Gas Flow Measurement & Control - Aeration Applications

Gas Flow Measurement & Control

Many processes include gas flow measurement and control. Gas flow meters are standard in laboratories, machinery, industry, hazardous areas, and various markets, including the analytical market, the chemical industry, renewable energy, the semiconductor industry, the food and beverage industry, and surface treatment. 

Applications for Aeration 

Aeration is when air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, or other gases circulate, mix, or dissolve in a liquid or substance. 

Aeration applications are typical in food and beverage markets, wastewater treatment, fish tanks, and fish farms. Controlling oxygen levels in beer brewing and winemaking, for example, allows fermentation. Milk, sparkling water, and other carbonated beverages, such as cola require a throughflow of gases to remove odors or add CO2. Industrial gas flow control, similar to air pumps in a fish aquarium, is used to aerate ponds to grow fish or algae. 

Gas Flow Aeration Markets:

  • Winemaking and beer brewing 
  • Production of carbonated beverages 
  • Fermenters and bioreactors 
  • Treatment of wastewater 
  • Farms for fish and algae 

Why Bronkhorst? 

  • Robustness
  • High repeatability
  • Easy to check actual gas flow
  • Gas consumption monitoring
  • Ingress protection class IP65 rugged and waterproof housing

Bronkhorst provides mass flow meters and controllers with capacities of up to 5000 ln/min Air equivalent.  In aeration applications, up to 50% of MASS-STREAM flow measurement and control instruments include a multi-functional display that provides various additional options. 

Bronkhorst is a company that specializes in gas flow measurement and control instruments.

For more information about Bronkhorst products in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota contact Swanson Flo. Call 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

New Product Alert: The Jordan Valve Mark 75A

Jordan Valve Mark 75A

Jordan Valve Introduces the Mark 75A Wafer Style Control Valve

Jordan Valve designed the Mark 75A as the next generation of control valves with its modular, stackable actuator. The Mark 75A incorporates a modular, stackable actuator to reduce weight and footprint dimensions further while providing additional torque and all of the benefits of the time-tested Sliding Gate seat design in a lightweight, compact body. The Mark 75A, which is available in 1" through 6" (DN25 - DN150") sizes, is a high-value solution used in a variety of applications.

DOWNLOAD THE MARK 75A DATA SHEET HERE


Mark 75A Advantage: An Actuator with Modularity and Stackability 

The new actuator design has an effective diaphragm area of 25 square inches per module and can be stacked to increase the total effective area to 50 or 75 square inches. The use of aluminum in the construction ensures a lightweight automated package.

Mark 75A Advantage: Less Weight 

The Mark 75A has a significant weight advantage over other valve designs. A 4" Mark 75A with a 75M actuator weighs 27 lbs. Because of the lightweight and reduced envelope dimensions, transportation, installation, and support costs are lower.

For more information about the Mark 75A in Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, contact Swanson Flo. Call them at 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

Equilibar® Flow Control Valves Provide Advantages in Precision Flow Control

Equilibar® control valves

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Equilibar® control valves provide precise flow control for gases, liquids, and mixed-phase fluids over a wide range of flow rates. The unique dome loaded multiple orifice design responds quickly to changes in upstream and downstream process disruptions to maintain setpoint, 

The Equilibar® control valve works in a completely different way than traditional regulators and valves. Instead of a single valve seat, the Equilibar® valve uses multiple orifices sealed by a flexible diaphragm. The Equilibar® valve is dome-loaded by pressure on top of the diaphragm.  The dome loading controls the process fluid flow proportional to that "pilot pressure" on the diaphragm. As flow requirements change, the diaphragm moves a few millimeters to open and close over some or all of the orifices, providing instantaneous and frictionless control. The Equilibar® valve was conceived as a precision back pressure regulator but easily reconfigured to control the flow rate in a flow control PID loop with an electronic pilot controller. Over the years, Equilibar®customers have discovered the significant benefits of the Equilibar®control valve in demanding flow control applications where the supply pressure is mainly stable.

