Innovative Solution for a Biomass Power Plant

Flow is a critical process for the operation of power plants and combined heat and power (CHP) facilities. It is essential for keeping these systems running efficiently and safely, regardless of whether the fluid is oil, demineralized water, or seawater. As part of a project by Katronic U-F-M’s sales partner responsible for the Benelux market, several flow meters were to be installed at Europe’s largest biomass power plant, the Amercentrale. However, a common problem in power plants is that permanently installed flow meters become inaccurate over time or fail entirely. Replacing such a device requires completely shutting down and draining the pipeline. This is not only time-consuming and costly—as it leads to plant downtime and an increased need for labor—but could also entail unforeseeable difficulties. In the case of a nuclear power plant, such a replacement might even be impossible. The goal of the project was to take measurements on large, corroded steel pipes where the use of an invasive flow meter would have been neither practical nor cost-effective due to the flow conditions.

In this case, clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters are the perfect solution for energy utilities. They can be retrofitted to any flow system without having to shut down and drain the pipeline during installation.

The use of the portable KATflow 200 proved to be successful. With the help of the Katronic flow meter, U-F-M was able to achieve satisfactory results despite the size of the pipe and the presence of particles in the water. Amercentrale praised its accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility.