level measurement

Silo Patrol bin level sensor has a long history of success with plastic packaging company

I had a recent conversation with Mike Sahly of Sahly Anderson Company. Sahly Anderson Company is our representative in Northern Illinois, most of Wisconsin, and 2/3rds of Indiana.

We were discussing current opportunities and reminiscing about the past when Mike reminded me about a long-time SiloPatrol customer that manufactures plastic packaging materials. This particular customer has over 50 of our SiloPatrol cable-based level sensors installed on plastic pellet silos located on several different "campuses". They have had the units for many years and the units have operated flawlessly since they were first installed. I guess the old adage "no news is good news" holds true because I have not heard of any problems ever from this customer.

Sahly Anderson Company is huge in the plastics industry, several of the lines they represent along with Monitor are commonly used by extruders, injection molders, blow molders and compounders. Over the years Sahly Anderson has sold hundreds of SiloPatrol units into the plastics industry.  Mike Sahly stated that "Monitor hit a home run with the SiloPatrol design" and that the SiloPatrol is a product that he "truly believes in".

Monitor has a long history of successful SiloPatrol applications not only in the plastics industry but in virtually every other bulk solids related industry as well.

If you have a silo and you are not sure of how much material you have perhaps the SiloPatrol will be a solution.

Please contact us to discuss your application.

Thanks,

Scott Bonine

Technorati Tags: level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator

Silo Monitoring...how much material do we have?

 

Knowing the level of material in your vessels can be vitally important for production purposes and material inventory management.

Running out of material unexpectedly can literally shut down your production causing huge losses. Another frustration can be if a shipment of material arrives and the silo cannot hold the truck or rail car load because you had no idea of what was in your silos.

Monitor Technologies manufactures two technologies designed to be used for silo monitoring that will provide you with information to answer the question "how much material do we have". 

The product photo on the left is our Flexar® Guided Wave Radar level transmitter designed to provide true continuous readings of material levels in silos.  The Flexar works by sending a micro pulse down a "cable" or "wave guide" at the speed of light.  As soon as the pulse reaches the surface of the material the pulses are reflected back to the sensor electronics.  The time of flight of the pulses are calculated and we can then determine the distance between where the sensor is mounted and the surface of the material. Once we know the distance between the location of the sensor and the surface of the material, calculations based on vessel geometry and material bulk density can be performed to provide information concerning distance, level, volume, weight, an percent.

The product pictured on the right is our SiloPatrol® cable-based level sensor. the SiloPatrol is an electro-mechanical device.  When the command to initiate a reading is received by the sensor a weight on a nylon jacketed stainless steel cable lowers into the vessel, comes in contact with the surface of the material, and reverses.  We measure the distance the weight travels in order to determine where the material surface is located. Once we know the distance between the location of the sensor and the surface of the material, calculations based on vessel geometry and material bulk density can be performed to provide information concerning distance, level, volume, weight, an percent. The SiloPatrol is actually considered an "on demand" type of system

Both the Flexar and the SiloPatrol can be used with our Windows-based SiloTrack^TM inventory management software. The SiloPatrol also offers a discrete display we call the HMI.

For those of you using a PLC a 4-20mA output, this option is also available from both products. The 4-20mA output can be scaled within your PLC and you will be able to determine the information you desire.

There are many factors that come into play when looking at level sensors for determining how much material you have in a silo. Details of the actual application will play a role as will determining what kind of information and how often an update of the level information is required.  Price too may be an issue.

There are pros and cons for each technology, please send me a comment or give us a call to discuss your application.  I am sure we can get you into a system that will be right for you.

Detailed brochures for all of our products are  available on our website www.monitortech.com so check them out for additional information.

Scott Bonine

Technorati Tags: level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator

NPE 2009

   

In a few weeks, starting June 22nd, the National Plastics Exposition (NPE) will kick off at Chicago's McCormick Place. Many are concerned about how well the show will be attended, it all depends on who you talk to as to how successful the show will be. 

I am aware of some companies deciding not to exhibit for financial reasons in this tough economy.  Monitor will be exhibiting and we are very hopeful that the attendance will justify our expense, my boss actually wants to get a return on our investment!

If you are a customer, and if you plan on attending the show, please stop by our booth (#131019, West Hall) and take a look at what we can offer.  Our SiloPatrol Level Control / Inventory Management System, used to determine material levels in silos and large bins/hopper's, has been amazingly successful in the plastics industry.

The SiloPatrol is used by hundreds of customers world-wide to determine how much material they have in their vessels.  Plastic pellets, resins, compounds, or regrind are ideal targets for the SiloPatrol. My guess is if you are attending the NPE you probably have some of these materials at your facility.

Please stop by, say hello, and check out the SiloPatrol and the other products we offer that may help you out!

I look forward to seeing you!

Scott Bonine

Technorati Tags: level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator

IDK....

 

Greetings,

Many of you may recognize the acronym in this blog title, especially if you have kids! 

Based on my limited research "IDK" means "I don't know" at least that is what my kids tell me. I get this response from them via text message when I ask them almost any question, especially when I ask them when they are finally moving out. 

