Precise pressure pulse measurement: avoid damage, optimize operation
Dangerous pressure peaks can occur in piping systems and tanks due to rapid switching operations, blockages or the sudden closing of valves. These short pulses act directly on actuators, valves and fittings and can cause considerable damage, leading to costly failures. Conventional control systems are often unable to reliably detect these extremely fast pressure pulses. The Delphin measuring devices have been specially developed for the precise detection and analysis of such pressure pulses and enable operators to monitor processes reliably, detect faults at an early stage and optimize plant operation in the long term.
What advantages does a pressure pulse measurement with Delphin offer you?
- Avoid damage: Reliably detect pressure peaks before they damage valves and fittings.
- Control processes more efficiently: Analyze pressure curves and reaction times to optimize processes.
- Increase operational safety: Identify faults at an early stage and avoid downtimes.
- Simple integration: Delphin measuring devices can be flexibly connected to sensors and existing systems and are easy to configure.
- Evaluate data in an understandable way: Visualize measurement results with the ProfiSignal software and make well-founded decisions.
- Targeted maintenance planning: Optimize maintenance and repair intervals based on precise measurement data.
Pressure pulses are of great importance for monitoring and optimizing the functionality and performance of systems. Typical areas of application are
- Pressure pulse measurement on actuators, valves and fittings
- Pressure oscillation measurement in combustion processes
- Measurement of transient pressure drops and pulses in piping systems
- Start-up pressure oscillation measurement
Practical example of a pressure pulse measurement
Pressure pulse measurement on gate valves for damage analysis and process optimization
A medium-sized manufacturer of industrial valves has equipped a production plant abroad with control valves that are responsible for precise control procedures in the process. After commissioning, the end customer repeatedly complains about damage to the valves, resulting in failures and downtimes during operation. The manufacturer's service department suspects that the cause is pressure peaks that do not comply with the specifications, which can be caused by rapid switching operations or process faults in the piping system. However, the previously installed PLC with connected standard pressure sensor cannot detect these short-term pressure pulses, as its resolution and sampling frequency are not sufficient for these rapid events.
To analyze the causes, the service department installs a LogMessage system directly on the pressure sensor in parallel to the existing PLC. This measuring system enables high-resolution, autonomous recording of pressure curves with precise time recording in the millisecond range. During a measurement phase lasting several days, pressure curves and pulse peaks are recorded during operation and stored independently without affecting the existing control system.
The evaluation of the recorded data clearly shows that pressure peaks repeatedly occur that are well above the permissible specifications of the fittings used and are the cause of the damage. On the basis of these precise measurement results, the manufacturer can communicate with the end customer in a well-founded manner and explain the responsibility in a comprehensible manner. As a direct consequence, the process sequence is adapted in consultation with the end customer and equipped with suitable damping elements to limit pressure peaks. By using the Delphin LogMessage system, the manufacturer was not only able to clearly identify the cause of the damage, but also improve the end customer's process reliability, reduce downtime and extend the service life of the gate valves in the long term.