solids through convey tubing. Each com-
ponent must complement the others. If one com-
ponent is too large or too small, it will keep the
system from working properly. Vacuum receivers
must be able to handle the airflow provided by the
vacuum source, and the correct air-to-cloth ratio
for the filters is crucial to prevent the filters from
shredding or blinding.
As simple as vacuum conveying systems are,
design variations are nearly endless. This is
because each manufacturing process is unique
and requires a system engineered to that specific
process. Factors such as material bulk density,
material characteristics, conveying distance, con-
veying rate, industry and upstream/downstream
equipment all influence a system’s design, making
vacuum conveying more art than science.
While the industry may dictate a system’s materi-
als of construction (such as stainless steel for food
and pharmaceutical applications), vacuum conveying
technology and techniques are not consigned to a par-
ticular industry but are adaptable across industries.
Expertise in vacuum technology, knowledge of
production equipment and processes, and a full
understanding of material characteristics, are
essential to designing a system that truly benefits
the bottom line.
Reduced labor costs
Without question, reduced labor is where companies
achieve significant savings when going from manual
material loading to automated vacuum conveyors.
Surprisingly, however, reducing labor costs is not
usually the main impetus for purchasing a vacuum
conveyor. Two of the most common reasons compa-
nies automate powder transfer are when changes in
demand make manual transfer unfeasible and when
they need to mitigate safety hazards.
Most often, manually transferring materials
into process or packaging equipment requires two
workers for safety and efficiency, as most equip-
ment is located above workers’ heads, requiring
lifting and climbing. Vacuum conveyors facilitate
loading from ground level up into process and
packaging equipment, eliminating the need for
 A mobile vacuum
conveying system
conveys material from
the floor up and over
processing or packaging
equipment. The vacuum
receiver is easily low-
ered to floor level for
easy sanitation.
workers to climb up and down ladders to manually
dump materials into equipment.
Most facilities experience an immediate 50%
reduction in labor for material transfer when tran-
sitioning from manual handling to vacuum con-
veying. This increases manufacturers’ ability to
expedite the shift to a skilled workforce.
Some systems perform more like a set-it-and-
walk-away scenario. Systems such as this allow
businesses to achieve significant labor savings,
since workers no longer need to remain at a sta-
tion for the duration of the process.
Improved safety and cleanliness
The enclosed nature of vacuum conveying systems
reduces the amount of housekeeping needed to
mitigate fugitive dust that is inherent with man-
ual loading of powders and bulk solids. Any time
powders or bulk dry materials are open dumped
into a process, whether it is a blender, a hopper, or
a packaging machine, a puff of dust is generated,
launching particulates into the air and creating
fugitive dust.
In environments where combustible dusts are
present or materials have the potential to cause
respiratory injury to workers, vacuum conveying
mitigates fugitive dust hazards and reduces house-
keeping requirements.
According to the CDC, “Musculoskeletal dis-
orders are associated with high costs to employ-
ers such as absenteeism, lost productivity, and
increased health care, disability, and worker’s com-
pensation costs.”2
Avoiding manual scooping, lifting and dumping
of materials not only eliminates costly work-relat-
ed musculoskeletal disorders (WMDS) but also
eliminates the possibility of dust entering work-
ers’ airways during manual dumping of powders.
More often than not, the need to wear respiratory
protection during powder transfer is not necessary
with vacuum conveying systems.
Reduced downtime and maintenance
“Next to a safety or environmental mishap,
unplanned/unscheduled downtime represents
one of the costliest events at any industrial or
manufacturing plant,” according to the Forbes
article, “Unplanned Downtime Costs More Than
You Think.”3 Mechanical conveyors contain more
moving parts than vacuum conveyors, and there-
fore maintenance costs are higher, and machinery
is more susceptible to unscheduled downtime.
More moving parts also means that mechani-
cal conveyors are more difficult to clean than
vacuum conveyors, making mechanical conveyors
less desirable in sanitary conditions. With virtu-
ally no moving parts, vacuum conveying systems
are more economical when it comes to cleaning
and preventative maintenance, needing minimal
attention a couple times a year to check oil levels

MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 19

 STRENGTH
AND ENDURANCE.
BEST-IN-CLASS INDUSTRIAL
GRADE MAGNETIC METAL
SEPARATORS.
Designed for your process
application and built to last.

 RA25 or lower finish

and passivation are
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“increasingly
With material costs skyrocketing, facilities are
looking for systems that can reclaim
expensive materials and automatically cycle them
 LEARN MORE 
back into the system. ”
MORE LESS and motor health. Compressed air-powered venturi systems require even less
maintenance — simply keeping the compressed air line clean and dry.
» Captured Metal » Maintenance Costs Furthermore, the ability to change out a vacuum conveying system’s hoses
» Product Purity » Plant Downtime and filters between batches results in faster changeovers and increased
uptime. In sanitary environments where cleaning takes place several times per
» Equipment Protection » Headaches day, this time-saving technique can save thousands of dollars each day.
» Employee Safety
» Plant Uptime Other benefits
Additional savings when changing from manual powder transfer to automated
vacuum conveyors come from reduced materials costs — either through dis-
counted pricing for bulk quantities, reclamation and reuse of materials, or both.
With material costs skyrocketing, facilities are increasingly looking for systems
HACCP International Certified and that can reclaim expensive materials and automatically cycle them back into the
USDA AMS Accepted Equipment. system. Ancillary equipment and innovative system engineering can even turn
the task of straightforward dust collection into fully integrated systems designed
to reclaim expensive ingredients and preserve quality formulations.
Vacuum conveyors further contribute to higher quality formulations since
weighing and metering with an automated system eliminates the possibility of
TOLL FREE 888.582.0821 human error during hand scooping.
imi@magnetics.com Vacuum conveying systems are available with a range of power options that
fit within an organization’s energy management program and are capable of
operating within sustainable industrial solar-powered environments.
magnetics.com
Industrial Magnetics Inc.
1385 S M-75, Boyne City, MI 49712
PHONE: 1.231.582.3100 Selecting a vacuum conveying system
Properly designed vacuum conveyors have a high ROI. These systems maximize
throughput, have minimal maintenance requirements, reduce safety costs, cut

20 Processing | MARCH 2023

 “fabrication
...work with an experienced supplier with
abilities and the know-how to
anticipate challenges ahead of time...”

changeover downtime, and improve product quality. 2. https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromo-

When selecting a vacuum conveyor for your applica-
tion, work with an experienced supplier with fabrica-
tion abilities and the know-how to anticipate challeng-
es ahead of time to ensure that the system operates
flawlessly for decades.
Be sure to examine the equipment’s robustness,
ease of cleaning, energy consumption and warranties,
because cheaper upfront does not always mean cheap-
er in the long run. Saving several thousand dollars on
the front end may end up costing tens of thousands of
dollars over the life of the system. Be sure to compare
apples to apples and not apples to oranges.
tion/health-strategies/musculoskeletal-disor-
ders/evaluation-measures/index.html
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcoun-
cil/2022/02/22/unplanned-downtime-costs-
more-than-you-think/?sh=44521d3036f7
Doan Pendleton is president of Vac-U-Max, Belleville, NJ (800-822-
8629; info@vac-u-max.com). The company manufactures pneumatic
systems and support equipment for the conveying, weighing and
batching of dry materials.

References Vac-U-Max
1. https://business.libertymutual.com/insights/ www.vac-u-max.com
economic-uncertainty-and-risk-management-
resilience-in-2023-3-trends-to-watch/

 Stainless-steel tube hopper vacuum receiver features a straight-sided

discharge hopper for fast, efficient handling of non-free flowing materials.

