Customer: | BOC |
Project: | Reformer Combustion Air Flow Line Upgrade Program |
Location: | St. Helens Plant |
Products: | V-Cone Flowmeters |
As the largest provider of industrial, medical, and special gases in the UK and Ireland, BOC probably need no introduction. BOC supply thousands of different types of gas, and gas mixtures to more than 400,000 customers across almost every manufacturing process. Sectors serviced are the petroleum, electronic, steel manufacturing, metal producing and fabricating, construction, ceramic, and food and beverage industries.
Its principal related companies operate in over 60 countries across the globe. The company also owns subsidiaries that provide vacuum technology and distribution services. Traditionally, BOC has used pitot tubes to measure sir flow on their reformer combustion line. However, these outlet collection systems operate under severe service conditions that push the metallurgical limits of the materials used. For that reason, reliable long‐term performance depends strongly on the operational control and maintenance practices applied by the owners. The pitot tubes had displayed measurement errors from day 1 and had ultimately failed. The search for an alternative solution was complicated by severe restrictions on installation space. Consequently, ABLE Instruments recommended the deployment of a V-Cone Flow Meter. With built in flow conditioning, the V-Cone is especially beneficial in tight-fit installations where straight pipe runs are at a premium and only a minimal pressure drop can be tolerated. SIL2 was also a requirement so ABLE worked with BOC to ensure the correct associated pressure transmitters and manifold were supplied.