PROCESS SENSORS

Presenter: Redenand Buerano (Bong)

 Purpose / Objectives
• Discuss Safety for Process Sensors
• Discuss Basic Process Sensors
– Flow, Temperature, Pressure, Level, Weight

• Discuss 4 to 20 mA Loop Troubleshooting

 Safety - Explosions
 Explosive Liquids, Gases and Dusts
– Process Safety Engineer defines electrical hazardous
area classification via a map (layout drawing)
– Control Engineer ensures that equipment specified
is safe and approved for use in that rating
– Methods include:
 Explosion proof enclosures
 Intrinsic Safety Systems

 Other more specialized options

 Safety
 Temperature sensors must be installed with a
thermowell or tagged “No Well”
 Boilers and Furnaces have special
instrumentation requirements. Contact me if
you do not know about this.
 Instrumentation with radiation sources -
contact your P&G Radiation Safety Officer
and read PCP 1140
 Safety - Noise Requirements
 OSHA & P&G standards have noise
exposure limits
 Control Valves can exceed these
limitations. This is generally in services
which flash or cavitate.
 Valve vendor’s have specialized valve trims
(which are very expensive) available to
lower their noise generation
 Safety
 Pressure/Temperature Limitations
– Pressure/Temperature Curves
(ANSI in the U.S., various standards in other
countries)
 For complete information on
Safety for
Process Controls see PCP 1105 in the
Controls Manual
 Metallurgy
 Metallurgy selection is critical for instruments
– Sections are much thinner in instruments than they are
in pipes & process equipment
 Do Not just select the same metallurgy as the pipes
and equipment
 Do Not trust vendors materials selections
 If no experience exists around metallurgy selection,
contact the P&G Metallurgist for your Business
Unit
 Flow Meters - Major Types
 Mass
– Coriolis

 Volumetric
– Vortex Meter
– Magnetic Flow Meter
– Multiple Pitot Tube (Annubar)
– Rotameter
 Mass vs. Volumetric
 What is mass flow, volumetric flow?
 Why do mass flow?
 Inferred vs. true mass flow
Coriolis Mass Flow Meter
(Micro Motion)
 Vortex Meter

Vortices

Flow Meter
Bore
Magnetic Flow Meter
Averaging Pitot Tube
Flow Meter

Conceptual Diagram

Component Diagram
Variable Area Flow Meters
(Rotameters)

Conceptual Diagram Components

Diagram
 Temperature Measurements
 Major Types
– Thermocouples
– RTD’s
 Thermocouples
Sensing Junction
(wires welded)
Iron (White+)
10 to 60
microvolts per
V degree C
Constantan (Red-) typical

A thermocouple is made by connecting two

dissimilar metals together. It generates a very
low level voltage depending on the temperature
at the metal junction.
 Common T/C Type
Type ‘J’ Thermocouple (most common)
 Iron (magnetic) / Constantan (non-magnetic)
Temp. range 32 to 1500 dF

 Accuracy (between 32 dF and 530 dF):

+/- 4 dF standard
+/- 2 dF (special)
Thermocouple Advantages

Advantages

–Inexpensive

–High temperature capability

–Fast response time (low mass)

Thermocouple Disadvantages

Disadvantages

–Not highly accurate

–Temperature drift over time (1 dF per year)
–Requires T/C extension wires or “local” transmitter
–Very low voltage, sensitive to electrical noise
 RTD’s
100 Ohm (at 32 dF) Platinum RTD
(there are different types of these, specified as Alpha’s)

Ohms

Platinum RTD resistance increases

linearly with temperature.
 RTD’s - 2 Wire

I (current) V

• What is impact of wire resistance?