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1/20/22 1:14 PM
 POWDER & BULK PROCESSING

Combustible dust hazards of

dilute phase pneumatic
conveying systems

Proper design, operation and

maintenance are critical to
minimize dust explosion
hazards when pneumatically
conveying combustible dusts
and particles. | By Jack Osborn, Airdusco EDS

D
ilute phase (versus dense or semi-dense
phase) pneumatic conveying systems
have been used for many decades in
industry to transfer many types of mate-
rials from one or more locations to a
single or multiple locations. Vacuum (or
negative pressure) dilute phase systems are best
used to convey from one or more locations to a
single destination (Figure 2), while positive pres-
sure systems are best used to convey from a single
source to one or more locations (Figure 3), though
there are exceptions.
Unlike dense and semi-dense phase pneumatic
conveying systems, dilute phase systems are designed
to provide sufficient airflow and velocity to keep the
material being conveyed airborne (i.e., suspended
within the piping/duct). This is basically correct
whether the system pressure is negative or positive.
When properly designed, operated and maintained,
dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems are one of

 Figure 1: Where an explosion hazard exists, filter receivers used in dilute

phase pneumatic conveying require explosion protection and isolation.
Courtesy of Airdusco

the safest methods for conveying combustible dusts
and particles. However, combustible dust hazards do
exist in these systems, and each system must be ana-
lyzed and evaluated for its own unique hazards.
Determine the material’s
explosive characteristics
According to NFPA 652 Fundamentals of
Combustible Dust (2019 version) the owner/opera-
tor of a facility handling a potentially combustible
dust is responsible for determining the explosive
characteristics of that dust (Section 4.1). The fol-
lowing is the minimum information needed to suf-
ficiently determine how the material’s combustible
dust characteristics will affect the design, operation,
maintenance and explosion protection of a typical
dilute phase pneumatic conveying system.
• Determine the material’s Kst and Pmax values.
These are necessary to determine any explosion
protection and isolation requirements for the fil-
ter receiver(s) and possibly other portions of the
system. Isolation is necessary to prevent the pres-
sure wave and fireball from an explosion propa-
gating back through the system and possibly
causing secondary explosions and/or flashfires.
• Determine the material’s minimum explosive
concentration (MEC) value. The MEC is the
minimum amount of combustible dust, usually
in grams per cubic meter, necessary to support
an explosion or flashfire. This is imperative to
show that a relatively small amount of combus-
tible dust, when suspended in air around an
ignition source, represents a high-risk situation.
• Determine the material’s minimum igni-
tion energy (MIE) value. The MIE is the low-
est energy, usually measured in millijoules,
required to ignite a suspended cloud of a com-
bustible dust. Unless electrical spark is of con-
cern, the test should be without inductance in
order to determine the material’s sensitivity to
electrostatic discharge.
• In some cases, it can be advantageous to test
for charge relaxation duration. This is the time
required for a generated electrostatic charge
in a material to dissipate. Examples of where
this can be important include stearates, resins
and sulfur compounds. A long charge relax-
ation duration (hours or more) can mean that
the conveyed material will retain a significant
electrostatic charge when in storage.
Other test parameters can be considered, but it
should be up to the owner/operator to determine
whether they will be of value.
The dust’s explosivity characteristics are not
the only properties that should be considered as
important. Examples include whether the material
is cohesive and/or adhesive; whether the material
is friable or subject to significant attrition, which
can lead to significant increases in combustible
dust mass when conveyed or handled; angle of
repose, which affects the design of storage vessels,
etc.; and moisture content, as some drier materials
tend to be greater risks than materials with higher
moisture content.
The need to know your material cannot be over-
emphasized.
Convey using negative pressure
when possible
I tend to recommend vacuum (or negative pressure)
dilute phase conveying systems for combustible
dusts. This is because if there is a leak in the system,
a vacuum system will leak inward, whereas with a
 Figure 2: Schematic of a typical vacuum conveying system.
Courtesy of Airdusco
positive pressure system, air (and potentially com-
bustible dust) will leak outward into the workspace.
Also, when multiple material feed sources into
the system are required, vacuum conveying is more
easily adaptable. However, if the system requires
discharging the material to multiple locations, a
positive pressure system is more easily adaptable.
The owner/operator must determine which is
best for the application.
Properly bond and ground the piping/
tubing and components
Confirmed and documented (at least yearly, but
more often for high-risk materials) bonding (i.e.,
continuity of the current carrying of the assembly)
and grounding (to earth of the bonded compo-
nents) is required (NFPA 652, Section 9.4.7). This is
my minimum recommendation.
The main concern is the generation of a propagat-
ing brush discharge. This type of electrostatic dis-
charge is created by the “brush off ” of a layer where
a charge exists, allowing the stored charge to be dissi-
pated as an electrostatic discharge. This can occur in
any dilute phase pneumatic conveying system where
components are not properly bonded and grounded.
Such electrostatic discharges can reach 1,000 milli-
joules, which is more than sufficient to act as an igni-
tion source for most combustible dusts. This is also a
concern where hoses are used, as the inside of a hose
is often not designed to be conductive. Multiple ven-
dors supply hoses that will rapidly dissipate electro-
static discharges from the inside of the hose.
Consider isolating the material
feed location(s)
Isolating the material feed location(s) is often not
considered, especially with a negative pressure
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 23
  Figure 3: Schematic of a typical positive
pressure pneumatic conveying system.
Courtesy of Airdusco

system. If, during the analysis and evaluation of
the various material feed locations (singular or
multiple), a combustible dust hazard exists, then
this hazard should be isolated from the rest of the
pneumatic conveying system.
An example would be where a screw conveyor
is being used to feed material from a hammer-
mill, which is considered a high-risk ignition
source. An explosion event in the hammermill or
its components (such as a dust collector) could
transfer to the pneumatic conveying system if no
method is used to isolate the feed. A screw con-
veyor does not provide isolation. Using a Class
1 rotary airlock at the screw conveyor discharge
(designed to shut off feed should an event occur)
would provide isolation.
Protect and isolate the filter receiver
A filter receiver (also called an air-material sepa-
rator or AMS) is basically a cylindrical dust col-
lector designed to operate at higher differential
pressures and material rates. Although not every
filter receiver used in dilute phase pneumatic con-
veying requires explosion protection and isolation
(e.g., ingredient transfer systems, NFPA 61), where

24 Processing | MARCH 2023

 SLICE IT.
an explosion hazard exists, such protection should be provided (NFPA 652,
Section 9.7). Figure 1 shows a typical method of explosion venting plus a Class
1 rotary airlock valve (isolation is not shown). Figure 4 shows passive and
active isolation methods to prevent propagation of an explosion event inside
DICE IT.
PASS IT.
the filter receiver.
Examples of hazardous applications include conveying from the previously
mentioned hammermill material discharge, where embers are possible; con-
veying material where foreign objects could be present; and conveying mate-
rials with low MIE values such as sulfur, resins or stearates. Some materials
will become self-heating if they accumulate for long periods within the filter
receiver. Also, it is important to note that, with or without bonding wires, most
filters are insulators and will hold an electrostatic charge. ERADICATOR PLUSTM ––
Make sure the designer, provider and installer know what they GORMAN-RUPP’S NEW
are doing SOLIDS-HANDLING
Any dilute phase pneumatic conveying system can become an unwanted combus-
tible dust hazard if it is improperly designed or installed or is the wrong equipment TECHNOLOGY.
for the application. There are highly qualified equipment suppliers that can both
design and provide the proper equipment. Some can also install and commission
the system. It is up to the owner/operator to make sure the company or compa- EXTRA-THICK,
AGGRESSIVE,
nies selected for each part of the system’s development know what they are doing. SELF-CLEANING
A failure in any phase of system creation can result in an unacceptable increase in WEARPLATE
combustible dust hazards.
SHIMLESS
Provide training in proper system operation and maintenance ADJUSTMENT
DESIGN
One can have the best possible dilute phase conveying system for an applica-
tion, but if it is not properly operated and maintained it will quickly become a
greater combustible dust hazard. First, make sure the system supplier provides
a usable and complete operation and maintenance manual. Second, require
HEAVY-DUTY
that same supplier (or another viable source) to train your personnel in the CONTINUOUS
operation and maintenance requirements for the system. This should be done VANE IMPELLER
with all shifts, and a repeat training session after several months of operation
is also recommended.

