August 2007 : PZP

Light Powders and Plastics are Easy to Sense

Elburn, IL -- Monitoring the high and low level of lightweight powders and plastic materials is critical to your process and difficult for most all level sensors to detect. Lightweight materials have little density, down to 1.25 pcf, and most often the dielectric constant of the material is very low as well. Traditional rotary paddle sensors won't work, and most RF capacitance sensors and tuning fork devices will be challenged as well.

Monitor Technologies is pleased to announce the availability of its Model PZP vibratory point level sensor with a single diamond-shape probe element and sensitivity to detect materials as light as 1.25 pounds per cubic foot. The single probe element eliminates false signaling associated with bridging material in tuning fork devices. The diamond shape probe can help shed material and assist in applications where material may tend to cling to the probe. The PZP comes available in a standard probe length as well as with pipe or cable extensions. In addition, a remote electronics option makes the sensor viable for higher temperature or high vibration applications.

Monitor Technologies LLC is a leading supplier of level measurement and monitoring instrumentation for the worldwide powder and bulk solids market. The experience and market knowledge gained over five decades has earned Monitor a reputation for providing high quality and reliable product solutions. Monitor is located in Elburn Illinois, give us a call today and let us put our creative solutions to work for you!

For more information refer to www.monitortech.com or contact Ms. Emily Jones at 1-800-766-6486 (630-365-9403).

SiloPatrol^® SE
Measuring coal powder levels when nothing else will work ….

Coal-fired power plants are commonplace around the world.  In order for these power generating stations to create huge amounts of electricity the turbines need to be feed with steam and the steam created by boilers that are fired by … yep, coal.  But coal as it comes from the mining operations is not what is fed to the burners.  First it is ground or pulverized into powder.  It is not unusual for the coal powder to be stored in silos awaiting the demand for it to be fed to the burners.  The inventory of coal powder in these silos needs to be monitored to allow for efficient operation of the power plant.

So, how do we monitor the inventory of coal powder in a silo?  Not easily.  In one typical application the power plant personnel found that the only technology that would work reliably is the modern smart weight & cable system from Monitor Technologies LLC, the SiloPatrol^® SE.

Anhui Tongling power plant in Anhui province in China had tried almost ever technology possible to get a reliable level measurement in their 5 coal powder silos.  Radar, ultrasonic and others were tried, but none worked reliably.  It wasn’t until Beijing Conasen walked in and proposed that the Tongling plant use the SiloPatrol SE smart cable-based inventory monitoring system that the power plant personnel found a reliable solution.

Mr. William Yuan, sales manager for Beijing Conasen indicates that the power plant tried many major brands of ultrasonic, radar, and other technologies but that due to good relations with the Tongling plant personnel he was able to sell three SiloPatrol SE model SMU sensors and an HMI operator interface to them.  The units were installed by plant personnel.  Because of the heavy amount of coal dust in the silos an air purge using dry compressed air was used.  The SiloPatrol sensor incorporates the patent-pending use of Hall-effect sensor technology, a split-compartment enclosure, microcontroller, redundant optics and many other valuable features and technology to ensure reliable measurement even in challenging dust applications like coal powder.

The SiloPatrol SE system has been working reliably and the plant has since purchased two additional sensors and connected them into the same HMI operator interface.  This same sensor technology is working reliably at other coal-fired power stations in China as well.

For more information on the SiloPatrol SE click here or contact Monitor Technologies LLC at 800-766-6486 in the USA and 630-365-9403 worldwide.

>>Click here for more information about SiloPatrol SE from Monitor Technologies.
>>Download Product Bulletin 343A