The non-intrusive ultrasonic meter (clamp-on) from Siemens/Controlotron obtained excellent results in measurements of ore slurry and water with suspended solids, according to tests carried out with the portable meter acquired by a new customer.
For this application, non-intrusive Reflexor type transducers were used, which use the measurement principle by the Doppler effect, ideal for applications with solids. “The Reflexor performed accurate measurements of slurries from 5% to 95% of solids.” said Rafael Amarante, Product Manager at Fluxo.
Siemens/Controlotron Reflexor transducers showed superior efficiency in measuring slurry with suspended solids, compared to those using the transit time measurement principle, which lose signal as the amount of solids increases. For these applications, electromagnetic meters are generally used, which need to be replaced after one or two years of use, as the fluid itself damages the meter components. Non-intrusive ultrasonic meters (clamp-on) do not have contact with the fluid, which maintains its useful life in at least ten years, reaching up to more than 30, as is the case with some meters still in operation.
Another great advantage of the Siemens/Controlotron meter is the option of having two transducer channels in the same equipment, one with transit time transducers and the other with doppler effect transducers, with the possibility of the meter using the channel that is working best . When the fluid is free of solids, the meter uses the transit time, which has a higher accuracy, with 0.5% of uncertainty. If the amount of solids increases and the transit time starts to lose signal, the meter automatically uses the Doppler transducer, which offers 95 to 98% of reliability. In this way, the user does not lose measurement at any time, regardless of the process conditions.