Continuously monitor system performance parameters

Section 9.3.3.1.3 of NFPA 652 (and all combustible dust standards) requires that
pneumatic conveying systems have adequate conveying velocity to prevent the
accumulation of combustible dusts and/or particles in the conveying piping/
tubing. For pneumatic conveying, this requirement seems obvious, but it is not
the case in many systems. Usually, by continuously monitoring certain param-
eters, it is possible to know if the system is operating properly and predict the
need for preventive maintenance. Examples of parameters to monitor include:
• Monitor the negative or positive pressure at the inlet to the blower package.
By using a transmitter and sending the signal to a control system or area,
the differential pressure (compared to atmosphere) can indicate the sys-
tem “condition.” For example, when no material is in the line (conveying air
only), the resulting differential pressure should be low. If this value increases
(more pressure or more vacuum) without material, this likely indicates an
accumulation in the piping or possibly a problem with the filter receiver. If
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the value increases and decreases in a yo-yo pattern during conveying, this and shred organic solids entering the pump, while the rugged,
continuous vane impeller prevents the build-up of debris and
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keeps your pump operating at peak efficiency.
• Monitor the pressure differential across the filters of the filter receiver.
Exceeding the value that the system can handle will lead to reduced per-
For more information, call Gorman-Rupp at 419-755-1011
formance from the blower package and possible plugging of the conveying
or visit GRpumps.com to find a distributor near you.
line. Excessive differential pressure often indicates that the filters need to
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or material is accumulating inside the receiver to a level that is inhibiting

filter performance.

MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 25

 • For positive pressure systems as well as some
vacuum systems, a static filter is installed
before the inlet to the blower to prevent dust
from entering. If this filter becomes blinded,
the blower package will be “starved” of inlet
air, leading to a major upset condition.

By following the recommendations outlined in

this article, you can ensure that your dilute phase
pneumatic conveying system is compliant with
combustible dust standards and performs success-
fully for years.

Jack Osborn (josborn@airdusco.com) is a senior

project engineer at Airdusco Engineering and Design
Services and a member of Processing’s edito-
rial advisory board. He has more than 47 years of
experience in dust collection systems, centralized
vacuum cleaning systems, pneumatic conveying systems, and all types
of bulk handling systems and is a participating member of all six NFPA
combustible dust committees (61, 484, 652, 654, 664, and Correlating).
Figure 4: Isolation devices for preventing the
propagation of an explosion event inside a filter receiver. Airdusco EDS
Courtesy of CV Technology www.airdusco.com

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 POWDER & BULK PROCESSING
International Powder & Bulk
Solids Conference & ExhibiTION
returns April 25-27
The expo will feature new and interactive programs designed to
give industry leaders and newcomers a holistic learning experience.
T
he International Powder & Bulk Solids
Conference & Exhibition, also known
as “The Powder Show,” will take place
April 25-27 at the Donald E. Stephens
Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois,
near Chicago. The Powder Show is North
America’s largest event dedicated to powder and
bulk solids handling and processing. The event
will feature more than 350 exhibitors showcasing
the latest manufacturing technology and offering
product demos across the full spectrum of bulk
solids processes.
Attendees of the three-day expo can watch free
educational sessions at the Center Stage and Tech
Theater and learn from industry leaders about
topics such as pneumatic conveying, storage, 3D
Top: Images courtesy of Informa Markets
printing, and more.
New interactive experiences
This year’s expo will feature new interactive
experiences where attendees can learn about
the latest trends and innovations in the powder
and bulk solids industry. Registrants who want
more in-depth insights on the powder and bulk
solids trade can sign up for the new Granular
Guides mentorship program. The program will
28 Processing | MARCH 2023
span all three days of the expo and pair profes-
sionals just starting their dry processing careers
with industry veterans, allowing intimate time
with seasoned experts on all things powder and
bulk solids.
Guests can also “Ask the Experts,” where attend-
ees can approach experts on the show floor to talk
about current challenges and get advice on solu-
tions. These experienced leaders then will take
registrants out on the show floor to use exhibiting
booths as examples, making the show more inter-
active than ever.
“We want our guests to not only see what the 2023
iPBS show has to offer, but for them to apply what
they’ve learned through quality meetings and expe-
riences with the industry’s leading experts,” says
Steve Everly, Group Event Director. “We now have
brand new networking and leadership programs to
aid everyone in the industry, from newcomers to
veterans. The educational content available is more
interactive and hands on than ever before.”
Education conference
The two-day technical conference features six
tracks covering Bulk Solids Storage, Retrieval, and
Logistics; Combustible Dust Safety; Conveying
& Feeding; Dust Control; Fundamentals; and
Processing & Quality. Sessions include:
• Effective Specification of a Bulk Handling
System; presented by Todd Smith, K-State
Bulk Solids Innovation Center
• Basics of Storage and Flow of Powders and
Bulk Solids; presented by Eric Maynard, Jenike
& Johanson
• Feeder Selection and Design; presented by
Scott Miller, Solids Handling Technologies
• Combustible Dust Standards & Regulations;
presented by Ghose Dastidar, Fauske &
Associates, and Jeramy Slaunwhite, Rembe
• Basics of Thermal Processing of Solids; pre-
sented by Karl Jacob, University of Michigan
• And many more.
In the weeks leading up to the Powder Show,
Processing is speaking with conference presenters
about their sessions.
Be sure to visit www.processingmagazine.com to
watch these interviews and get more details about
the presentations.
For more information and to register,
visit www.powderandbulkshow.com.
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 POWDER & BULK PROCESSING
Different ways to charge material in a
pneumatic conveyor
This article explores the most common types of pneumatic conveying
system line chargers and their usual applications and limitations.
A
simple pneumatic conveying system is
comprised of five main components:
the gas mover, the product feed, the line
charger, the pipeline, and the product
receiver (Figure 1). The line charger has
a very critical role: it needs to charge the
convey line at a metered rate while minimizing the
escape of pressurized gas (in positive pressure sys-
tems). In this application, the line charger is serv-
ing as both a feeder and an airlock.
Pneumatic conveying systems use several differ-
ent types of line chargers. Depending on the appli-
cation, one might be a better choice than others. By
understanding the differences between the different
line charger types, you can make an informed deci-
sion about which line charger to select for your sys-
tem. Selecting a wrong line charger for your system
can cause many problems, such as:
• Accelerated line charger wear, which can lead
to unplanned system shutdowns, extra oper-
ating costs or excessive gas leakage.
• Excessive gas leakage, which can lead to
reduced system capacity, plugging in the pipe-
line or excessive dust emissions.
• Bridging/arching of material above the line
charger feed point, which causes convey line
material starving or intermittent feed.
Before looking at the different line charger types,
it is important to settle a widely held misconcep-
tion. While it is true that some types of line char-
gers are most commonly used in either dilute phase
or dense phase systems, the line charger does not
dictate the mode of conveying in the pipeline once
the material is mixed with gas. The material-to-gas
ratio and the velocity of the material in the pipeline
 Figure 2: Rotary airlock.
Courtesy of Carolina Conveying Inc.
| By Colin Barbeau, Hatch
in relation to the material’s saltation velocity dictate
whether the material will be transported in dilute or
dense phase. Also, dense phase conveying usually
requires a high gas pressure, and since some types
of line chargers have limited pressure differential
ratings, they are not typically associated with dense
phase conveying.
The mode of conveying is typically one of the
first decisions made with regard to system design,
with decisions such as the best line charger made
subsequently.
Types of line chargers
The following is a list of the main line charger
types used in the industry. Please note that many
variations of each type exist, and it would be difficult
to execute a summary of all of them in a single article.
Rotary airlocks
Rotary airlocks (Figure 2) are the workhorses of the
industry as they are simple, compact and widely
available. They can provide an almost continuous
product feed, as the pocket discharge cycle rate is
short compared to other line chargers.
Rotary airlocks are not typically recommended
for use with coarse and/or very abrasive materi-
als, as the internals can wear out rapidly. However,
versions are available that include various forms of
abrasion resistance to extend the component’s life.
Rotary airlocks have a limited pressure differ-
ential rating since there is a gap between the rotor
blade and the casing. This is why they are usually
used for dilute phase systems at low to medium
pressure differentials. Some specialized models can
handle higher pressure and can be used as line char-
gers for continuous dense phase or high-pressure
dilute phase systems, for low-abrasion applications.
Double dump valves
Double dump valves consist of two valves posi-
tioned one on top of the other and separated by
an accumulation chamber (Figure 3). The valves
open alternatively in cycle, allowing material to
pass through while keeping gas updraft to a mini-
mum. The valves are never opened simultaneously.
Different types of valves can be used depending on
  Figure 1: Basic pneumatic
conveying system components.
Courtesy of Hatch
the application, such as flapper valves, ball valves,
slide gates, spherical valves, and others.
Double dump valves can handle high-tempera-
ture applications. Some models allow gravimetric
feed of material with load cells positioned on the
accumulation chamber. Since double dump valves
don’t provide a continuous discharge (long mate-
rial discharge cycle rate), they are usually not used
in dense phase systems.
Blow tanks
A blow tank (Figure 4) is basically a pressure vessel
used to push material inside the convey pipeline. It is
equipped with many monitoring devices and instru-
ments to optimize the material discharge cycle.
Once the bottom valve on the blow tank is
opened, it stays open until all the material is fed
into the convey pipeline. Blow tanks are not dis-
charged by gravity; the pressure differential inside
the tank helps to push the material out. Some
models are equipped with fluidizing air to help dif-
ficult, less free-flowing materials flow.
Blow tanks have a long cycle time and can’t be
filled during their pressurization and discharge
cycle. For this reason, if the process upstream
requires a continuous material flow, two blow
tanks are used, with one being filled while the
other is discharging material into the pipeline.
Alternatively, an intermediate hopper above the
blow tank can be used as a holding tank to receive
the continuous process discharge while the pres-
sure tank below is in the discharge cycle.
Blow tanks are designed to operate at higher
pressure differentials and provide a high material
-to-gas ratio. For this reason, they are most often
used in dense phase systems. They can however be
used in dilute phase systems if a higher pressure
is required for the application or when handling
extremely abrasive materials.
Screw pumps
A screw pump (Figure 5) is basically a heavy-duty
screw feeder with the pitch of the screw dimin-
ishing between the material inlet flange and the
screw discharge. This diminution in screw pitch
compresses the material and creates a gas seal
between the low-pressure screw inlet and the
high-pressure screw discharge. Screw pumps are
equipped with a non-return valve at their dis-
charge end that closes when no material is in the
screw to prevent gas leakage.
A screw pump’s seal quality is highly depen-
dent on the bulk material properties, and they are
therefore generally recommended only for free-
flowing materials with a small mean particle size.
With the right bulk materials, high pressure seals
can be obtained, and screw pumps can be used in
dense phase systems. Screw pumps are not recom-
mended for extremely abrasive materials.
Eductors
Eductors create a vacuum at their inlet throat
from a positive pressure airflow using the Venturi
effect. This vacuum charges the eductor with bulk
material, which is then mixed with the airflow in a
pressure pneumatic conveyor.
Eductors basically solve the problems associ-
ated with line charger air leakage in pressure sys-
tems. They are small and compact as well as reli-
able, since they have no moving parts.
 Figure 3: Double dump valve.
Courtesy of Plattco Corporation
Eductors must be used with free-flowing mate-
rials and are limited to low-capacity/low-pressure
systems. They provide low flexibility for flow rate
control. For this reason, they can be coupled with
a metering device upstream if an accurate control
is required.
Eductors generate a high-pressure differential,
meaning that the total system pressure will be
higher than with other line chargers.
Lock hoppers
Lock hoppers are in a class of their own as they
are not line chargers per se but can be used in
conjunction with other line chargers to achieve
an optimized solution when applicable. Lock hop-
pers are accumulation hoppers with an isolation
gate at their inlet flange and a line charger at their
discharge flange. Once the lock hopper is filled
with material, the inlet valve closes to isolate the
upstream equipment from the convey pipeline
pressure. This keeps the line charger at the lock
hopper’s discharge from being exposed to a pres-
sure differential. Only the lock hopper inlet valve
is exposed to the pressure differential. Lock hop-
pers, therefore, eliminate the pressure differential
to which virtually any line charger can be exposed,
expanding the range of convey line pressures they
can operate in.
Individual lock hoppers do not operate continu-
ously but in batches. Therefore, if the upstream
process requires continuous operation, two lock
hoppers are required, with one being filled while
the other is discharged into the pneumatic con-
veyor downstream. Dual lock hoppers can be
positioned on top of each other to reduce the total
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 31
  Figure 4: Blow tank.
required footprint. In this configuration, a single Courtesy of Nol-Tec
line charger is used.

