It seems like "dejavu".  In the last couple of decades of the 20th century the big giant process instrumentation companies did battle to see who was going to be able to drive the standards for communication protocols.  The big battles were between HART and Foundation Fieldbus that emanated out of the ISA SP50 committee. 

If memory serves me, HART had become a defacto standard long before the SP50 was finished with their work and the first commercial products were available.  The fight between Emerson/Rosemount and Foxboro, Honeywell and others was a classic.... and the user was not served very well if you ask me. 

There are still three primary field instrument communication standards, e.g. HART, Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus.   A recent research study reported that the first Fieldbus device was installed in 1997 and there are now almost 1.4 million Fieldbus devices installed around the world.  However, this pales by comparison to HART. 

How does this relate to the powder and bulk solids markets?  Sensors, especially level measurement sensors, are used in increasing numbers in the monitoring of material inventory and aspects of powder handling and processing. 

Wireless communication exists and is here to stay, especially as the cost for hard wired systems increases and the cost of wireless continues to decrease.  Understanding the development of standards for wireless protocols is important for even the powder handling professional.

For more on this subject click here.

Joe Lewis

I recently was able to speak in front of a group of 40 engineers representing some 1,000 years of experience in bulk solids material handling at the October meeting of the HMHS (Houston Material Handling Society).  This was truly a humbling experience for me ....... and one I took very seriously so I was not going to present a commercial.

A friend of mine recently wrote an Op-Ed for an automation magazine and in his editorial he said some things that I really identified with and I felt the HMHS engineers could benefit from so I started of the meeting with some quotes from Dr. Peter Martin's editorial in the September issue of InTech magazine where he stated that "engineers must step up and assume a leadership role within their companies by helping drive new levels of business performance". 

He further stated that the reason most companies don't understand the true benefit of the engineering discipline is that "most financial systems cannot measure the improvements" that engineers make.  I decided that my discussion about "recent directions in level monitoring and measurement of bulk solids" needed to provide these engineers some tidbits they could use to "add value" to their companies performance.

Want to know more? Click here for the rest of the story.

The latest generation of an Ethanol producing plant is just about to go on-line in Wisconsin.  The news story and video can be found at the link here.  In addition, guided wave radar is instrumental at this facility and used to measure changing levels of corn in various conditions.  The benefit of guided wave radar is its continuous measurement capability, moderate cost, ease of installation and start-up.  Guided wave radar technology is used in a wide variety of applications in many different industries.  It's universal appeal is another reason for the fact that it is growing in popularity and use by some 21% per year (according to a recent VDC market study and report).

Want to see more?  Click here.

Seed undergoes treatment for disease and to keep insects from eating them before they germinate.  This treatment process is important to producing high yields and seed manufacturers have spent much energy into research and in production using various seed treating systems to produce the best possible product for their customers.

In the treatment process a variety of bins must be monitored for the level of the seed.  This is a great example of an application perfect for guided wave radar technology.  The seed has a dielectric of >2.0 and the bins are relatively short in range so mounting details aren't as stringent as for much longer range applications.  Guided wave radar is not affected by dust, temperature or other factors and it works reliably and accurately measures levels of a wide variety of products.

Guided wave radar uses TDR (time domain reflectometry) to measure levels.  TDR has been used since the early 1990's for level measurement and was pioneered in the geological area in the earlier 1900's.  TDR generates radar pulses about 1 nanosecond in width and these pulses are guided to the material surface by the probe or wave-guide.  This is why guided wave radar can be so much more reliable and effective than open-are radar, laser or ultrasonic technologies.  The pulses reflect off the material surface and the time-of-flight is directly related to the distance, and inversely the level of material.

Guided wave radar measures the level of seed, feed, cement powder, flour, carbon black, coffee and a wide range of other materials.  Have any questions, post a comment or visit the Level Measurement blog for more data.

Joe Lewis

I was surfing around the other day and ran across the website of Spitzer & Boyes.  They are a consulting firm, they do training and write books and columns.  I spoke with David Spitzer, one of the authors, to see if he would be interested in guest authoring at the level measurement blog, but he gets paid to write and speak.  Any way, the book looks good but I haven't read it. 

