Electricity + Control February 2019

SENSORS, SWITCHES + TRANSDUCERS

Tooling up for improved efficiency

The VEGAPULS 64 liquid radar level measurement instrument is helping to improve efficiency not just for bitumen suppliers, but also for the service providers maintain- ing their assets.

Newdevelopments in lev- el material measurement technology are a key area where productivity gains can be achieved. Take Note!

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S etting the target of sealing every major high- way in New South Wales by 2023, as out- lined in its 2018-19 state budget, the New South Wales Government has set the bar high. The onus is not just on government, industry and the companies set to deliver on this goal, but also on the various material producers that will supply these projects. For asphalt plants and quar- ries to meet such demand, not just in NSW but across the country where billions of dollars are fuelling the nation’s infrastructure boom, material supply firms are seeking the best equipment to ensure material supply is constant and of the best possible quality. On the front line are service providers like Fleming Electrical, a Queensland-based firm spe- cialising in a range of industrial electronics solu- tions and maintenance services on such plants, particularly in the asphalt production sector. New developments in level material measurement technology are a key area where such productiv- ity gains could potentially be achieved on material supply operations and help contribute to the major national road infrastructure task at hand. Kyle Flynn-O’Brien, an electrician with Fleming Electrical, says the VEGA brand of level measure- ment instrument products is at the cutting edge of this. “We’ve used a lot of VEGA equipment for lev- el indication and production on a range of asphalt operations, especially bitumen tanks. VEGA is the go-to name and we use its instruments for most of our customers, he says. Since 1991, the family-run German business has provided the international market with radar level measuring sensors for material production, such as those used in road construction. In 2014, the business introduced its first radar level instru- ment with a transmission frequency of 80 GHz to the Australian market. In 2016, it followed with the liquid version of the 80 GHz – the VEGAPULS 64. When VEGA Australia released the 80 GHz radar measurement instrument for liquids, it in-

creased the capacity for this kind of measurement tool for bituminous materials, which have tradi- tionally proved a challenge given the high temper- ature and viscosity of the material. Flynn-O’Brien says VEGA’s transition towards non-contact liquid radar measurement technology has been the ma- jor point of difference for him when it comes to maintenance and operation of such instruments, and he’s followed suit by updating his own tool kit. “Most other instruments, including the old VEGA models, are still using level guided radar. It is similar technology, but the difference is that the older models use a rod or cable to guide and meas- ure the material physically,” he says. On the VEG- APULS 64, the sensor emits a continuous radar signal through the antenna, which is reflected by the material and received as an echo by the anten- na. The frequency difference between the emitted and received signal is proportional to the distance and depends on the filling height. The instrument then converts the height into a respective output signal, which is outputted as measured value. “The software presents a lot more advantages in general,” explains Flynn-O’Brien “With the new unit, we’re not having to jot down all the dimen- sions of the tank. It can give you a sample of the vessel and does all the calculations for you.” The VEGAPULS 64 operates with a transmission fre- quency of 80 GHz, which ensures the radar level sensor receives only distinct, definitive reflections from the product surface. The focused 80 GHz beam also avoids internal installations and build-up on vessel walls. The sensor operates with an antenna aperture of 75 mm and a beam angle of just four degrees – ensuring reliable and certain measurements. “With guided radar instruments in bitumen applications, what would happen is you’d get material build up on the rods, which can result in false signals and read- ings,” says Flynn-O’Brien, adding that this is often the biggest issue his clients face in reliable material measurement of bitumen tanks.

Our clients are happy with the new instrument because they are not getting false readings.

22 Electricity + Control

FEBRUARY 2019