Suction nozzles
Suction nozzles are applicable only to vacuum con-
veying systems. They are basically the air intake
side of the convey pipeline in a vacuum system
that is used to suck material. It is very similar to
a domestic vacuum cleaner. The main difference is
the ability to adjust the air intake near the material
intake to control the material flow. There are also
additional air intakes on the suction arm, down-
stream of the material intake that prevent the line
from being choked and plugged.
Suction nozzles are generally manually oper-
ated to suck material from a bag or a box, but they
can also be used on larger scales to empty trucks,
containers or ships. Since these line chargers are
used on vacuum systems, which have a limitation
in negative pressure (less than one atmosphere of
vacuum), they are usually seen on dilute systems.

Flood fed  Figure 5:

Flood fed line chargers are also only used on vac- Fuller-Kinyon screw pump.
uum systems. This concept is similar to a suction Courtesy of FLSmidth.

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32 Processing | MARCH 2023

 nozzle in that a pipe under vacuum is connected

“operated
to the discharge of a hopper. A partially opened
Suction nozzles are generally manually slide gate can be used to help meter the mate-
to suck material from a bag or box, rial flow rate. Additional air intakes on the convey
pipeline, downstream of the material pickup point,
but they can also be used on larger scales to prevents line plugging by ensuring that the correct

”
rate of air flow is available.
empty trucks, containers or ships.
Selecting a line charger
Table 1 can be used as a guide for selecting the
right line charger for the application. The table lists
which line chargers are best suited for a given sys-
tem conveying mode and phase.

Colin Barbeau is a bulk materials handling spe-

cialist at Hatch and a member of Processing’s
editorial advisory board. He can be reached at
colin.barbeau@hatch.com.

Hatch
www.hatch.com
 Table 1: Line charger suitability by conveying mode and phase.