The cost of the book is $250 and can be ordered from Amazon or click here.

Non-contact level sensors are a hot topic so this is why I thought you might be interested in this book.  However, contact level sensors (they are working on this book too) should never be ruled out and in fact I feel they are the best choice for most all applications. 

Open-air devices always have to deal with the internal vessel environment.  This especially true for powders.  I have found that the best technology available for continuous level measurement of powders is guided wave radar as this case history illustrates. 

And for granular plastics?  The leading technology is smart cable-based inventory monitors.  This is what ThomasNet can find on that subject.

Got an application you need to discuss?  Post a comment.  It's easy.

Joe Lewis

Technical industry blogs are not rampant, but there are some.  Why does this matter to you?  Because good blogs are a great source of technical data, application information and solutions to problems that you might have.  They can be, and typically are, more informative and less promotional than the typical manufacturers' website. 

What is a blog?  Well, you're reading a post at one of the leading industry blogs for powder and bulk solids.  A blog is typically a journal of postings on a certain subject.  Industry blogs tend to deal with technology, applications, technical product detail and problem solving rather than promotion.

In regards to instrumentation, and level sensors in particular, there have not been any blogs to speak of.  That has changed.  Just launched is the Level Measurement blog.  This blog discusses technology, applications and problem/solutions regarding level measurement.  It also has a post that will help you get the most out of RSS feeds and syndication by using a newsreader for your favorite blogs. 

Take a look and don't be afraid to post a comment.  No one is going to give you a hard sell as the primary mission of this, or any good blog, is to help you.

Joe Lewis
Vice President
Monitor Technologies LLC

Flyash is a result of the combustion process that takes place in coal fired power plants.  This ash is collected and disposed of.  However, in recent years use of flyash has increased.  Cement producers and concrete manufacturing batch plants all use flyash to enhance the composition and value of the product they produce.

However, flyash is collected and stored in silos at the power plant, cement plant and concrete batch plant and the inventory of this material needs to be monitored for various reasons.  Flyash is lightweight, low in dielectric constant and extremely dusty, especially during silo filling operations.  These characteristics present challenges to nearly every form of level measurement technology.  This makes obtaining a consistent, accurate and reliable measurement very difficult.... until now.

A new "white paper" is available that discusses the nature of flyash, why it is difficult to measure and where it is used.  This paper then proceeds to offer a solution for measuring and monitoring the level and inventory of this increasingly used and valuable commodity and by-product of coal-fired power plants.

Click here for access to this free "white paper" entitled "Flyash Level Measurement Solutions".

If you have any questions or comments about this free "white paper", please let me know.  Thanks!

Joe Lewis
Vice President
Monitor Technologies LLC
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.flexar.info
www.monitortech.com

Recently E-85 was added to the list of fuels being sold by two local Johnson Oil Shell fuel stations in the area in which I live.  For those of you that haven't been paying attention, gasoline prices have risen substantially in the past 24 months and Ethanol has become increasingly popular as an alternative fuel.  Auto manufacturers are ramping up to manufacture more and more FFV's (flexible fuel vehicles) that can run on "E-85", a fuel that is 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline.

E-85 is a lower cost fuel at the stations I have seen it offered at.  At these stations regular gasoline is priced at $3.09 per gallon while E-85 is $2.49 per gallon.  What vehicles can run on E-85?  How is Ethanol made?  Why is there so much energy (no pun intended) being put into ramping up the availability of Ethanol and E-85?  All of these, and more, questions can be answered by a quick review of a free "white paper" made available by Monitor Technologies LLC.

The "white paper" is available free of charge by visiting the web page and downloading it.  Click here.  In addition to information about the Ethanol industry, this white paper reviews the production process used in "dry mills" that produce Ethanol from corn.  The white paper also identifies key players in the design and construction of Ethanol production facilities and solutions available for monitoring and measuring various material levels within a typical Ethanol production facility.

