Since steam is a gas , whose volume is affected by temperature and pressure , the raw flow readings from the vortex meter required separate compensation calculations to be interpreted accurately . In this case , separate inputs from the vortex meter , a resistance temperature detector ( RTD ), and a pressure transmitter all feed into an algorithm in the digital control system ( DCS ), where the compensating calculations are performed .
By contrast , the replacement V-Cone meter included differential pressure , temperature compensation , and pressure compensation in one unit , so it could calculate and transmit accurate readings even at low flow . The unit in turn provided a temperature-compensated and pressure-compensated 4-20 mA signal to the DCS system . It used two DP cells — one focused on the low range ( 0 to 50 percent ) and one on the high range ( 51 to 100 percent ) — to deliver + 0.5 percent accuracy from zero to full scale ( 10,000 m3 / hr ) with turndown ratios as high as 50:1 .
FAVOURABLE PERFORMANCE = FAVOURABLE OUTCOMES
Once the V-Cone concept was proved at the first brewery , it was then rolled out to similar applications at several related breweries . The practical outcomes gained from switching to the V-Cone meter ( Fig 2 ) provided the brewer with multiple benefits :
• The high turndown ratio on the V-Cone operation lets the brewer maintain precise readings at high temperatures to bring the wort to a boil and constantly refine the simmer to maintain a lower temperature toward the end of the cycle .
• Knowing the correlation of steam volume to process temperature provided a timelier understanding of the heating process , without delays that can be introduced by direct temperature sensing methods .
• The breweries experienced an average 40 percent reduction in steam consumption derived from the fact that they :
22 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
• were not running the boilers unfettered at maximum heat to start the process ,
• were not overrunning targeted boil temperatures in the middle of the process , and
• were able to use proportional integral derivative ( PID ) control to sustain a lower but more consistent cooking temperature after the initial boil .
• A totalizer on each V-Cone package collected analogue readings at userdirected intervals and wrote those readings to digital files for process monitoring and subsequent analysis .
Fig 2 . The V-Cone meter circled in this photo eliminates the need for extended straight pipe length requirements upstream and downstream of the meter . The previously used vortex meter still visible in the background had suffered from turbulence caused by the lack of sufficient straight-run piping .
Beyond process efficiency , another valuable advantage to global brewing organizations is the ability to maintain a very steady and repeatable process from brewery to brewery , country to country , and continent to continent . Doing so helps them maintain consistent product quality and a clean , crisp flavour for their flagship brands .
The V-Cone meter ’ s ability to fit easily into existing infrastructure can also contribute to both improved capital expense ( CAPEX ) and operating expense ( OPEX ) spending .
HOW A V-CONE METER REDUCES COMPROMISE
Whether an application involves steam , gas , or a non-viscous liquid in brewing or other industrial processes , the nature of a V-Cone DP meter eliminates many of the limitations of other meter designs . Because the shape of the cone within the pipeline conditions the flow around the periphery of the pipe ( Fig 3 ), it eliminates any pre-existing turbulence in the upstream flow to protect reading accuracy . This makes the V-Cone design an attractive and affordable choice for + 0.5 percent accuracy even in congested piping configurations featuring elbows ( single or double ), valves , step downs , and other structures that can create havoc for other types of meters . This video demonstrates those V-Cone principles in practice . `
Fig 3 . The V-Cone centrally located within the pipe reshapes the upstream