View Issue Contents

← Go Back

Issue cover
Date Published:
25 August 2016

Volume 4, Issue 5


Intelligence is the future

Feature
Heathrow Airport in London, UK, is among the busiest airports in the world. In 2015, nearly 75 million passengers passed through its gates, with more projected for 2016. But what these masses do not see is the miles upon miles of pipework and hundreds of pumps that transfer clean water in and wastewater out from the airport. Ilari Kauppila of Fluid... [read more]

A three-in-one solution

Feature
Multiphase flowmeters play an important role in today's oil and gas exploration and production activity. They are called "multiphase" flowmeters because they measure three or more phases of fluids that come out of a well. These three phases are typically oil, gas, and water. Before the advent of multiphase meters, these three fluids had to be... [read more]

It PACs a punch

Feature
When a water treatment works in northern England faced a spike in pesticide concentration exceeding the allowable concentration limit for the incoming water, the site was forced to shut down. The company then had to divert water from a regional water treatment works in order to provide clean drinking water to its customers until the problem could be... [read more]

A matter of frequency

Feature
With the recent launch of radar instruments in the 80GHz frequency range for liquid level measurement, it is now a good time to examine what is behind this new direction in radar technology. Where does it come into its own and what are the benefits of using these new sensors in automated processes for control and inventory? This development signals a brave... [read more]

Emergency measurements

Feature
System failure strikes at a fuel processing plant! The process control system is temporarily out of order. Emergency power generators now have to ensure that there are no system outages and that no situations beyond the operator's control arise. Fill levels of diesel tanks have to be checked periodically and product transferred to another tank, if... [read more]

Measuring the olive level

Feature
When it comes to process control, level measurement is an important task and is used in many different areas. This means that the requirements can vary greatly – they depend on the location, the medium to be measured, and also the measuring environment. Precise, reliable, and optimally efficient. These same three principles apply to level measurement... [read more]

Don't judge a tank by its bubbles

Feature
Looks can be deceiving. At first glance there can often appear what seems to be plenty of aeration activity in an effluent tank, but in reality there is sometimes very little happening that is of much benefit to the process. Outdated equipment, such as old surface aerators, can create "a dancing tank", which produces a great deal of noise and bubbles, but... [read more]

Non-negotiable!

Feature
For the optimal control of many processes, it is crucial that a valve reaches a certain position. The process of moving from one position to another is governed by the valve's actuator, a type of drive that is responsible for moving or controllingit. For safety critical applications, the actuation of the valve (the ability of the system to move the valve to... [read more]

Empowered performance in automation

Feature
From chemical industry to water treatment, from petrochemical to process applications, from oil and gas to the paint industry, Omal has been recognised as a reputable brand and a solution provider by its clients, not afraid to meet any challenge arising from the most demanding end users. Omal has embraced a quality-oriented philosophy since it started its... [read more]

A heavy-duty solution

Feature
Solids and particles suspended in liquids can be a huge challenge, especially when one of the process requirements is to disintegrate them while forwarding a homogenised product. The equipment in such processes, like pumps, wears out fast and can fill up with sediment. Before creating a bottleneck by using a pumping solution that is not entirely... [read more]

A smooth operator

Feature
Industrial pumps consume up to 20% of the world's energy production and can be responsible for 25 to 50% of a process plant's energy bill, according to Europump, the Hydraulic Institute, and other sources. Nothing moves without them in a process plant, and they are expensive to purchase, maintain, and even more to repair or replace. Reducing pump lifecycle... [read more]

Optimising energy consumption in pumping systems

Feature
Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world's electrical energy demand and between 25% -50% of the electrical energy usage in certain applications. Pumps are the single largest user of electricity within industry across the EU, consuming over 300TWhpa of electricity, which in turn accounts for over 65Mt of CO2 a year. It is also well documented... [read more]

Electricity trumps air

Feature
Centrifugal pumps often have unwanted effects on sensitive materials. When material is fed into the pump, operators cannot always be sure of what is going to come out from the other end due to the high rotational speed of a centrifugal pump, which can change the structure of the material. Especially in food and cosmetics applications, where... [read more]

A fresh approach

Feature
When it comes to selecting the most appropriate type of impeller, there is no shortage of choices for pumping wastewater and effluent. The most important factor in impeller selection is the operating reliability and this can only be obtained by choosing the right size for the free passage. This should take into account the gas content, the... [read more]

The newbie with a history

Feature
Across the wastewater sector there is a demand for ever more efficient and intelligent technologies that solve the complex challenges facing those working in the sector on a daily basis. Customers are increasingly considering the total lifetime cost of technology and systems, rather than just the initial investment cost. Frost & Sullivan's report... [read more]

The German spectacle

Feature
The Hamburg Messe in Germany will once again be a meeting place for the top experts of tank storage industries, who gather on 16-17 November to discuss the latest developments and showcase the hottest innovations at the Tank Storage Germany trade show. In this preview we give you just a small taste of all the things to see.

Right tool for the right job

Feature
A nuclear power generating facility, located in the northeastern US, relies on four vertical service water pumps to feed water to a heat exchanger, which cools the sealed ultrapure water/steam that drives the turbine generators. Of the four identical service water pumps, all of which had 30ft long shafts, two of the pumps began to exhibit some... [read more]

I know safety

Feature
The largest challenge for any plant, facility, or rig is keeping its workforce safe. According to US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), nearly three million workers, including machine operators and labourers, regularly service or maintain equipment that could expose them to a hazardous energy injury. "Lockout/tagout... [read more]