It seems to me that most of my kids spend a ton of time text messaging their friends, a review of the cell phone bill detail reinforces this fact, it is amazing how many text messages my kids send, it is a wonder they have time for anything else, like eating, sleeping or trashing the house! 

I too have been caught up in this form of communication, in fact I text my kids often, even if they are just downstairs from me.  Sometimes this is my preferred method of communicating with them, the less "face to face the better"! (Just kidding).

I assure you my rambling has a purpose, albeit a bit too long in coming....recently one of our reps has been working with a large company who is looking at some of our level control equipment. 

The customer loves our hardware and our inventory measurement software. During the meeting they mentioned that they would sure like to be able to get information from our system via e-mail or text message.  I know e-mail notification is nothing new, nor is the idea of getting a message via an antique device called a  pager, and even communicating information via cell phone is not novel, but what seems to be a bit unique to me is the text message request. I guess this is a sign of the times...maybe the next step could be bin level notifications on the screen during a Wii game.

I am curious if many of you are communicating for business purpose via text message, would you find text message notifiers concerning your material levels for example as something of value to you?  Are you currently receiving process information from your plants in a manner in which it appears on your phone or your Blackberry-like device?

As I mentioned none of these are new technologies but I am intrigued by how it may have value in the field.

Please let me know your thoughts.

TLK2UL8R,

Scott Bonine

Technorati Tags: Level measurement basics bin level indicator level control solids level indicator

Avoid Obstructions When Installing A Guided Wave Radar Sensor

Guided wave radar instruments, like Flexar®, use a cable as a wave guide or antenna.  The microwave energy pulses down the cable antenna and reflects off the material surface.  The reflected pulse travels back up the antenna to the transceiver. 
Obstructions near (within ~12”) of the cable antenna have a high probability of interfering with the microwave energy measurement pulses. Just think of attempting to make a cell phone call while standing inside a metal doorway.  Sometimes it works but most times it doesn’t.
Some obstructions result in crazy reflective echoes.  These reflections can exceed the strength of that from the material surface.  To cancel such large reflection an irritating and often substantial dead zone has to be created along the length of the wave guide cable antenna.  Not good.

Obstructions also cause signal degradation.  Like the cell phone example, energy from the wave guide cable can be bleed off onto the obstruction.  Because the Flexar guided wave radar sensor is measuring and not cooking the silo contents the emitted energy level is rather limited.  If enough of this energy is bleed off there is a possibility that insufficient energy will remain to make a viable reflection.

Vessel View, Exterior

Vessel View, Interior

 

   

Pictured above is one of the most common examples when it comes to interfering obstructions.

For unknown reasons the factory provided application and mounting recommendations were disregarded and the Flexar instrument was mounted to the pictured stub nozzle.  Under the best of circumstances the height of a stub nozzle should not exceed the inside diameter.  In this example that guideline has been completely violated. As shown, the nozzle protruding above and below the roof line well exceed the inside diameter.  This resulted in crazy pulse reflections which were so strong that the level signal would not follow the
material level.  The short term solution required a six foot dead zone to be created on the top portion of the vessel. 
This meant the customer lost the ability to monitor the material in the upper six foot section of the vessel.  Not good. 

The long term solution is to move the Flexar to the  center of the forward plate which sits atop a large nozzle which better conforms to the mounting guideline.

Andy

Technorati Tags: Level sensor level measurement basics bin level indicator level control solids level indicator guided wave radar 

 

A SINGLE Wireless standard for the process industries? Not a chance!

Well here we go again.  I just read some editorials in the latest issue of CONTROL magazine.  Greed and ego are proving to trump logic and reason once again.  Users need a standard, a single open protocol standard for Wireless communications.  In existence today with products being marketed offering this capability are Wireless HART.... that's it.  The Honeywell wireless is a proprietary protocol that Honeywell is batting to shove down the throats of the ISA100 committee that have been gathered for three years now trying to develop a standard.  While the battle has been quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, been raging in the ISA100 committee, Wireless HART has been working hard and growing its installed base.  By the end of 2008 there will be even more products offering it, including the measurement instrumentation giant Endress & Hauser and Emerson Process.  I'm with them, Wireless HART is the way to go... and so is wireless in general.

For level measurement applications, especially those used for inventory monitoring and management, wireless offers the ability to save money by eliminating the cost of hard wiring and also enabling the connectivity of sensor and system across physical barriers to hard wiring.  But this wireless application is not anything new.  Many vendors have been providing wireless communications using proprietary protocols for years.  The new wireless standards hope to offer interoperability from application to application and vendor to vendor.  This is a good idea.

Joe

Technorati Tags: Wireless Sensor Communications level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator guided wave radar 

Hydrostatic Level Measurement is still "King" for liquids

In a recent article published in CONTROL magazine author and writer Paul Miller makes the point that hydrostatic head pressure measurement is still a most common method for measuring the level of a fluid in a tank.  He makes other points too, more important in his article than here.  The point I wish to make here is that this technology for the level measurement of fluid in a tank has been around for many years and is a simple and economical way to measure tank levels, while its "flash" is far less than newer technologies like radar.

