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GENERAL PROCESS - REF. #GP013 | View PDF
INTRODUCTION
Pumps, turbines, and compressors have rotating shafts with bearings and seals. Lubricant is fed to these bearings and seals to ensure proper operation. Since most of these machines represent a large capital expense, they are rarely installed with redundancy and the failure of a lubricant system can be catastrophic to the equipment and to the process. In the case of very large equipment, lubricant starvation can result in many thousands of dollars of damage.
THE CHALLENGE
Many users employ transmitting variable area (VA) meters to confirm lube oil flow. These devices produce an analog output that is proportional to flow and are adequate for a number of applications. For critical or extremely expensive rotating equipment such as a catalyst centrifuge, however, variable area meters present several limitations. First, the meters are susceptible to oil viscosity changes that can arise from temperature, oil brand, or other conditions. Second, these devices are unable to detect changes in oil quality. For example, if the lube oil becomes contaminated with water, a VA meter won’t detect this and a catastrophic failure may ensue.
THE BROOKS SOLUTION
The Brooks Instrument QUANTIM Coriolis Mass Flow Meter (QMBM) with dual outputs can be utilized to serve and protect a critical lubricant system.
The QUANTIM is a miniature, Coriolis-based mass flow meter that measures the true mass of lube oil being delivered by the lubrication system. As a direct mass measurement device, QUANTIM is impervious to changes in oil viscosity. Therefore, the instrument permits users to precisely monitor the exact mass of lubricant delivered.
Even more important for critical applications is QUANTIM’s ability to provide a simultaneous density measurement of the fluid flowing through it to an accuracy of 0.005 grams/cc. This density value is extremely valuable for diagnostically monitoring the condition of the oil. If the density varies outside of control limits, it could be indicative of particulate contamination, oil breakdown, or entrained water.
 Brooks QUANTIM is ruggedly designed for NEMA-1/IP40 or NEMA-4X/IP65 ingress protection requirements. The device features Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C, and D approval for use in hazardous areas and carries an ambient temperature operating range of 0OC to 65OC…all in a physical package that is merely 1.5” wide by 4.5” long by 6.25” tall. Two 4-20mA outputs are available to provide simultaneous mass flow and density information.
Both the flow and the density can be inputted into the Emerson Asset Management Solution (AMS) software and alarms can be generated very easily. |
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