FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FLOW MEASUREMENT SERVICES VS FULL THERMAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSSMENT
Q. We have our own staff of thermal performance engineers. Can we just subcontract the flow measurement services to WH Technologies?
A. Absolutely, we can interface with your staff of thermal performance engineers and provide flow measurement data in spreadsheet format tables and/or in report form. Or, we can tailor the services to meet the customers needs up to and including full turn-key. We have experienced plant performance engineers and scientists who can fulfill those roles. Or, we can also sell the USCCFM product and train your staff to take flow readings.
BENEFITS OF CALIBRATING PRIMARY FLOW ELEMENTS IN THERMAL PLANTS
Q. What are the benefits of calibrating the primary flow elements in a thermal plant?
A. For the case of a coal fired plant, calibrating the primary flow elements which can be subject to erosion or fouling (Industry experience indicates that nozzle fouling can introduce as much as 4% measurement error, resulting in the corresponding reduction in plant efficiency.) In order to meet increasingly stringent environmental compliance of existing fossil power plants there is a growing trend to dispatch only the most efficient stations first. Can you afford to fall to the bottom of the list of less efficient stations? More
For the case of gas or oil fired stations the cost of fuel may be a consideration by achieving a higher efficiency since many plants are not immune to erosion or fouling of the primary flow elements. Consider it similar to a tune-up.
CLAMPED-ON TRANSDUCER
Q. How is the transducer clamped onto the pipe?
A. WH Technologies has various designs available for the transducer frames and are dependent on the pipe diameter (OD). The frame or block separates the transducers by a distance equal to the correlation length and the transducers are in contact with the pipe. No gel is required for installation. CAD drawings are also available for those customers who want to build their own frames. More
MULTIPLE FLOW MEASUREMENT POINTS
Q. I have many flow measurement points which require very accurate flow measurements that can be traceable to national standards. Other clamp on ultrasonic flowmeters cannot provide the accuracy I need. Is there an economical approach that reduces the capital cost of the USCCFM and in turn the overall plant capital cost?
A. There are two approaches that utilities and industrial plants have implemented. Some have permanent installations of the frames and transducers on the pipes and they move a portable USCCFM during testing and calibration of those measurement points. They simply connect the transducer cables. They then move the portable USCCFM to the next set of permanently installed frames and transducers. More
In some instances they may need to monitor many points in a more permanent installation and input them into a control computer or SCADA system for control or trending purposes. This can be achieved by using the USCCFM multiplexer. Consult the factory for your application (typical MUX is dual input 4 to 1 effectively providing 8 to 1 channels about 800 feet apart). Our staff of experienced Instrumentation and Control engineers can review your process and reliability requirements and suggest an economical but highly accurate configuration.