Let's take a quick look at how pressure or differential pressure transmitters are used to measure the level of a fluid in a tank.  Why type when I can reference you to a perfectly fine tutorial from Wikipedia so follow this link.  Some application issues affecting the use and performance of hydrostatic level measurement include the cleanliness of the fluid, the corrosiveness of the fluid and how stable the specific gravity or density of the fluid is.  Like other technologies used for level measurement of liquids, there are limitations.... which is why so many technologies exist today and they are all viable in their own right.... EXCEPT for using ultrasonic to measure continuous level of powders and other bulk solids... No No No!

Really though... please read Paul's article "Pressure-Based Level Measurements Keep Getting Better and Better" because it is well written and a great short tutorial on this subject (it also keeps me from having to write it for you LOL).  It's great and a reminder how these devices work well and some of their limitations.

I went back and took a look at the most recent market study report I have available.  Hydrostatic pressure based level devices represent about 48% of all continuous level measurement devices bought each year!  That's huge!

Joe

Technorati Tags: liquid level differential pressure level level sensor level control

Level measurement basics ..........

Why do level measurement applications provide some of the most difficult challenges?  Why are there so many technologies available?  It should be easy, right?  Not necessarily.  I have never been one to want to say a whole bunch when a picture can say it better, and I sure don't want to say any more when a video is available.

In this blog post I want to highlight a great little ten minute video that I recommend for any engineer that now or ever has had the need to figure out how to determine the level of a material in a vessel.  The video is titled "Back to Basics: Basics of Level Measurement".  Walt Boyes is the editor of CONTROL magazine and a major asset to the publication, their website and the automation industry in general.  I can't say enough good about him.  He is brilliant in many areas of process measurement, control and automation, yet very down-to-earth and he cares about the industry and the people within the industry.  I am honored to name him a freind, one I don't see hardly enough anymore (Walt, how about lunch?).  Anyway.... take a few minutes and watch the video!

If you need to measure the level of a powder and bulk solid I have another more detailed resource for you.  Download this file for the white paper titled Continuous Level Measurement of Bulk Solids (or something close to that LOL).  Download whitepaper_tech_review_of_cont_level_for_pbs_apps.pdf

Joe Lewis

Technorati Tags: Ethanol level sensor level measurement basics bin level indicator level control solids level indicator guided wave radar 

Ethanol plants use a variety of level controls

Ethanol production is at an all-time high in the United States and around the world.  There is a huge amount of research on-going in the field as well to determine what else we can process to turn into a fuel source besides corn.  With the surge in gasoline prices this year a boost to Ethanol has occurred.  While some critics blame the Ethanol industry on increasing grain and food prices, this industry generates thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in the economy for construction and operation of these facilities.  Let's look at where level measurement and monitoring devices are used:

Corn storage silos: Typically using open-air radar or smart weight & cable systems.  Guided wave radar is also a possibility depending on range required.  High level overfill protection can be handled with self-validating rotary paddle technology.

Corn surge hoppers: Application for guided wave radar technology as range is usually less than 30' and atmosphere is very dusty.

Corn grind silos: These applications can also be handled with guided wave radar technology or even open-air radar.

Dryers:  Best fit with RF capacitance point level sensors for high and low level detection.

Many other applications exist and sensors required for measuring level are varied.  Open-air radar, ultrasonic, RF, rotary paddle and other technologies are used.  The manufacturers and contractors that thrive from the construction and operation of Ethanol facilities also benefit greatly from this industry.  Ethanol is good for the USA.  What to know more?  Click here for a Download WhitePaper_EthanolSolutions.pdf free white paper.

Joe Lewis

Technorati Tags: Ethanol level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator guided wave radar

Vegetable oil isn't too slipery for guided wave radar

Measuring a wide variety of crude vegetable oils can be a challenge for some continuous level measurement technologies, but it is an ideal application for guided wave radar.  In China crude vegetable oil is brought in by ship and stored in vessels by the Taixing Port Authority.  This port is in Jiangsu Province near Shanghai.  At this facility there are 11 vessels with crude vegetable oil and the port authority needed a reliable way to monitor oil inventories to ensure security and accurate transfer of the oil in and out of the vessels.  Ranges varied from 55 feet and above.

The crude oil is bought by local manufacturers and refined further.  Most oils at the port in this application include palm oil, olive oil and bean oil.  The dielectric constant of these oils are fairly low, around 1.7-1.8 so many technologies will be challenged to work consistently and accurately.  The solution to the measuring challenge came in the way of guided wave radar when a local instrumentation distributor, Conasen, recommended the sensors.  In this application the GWR sensors were outfitted with a RS485 digital communications output and the automation supplier connected this to a PC running inventory management software furnished by a local supplier.  All is working well!  Guided wave radar, good and reliable for liquids and solids as well.

Joe Lewis

Technorati Tags: vegetable oil level sensor level measurement bin level indicator level control solids level indicator guided wave radar