Equilibar® valves can be an excellent solution for closed-loop flow control in complex applications that traditional flow control methods cannot solve. Equilibar® valves improve performance in a variety of demanding applications, including:

  • Flow coefficient (Cv) ranges wider than conventional valves (>100:1)
  • Extremely low DP and extremely high DP
  • Two-phase, phase-change, and supercritical states
  • Continuous flow chemistry
  • Sanitary applications

The Equilibar® Flow Control Valve's Operation 

Equilibar® valves are dome-loaded and pilot operated, which means that gas is supplied to the dome (top) of the valve via a pilot controller to set the process setpoint. In the dome, a direct sealing diaphragm covers a field of orifices and adjusts its position allowing flow through the orifices while maintaining the desired setpoint. 

The Equilibar®flow control valve links to an electronic pilot pressure controller and a flow meter in a control loop. (See Fig.1.) To control flow, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller monitors input from a flow transmitter (FT) and adjusts the pilot pressure. The electronic signal from the PID converts into a pressure signal for the pilot controller by an electro-pneumatic transducer (E/P). Increasing the pilot pressure reduces flow, and decreasing the pilot pressure increases flow. The system performs best when the supply pressure is stable.

Equilibar Valves Offer Advantages in Flow Control


The Benefits of Using an Equilibar® Back Pressure Regulator for Flow Control 

Operates over a Wide Flow Coefficient Range (Cv) 

The limited flow range (or max/min ratio of effective Cv) of traditional flow control valves is one of their characteristics. Most control valves used in the research and process industries have a 10:1 to 15:1 ratio. An Equilibar®back pressure regulator is easily capable of operating in a Cv range greater than 100:1.

Multi-Phase Fluid Control 

The Equilibar® back pressure regulator's unique design allows it to handle two-phase or mixed-phase flow streams while maintaining high precision. Gas/liquid processes, water/oil flow streams, and supercritical fluids are all examples of this. 

Traditional back pressure regulators employ a single annular valve seat, which is frequently very small, so that when slugs of liquid flood the valve throat, the volumetric flow rate drops abruptly as the denser fluid accelerates through the orifice. This brief decrease in volumetric flow disrupts the upstream process pressure's stability. 

The Equilibar® technology employs a direct sealing diaphragm over multiple orifices to control pressure drop. The flexible diaphragm can instantly change its proximity to the orifices to adjust to the varying valve coefficient (Cv) requirements of the various phases.

Isolates from Changes in Downstream Pressure 

An Equilibar® fluid control valve acts as a pressure buffer in a change in downstream pressure. Equilibar® valves will automatically adjust to maintain the setpoint inlet pressure regardless of process changes at the outlet port. Any change in downstream pressure necessitates a PID control adjustment to maintain stability when using a traditional flow control valve (FCV).

High Resolution 

Equilibar® dome-loaded valves have incredibly high resolution, no hysteresis, and no dead band. Minor adjustments to the differential pressure result in high-resolution process control. 

Service Conditions That Are Demanding 

Because Equilibar® back-pressure regulators have only one moving part, they easily configure for the following severe and demanding service conditions: 

  • Excessive temperatures 
  • Extremely corrosive acids 
  • Sanitary processes
  • Ultrapure specifications

Continuous Flow Reactions 

In continuous flow chemistry, controlling pressure is critical for phase control, residence time, reaction speed, and equilibrium management. For example, the reaction temperature is an essential factor in reaction efficiency; however, at high enough temperatures, a reagent can reach boiling point, which harms the reaction. Controlling reaction pressure by connecting a back pressure regulator to the reactor's outlet can help prevent reagent boiling.

For more information about Equilibar®, contact Swanson Flo. Call 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.

Thank You to Our Veterans

Thank You to Our Veterans

The Aschroft GXLdp Differential Indicating Pressure Transmitter

Aschroft GXLdp

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The Ashcroft® GXLdp differential pressure transmitter with a display intended for use in pharmaceutical and critical care applications such as isolation and clean rooms, HVAC building automation and comfort control, and sensitive airflow measurements. 

