At a time when energy costs are soaring, controlling and optimizing consumption is becoming critical for manufacturers. The key is to be able to quantify the various energy-consuming items. The package offered by Endress+Hauser, based on non-intrusive measurements, quantifies energy-intensive items, and stands out for its ease of implementation. It's a quick and easy solution for any company.
For years, large-scale energy-consuming manufacturers have been monitoring the consumption of their utilities (gas, electricity, hot water, steam, compressed air, etc.), whether to comply with the ISO 50001 standard and/or to save money. The availability of accurate, reliable information enables them not only to monitor consumption in real time, but also to optimize their processes.
However, the majority of smaller industrial sites had not yet taken the plunge. The major constraints involved in installing a fixed on-line metering system, including scheduling, production stoppages, boiler-making work (cutting, flange mounting) and the associated costs, often represent a barrier.
Sharp rise in demand
"But the situation has changed in recent months, with a significant acceleration in demand. Because of the explosion in energy-related costs, companies are looking for ways to know, for example, the quantity of energy consumed per production line, per workshop, or even per machine, and not just the overall quantity, with a view to deciding more rapidly on the reduction actions to be taken."says Claude Schelcher, Energy & Energy Transition Market Manager at Endress+Hauser France.
To instrument production lines, non-intrusive measurement is a quicker and easier solution than flowmeters and other fixed meters. "With a clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter and surface temperature probes, the company no longer has to shut down its plant to set up these measurement points."Claude Schelcher.
Mounting is made even simpler thanks to a coded ruler for easy adjustment of the distance between sensors, coupling pads and the Flow DC option, now available with the new-generation platform.
"To ensure that the transducers are firmly attached to the pipe, we prefer coupling pads to paste, which can cause a loss of signal as it ages. In this case, the sensors have to be dismantled and the paste reapplied to avoid loss of measurement. The Flow DC option, on the other hand, drastically reduces upstream and downstream straight lengths, to just 2DN instead of the 10 or 30DN required depending on the upstream disturbance."explains Claude Schelcher.
Although the measurement accuracy of a clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter is not as good as that of an intrusive model, it is sufficiently accurate to determine the energy consumed by a production line or machine over a given period, or to monitor a trend. "What's more, the flowmeter incorporates Heartbeat technology, which enables it to be checked for correct operation without having to be dismantled or the system in which it is installed having to be shut down."says Claude Schelcher.
A complete package for non-intrusive energy measurement
Clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter Prosonic Flow W400 for DNs from 15 to 4000; measurement range from 0 to 15 m/s; measurement dynamics greater than 150:1; on-board Heartbeat technology; Flow DC option
Two TST602 surface temperature sensors: measurement range from -20 to +200 °C with PT100 or 4...20 mA output
EngyCal RH33 energy calculator: recorder and energy meter for hot/cold water or water/glycol mixtures or other thermal fluids, with Modbus or Ethernet output for simplified integration.