Reliable Ultrasonic Flow Measurement on Cooling Water Pipes in Chemical Processes

Synthetic resins play an important role in a wide range of industries. DIC Performance Resins GmbH in Vienna is one of the leading manufacturers of synthetic resins. The company is engaged in the development and production of environmentally friendly high-performance resin systems and specializes in the study of surface technologies. Complex chemical reactions are used to create the desired polymer structure, which is crucial for the resin’s various properties and ultimately determines its suitability for different applications in areas such as paints, printing inks, industrial coatings, automotive components, and more. To ensure consistent product quality, continuous and precise process control of parameters such as temperature and pressure is necessary.

Over the course of its operational life, the cooling system—which is responsible for maintaining the process temperature—has experienced a gradual decline in performance, necessitating an upgrade. To restore the cooling system’s efficiency, it was necessary to take measurements of individual lines within the system to calculate the load on the entire network. This makes it possible to rebalance the installed units within the existing piping infrastructure. 

The challenge was to find a suitable non-invasive flow meter that offers a high level of safety. Safety was a top priority for the process managers at DIC Performance Resins, as the production process for synthetic resins involves the use of highly flammable solvents, among other substances. The generation of sparks—such as those caused by inadequately protected equipment—must be avoided at all costs.

Furthermore, only temporary measurements were required, which favored the selection of a non-intrusive flow meter. In the worst-case scenario, opening up pipelines—and thus interfering with sensitive processes in chemical production facilities—is either impossible or entails costly and time-consuming approval procedures.

In the search for a suitable device, the responsible process engineer opted for the explosion-proof KATflow 170 clamp-on flowmeter from Katronic. The stationary flow measurement system is used for temporary measurements on a DN 50 steel pipeline with a flow velocity of approximately 2.0 m³/s, in a medium temperature range of -20 to +35 °C.

Using the integrated acoustic sensor positioning assistant and thanks to clamp-on technology, the user positions the stainless steel sensors at the correct spacing on the pipeline using metal straps. 

After an employee at DIC Performance Resins GmbH gained initial experience with the ATEX-certified device, the user reported that, after just a few tests, the desired information on flow rates in the pipelines was gathered “quickly and easily,” and the corresponding calculations were performed. Initial reference measurements gave the user confidence in the reliability of the KATflow 170’s measurement results.