Flow Measurement of Diluted Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) is used as a nitrogen supplying fertilizer in the agricultural industry. It is solid under ambient conditions. Upon dilution with water, it dissociates in positive ammonia ions and negative nitrate ions that can directly be absorbed by plants.
During the production process, the flow of the soluted ammonium nitrate has to be measured at around 190°C. Due to the failure of previously used magnetic inductive flow meters with ceramic liners, which have not been able to cope with the thermal stress, a plant operator of a fertilizer plant in the Netherlands called upon FLEXIM for several test measurements with a portable FLUXUS ultrasonic flow meter.
By simply attaching the high temperature transducers on the outside pipe wall, the measurement system never gets into contact with the medium. It is thus totally wear free and not subject to any failures.
The precise and reliable clamp-on flow measurement at such high temperatures convinced the customer and subsequently the magnetic inductive systems were replaced by FLEXIM's stationary FLUXUS ultrasonic clamp-on flow meters.
Advantages
- Precise and reliable clamp-on flow measurement at high temperatures
- Measurement independent of thermal stresses or mechanical tension inside the pipe
- No clogging through possible product solidification at decreasing temperatures
- No plant shut-down for installation - virtually no maintenance required