Joe Lewis
Vice President
Monitor Technologics LLC
800-766-6486
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.monitortech.com
www.flexar.info

Finding the best level measurement solution for your bulk solids is not always simple and easy.  There are several different technologies to consider, including smart weight & cable, guided wave radar, ultrasonic, through-air radar and laser.  For the vast majority of bulk solids applications, especially for powders, the use of through-air technologies like ultrasonic, through-air radar and laser can be very problematic.  That leaves the smart weight & cable devices and guided wave radar as the most viable candidates.

When you need continuous measurement updates and prefer no moving parts, guided wave radar is your best choice.  Why?  Because, unlike most other technologies, radar technology is practically immune to process conditions such as temperature, pressure and atmospheric composition.  In addition, guided wave radar uses a continuous cable wave-guide to direct the radar pulses to the material surface.  The radar energy does not disperse, unlike through-air radar and ultrasonic.  This is important as only a small portion of microwaves will be reflected off the material surface.  The amount and strength of reflection is based on the dielectric constant of the target material.  The lower the dielectric constant, the less energy is reflected.  However, because the radar pulses are guided along the wave-guide stronger reflections exist than with through-air devices.  This is a major advantage of guided wave radar and is why it works!

Guided wave radar can effectively and reliably be used on challenging applications such as cement powder, flyash, slag powder and so many other bulk solid materials whether powder or granular.  And guided wave radar does not require high dielectric materials to work.  Guided wave radar, using TDR (time domain reflectometry) technology can measure materials with dielectrics as low as 1.4.

Need a solution?  Need a reliable and high-value level measurement system?  Look at today's guided wave radar units!

www.flexar.info

Joe Lewis
Monitor Technologies LLC
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.flexar.info
www.monitortech.com

Q.What’s a “white paper”?

A.The term “white paper” is derived from the term “white book” (a government publication of position/policy on a topic). Winston Churchill wrote one of the most well known white papers in 1922.  It stated Britain’s position regarding Palestine in the middle east.

www.palestinefacts.org/pf _mandate_whitepaper_1922.php

A white paper promotes a particular position or solution. White papers, though they have roots in politics, are a valuable tool to introduce technological innovations, products and solutions.  They are a tool for process engineers to use in assessing a vendor’s expertise.  White papers used in industry today are written to put forth a supplier's position and knowledge in a particular area of expertise, such as powder conveying, silo design or even level measurement and monitoring instrumentation.

A good industrial "white paper" will be somewhat generic in content and will not simply be a promotional story.  It will generally offer valueto the process engineer by providing information and education.  In will provide a recomendation or suggest a solution to a problem.

Monitor Technologies LLC is a leading supplier of level monitoring and flow detection solutions for powders and bulk solids.  Our solutions serve a wide variety of industries; including plastics processing, concrete and aggregates, grain and feed processing, food processing and others.

In addition, we are the leading producer of “white papers” for use by customers in better understanding specific topics related to instrumentation and specific level measurement for powders and bulk solids.  Our "white papers" are written as generic educational documents.  They illustrate our position on the subject.

For example, the white paper “Technology Review – Continuous Level Measurement of Bulk Solids and Powders” highlights the challenges in measuring the level of powders and bulk solids and the pros and cons of the various technologies available today.  It also discusses the challenges regarding “real world accuracy” in volume/weight terms and compares level measurement solutions to those provided by weighing systems.

In this white paper we conclude with a four-step guideline for use in selecting the correct solution for your specific application.  You can download this and other white papers at www.monitortech.com/papers.shtml.

As a senior member of ISA (Instrument Society of America) for the past couple of decades I get InTech magazine monthly.  A recent article in the November 2005 issue (pp 67) entitled "A level experience" indicated that "dumb switches" used for indicating the presence or absence of material at a predetermined point could not be provided with self-diagnostics and had no way of communicating whether they were working.  The article suggested that these point level indicators must be physically tested to ensure that they still work.  Is this really true?  These level indicators tend to be the least expensive, or at the very least a low cost, component within a storage or material handling system.  Can it be expected that they will have a long life (more than one year) and also be self-validating?

What happens when the $200 rotary paddle level indicator (click here) fails?  Or even the $300-400 RF capacitance point level sensor (click here)?  If these units are utilized as high level indicators, an overfill condition could occur if they have failed and you are not aware of it.  There could be damage to other expensive equipment such as filters and conveying systems or just a large clean-up job waiting for you.  If point level indicators are used for detecting a low level condition and they fail without any notice, then you might run out of material and lose production.  Either way, the failure of this low cost component without notification can cost you money and lost profits.

