May 2009
Volume XV, No. 5
Understanding Clamp-On Transit-Time Ultrasonic Flowmeters

Outside the Pipe
Understanding Clamp-On Transit-Time Flow Measurement
For many industrial processes, the integrity of fluid containment may be quality or safety critical. Indeed, both factors may often apply. In other words, the boundary between the process fluid and its external environment — i.e., the system of pipes and vessels that contain the fluid — must remain intact at all costs. Along this line, modern, noninvasive, transit-time ultrasonic flow measurement technology offers industrial end-users unique benefits for such quality- and safety-critical scenarios.

Regulatory Report: Fluid Handling Exports
'Auxiliary Cryptography' Rule Eases Transport of Wireless Systems
Fluid handling equipment and chemical equipment companies are now offering encryption capability as part of their wireless and wired products and control systems. However, these manufacturers often fail to fully understand the implications encryption presents for their own or their customers’ export compliance system. In the past, exporting encryption technology out of the United States required a complex mandatory review and classification by the U.S. Commerce Department and the National Security Agency. However, new rules issued by the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) allow some products with encryption to be exported without government review. For fluid handlers, it is important to know which products involving encryption require government review and which do not, as the penalties for illegal exports in this area are quite hefty.

When the Pressure Is On
Improving Process Safety Through Proper Rupture Disc Selection
Rupture discs have long been used in process systems to effectively mitigate overpressure scenarios, ensuring plant safety and protecting equipment from potential damage.

Magmeter Market Rising
Application Flexibility Drives Demand for Magnetic Flowmeters
Magnetic flowmeters stand out in a worldwide flowmeter market that is valued at about $5 billion in 2009. As the leading type of flowmeter for liquid flow measurement, magnetic flowmeters are heavily concentrated in the water & wastewater industry. Other major industries for magnetic flowmeters are food & beverage, pulp & paper, and chemical. In terms of dollars and units, magnetic flowmeters are number one among new-technology flowmeters worldwide.

A New Way to Display
What Modern Flow Rate/Totalizers Have to Offer
Manufacturers have come a long way in offering many new valuable features to a basic product like a panel-mounted rate/totalizer. So when specifying such technology, it is important to consider all of the options you have available to you.

Book Smarts
A Young Engineer Gets Schooled on Pump Basics
A young engineer in attendance at one of my recent pump classes wanted to know how to achieve reduced flow with reduced velocity. All engineers study this in the university. It is a simple algebraic proportion from the Affinity Laws.

Inspector Clou‘fleau’
Investigating a DP Meter In Steam Service
A lawyer recently hired me to investigate the “health” of a differential-pressure flow measurement system in high-pressure steam service. The flowmeter elements were in operation for about 50 years, whereas parts of the secondary equipment were modified over the last few decades. There were “issues” associated with the system, but the impulse tubing was surprisingly correct.

QUIZ CORNER:
Why the Vortex Meter Measured Zero
Liquid flow of a process fluid into a vessel was visually confirmed. However a vortex-shedding flowmeter in the feed pipe measured zero flow. The flowmeter was removed from service and was found to function properly on the flow bench in the instrument shop. Which of the following problems could cause this issue to occur?