Control System World

Case Study: An ABB K-TEK LM200 laser level transmitter is helping a well-known wastewater plant return to reliable level measurement, after issues with a competitor’s hydrostatic level transmitter.

The company uses level measurement to activate pumps to a pre-treatment plant when the water reaches a pre-determined volume. Previous measurement techniques failed to cope with the amount of debris and grit present in the effluent, which clogged up sensors, causing inaccurate readings and making them difficult to re-calibrate.

The ABB K-TEK LM200 laser transmitter is ideal for this application and was purposefully designed for the measurement of dry bulk solids, opaque liquids, and slurries at distances of up to 200 feet. It features an advanced timing system and sophisticated, self-correcting signal processing function that allows it to accurately and reliably measure level, distance, and position in the harshest of conditions.

ABB solves level measurement problem for wastewater plant

AUSTIN, Texas, December 13, 2011 – The Fieldbus Foundation today announced that it has registered the first FOUNDATION™ fieldbus devices based on its H1 Interoperability Test Kit (ITK) Version 6.0.Emerson Process Management and Yokogawa supplied the registered H1 (31.25 kbit/s) devices, which were tested for their functionality and conformity with the FOUNDATION function block and transducer block specifications.

Emerson’s registered devices include the TopWorx D2-FF Discrete Valve Controller, which combines analog/digital position sensing and monitoring with FOUNDATION fieldbus communications and pilot valve output drivers for on/off applications; and the Rosemount Analytical 1066 pH Transmitter, which measures pH and ORP/Redox, and provides comprehensive sensor, transmitter, and calibration diagnostics to the bus via field diagnostics.

Yokogawa's registered devices are enhanced pressure transmitters featuring innovations in multi-sensing technology that makes optimal use of the powerful characteristics of a single-crystal silicon resonant sensor. They also support AR, IS, SC, IT and PID function blocks; NE107 field diagnostics; and software download function.

Designed for accurate, reliable, low maintenance level measurement in extreme conditions, the K-TEK range delivers:

- The ability to accurately measure two liquids in the same vessel.

- The only magnetostrictive transmitters to be IEC61508 certified for SIL2 and SIL3 applications.

- Laser transmitters measuring liquids or solids at 30 metres plus with no false reflection

K-TEK's guided wave radar level transmitter for measuring level in saturated steam

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 12, 2011 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Powercorp.

Powercorp's portfolio includes automation and control technologies to manage the integration of renewable energy into isolated grids and keep generation in balance with consumption. The company also supplies systems that dynamically store and release energy in response to frequency and voltage deviations, to stabilize small or remote grids. These solutions help to maintain power stability and quality while minimizing environmental impact.

The acquisition strengthens ABB’s portfolio of control technologies and brings expertise for the integration of renewable energy into conventional micro and remote island grids.

Featuring a potentiostatic three-electrode design for superior accuracy, the rugged and low-maintenance Triton® DO9 Dissolved Oxygen Analyzer from Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD) is ideal for the continuous measurement of trace levels (ppb) of dissolved oxygen in aqueous systems supporting steam turbine-driven electric power generation plants.

Highly reliable monitoring of boiler feed water is crucial to ensure that dissolved oxygen is only present in trace quantities throughout the steam cycle. Excessive oxygen concentrations can result in corrosion damage to steam cycle components. By continuously and directly monitoring ppb levels of dissolved oxygen, the Triton DO9 Analyzer eliminates grab sampling errors and ensures reliability.

Triton® DO9 Dissolved Oxygen Analyzer from Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD)

Kepware Technologies, the leader in Communications for Automation, announced today that Sarla Technologies will be their preferred distributor of products and services in India.

Sarla Technologies has extensive experience in providing world-class support and services for today's Automation Communication business challenges, with expertise in the latest Industrial & Process Automation Systems, Legacy Control Systems, and Plant-Enterprise Data Integration. Through years of successful product and services implementation spanning a range of industry verticals, Sarla has a proven track record of providing innovative solutions for leading industry organizations.

"Sarla has been a well-respected Automation Solutions provider for a number of years," said Tony Paine, President of Kepware Technologies. "When selecting our preferred distributor for this rapidly growing market, we found that Sarla strongly aligned with Kepware's commitment to quality products and customizable solutions."

Case Study by Sierra: Working hear along California’s Central Coast in Monterey, I don’t often get to experience a White Christmas or snowball fights or even the excitement of schussing down the slopes (unless I travel 4 hours to Lake Tahoe, Northern California). So, it’s really tough for me to imagine the frigid, barren conditions of the coldest place on earth – Antarctica. But David Mucciarone knows the continent as well as any human can. A researcher and lab manager at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., David travels to Antarctica annually to measure the breakdown of inorganic carbon to learn how much carbon dioxide the ocean can absorb. His R&D work is critical to the ongoing study of global warming.

Even though Stanford is just 90 minutes north of Monterey, David had never crossed paths with Sierra Instruments until just a few short days before his trek to Antarctica in 2008. The mass flow controller in his CO2 monitoring equipment failed, and he needed a reliable replacement, STAT. So, at the recommendation of a colleague, he purchased a Sierra Smart-Trak® Model 100 for mass flow control. And, despite extreme cold (which has dipped down as far as -129 degrees Fahrenheit! Yikes!) and more than two months aboard an icebreaker ship that plows through thick ice, our flow meter never failed him.

To further read this Case Study by Sierra please click 'Breaking the Ice: Antarctica Researcher Meets Sierra’s ‘Smart’ Mass Flow Meter'

Digital liquid flow meters with state-of-the-art universal transit-time signal processing.

transit-time clamp-on ultrasonic product line now includes improved next generation Innova-Sonic® 205i and portable 210i models. New to the offering, the Innova-Sonic® 203 has been optimized for customers still looking for good performance water measurement, but needing a lower cost, less feature rich option for dedicated clamp-on ultrasonic metering. The Innova-Sonic 205i is Sierra’s highest performing dedicated clamp-on instrument incorporating the latest developments in digital signal processing to offer excellent accuracy and repeatability for a wide variety of liquids. The Innova-Sonic 210i portable clamp-on ultrasonic meter has received a complete repackaging into a smaller more light weight, hand-held configuration including new brighter display and pushbuttons.

To further know about this products please click 'Innova-Sonic Transit-Time Ultrasonic Liquid Flow Meters'