Pharmaceutical Industry User Application Guide

Pharmaceut i ca l Industry

User Appl i cat ion Guide

The mass flow experts for flow, level

and temperature instrumentation

YEARSOF

SERVICE

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rom the early 1960s, Fluid Components Internationalrecognized the need for flow and level instrumentationwhich met specific customer requirements and

demands for the Pharmaceutical Industry. By utilizing ThermalDispersion and Coriolis technology exclusively in all FCI flow,level, interface, temperature switches and mass flow meters, ourproducts solve typical Pharmaceutical Industry applicationchallenges with standard product features such as: No moving parts All welded materials of construction Direct mass flow measurement No pressure drop Explosion-proof design Wide flow range Low flow capability

By closely monitoring the everchanging requirements for thePharmaceutical Industry, FCI has maintained its reputation asthe technology leader with new product features such as: Modern digital communications with HART, Modbus,

Profibus, Ethernet and ASI Fail-safe mode selection per Namur NE43 Compliance with the latest approval requirements

of FM, CSA, CRN, ATEX, CE Mark, and PED Application focused marketing and engineering research

and design Secondary sealed flow element sensor design Integral flow conditioners Two-wire loop-power flow, level and

interface detection

FCI Pharmaceutical Industry customers Abbott Labs Wyeth Labs Merck Pfizer Bristol-Myers Eli Lilley Roche Millipore Sani-Matic Pharmacia & Upjohn

FCI Pharmaceutical Industry customers forEngineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Kvaerner Foster Wheeler Fluor Daniel Raytheon Stork Lurgi ABB Lummus Technip

Solv ing cr i t i ca l process appl i cat ions for the Pharmaceut i ca l Industry

Monitoring air flow and temperature

Food processors require proper air flow to ensure optimumgrowth and high quality of many products, for example -- yeast,cheeses, etc. A reliable and accurate flow meter for this applicationis FCI’s ST98 FlexMASSter® Series. The ST98 is installed on the air inletline to the batching vessel to monitor inlet air flow and temperature.The 4-20mA output may be used to input the plant distributed controlsystem or programmable controller.

Amgen Bayer AG Bayer USA Ciba-Geigy Hoechst Celanese Hoffman LaRoche Immunex Schering Plough Searle

Mustang Engineering Kellogg Brown & Root KTI AMEC Stone & Webster Jacobs Engineering Howe-Backer

Monitoring hydrogen bleed-off

Measuring hydrogen flow to a hydrogenation reactor is crucial inthe manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Reduced hydrogen consumptionby the process is a critical indication of the completion of thebatching process. The ST98L FlexMASSter Series, with its wide turn-down, is ideal for measuring flow during both the high demandbatching process and the low demand at the completion of thebatch. A second critical factor in this process is reducing hydrogenleaks to safe limits. An integrated system of FCI’s inline mass flowmeters is required to continuously measure the hydrogen flow. TheST98L provides accurate indications of uptakes of hydrogen in thereaction process. And coupled with a wide range totalizer, our systemwill serve as a much needed safety interlock by initiating a shut-down sequence to manage hydrogen bleed-off.

Nitrogen tank blanketing/monitoring

Applicable in a variety of manufacturing industries, tank blanketingis being used worldwide. A low pressure “blanket” of inert gas,usually nitrogen, is injected into the vapor space of a storage tankabove the liquid. The primary reason this is done is to avoid emis-sion of toxic fumes, and prevent fire or explosion. FCI’s ST98LFlexMASSter Series installed upstream of the tank regulator monitorsnitrogen flow rates. An FCI FLT93S FlexSwitch® Series can also beadded to detect relief valve venting. With its standard dual switchpoint feature, it may be set to detect both the valve fully open and aleaking condition if it fails to seal properly.

Monitoring heating, ventilation andair conditioning (HVAC) systems

FCI has been a major supplier of flow switch/monitors for HVACsystems since 1978. Selected for its reliability and sensitivity, theFLT93F is available to meet standard industrial and commercialHVAC requirements. Models can be supplied for detecting at ratesas low as 0.25ft/sec -- compared with differential pressure andmechanical flow detectors that become insensitive below 30ft/sec.By directly sensing flow, the FLT93F FlexSwitch Series is able todetect filter blockage, blocked ducts and other failures not detectedby blower current monitoring detectors.

