Case Study: Knots & Gear improves Olam’s measurement reliability with Vortex Flowmeter Technology.

A fish feed manufacturer recently turned to Knots and Gear to install Vortex RVF3300 Flowmeter and E7300-20 Totaliser, to meet quality requirements, for measurement of total and instantaneous steam flow. The selection of the Flowmeter for accurate applications was driven by a) the application of the flow measurements; b) the fluid that is being measured; c) and the position in the system where the measurements were conducted.

ABOUT VORTEX

A vortex is a region in a fluid in which the flow is rotating around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortex flowmeters are among the most versatile flowmeters. They can measure liquids, steam, and gases with relative ease. One reason they are widely used for steam flow measurement is that they can tolerate the high temperatures of steam and reduce plant safety risks.

APPLICATION

Steam Measurement

CUSTOMER

Olam Animal Feed and Protein, Ilorin.

CUSTOMER CHALLENGE

Accurate flow measurement and effective pipeline cleaning are keys to the successful production of fish feed manufacturing facilities. However, this fish feed plant had no existing flowmeters. Meanwhile, if steam leaks occur, It could result in safety issues for plant personnel, especially during cold weather when the meter is more susceptible to leaks. Also, when you don’t have a steam flow measurement installed, steam can become unclean, and dirt and debris have the potential to clog the plant resulting in a faulty measurement. Achieving production targets and maximising profitability are some of the major concerns of fish feed manufacturing facilities. For Olam feeds and protein, any downtime during the initial operating period is critical in meeting their targets.

The plant commissioned Knots and Gear to install a reliable steam flow measurement solution to improve plant availability and eliminate steam leaks. They need to ensure that they design and manage their plant as efficiently as possible. To achieve efficiency, measurement systems need to be accurate and reliable.

SOLUTION

Vortex flowmeter RVF3300 from Rocksensor Automation and E7300-20 Totalizer was selected and configured to suit client operation. The flowmeter measures the instantaneous steam flow in unit t/h. The Rocksensor RVF3300 vortex Flowmeter has an all-cast and welded design free from gaskets, eliminating any potential leak points for steam to escape. Also, the port-free, non-clog, isolated sensor design ensures measurement reliability even in situations where the steam is not clean. With the new Rocksensor vortex installation, Olam feeds and protein plant eliminated safety issues due to steam leakage and also reduced wasted energy. Finally, the E7300-20 totalizer was also configured to use the output from the vortex flowmeter to calculate the total flow needed to determine the total steam consumption per hour or in a day production shift operation. The Totalizer unit is in Kg/h.

By installing the RVF3300 vortex meter and E7300-20 totalizer, this customer reduced energy waste, eliminated safety incidents, reduced maintenance cost, improved plant availability, improved measurement reliability, and the installation created the ability to instantly measure value from the flowmeter, directly from the control room.

RESULTS

Increased Plant efficiency.
Reduced energy waste.
Eliminated safety incidents.
Reduced maintenance cost.
Improved plant availability.
Improved measurement reliability.
Created the ability to instantly measure value from the flowmeter, directly from the control room.

SPECIFICATIONS

Physical and Mechanical

• Input/output connections: 8 plugs in terminal block
• Operating temperature: 0 – 50 degrees
• Storage temperature: 20 – 70 degrees
• Humidity: 25 – 90%
• Case: Self-extinguish ABS resin
• Overall Dimension: 96 x 96 x 126mm DIN 43700 Standard
• Front Protection: IP50
• Terminals: plug-in screw terminals

ELECTRICAL

• Power Supply: 115/230Vac 50Hz,
• Optional 24Vac
• Optional 24Vdc
• Power consumption: 3VA max

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