Coincidentally in the same issue of InTech magazine there is another article on pp 45 entitled "Beyond mere measurement".  This article discusses the benefits of field devices (level indicators are considered "field devices") with self-diagnostics and the use of asset management software to improve plant profitability.  In fact the article mentions a reference document/book entitled "An Introduction to Predictive Maintenance" (pp 46 of "Beyond mere measurement") where the author claims that in excess of $200 billion per year is spent on maintenance of plant and equipment in the USA alone.  He claims that this represents lost profits in excess of $60 billion!  Wow, that's a chunk of change!

So, what does that mean to us in the powder and bulk solids processing industries?  My point is simple.  Reliability of the least expensive components is very important.  It is worthwhile to consider a device that DOES incorporate reliable self-diagnostics.  But wait a minute, did the first article mentioned above say that dumb switches couldn't provide this?  Well, for powder and bulk solids point level detection this isn't the case. 

Truly fail-safe rotary paddle devices are commonly available from at least three or four sources.  The most reliable of these is the SafePoint fail-safe rotary paddle unit (click here) that uses patented Hall effect sensor technology to determine its own health status on a continuous basis.  In addition, a dedicated relay output is provided and the contacts can be monitored to inform you of a device failure.  Knowing whether the device is operational or whether it requires maintenance can save you a tremendous amount of time and money. 

Consider using a true fail-safe unit with reliable self-diagnostics.  I call these devices "self-validating" because they not only evaluate their health state but tell you what that state is.


Joe Lewis
Vice President
Monitor Technologies LLC
jlewis@monitortech.com
www.monitortech.com

Problem:  Selecting a continuous level measurement technology for your powder or bulk solid is not always a simple task. In fact many costly mistakes have been made, products taken out of service and costly rework has ensued. So, how do you avoid these mistakes or keep from making them again? I'd like to offer some assistance and the best thing I can think of is to share a white paper I recently published; "Technology Review - Level Measurement of Bulk Solids in Bins, Silos and Hoppers".  Click here to download this white paper.

Solution:  In this white paper we first discuss the challenges associated with continuous level measurement of powders and bulk solids. Next, we identify and review the pros and cons of each technology from a generic standpoint. This is based on our perspective as well as interviews with other manufacturers and users.

"Commodity" Defined

What defines a commodity?  One Webster definition is "a product of agriculture or mining".  In "industry" a commodity is typically thought of as an item that; 1) can be procurred from numerous sources, 2) is identical, no matter what the source of supply is, and 3) is procurred primarily on price.  A commodity is not thought of as an item where there exists strong differences between brands and sources of supply.

Applied To Level Controls?

Often buyers of level controls consider them to be a commodity, just as defined above.  It seems that industrial consumers look at level controls as though they are commodity items solely because there is several sources of supply and because level controls are all alike and perform the exact same function.  In addition, level controls are relatively low cost.  But is this true?

It is true that level controls are relatively inexpensive components.  It is also good judgement to consider the pricing of the component as a criteria for decision making (after all we are in business to make a profit).  However, applying commodity buying principles and judging level controls solely by price can be a risky venture.  This is because there exist several technologies and numerous brands in each technology segment.  There are typically multiple technologies and multiple brands available for each technology to solve each application need.  Each technology has pros and cons.  Each brand has different features and benefits, different quality, reliability and performance levels.  Each supplier can have very different service and business philosophies and procedures.  As the crusade knight told Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "choose wisely".  Level controls are not simple commodity items.

Can A Criticle Component Be A Commodity?

What happens when your level control fails to function properly?  The answer depends on the specific application and how the unit fails.  In addition, the solution provided by the level control can be either a point level or continuous level monitor. 

Many level control units are used in very critical applications where substantial costs can be incurred when the unit fails.  High level sensors keep bins and silos from overfilling and keep material from backing up into conveyor lines.  The maintenance cost if a unit fails and material spills and backs up can be sizeable in comparison to the cost of the level control itself.  In addition, lost production can occur and be even more costly.