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12/22/22 1:49 PM
 SPECIALSECTION
PROCESS WATER
Efficiently measuring and accounting for
cooling water
The right instruments ensure that building and maintaining a
reliable cooling water system can be realized with a minimum
of upsets or process fluctuations. | By Cheng Vue, Emerson
A
t first glance, cooling water measure-
ment might not seem to be an essential
measurement to power generation or
chemical operations. However, when
delving into the value of cooling and
temperature control, it becomes clear it
cannot be an afterthought.
There are different systems that require cool-
ing, whether in power generation or chemical
process applications, and knowing the water used
for the process of cooling and temperature regu-
lation allows for accurate accounting and report-
ing. Considering that most often the water used
in these instances comes from municipal sourc-
es, it stands to reason a facility wants to know
how much they are using and where the waste-
water goes after it has run through the process.
Accounting for wastewater is also required for
environmental reporting.
If the water used is taken from natural sources,
other issues come into play, such as: Will the water
require filtration? How clean is the water? What
types of particles might be in the water that can
contribute to corrosion of piping, pumps and flow
measurement devices? And how much can partic-
ulate matter impact accurate measurement?
A facility will want to look into finding a flow
meter that is not significantly impacted by the dif-
ferent types of impurities and still able to return
reliable measurement data.
Efficiently cooling a process or maintaining a
correct temperature is essential to the quality or
outcome of the process. Though cooling water
measurement is not generally seen as a critical
measurement, cooling is an important part of
keeping a process running and of what makes a
heat exchanger a valuable piece of equipment.
Efficiency in cooling is what keeps the process
from bogging down if temperatures fluctuate or if
34 Processing | MARCH 2023
the cooling process malfunctions. Any significant
change in temperature can impact the process at
various points down the line.
Process control with heat exchangers
Heat exchangers are a critical component in both
power generation and in processes that require
temperature regulation, such as chemical, refin-
ing or food and beverage processes. In chemical
processes — similar to food and beverage — for
example, there is often a blending stage in the pro-
cess. But that blending can only happen if materi-
als or ingredients are at the correct temperature,
as temperature can impact viscosity, which will
determine if a material can blend properly. This is
one indication of how important a heat exchanger
is in regulating temperatures.
Cooling water is what allows the heat exchanger
to regulate the temperature by transferring the
temperature from one fluid to another, in this case
to the cooling water.
Power plants that use hydrocarbon or nuclear
materials to generate power rely on heat exchang-
ers to keep the processes running safely by pre-
venting dangerous temperature excursions.
Designs may differ, but heat exchangers in one
form or another have a long history. Often the
design features a series of tubes that allow the hot
liquid or steam to flow through and the tubes are
submerged in cold water which cools the material
in the tubes by taking on the heat.
That basically describes the most commonly
used type of heat exchanger — the shell-and-tube
design. The bundle of tubes that the hot material
goes through is immersed and then enclosed in a
shell designed to let the cooling fluid flow through
the spaces between the tubes. In nuclear reac-
tors, the fuel rods are placed in the tubes in the
bundle. Cooling fluid flows around the rods and
  Figure 1: Rosemount magnetic flow meters in the 8700 series are
sized to meet a variety of needs. Courtesy of Emerson
removes the heat generated by the fission process.
Looking at power plants that use a combustion
type of process to create heat, they will often run
the hot exhaust gases through the heat exchanger
set up, instead of venting the gas directly to the
outside environment. This way the gas is cooled,
the heat is recirculated into the process and usu-
ally the gas is also run through a scrubber before
being vented to the outside air.
Magnetic flow meters for efficient
cooling water measurement
Cooling water performs an important function
in different industries and processes. To ensure
that the cooling process runs as it should and there
is an accurate accounting of the water used, water
released — either into the sewer system or back
into nature — and possible water lost through
leaks, good measurement devices are needed.
The magnetic flow meter is ideally suited to mea-
sure flow rates and water usage for accurate tem-
perature control. Operators can track the rate of flow
and collect data on amounts of water used, while
controlling temperatures throughout the process.
With no moving parts and an obstruction-less
design (Figure 1), the magnetic flow meter is low
maintenance and efficient. By pairing it with the
ID 17772915 © Vladvitek | Dreamstime.com
right liner and electrode material, the likelihood
of corrosive or obstructive deposits is dramati-
cally reduced. Verifying a meter’s performance
becomes routine with advanced diagnostic capa-
bilities, especially when they are wireless enabled.
Wireless data collection provides real-time data
gathering, allowing an operator to respond quickly
to changes in flow rate and temperature.
Meeting regulatory requirements
Regulations around water and wastewater,
particularly when water is drawn from and
returned to natural environments, are closely
monitored. The water must be accurately mea-
sured and accounted for. In addition, cooling
water that is returned, cannot be hot or even
warm, as it could damage ecosystems in and
around the body of water it is returned to.
Complying with regulations requires regu-
lar reporting of volumes of water used and dis-
charged. Having that data easily accessible means
savings in time and personnel needed to physically
check each meter. Having relevant data available
with a few keystrokes ensures accurate reporting.
Modernizing facilities
Closely tied to having wireless-enabled magnetic
flow meters is the digitalization of data collection,
storage and use. Wireless transmitters make it
easier to install additional flow meters if and when
the need arises, ensuring that cooling water flows
efficiently and is measured accurately.
Accuracy in the cooling of critical processes is not
an afterthought and is an important component in
many types of industrial facilities, bound by regu-
lations and safety requirements to ensure safe and
reliable results and consistent final products.
The right instruments ensure that building and
maintaining a reliable cooling water system can
be realized with a minimum of upsets or process
fluctuations.
Cheng Vue is the global magnetic flow meter
product manager for Emerson. Previously, he was
the global product manager for Emerson vor-
tex and temperature transmitters and has been
working with Emerson for eight years.
Emerson
www.emerson.com
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 35
 SPECIALSECTION
WATER TREATMENT
Industrial water and
steam treatment
will be important for a long time
The first installment in a four-part series examining modern
water treatment and chemistry control/monitoring technologies.
By Brad Buecker, Buecker & Associates, and Katie Perryman, ChemTreat, Inc.
A
s wind and solar renewable energy tech-
nologies continue to evolve and mature,
fossil-fired power plants, and particular-
ly coal-fired units, will continue to fade
away. With the loss of coal-fired plants,
there is reduced need in the power
industry for makeup water treatment, steam gen-
eration chemistry, cooling water treatment and
wastewater discharge cleanup expertise.
However, traditional fossil-fueled power plants rep-
resent just a fraction of the many industries around
the globe that generate steam. Furthermore, other
less carbon-intensive energy production methods
continue to evolve, where water/steam chemistry —
and cooling water and wastewater treatment — are
and will remain critical. These include:
• Cogeneration plants at many heavy industries.
• Combined cycle power plants that will in part,
or eventually in whole, operate with hydrogen
as the fuel.
• Biomass-fired power plants and biorefineries.
• Small modular nuclear plants.
• Fusion plants sometime in the distant future.
Yet, as many industry experts can attest from
experience, often the plant staff focuses on pro-
cess chemistry and engineering to the detriment
of water and steam systems. That is until a failure
occurs that shuts down part or all of the plant, or
much worse, injures personnel. Some upsets may
also place the plant in jeopardy regarding environ-
mental regulations.
  Figure 1: Common high-purity makeup system for modern combined cycle power plants.
“makeup
Inattention to
water
system operation
and maintenance
can cause serious
deposition and
corrosion issues in
steam generators. ”
 Figure 2: Abbreviated data for impurity
limits in low-pressure industrial boilers with
superheaters, which shows guidelines as they
relate to boiler operating pressure.
Courtesy of American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
This four-part series will examine modern
water treatment and chemistry control/monitor-
ing technologies to assist current and future plant
employees with complex issues, where even seem-
ingly slight upsets may cause major difficulties. The
discussion will frequently have a holistic flavor, as
often a treatment method or operational issue is
not confined to one system but can influence mul-
tiple processes. This first installment will consider
makeup water treatment.
A sometimes-overlooked unit operation:
Makeup water treatment
Two recent Water Technology articles have exam-
ined particular aspects of makeup water treat-
ID 59794141 © Jzehnder1 | Dreamstime.com
ment1,2. However, neither completely delved into
two very important aspects of the process, particu-
larly the second item listed below:
• The choice and complexity of the makeup
system is quite variable depending upon the
steam generator(s) served. High-pressure units
such as those for power production require
high-purity makeup, which relies on sophisti-
cated treatment methods. On the other hand,
simpler makeup methods are often sufficient
for lower-pressure industrial boilers.
• Even though low-pressure boilers can tolerate
Courtesy of ChemTreat
lower-quality makeup water, industry experts
have seen many instances of insufficient
makeup system operation and maintenance
that allow poor-quality water to enter boilers
and cause scaling and corrosion. (Impurities
in condensate return can cause similar issues,
which will be covered in a later installment of
this series.)
The remainder of this article briefly touches on
the first item, but primarily focuses on the second.
Makeup water treatment for
high-pressure power generators
Impurities in high-pressure boilers can cause depo-
sition and corrosion and can potentially carry over
with steam to induce fouling and corrosion in
superheaters, reheaters and turbines. Proper boiler
water/steam chemistry control requires high-puri-
ty makeup, well-designed condensate/feedwater
chemical treatment programs, comprehensive on-
line analytical monitoring around the circuit and
judicious use of blowdown to maintain boiler water
contaminant concentrations within limits, with-
out wasting energy and water. Regarding makeup
system effluent purity, Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) guidelines recommend3:
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 37
  Figure 4: Influence of deposits on boiler tube wall temperatures.
Courtesy of ChemTreat

 Figure 3: Layered boiler tube scale caused by multiple hardness incursions. Courtesy of ChemTreat