Compressed air flow monitoring

Frequently, in a plant environment, there is a controller that monitorsthe use of compressed air within the facility. The controller auto-matically determines the optimum number of compressor unitsthat need to be in operation at any given time to handle the facilityload. By only operating the units that the demand requires, atremendous amount of energy is saved. The demand is determinedby the total mass flow of air used by the plant, and FCI’s ST98FlexMASSter Series is designed specifically for this purpose. Thecontroller then sets the compressor usage based on the mass flowrate indicated by the ST98.

Low flow monitoring

Carbon dioxide is used in the bottling process to displace air fromcontainers during filling and capping. Velocity flow meters are notsuitable for this application because they are not able to accuratelymeasure the widely varying mass flow rates encountered in start-upand low production periods. FCI’s ST98 FlexMASSter Series has thelow flow sensitivity required for these start-up and low flow rates,as well as wide turndown capability to handle normal productionrates for accurate accounting and quality control.

Low flow switching

In the bottling business, there are many critical applications thatdepend on reliable indication of liquid flow. These include pre-venting carbon dioxide addition, stopping the bottling line, or shuttingdown chillers or refrigerant systems upon loss of product flow.FCI's FLT93C Sanitary FlexSwitch and FS2000L NuTec® inline flowswitches are specifically designed to provide the highest level ofdependability and cleanliness in these critical applications.

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CI introduced the first thermalflow switch /monitor in 1964and has since established a

worldwide reputation for the design andproduction of precision high performanceflow, level and temperature instrumentation.With reliability second to none, FCI hasplaced over 200,000 units in the fieldcovering the full range of liquid, gas andslurry process requirements. FCI productsservice some of the world's most demandingprocesses in industries such as food &beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, oiland gas, pulp and paper, power and energy,water and wastewater, nuclear power,aerospace and more. FCI offers a broadrange of instrumentation solutions andservices, from off-the-shelf devices to customengineered systems. FCI's engineeringstaff provides expertise in mechanical,electronic and thermo-dynamic disciplinesoffering innovative solutions to specializedcustomer application needs, configurationobjectives, software enhancements, andmaterial problems.

Thermal Dispersion principleThe typical sensing element contains twothermowell-protected precision platinumResistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs).When placed in the process stream, oneRTD is heated and the other RTD senses theprocess temperature. The temperaturedifference between the two RTDs is relatedto the process flow rate as well as the

properties of the process media. Higherflow rates or denser media cause increasedcooling of the heated RTD and a reductionin the RTD temperature difference.

FlexSwitch® FLT93 SeriesThe FLT93 Series utilizes proprietary thermaldispersion technology to provide the highestreliability in flow, level and temperaturedetection. The sensing element is composedof two matched RTD's. One RTD is prefer-entially heated. The other RTD is unheatedand thermally isolated to provide continuousprocess condition temperature and baselineindication. At no flow or under dry condi-tions, the temperature differential betweenthe two RTDs is greatest.

For flow / no flow detectionNo-flow conditions produce a large signal.As flow increases, the heated RTD iscooled and proportionally reduces thetemperature differential. Changes in flowvelocity directly affect this rate of heatdissipation. An electronic circuit normalizesthe differential measurement with theprocess media temperature and converts

the RTD temperature/resistance differentialinto a DC voltage signal. This signal isprovided at output terminals and used todrive two adjustable setpoint alarm circuitsthat are independently field configurablefor specific flow service applications.

For liquid level /interface detection Dry conditions (no liquids present) producethe greatest temperature differential. Thesignal decreases when the level element issubmerged as the cooling effects of thefluid drive the temperature /resistancedifferential downward. Since all processfluids have different thermo physicalproperties, different fluids exhibit uniqueheat transfer characteristics. Interfacedetection between non-miscible fluids canbe factory or field calibrated to alarmwhen the fluid changes from liquid tofoam, between two different fluids, orbetween fluid and rag layer or emulsion.

continued on back cover

Product development, testing and calibration are performed in FCI’s laboratory using NIST traceableequipment, which ensures highly reliable performance in hundreds of applications.

Thermal mass flow technology supports virtuallyall gas or air measurement needs. It is especiallywell suited for dirty gas because of its no-movingparts design with no orifices, bearings, or sealsto foul or fail.

HeatedSensor

UnheatedSensor

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Serv ing cr i t i ca l process instrumentat ion needs around the wor ld

FCI’s complete line of flow, level and temperature instrumentation

Doc. No. 07SA011396A

� For temperature detectionThe unheated RTD serves as the baselinefor establishing the differential temperatureand continuous monitoring of the processtemperature. Being thermally isolated, theunheated RTD provides accurate indicationand detection of process fluid temperatures.Simultaneous temperature and flow andlevel detection can provide comprehensiveprocess monitoring as well as criticallysupplement operator process health andefficiency awareness.