Low level applications also can be critical.  They are typically used to signal that a vessel is empty or approaching empty so that additional material can be ordered/resupplied or so that process problems can be identified or operations terminated.  If the level sensor used for this purpose fails to operate correctly, production downtime can occur and production efficiencies can be diminished.

In the case of continuous level monitors these devices are used in applications where knowledge of the amount of material in a vessel at any given time is important to ensure supply of production material and to improve the efficiency of resupply.  When these devices fail to operate the result is similar to that of failing point level sensors.

Conclusion

Yes, a critical component can be a commodity.  There's no question about that in my mind.  However, level control sensors are not true commodities.  There are significant differences between the level sensor technologies that exist and differences in brand and suppliers.  I urge Engineers, other influencers and specifiers/purchasing decision makers to evaluate the technology choice, brand, and the source of supply very closely. 

Click for a FREE point level application review.

Any questions?  Post a comment, call or email me.


Joe Lewis
Vice President
Marketing & Sales
Monitor Technologies LLC
Phone: 800-766-6486 or +1-630-365-9403
Email: jlewis@monitortech.com

Ever had a choice of technologies to solve a particular problem? Like whether to use butter or an ice cube on a mild burn? How do you evaluate them? How do you make sure that the technology you decide upon works reliably? In the example of a burn the choice may seem clear, but in the processing, storage, handling and sensing of powders and bulk solids it isn’t always that clear-cut. However, understanding the selection process and the use of the latest animation software can simplify the task and make your job easier in some areas.

Disaster can strike at almost any facility that processes bulk materials.  Did you know that almost 70% of all powders are explosive?  I read that somewhere and it makes sense when you think of what it takes to create an explosion.

I recently found an interesting research article published as a set of web pages entitled "An Introduction To Dust Explosions".  It's published by the School of Engineering and Science in Edinburgh, Scottland in the United Kingdom.  So what does it take for a dust explosion?  According to this research article it takes the following:

What's needed for a dust explosion to occur?

• Combustible dust
• Airborne dust
• Dust distribution and size capable of flame propagation
• Dust concentration within explosible range
• Ignition source present
• An atmosphere that supports combustion, i.e. sufficient oxygen

This might describe many environments within your plant, right?  The subject of this article deals with only one of these elements, the ignition source.  In addition, I recommend you take a close look at the information presented by the School of Engineering and Science in Edinburgh, Scottland (click logo).

Ignition sources

There are many possible sources of ignition for a dust explosion.  These include the following:

• Open flames (welding, cutting, matches, etc)
• Hot surfaces (dryers, bearings, heaters, etc)
• Heat from mechanical impacts
• Electrical discharges
• Electrostatic discharges
• Smouldering or burning dust

Electrical equipment can create "electrical discharges" and possibly "electrostatic discharges".  With proper classification, manufacturing and installation of electrical equipment we can minimize problems created by electrical equipment during normal operation and during faults.  In the United States the National Electric Code (NEC) dictates requirements and their are several organizations and standards that can be utlized to help with the design of equipment that can be used in what is termed "hazardous areas".

One type of electrical equipment that may be found in hazardous areas is electronic instrumentation.  This includes, but is not limited to, point level indicators, continuous level measuring equipment, weighing sensors, as well as other instruments.

Free Whitepaper

When applying elecrtical instrumentation in a wide variety of industrial environments we must be aware of the type of area the instruments are being installed within.  Making sense of these classified areas can sometimes be difficult.  Download the free white paper for information and guidance regarding area classifications and required approvals for instrumentation.

In addition, whatever your "area classification" requirements may be, Monitor Technologies has a full line of level measuring and solids flow detecting instruments approved for use within most hazardous areas.  Take a look and let us put our creative solutions to work for you.

Credits:  the photo used in this blog is provided courtesy of Flamex, Inc. of Greensboro, NC.  An article with this photo can be found at their website.  Click here

Joe Lewis
Vice President - Marketing & Sales
Monitor Technologies LLC
Phone: 800-766-6486 or +1-630-365-9403
Email: jlewis@monitortech.com