• Specific Conductivity (S.C.): <0.1 µS/cm When it comes to low-pressure boiler water Tube overheating is a common outcome from
• Sodium: <2 parts-per-billion (ppb) impurities, the largest potential problem is hard- scale formation. Other deposits may be porous in
• Silica: <10 ppb ness. Note the low feedwater hardness limit of 0.5 nature, which can lead to under-deposit corrosion,
mg/L for even the lowest pressure range of Figure 2. a topic for future discussion.
Guidelines from the International Association For high-pressure units the limit decreases to zero. Accordingly, for low-pressure steam generators,
for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) The typical result of hardness excursions is a very common core makeup treatment method
replace sodium with conductivity after cation shown below. for years has been sodium softening.
exchange (CACE) to calculate the influence of car- A primary reaction is: A softener contains many millions of small ion
bon dioxide ingress to makeup, which often occurs exchange beads and each bead has an enormous
in vented storage tanks. IAPWS’ recommended number of active sites (typically the sulfonate ion
CACE limit is 0.1 µS/cm4. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) scale forms per the (SO32-)) which, in regenerated form, have sodium
As previously reported in Reference 2, a very inverse solubility of dissolved calcium and bicar- ions attached. As water passes through the resin,
common configuration for power plant high-puri- bonate alkalinity (HCO3-) with temperature. The sodium is exchanged for hardness and other cations
ty makeup is shown in Figure 1. general effect of scale deposition on tube wall tem- that have a stronger affinity for the exchange sites.
The micro- or ultrafilter minimizes particulate peratures is illustrated in Figure 4. A well-designed and operated softener can
fouling of the reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.
Modern RO units can typically remove over 99%
of dissolved ions, leaving a light load for a down-
stream ion exchange unit or electrodeionization
(EDI) system. The ion exchange polisher or EDI
unit produces the final, high-purity effluent.
Whereas this configuration or something simi-
lar is commonplace for power-generating units,
makeup water requirements for industrial boilers
“low-pressure
When it comes to
boiler
are usually less stringent but still important.
water impurities,
Makeup water treatment for industrial boilers the largest
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) recently revised its long-standing guide- potential problem
lines for industrial boiler water purity5. Figure 2 is
an extract from that guide.
The key point for this discussion is that lower-
is hardness. ”
pressure boilers can tolerate higher concentra-
tions of impurities because of lower heat fluxes
and the reduced potential of solids carryover to
steam. (We will examine such data in more detail
in a later article in this series on boiler water  Figure 5: A common softener vessel design.
chemistry, but encourage readers of this article to Courtesy of ChemTreat
contact the ASME (www.asme.org) to purchase a
copy of the guidelines.)

38 Processing | MARCH 2023

 FEED AND MIX
WATER & WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS

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solutions offers a number of pre-packaged chemical al
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Vibra Screw’s proven hoppering, bag dump and feeding

components form the basis of systems that include make-
up tanks, wetting cones, blowers and eductors. Complete
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 Figure 6: Calcium
exchange for sodium
on active sites.
Courtesy of ChemTreat
reduce makeup hardness to very low concentra-
tions, which leads to a key point of this article.
From personal experience and via reports seen
from colleagues, a common malady at plants with
boiler tube failures is frequent malfunction or fail-
ure of the sodium softeners. Inspections of extract-
ed failed tubes typically reveal deposits similar to
that in Figure 3. Even more disturbing are cases
where operators were instructed to bypass the
makeup system when the softener malfunctioned
and directly feed raw water to the steam genera-
tors. Rapid boiler failures were a common out-
come, with outage and materials replacement
costs reaching six, seven or sometimes even eight
figures. Process engineering and chemistry should
not supersede water and steam system operation
and maintenance. This is a theme that will run
through this series.
Softening enhancements and alternatives
Apart from hardness capture, sodium softening
alone removes no other ions from the makeup
water. In low-pressure boilers with good blow-
down control, most impurities may be manage-
able; however, issues regarding alkalinity deserve
additional discussion.
In some corrosion control applications, a mild con-
centration of HCO3- may be desirable, as the ions
can form a mild protective layer on metal surfaces
and help reduce the corrosion potential. But HCO3-,
upon reaching the boiler, is in large measure convert-
ed to CO2 via the following reactions:
The total conversion of CO2 from the combined
reactions may reach 90%. CO 2 flashes off with
steam and when it re-dissolves in the condensate,
CO2 can increase the acidity of condensate return
and induce significant carbon steel corrosion.
Accordingly, many softening systems are
equipped with downstream equipment to remove
alkalinity. A common configuration is shown in
Figure 7.
The system includes a forced-draft decarbon-
ator. Acid feed upstream of the tower converts
alkalinity to CO2, which escapes in the tower vent.
40 Processing | MARCH 2023
Caustic feed to the decarbonator effluent readjusts
the pH. This fundamental arrangement can reduce
alkalinity to low part-per-million (ppm) levels. An
alternative to the forced-draft decarbonator is a
dealkalizer softening arrangement, where a strong
base anion (SBA) unit would follow the soften-
ers. SBA resin, when regenerated with brine, puts
the resin in the chloride cycle where it can then
remove alkalinity.
The system in Figure 7 does nothing to remove
other ions including chloride, sulfate and silica. In
some cases, it may be beneficial to remove them
from the makeup stream, particularly if conden-
sate return to the steam generators is of good qual-
ity. In that respect, basic two-stage, single-pass RO
is becoming more common as a softener replace-
ment. RO will remove 99% or greater of the total dis-
solved ions. This allows the boiler cycles of concen-
tration to be raised, resulting in reduced blowdown.
Occasionally, one will see references that call demin-
eralized water “hungry water,” implying that it is simi-
lar to acid and will be very aggressive towards metals,
particularly carbon steel. As has been demonstrated in
the power industry, with proper pH conditioning puri-
fied water is not aggressive in that manner.
 Figure 7: A general industrial steam generation makeup system schematic.
Conclusion
Inattention to makeup water system operation and
maintenance can cause serious deposition and
corrosion issues in steam generators. Subsequent
failures can be costly and potentially hazardous.
References
1. AlGhamdi, A., “Production of High-Quality
Demineralized Water for Steam Generation
Units”; Water Technology, July/August 2021.
2. Buecker, B. and K. Perryman, “High-purity
water treatment: Using membranes to pro-
tect membranes”; Water Technology, May/
June 2022.
3. Comprehensive Cycle Chemistry Guidelines
for Combined Cycle/Heat Recovery Steam
Generators (HRSGs). EPRI, Palo Alto, CA:
2013. 3002001381.
4. International Association for the Properties
of Water and Steam, Technical Guidance
Document: Volatile treatments for the steam-
water circuits of fossil and combined cycle/
HRSG power plants (2015).
5. Consensus on Operating Practices for the
Control of Feedwater and Boiler Water
Chemistry in Modern Industrial Boilers, The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers,
New York, NY, 2021.
Brad Buecker is president of Buecker & Associates,
LLC. He may be reached at beakertoo@aol.com.
Katie Perryman is manager of the pretreatment
technical team at ChemTreat.
ChemTreat
www.chemtreat.com
Courtesy of ChemTreat
 SPECIALSECTION
WASTEWATER
By BOB CROSSEN
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR,
ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA
Bob Crossen is the editorial direc-
tor for the Endeavor Business
Media Water Group. He has cov-
ered the water and wastewater
industry since 2016.
42 Processing | MARCH 2023
A closer look at
National Beef’s new
wastewater treatment plant
Beef producer constructs wastewater treatment plant to meet
state standards and reduce its dependency on local aquifer with
water reuse for agricultural irrigation.
S
tricter nutrient removal require-
ments and planned changes at
a Kansas wastewater treatment
facility pushed National Beef to
build its own plant.
National Beef is a major beef
processor located in Liberal, Kansas.
Prior to constructing its own facility,
National Beef pretreated its wastewater
with screening, suspended air flotation
and anaerobic treatment cells before
being discharged to the publicly owned
treatment works (POTW). In con-
structing the new plant, National Beef
discovered it could treat the wastewa-
ter to a higher level and also reuse efflu-
ent, reducing its dependence and pull
on the Ogallala Aquifer.
National Beef selected HR Green
to assist with the design of a new bio-
logical nutrient removal wastewater
| By Bob Crossen
treatment plant that would meet state
requirements.
“The plant successfully allows us to
operate independently of the POTW
while beneficially reusing up to 9,000
gallons per minute of treated waste-
water in crop irrigation in partner-
ship with a local farmer,” said David
Kalscheur, vice president of engineer-
ing for National Beef.
The heaviest use of the Ogallala
Aquifer is agricultural irrigation.
National Beef sought to reuse its treat-
ed effluent for that purpose in partner-
ship with a local farmer for crop pro-
duction in addition to use within its
facility to wash trucks, belt filter press-
es and other beneficial reuse options.
The construction included a raw lift
station, a 5-stage Bardenpho process
for biological nutrient removal, second-
 An aerial view of the National Beef Wastewater
Treatment Plant. Courtesy of HR Green
ary clarifiers, disc filters, aerated sludge
holding and sludge dewatering with
belt filter presses. In total, the new plant
treats 4.5 million gallons per day and an
irrigation pump can redirect 9,000 gal-
lons per minute of flow to the neighbor-
ing farmland for beneficial reuse.
The facility still has the option to dis-
charge effluent to the POTW during
months with low irrigation needs, but
for the majority of the year, the facility
remains independent.
“The National Beef Liberal wastewa-
ter treatment plant project removed
the industrial wastewater from the pub-
licly owned treatment works system,”
said Eric C. Staab, P.E., Bureau of Water,
Industrial Program Section, Kansas
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 Establishing beneficial reuse of
treated wastewater with water reuse
was a primary goal of the project.
Department of Health & Environment.
“This allows the new POTW to operate
without complications created by the
industrial wastewater.”
The National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System permitting for the
POTW influenced the treatment levels
for National Beef. In turn, it established
limits of < 10 mg/L of total nitrogen and
< 1 mg/L of total phosphorus.
Watch a video interview
about the project
“ The project reduced the nitro-
To meet state requirements, National
gen and phosphorus loading to the
Beef constructed a wastewater treatment
Cimarron River and provides the ben-
plant that not only reduced its reliance
eficial use of wastewater effluent irri-
on the Ogallala Aquifer but also reused
gation onto agricultural land while
water for irrigation of a local farm. David
simultaneously reducing the demand
Kalscheur, vice president of engineering
for groundwater used for irrigation,”
for National Beef Packing Company, and
Staab said.
Eric Staab, professional environmental
Using construction manager at risk,
engineer in the industrial programs
National Beef and HR Green created
group for the Bureau of Water in Kansas
a collaborative environment for the
Department of Health and Environment,
planning, design, construction and
explain the purpose behind the project
value engineering services for the
and how it met state requirements.
entire project. This kept costs low and
reduced scheduling disruptions.
Watch the video by visiting
HR Green created a plant opera-
https://bit.ly/3IbDrTZ
tions manual prior to start-up for
operator review, which helped the
team solve problems with foaming,
high oil and grease and filamentous
bacteria. Additionally, biological seed
was developed organically with the
MORE Visit watertechonline.com
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 SPECIALSECTION