• How can we overcome this?
 3 and 4 Wire RTD’s

Ohms ‘A’

Ohms ‘B’

• Ohms RTD = Ohms A - Ohms B

• 4 Wire RTD for most accurate lab
experiments (used by NIST)
 RTD Advantages
Advantages
–Very high accuracy (0.15 dF, varies with exact
device)
–High stability (<0.1% over 6 months)
–Easy to check calibration (ohmmeter)
–No special extension wires
–Wire voltage drop not a problem (current signal)
–Noise immune (current signal)
 RTD Disadvantages

Temp. generally limited to 1560 dF

High vibration can break resistor wires
Higher cost than T/C’s
Slower response time than T/C’s (more mass)
 Thermowells

A thermowell is a device which is inserted

into a process (tank, pipeline, etc.) which
protects people from the process. Its use is a
P&G requirement! (certain exceptions allowed)
Types of Pressure Measurement
Atmospheric
Absolute
Barometric
Gauge
Vacuum
Differential
 Pressure ‘Terms’

Absolute Gauge
Pressure Pressure
Atmospheric
Pressure
0 PSIG
14.7 PSIA
29.92 In. Hg
760 mm Hg
Vacuum
Barometric
Pressure

Absolute Zero
Differential Pressure

Differential Pressure

PT
 Pressure Application
Considerations
Corrosive fluid?
–Diaphragm seal
Thick, viscous fluid?
–Diaphragm seal
Sanitary requirements?
–Diaphragm seal
 DIAPHRAGM SEAL
Instrument
Connection
Fill Port (capillary tubing)

Process
Diaphragm Connection
(many forms)
 Dry Level Measurement
(Powders)

 Cable Guided Radar - first choice

 Ultrasonic - second choice

 Through-Air Radar - third choice

Dry Level - Cable Guided Radar
 First choice for dry
level
 Dielectric constant
must be above about
2.0
Dry Level - Ultrasonics
 Use if material
dielectric constant too
low for radar
 Cannot use with dilute
phase conveying
(ultrasonic
frequencies)
 Cannot handle heavy
dusting
 Dry Level
Through-Air Radar
 Use only if cable
guided radar and
ultrasonics are not
appropriate
 Material dielectric
must be above 2.0
 Liquid Level Measurement
 Major Types Used at P&G
– Differential Pressure / Hydrostatic
– Radar/Microwave
– Capacitance
– Ultrasonic
 Differential Pressure
Low Pressure Nitrogen

TANK

Lo to Control System

LT
Hi

Nitrogen Blanketed Tank

 Radar/Microwave
 Have largely supplanted ultrasonics at P&G
for liquid level
 Works with liquids and dry materials
(powders)
 Dielectric constant of fluid must be above a
certain vendor minimum (generally about 2)
 Microwave “beamed” down from tank top
Capacitance
 A typical capacitance
probe
– Ohmart-Vega
 Weighing Systems
(Load Cells)
 Load cell weighing systems are very
complex to properly design and install
 Contact me for training and additional
information
 4 to 20 mA Troubleshooting
Question: what wire color coding is typically used?

Fuse
(sometimes)
24 VDC
Power Supply
4 - 20 mA
Transmitter
250 Ohm Resistor
4 to 20 mA (+/- 0.1% Precision)

Ground
(sometimes)

Typical 4 to 20 mA “Loop”
 4 to 20 mA Troubleshooting
Question: what voltage range does the Control System see?

Power Supply
Transmitter
250 Ohm Control
V System
Resistor
4 to 20 mA
4 to 20 mA Troubleshooting
 Questions:
– How measure the signal?
– What tools to use?
– What accuracy is required of the
tools
V – If transmitter is calibrated 0 to 100
dC, what is 50 dC in
 mA?
 VDC?

– During CQV, how do you determine

which transmitter is connected to
this input?
 Additional Resources
 Fisher-Rosemount courses

– www.frco.com/education
 Instrument Society of America courses

– www.isa.org
 Liptak Instrument Engineer’s Handbook

 Corporate Resource - Jim Reizner

 Wrap-up - What We Discussed
 Safety for Process Sensors
 Basic Process Sensors
– Flow
– Temperature
– Level
– Pressure
– Weight
 4 to 20 mA Troubleshooting
Questions?
?