NuTec® 2000 Series� 2-wire loop-power andnon-intrusive switchesExtraordinarily responsive and accurate,the versatile NuTec flow/ level switch seriesoffers superior reliability in extreme processconditions. The FS2000 and LS2000 switchesfeature the first 2-wire thermal flow/noflow and level detection switches. Theseinsertion switches are designed withFCI's proven thermal mass flow sensortechnology in a rugged package that iseasy to install and requires minimalmaintenance. The FS2000L inline flowswitch has an advanced non-intrusive sensordesign constructed of 316L stainless steelwith up to a 10 Ra electropolish finishapproved for 3A sanitary and high purityapplications. The FS2000L is available withinline sizes of 1/2 inch, 1 inch and 2 inchesfor easy installation using male NPT,butt-weld or sanitary flanges.

FlexMASSter® ST Seriesand GF Series mass flow metersBecause the relationship between flow rateand cooling effect directly relates to massflow in gas applications, FCI thermal massflow meters provide a highly repeatable andaccurate measurement of gas or air massflow rates. The ST98 Series "smart"electronics, equipped with advancedmicro-processor-based circuitry, enable

customers to reconfigure the signal outputseasily, as well as, display or alarm in thefield by using either a built-in key pad ora handheld communicator. The GF Seriesoffers wide turndown rations up to 800:1with multiple gas calibrations with analogelectronic circuitry.

FlexMASSter technology delivers perform-ance and value by offering the mostinnovative, accurate and cost effective gasmass flow measurement systems availablein the industrial flowmetering marketplacetoday. This highly reliable instrumentprovides the durability and speed requiredfor today's harsh process environmentsand delivers true direct mass flow meas-urement. FCI's FlexMASSter simplifies gasmass flowmetering with a single processpenetration, eliminating costly temperatureor pressure transmitters and a flow com-puter required with other technologies.

CMF FlexCOR® SeriesThe CMF FlexCOR Series Coriolis flowmeters push development a giant leapforward in Coriolis measurement tech-nology. Unaffected by variations in pressure,temperature, density, electrical conductivityand viscosity, the FlexCOR Series provideshighly accurate mass flow measurementover wide flow ranges while utilizing itsadvanced technology to achieve unsur-passed operational performance stressingsafety, reliability and quality.

VORTAB® flow conditionersFCI ensures the field performance of itshighly accurate mass flow meter productlines by offering VORTAB flow conditioners.VORTABs ensure accurate, repeatable gasflow measurement and are the efficientalternative to long lengths of straight pipingor ducting upstream of a flow meter instal-lation location. VORTAB units reduce oreliminate pressure drop, swirl, jetting and

more, while requiring just six diameters ofpipe upstream from the flow meter. Eachof the three available flow conditionerconfigurations consist of a short sectionof swirl reduction tabs combined withthree arrays of patented VORTAB profileconditioning tabs.

FCI’s extensive instrument testand calibration laboratoryFCI maintains an extensive, instrumenttest and calibration laboratory at its head-quarters in San Marcos, California.Utilizing the latest in advanced, computerizeddata acquisition systems and calibrationtest equipment, this facility permits com-prehensive product development, testing,and calibration. Any FCI product can becalibrated in accordance with customerspecifications. Laboratory standards aremaintained with NIST (National Instituteof Standards and Technology) traceableCavitating Venturis (CVs) and precisioncalibrated, pressure and temperaturecorrected turbine flow meters. Combustibleand non-combustible gas calibration flowstands allow for the calibration of FCIproducts in a wide range of gases as gasmixtures in flow stand sizes as small as1/8 inch to 30 inches [3 to 760 mm] indiameter. A variety of flow profiles fromlaminar to turbulent conditions aregenerated to duplicate actual field condi-tions. Flow rates from 0 to 20,000+ SCFM[0 to 34,000 NCMH], velocities from 0 to800 SFPS [0-240 NMPS], pressures fromvacuum to 3000 psig [200 bar(g)], andtemperatures from -100° to 850°F [-70°to + 454°C].

FCI on-site instrumentcalibration and trainingIn-situ calibration is available from FCI'sField Service Engineers where precise testand calibration is accomplished in actualmedia conditions.

©Copyright 2006 by Fluid Components International LLC. All rights reserved. Subject to change without notice.

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