A
Fortune 500 multinational conglomer-
ate that produces over 60,000 products
installed the KETOS SHIELD solution at
a 2,000,000-square-foot chemical manu-
facturing facility for specialty resins and
specialty films.

Challenge
This plant had been cited in litigation related to
health and environmental complaints. As a result,
the plant operations team needed to proactively
understand the composition of its water matrix on
a 24/7 basis.
Staffing and budget constraints made it impos-
sible for operators to be on-site 24/7 to collect
samples and continuously monitor water quality.
In addition, it was impossible to add lab personnel
or lab expenses and achieve real-time water qual-
ity visibility.
The team needed to autonomously monitor
multiple water quality parameters in real-time
to make data-driven decisions and proactively
address potential issues.

Solution
 Ideal for high-frequency water quality sampling,
the KETOS SHIELD solution provides operators with MONITORING The plant’s wastewater treatment process includes
lab accurate results for more than 30 parameters. primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment

Case study:
All images courtesy of KETOS before final discharge to a nearby river. The oper-
ations team implemented the KETOS SHIELD
remote water quality monitoring device at the sec-

Ensuring compliance
ondary treatment phase before the activated car-
bon beds and UV treatment.
The KETOS SHIELD autonomously monitors for
the following parameters:

and continuous water

• Fluoride
• Free chlorine
• Residual chlorine
• Total hardness

quality monitoring
• Calcium
• Magnesium

The plant operations team received access to the

Chemical manufacturer uses KETOS SHIELD to improve
water quality and ensure regulatory compliance. | By Meena Sankaran, KETOS
KETOS Smart Water Intelligence platform. And
with the help of the KETOS customer success team,
they configured it to meet their operational needs.
Now, if the KETOS SHIELD detects a parameter
that is out of range, the plant operations team receives

46 Processing | MARCH 2023


alerts via email, SMS or mobile app. Over time, alert
thresholds can be configured and modified to meet
the team’s evolving needs. In addition, the tiered alert
system allows the team to have internal and exter-
nal metrics with custom treatment planning for both
thresholds. As a result, the team is more informed, bet-
ter prepared and able to act proactively.
Results
After the KETOS installation, plant operators con-
figured water quality dashboards to highlight the
most critical parameters. The plant operations and
corporate management team could then quickly
review water quality dashboards. As a result, all
stakeholders know the composition and quality
of water in real time, and the operations team can
treat, manage and responsibly discharge water.
In addition, because the plant team’s ability to
efficiently treat and recycle water has improved, a
lower percentage of treated water enters the envi-
ronment, and chemical costs have decreased.
Over time, because water quality data is col-
lected consistently, the plant team can leverage
historical views, trend analysis and even predictive
intelligence to improve site operations and overall
efficiency. In addition, the team can:
• Better ensure wastewater quality and permit
compliance.
• Meet or exceed corporate sustainability
expectations.
• Automate sustainability data dashboards for
enhanced ESG reporting.
• Integrate actionable water metrics along with
other EHS data of importance to the organization.
• Leverage interoperable data to holistically
assess the impact of plant operations due to
water quality — leading to sustainable water
management.
Meena Sankaran is the founder and CEO of
KETOS. KETOS is a fully integrated platform
that combines hardware, software, connectiv-
ity, automated reporting, predictive analytics and
maintenance to automate water monitoring and
testing. KETOS enables water operators to identify and solve mission-
critical water efficiency and quality challenges in real-time, or before
they happen through predictive algorithms, to ensure that water meets
specific quality and safety standards.
KETOS
www.ketos.co
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 47
 FOOD & BEVERAGE
Increase plant insights by
leveraging instrument
diagnostic data
By examining data that is frequently already available, food and
beverage processors can increase batch yields, reduce downtime
and increase proactive maintenance.
F
or decades in the food and beverage indus-
try, instrument data was constrained to
single analog process variables communi-
cated via individual 4-20mA current loops.
But modern instrumentation advances,
particularly digital communications, now
provide a wealth of additional diagnostic and other
information, providing operational insights that
are not easily obtained using conventional 4-20mA
measurements alone. However, a lack of aware-
ness of digital capabilities that are already present
among existing instrumentation has led to a delay
in adoption in the food and beverage sector.
In today’s data-centric landscape, smart instru-
mentation provides a wealth of diagnostic and
other information, empowering plant personnel to
get far more from their instruments than a single
48 Processing | MARCH 2023
| By Ola Wesstrom, Endress+Hauser
4-20mA primary process variable. This extended
data, transmitted from instruments to host sys-
tems via digital communication protocols, helps
plant personnel improve efficiency and avoid
unplanned shutdowns by giving them the data
they need to implement proactive maintenance
and predictive monitoring (Figure 1).
Engineers, managers and operators in the food
and beverage industry are observing their peers in
other industries, who are often farther down the
path of digital transformation and — encouraged
by the results — are also beginning to embrace this
digitalization trend.
Conventional instrumentation challenges
Many factors impact and even interfere with the
accuracy of a conventional instrument’s process
 An Endress+Hauser Picomag electromagnetic flowmeter digitally
transmits primary and secondary process variable, plus instrument
diagnostic data to a central host system via IO-Link.
All images courtesy of Endress+Hauser
variable analog output. Operators interpreting
such a signal received by a programmable logic
controller, distributed control system, asset man-
agement system or another host system simply
have no other information regarding its accuracy.
Each analog loop scales a single process value as
electrical current but is unable to transmit second-
ary variables, such as temperature on a pressure
instrument. Additionally, communication is uni-
directional only, so there is no way to send com-
mands from a host to the instrument.
Traditional analog instrumentation also
lacks diagnostic information, making it nearly

