Advanced instruments such as the Rosemount 3051 Pressure Transmitter from Emerson not only provide outstanding accuracy and reliability but are also easier to install, commission, configure, maintain and use compared to more basic devices.
Accurate and reliable pressure measurement is crucial in ensuring safety and process optimization in the chemical industry. Applications are often relatively straightforward in nature, enabling companies to minimize costs by implementing quite basic instrumentation. However, in some more critical and complex applications, the functionality provided by advanced pressure measurement technologies can create significant benefits for users. Although these devices are easier to install, configure, maintain and use, the need to undertake a change management process at a time of reduced personnel numbers and loss of in-house experience can create a reluctance to invest in new technology. Therefore, continuing to deploy older and more basic types of instruments has often been seen as the easiest choice, even though the total cost of ownership can be higher due to more complicated, labor-intensive and time-consuming installation, maintenance and proof-testing.
In contrast, advanced pressure measurement instruments, such as the Rosemount 3051 Pressure Transmitter from Emerson, not only provide outstanding accuracy and reliability, but are also easier to install, commission, configure, maintain and use. For example, the user interface of the Rosemount 3051 provides a straightforward, task-based menu structure, with built-in buttons enabling configuration in just a couple of clicks. With plants potentially having thousands of devices to configure, this functionality can save many personnel hours and significantly reduce costs. In addition, Bluetooth connectivity eliminates the need for a physical connection via a cable. This enables configuration and maintenance to be performed from a distance, saving time and further reducing costs.
When pressure transmitters are deployed in safety instrumented systems, they must be proof-tested at regular intervals to verify that they are working correctly and ensure safety standard compliance. Proof-tests have traditionally been time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly, but to simplify the procedure, save time and reduce costs, the Rosemount 3051 provides guides that easily lead users through the steps required to perform either partial or comprehensive proof-tests.
Poorly performing devices can impact the safety and efficiency of operations. Any issues with pressure measurement devices therefore need to be identified as quickly as possible. The Rosemount 3051 has built-in diagnostics that continuously monitor electrical loops and impulse lines, enabling proactive measures to be taken before abnormal conditions impact process quality. Early detection and correction of issues also enables maintenance to be scheduled during planned downtime, which minimizes disruption and avoids additional costs.
An application that typically incurs high installation and maintenance costs is level measurement in distillation columns. For many years this has relied on traditional differential pressure (DP) technologies within wet leg and dry leg applications. These technologies, which use impulse piping as well as capillary-based solutions, are well-understood, but also have certain disadvantages. Impulse lines are prone to plugging and can freeze in extreme cold, while DP transmitters with remote seals and capillaries have a limited measurement range and are extremely difficult to install. Capillary systems are complicated to calibrate and maintain, have a relatively slow response time, and are sensitive to temperature changes, vibrations and physical stress. Capillaries are also fragile and prone to damage from physical impacts. If a seal is damaged, the complete capillary system must be replaced, making inventory costs high. With all these challenges, the cost of installing a DP transmitter with capillaries can be five times higher than the cost of the device itself.
A modern solution that improves this application is a measurement system based on electronic remote sensors (ERS), such as the Rosemount 3051S ERS System from Emerson. Rather than using a single DP transmitter with mechanical impulse piping or capillary, ERS systems use two pressure sensors connected with non-proprietary electrical wire that is immune to the effects of temperature variations. The DP is calculated in one of the two sensors and transmitted to the distributed control system or a PLC using a standard two-wire 4-20 mA HART signal. By removing mechanical connections, ERS systems not only provide a faster response time than traditional DP technologies but are also easier to install and less complex to maintain, thus reducing costs. A drastic reduction in installation time is achieved by replacing difficult-to-install impulse piping with electrical wire, making installation costs 60% lower than those of DP transmitters with capillaries. Additionally, while cold weather installations of impulse piping and capillaries often require heat tracing or insulation to prevent freezing, electrical wire does not require heat tracing or insulation, which significantly reduces installation costs.
In applications that have high levels of pressure and vibration, mechanical instruments such as Bourdon tube gauges are typically used to provide pressure monitoring and control. These simple devices can be cost-effective in some applications but have limitations that make them less suitable for critical applications where high accuracy, real-time monitoring and data integration capabilities are vital. Bourdon tube gauges are susceptible to the effects of extreme temperatures, humidity, vibration and shock, which can make a gauge difficult to read. This might lead to inaccurate readings which could affect product quality and impact profitability. They are also sensitive to overpressure and lack diagnostics, creating a safety risk for personnel. In challenging applications, they may require additional options such as syphons, seals and glycol fill, which raises costs. In addition, their components wear out over time, creating a high failure rate and necessitating regular maintenance and calibration. Furthermore, mechanical gauges only provide a visual display and lack digital output options. This means that manual readings and data recording are required, which is time-consuming, laborious, costly and prone to human error.
Electronic wireless devices, such as the Rosemount Wireless Pressure Gauge from Emerson, support increased reliability by replacing Bourdon tube gauges with a solid state pressure sensor based on piezoresistive technology. Wireless gauges provide correct pressure information even in high-pressure and high-vibration environments, and reduce costs by delivering up to 10 years of maintenance-free operation. These devices feature a large dial, making it easy for personnel to accurately read pressure levels, while a blinking diagnostics LED provides localized indication that a device is operating correctly. In addition, WirelessHART communication technology enables them to deliver reliable pressure readings and device health status back to the control room as often as once per minute, supporting the central logging of historical data, improved maintenance planning and reduced costs.
To learn more, visit www.Emerson.com/pressure.
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