The GXLdp allows the user to select between multiple outputs (4-20ma and voltage) and perform field calibration via external pushbuttons. It uses the patented Ashcroft SpoolCal® actuator to provide in-place system calibration without disrupting process connections. It employs Ashcroft's SiGlasTM technology, which offers unrivaled measurement sensitivity and long-term repeatability. 

The GXLdp includes features such as PNP or NPN switches that to reduce installation time and costs. It is built to Ashcroft's simple TruAccuracyTM terminal point standard, eliminating confusion from statistically derived accuracy specifications and the need for user calibration during installation. 

The GXLdp, which is available in ranges as low as 0.10 in. H2O (25 Pa) is the ideal low-pressure DP sensor for Pharmaceutical and BioTech applications, isolation laboratories, semiconductors, and other mission-critical industries. A three-year product warranty covers it.

Swanson Flo
https://swansonflo.com
800-288-7926

Schneider Electric Process Instruments from Swanson Flo

Schneider Electric Process Instruments from Swanson Flo

A single innovative instrument can improve process control and the performance of any of your production assets, including personnel, equipment, energy use, and inventory. Using multiple systems can enhance the performance of all aspects of your business. 

Schneider Electric's process instrumentation is combined with various industry-leading brands to produce systems, software, and services that significantly improve your operation's economic, safety, and environmental performance. Furthermore, deploying multiple advanced measurement systems will enhance the availability and utilization of all assets on which your success is dependent. 

Foxboro / Schneider Electric Process Instrumentation has been at the forefront of developing numerous breakthrough measurement technologies for decades, including the first D/P cell, the dual-phase Digital Coriolis Mass Flowmeter, the PH10 and PH12 Smart pH sensors and the Magnetic Flowmeter. 

Schneider Electric / Foxboro is the industry leader in performance across a wide range of measurement technologies: 

  • Pressure transmitters with the best-in-class accuracy and the industry's most extended warranties. 
  • Flowmeter technologies include: Magnetic, vortex shedding, and Coriolis provide an unrivaled solution for liquids, gases, and steam. 
  • Process analytical sensors are revolutionizing pH and conductivity measurement. 
  • Temperature transmitters that provide accurate and dependable measurements even in the most extreme conditions 
  • Level measurement devices, including buoyancy and radar, are available for various installation and application options. 
  • Wireless Instruments offers long-range wireless, WirelessHart Mesh network over the cloud dataloggers that are self-contained or battery-powered. 

Process Instrumentation provides accurate, dependable measurement and analysis of pressure, flow, level, temperature, positioner, and process analytical variables for maximum integration and interoperability — all at competitive prices, low cost of ownership, and 24-hour worldwide support from a single source.

Swanson Flo
https://swansonflo.com
800-288-7926

The Steriflow FBCPM Series Constant Pressure Modulating Valves (CPM)

The Steriflow FB5CPM inlet valve is an air-loaded sanitary constant pressure modulating valve designed to allow users to change setpoints remotely via a cabinet or panel-mounted air regulator.

The JR Series regulator is used to adjust the setpoint range. Alternatively, an I/P transducer or a direct air load can adjust the setpoint range.

In this video, the JR Series regulator is used to adjust the valve set point. The valve is normally closed, and when inlet pressure increases above the valve set point, the diaphragm senses the change in pressure, pulling the plug away from the seat to maintain constant inlet pressure. In contrast, a decrease in the inlet pressure below the air set point causes the air load to force the diaphragm and plug towards the seat into the closed position. 

The FB5CPM is a 3A certified inlet valve ideal for sanitary process applications, including HTST/UHT pasteurization fully automating SIP/CIP systems and many other applications where constant pressure maintenance is required. 

For more information in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa Indiana,  South Dakota, and North Dakota contact Swanson Flo. Call 800-288-7926 or visit https://swansonflo.com.