impossible to foresee or troubleshoot instrument
failure. Malfunctions cause unplanned downtime
and costly instrumentation repairs in the best
cases, or catastrophic equipment damage and
safety hazards in the worst. Bound by analog elec-
tronics, traditional instruments must be hardwired
to a host system, sometimes limiting placement in
hard-to-reach areas of a facility.
Digital pathways for enhanced connectivity
HART over 4-20mA
For retrofitted and new applications where
hardwiring transmitters back to a host system is
existing or convenient, instruments can use the
bi-directional digital HART communication pro-
tocol. Data is superimposed on a 4-20mA analog
current loop, providing two-way communica-
tions between an instrument and a host system.
The exchanged data includes primary process
values, one or more secondary process values,
diagnostics, calibration, maintenance and other
information. This wealth of data makes configu-
ration easy and improves operational process
insights, compared to traditional analog-only
instrumentation.
Because HART-enabled instruments can trans-
mit multiple process values to a controller via a
single loop, users gain flexibility to continue using
existing analog loops for real-time control, while
taking advantage of additional process and diag-
nostic data provided to the host system for making
data-driven decisions within a facility (Figure 2).
An estimated 80% of instrumentation used for
real-time control and monitoring in the food and
beverage industry already supports HART, but
many processors are not using it, often because
 Figure 1: There is a period in time when proactive diagnostic data monitoring can reveal measurement issues prior to instrument failure.
“instrumentation
In today's data-centric landscape, smart
provides a wealth of diagnostic
and other information...”
they are unaware of this existing capability.
Transmitting this data is also possible via many
Ethernet-based protocols. These provide several of
the same benefits as HART but typically operate at
much higher speeds, enabling the inclusion of more
information, along with faster response times.
IO-Link
IO-Link possesses a unique set of advantages
— particularly for applications in the food and
beverage industry — combining simple configu-
ration, a standardized protocol, fast data trans-
mission speeds and cost efficiency. Recognized
as an international standard IEC 61131-9, IO-Link
is a bidirectional digital communications proto-
col that provides measurement and other devices
with basic functionality, most notably instrument
diagnostic information.
Similar to a remote input/output (I/O) hub, an
IO-Link “master” device is used to connect mul-
tiple instruments to a host system via an industrial
Ethernet protocol, such as EtherNet/IP, PROFINET
or Modbus-TCP/IP. The master serves as a gate-
way, transmitting diagnostic data, secondary pro-
cess values and host system commands among all
connected devices (Figure 3).
Integrating IO-Link-capable instruments, using
M12 washdown-grade connectors and unshield-
ed cables up to 20 meters in length, is especially
 Figure 2: An Endress+Hauser smart Coriolis flowmeter (middle) and
iTHERM TrustSens temperature probe (left) can digitally transmit primary
and secondary process variables, plus instrument diagnostic data to a
central host system via HART, superimposed on their analog 4-20mA loops.
popular among machine builders and skid sup-
pliers in the food and beverage industry. This
is because basic instruments with support for
IO-Link fulfill most operational requirements,
while the diagnostics of IO-Link can drastically
improve troubleshooting efforts when issues
arise. The installation requirements of fieldbuses
add complexity and costs, but IO-Link instru-
ments, by contrast, are about as close to “plug-
and-play” as any come.
Additionally, the majority of IO-Link instru-
ments can be optionally operated in 4–20mA ana-
log mode with simple configuration and wiring
changes, enabling flexible installation and integra-
tion. When ready, facilities can switch the devices
to digital mode to harness the power of remote
configuration, increased instrument diagnostic
data and multiple process variables transmitted
from a single instrument.
Compared to instrumentation with direct
Ethernet connectivity, IO-Link devices are not
directly accessible from an upper-level system,
such as an asset management system. Instead,
users must tunnel through the IO-Link master to
reach them. However, faster data polling speeds
make this quicker than connecting to instru-
ments via HART. But one of the greatest strengths
of IO-Link systems is the simplicity of instrument
configuration and ease of device replacement,
reducing the level of training required to maintain
and service plant instrumentation.
MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 49
Ethernet-APL
The Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (Ethernet-
APL) is a more recent development, providing
the ability to transmit digital data via industrial
Ethernet protocols using a single two-wired shield-
ed cable per instrument, while also providing power
for 4-wire instruments. With the same cable require-
ments as HART — though markedly different gate-
way and termination specifications — Ethernet-
APL can simplify retrofits by eliminating the need to
pull new wires to instruments (Figure 4).
Ethernet-APL is protocol agnostic, and it sup-
ports industrial communication protocols such
as PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, HART-IP,
OPC UA and other higher-level network protocols
(Figure 5).
Ethernet-APL provides high-speed data trans-
mission at a 10-Mbit/s data rate, making it possible
to send and receive more data than is possible with
older digital methods. It provides a robust basis
for continuous diagnostics, monitoring, industrial
internet of things connectivity and remote instru-
mentation verification.
Because communication is handled via stan-
dard Ethernet protocols, instrument data routing
among process control systems and asset manage-
ment tools is highly efficient as most control envi-  Figure 3: IO-Link can integrate seamlessly with an existing plant Ethernet network by way of the master
ronments already support these protocols. device that transmits data among connected instruments and host systems, or it can act independently.

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“primary
Food and beverage automation systems regularly use
process data to monitor and control operations, but
plant personnel often discard status and diagnostic data.”
Results
Food and beverage automation systems regularly
use primary process data to monitor and control
operations, but plant personnel often discard sta-
tus and diagnostic data. By dismissing this data,
facilities miss out on opportunities to optimize,
simplify and safeguard their operations.
A corn wet-milling facility was experiencing
issues with one of its processes, and it began to
suspect a flowmeter was providing inaccurate val-
ues. However, an online Heartbeat verification of
the installed Endress+Hauser Promag H300 elec-
tromagnetic flowmeter using instrument diagnos-
tic data proved the flowmeter was not the source
of the issue.
The online protocol, leveraging diagnostic
data, saved two technicians six hours of labor,
along with plant downtime, by alleviating the
need to remove, replace and bench test the flow-
meter in question. Within a matter of minutes,

 Figure 4: Ethernet-APL architecture is highly customizable, requiring

only a gateway and power supply to enable data transfer among a wide
range of instruments and various host systems using a single two-wire
shielded cable per instrument. In many cases, cables are already present
in plants with existing analog instrumentation.

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MARCH 2023 | www.processingmagazine.com 51

 Inline Ball Valves for Your
“it easier
Instrument diagnostics and other functions make
to detect problems, and with quicker
Process Demands
troubleshooting and servicing when issues arise.”
Whether you’re looking for Industrial Process Valves,
Sanitary Valves or Automated Packages for your
plant’s applications, consider ball valves made by
Inline Industries.

Industrial
Stainless Steel, Alloy 20
or CW12MW materials

Sanitary
316 Stainless Steel with
334
food grade seal materials  Figure 5: As a foundational transport layer, Ethernet-APL is capable of carrying any industrial Ethernet protocol.
Endress+Hauser Ethernet-APL instrumentation currently supports PROFINET traffic, with plans to carry EtherNet/
IP, Modbus TCP and additional protocols in the near future.

Flow Patterns
the processor determined the meter was working within specifications, so
2-way, 3-way or Multiport
it moved on to troubleshooting other components. It turned out there was
flow patterns a problem with an upstream valve, causing unexpected flow rates.

Online diagnostics increase

Automation 509 reliability and uptime
Today’s smart instruments provide a plethora of diagnostic data, helping pro-
Electric, Pneumatic and cessors maintain their systems with much greater reliability. The trick is often
Sanitary actuation packages simply realizing the data is available and then adjusting operational workflows
to use it effectively.
Instrument diagnostics and other functions make it easier to detect prob-
Accessories lems, and with quicker troubleshooting and servicing when issues arise.
Sustaining a competitive edge in the food and beverage industry requires top-
Feedback Switches, notch production efficiency, and precise monitoring of variables such as stock,
Solenoids, V Balls, hygiene, safety and inventory conditions is crucial to minimize material waste
Positioners and more and adhere to strict standards.
Digital protocols in general, and IO-Link in particular, can help food and
337
beverage processors, who experience challenges with the constant threat of
product loss and the difficulties of rigorous manual management. These capa-
bilities help expand visibility and generate holistic insights, empowering plant
Visit us on the web at www.ballvalve.com personnel to optimize operational efficiency, maintain product quality and
maximize profitability.
or call us at (800) 568-8998
for immediate assistance
Ola Wesstrom is the senior industry manager of Food & Beverage for Endress+Hauser USA. He is responsi-
ble for the development and implementation of best practice measurement solutions, supporting customers
throughout the industry segment. Ola has a Bachelor of Science degree in instrumentation and automation
from National Pulp & Paper College in Sweden. Since joining Endress+Hauser in 1992, he has held various
positions, focusing on Food & Beverage since 2001.

Endress+Hauser
www.endress.com

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800 - 568 - 8998 • info@ballvalve.com • www.ballvalve.com

52 Processing | MARCH 2023

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