represented by:

measurIT technologies

Measuring Task Mass Flow Measurement

Mass flow measurement of nitric acid at a lorries filling station of Nitric Acid
Pipe diameter: 114 mm (4.5 in)
Pipe material: stainless steel
Wall thickness: 2.9 mm (0.1 in)
Temperature: 10°C – 35°C (50°F – 95°F)

Instruments Used Customer

PIOX® S with clamp-on-transducers M2N7 and high precision temperature
probe type T

Advantages
• Precise and reliable non-invasive measurement
• Simultaneous measurement of concentration and flow makes it possible
to determine the mass flow rate

Selling Points
• No wear caused by the aggressive medium
• No risk of leaks caused by the caustic and poisonous
(when inhaled) nitric acid YARA,
• Highest level of adaptability to future changes in the facility Sluiskil fertilizer plant,
• Measuring system with robust design, developed for harsh industrial Sluiskil, Netherlands
environments.

The Norwegian Yara group is the world’s

largest supplier of mineral fertilizer.
Yara’s flagship in the Netherlands is its
Sluiskil plant. Founded in 1929, it is not
only part of the industrial chemical
heritage of the Netherlands, but also a
modern plant with the largest production
capacities for ammonia and nitrate
fertilizer in Europe. Its annual production
is about 1.7 million tons of ammonia,
700.000 tons of urea and 1.8 million tons
of nitrates.
In Sluiskil, nitric acid is filled into tank lorries at an automatic filling station. The
nitric acid is sold in two different concentrations: 68% and 60%. If the lower
concentration is required, the 68% nitric acid has to be diluted by adding
water. In order to ensure that the desired concentration is maintained, either
density and temperature measurements or a concentration measurement are
required. Furthermore, a flow measurement is required for monitoring the filling
of the tank lorries. A Coriolis meter used to determine the density and mass
flow proved to be unreliable and sensitive to wear.
Clamp-on ultrasonic concentration measurement is an elegant solution for this
measuring task. In the monitored concentration and temperature range (50 to
70 M%, T > 10°C), a good measurement can be achieved with the sound
velocity. Since the ultrasonic transducers are simply attached to the outside of The Sluiskil fertilizer plant
the pipe and do not come in contact with the aggressive medium, they are not Foto: Yara
subject to wear.
In this application, it is vital to use a thermocouple with low inertia. Since the
water used for dilution has a different temperature than the nitric acid pumped
from a reservoir, sudden temperature changes are observed during the filling
process. Furthermore, the dilution process is exothermic. If the temperature
measurement is too slow, the concentration calculator computes wrong
concentration values based on the correct sound velocity and the wrong
temperatures. When a fast thermocouple is used, the measurement is very
precise and reliable. The simultaneously measured concentration and flow
values are used to calculate the mass flow.

FLUXUS®, WaveInjector®, and PIOX® are protected trademarks of FLEXIM GmbH. Copying and distribution allowed only with the written permission of
FLEXIM GmbH. The copyright of this report, its components, content and pictures is owned by FLEXIM or by third parties. All rights reserved. The aim of
this application report is solely to give general information about the application. It does not assure the suitability of the instrument for a specific purpose.
AR-200801-YARA-EN

MeasurIT Technologies Ltd.

Craan, Craanford, email: info@measurIT.com Phone: +353 (0) 53 942 8962
Gorey, Co. Wexford, Ireland www.measurIT.com Fax: +353 (0) 53 942 8963