Wireless acoustic transmitter cuts steam bills by 20 per cent 17 January 2012

Promising to help process plants save energy and reduce their environmental impact, Emerson has introduced a wireless acoustic transmitter that provides instant visibility of critical steam traps and pressure relief valves.

The firm's Rosemount 708 transmitter is part of Emerson's Smart Energy Initiative, which combines its industrial energy expertise with what it calls 'guided technologies'.

This new transmitter combines temperature measurement with acoustic 'listening' to provide close online monitoring of the state of steam traps and pressure relief valves – which, if passing steam, are wasting energy.

Steam production is a significant operating expense for processing plants, and about 20% of steam leaving boilers is typically lost through failing steam traps.

Emerson makes the point that by having the wireless acoustic transmitter in place, plant engineers can monitor steam traps without manual inspection, helping to detect problems and leading to fuel cost reductions of 10—20%.

Meanwhile, when used in conjunction with PRVs the transmitter can alert operators when a valve has opened in a single second. Time-stamped alerts can then be compared against process conditions or environmental reports to identify the root cause of a release.

Emerson makes the point that online monitoring is also achieved via a non-intrusive, WirelessHART monitoring system, which is effective even in remote and difficult to access locations, with greater than 99% data reliability.

Real-time alerts identify which areas need attention, so operators can make informed decisions.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Emerson Process Management

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