Two Flow Outputs Make the Perfect Small Works Flow Monitoring Solution

A discussion at one of Pulsar Process Measurement’s (UK) regular training sessions has led to an unusual application for an Ultimate Controller – measuring and logging open channel flow on a storm overflow flume at the same time as logging measurements from a magflow meter between an inlet works and Activated Sludge Process (ASP).

Environment Agency (EA) controls mean that it is more important than ever to be able to measure and accurately report flow to a watercourse. At Itchen Bank WTW, a small site near Coventry operated by Severn Trent, measurement on the rectangular outlet flume would be a straightforward application for a Pulsar Ultra non-contacting ultrasonic unit. However, they also needed to log the output of a twenty year old magflow meter that was measuring between the inlet works and the ASP. Severn Trent had already specified two Pulsar Ultra units for the task when Instrumentation Engineer Kevin Currell attended a training course at Pulsar’s Malvern factory. He said ‘We have a great relationship with Pulsar, and we were talking about possible new ideas when I asked whether they made a unit with two milliamp outputs’.

Pulsar’s touch screen Ultimate Controller, although primarily an intelligent pump controller, was perfect for the job. Ultimate Controller accepts a 4-20mA signal from the magflow meter, and uses that signal to control the inlet works penstock using its inbuilt relays. At the same time, Ultimate Controller ultrasonically measures flow in the rectangular outlet flume. With two current outputs on hand, magflow and flume measurements are supplied directly to telemetry and made available for further processing.

The large touch screen display shows the flow rate from both the magflow and the flume, along with relay positions and every other parameter of the operation. As Kevin Currell said, ‘It was a real Bingo moment for me, I could immediately see how we could do the job without having all the hassle, cost and inconvenience of installing and programming two separate units. We find the Ultimate Controller a very user-friendly product – touch screen, easy to navigate. We have a million and one things to look after and we don’t want to have to wrack our brains on site. Self-explanatory icons and a touch screen, that’s what we want.’