Our customers often ask our engineers for help in solving a challenging level application. Below are examples of how Jobe created solutions for challenging level problems for our customers. Next time you face any level application of your own, reach out to the Jobe engineering team for a solution.
Overflows Can Be Costly
Background
A Jobe engineer received a call from one of their customers facing state and federal EPA fines resulting from a supplier inadvertently overfilling their exterior tanks and creating run-off into a nearby stream. Like many facilities, this customer relied on visual inspection to ensure proper filling of all their tanks, but with the recent incident they found themselves ready to install a real-time, remote monitoring and control system to prevent costly human-errors in the future.
Application
Four tanks, oil based liquid, outside of the building
Two tanks, hot wax, inside building
Two tanks, oil based liquid, inside building
Selected Products
Eight submersible level transmitters – one in each tank
Two Banner wireless nodes – one outside, one inside and central to the four tanks
One integrated control panel – including a Banner Gateway radio, a PLC, a Red Lion HMI and audible and visual alarms
Solution
Using a combination of wireless for the outside tanks and wired for the inside ones, Jobe Industrial was able to bring the transmitter signal for all 8 tanks back to one central location to display each tank’s level in real-time. The audio, visual and SMS text alarms were programmed to go off when any tank reached 90% and 95% of capacity. Finally, on the supply line leading to the interior tanks, automated ball valves and control inputs were installed to automatically cut-off the transfer process should a critical level be reached in any tank.
A Level Challenge Made Easy
Background
A Jobe Industrial dairy customer was looking for help in getting an accurate reading in their tanks of powdered milk. After years of struggling with inaccurate measurements from their current linear encoder (Yo-Yo style) and failures from trying other technologies along the way, they turned to a Jobe engineer to develop a reliable and permanent solution for their challenging application.
Application
Accurate, real-time measurement of powdered milk in two 33ft tall holding tanks
Selected Product
Honeywell’s Guided Wave Radar Transmitter with remote mounted electronics and HART
Solution
Measuring powders in any application is difficult. Unlike liquids, powders are not guaranteed to lie flat in a tank, making level measurement a challenge. Plus the poor dielectric properties of powdered milk prevents the use of most level technologies.
Ideal for difficult materials and tall storage units, Honeywell’s guided wave radar transmitter was a great fit for the application. Sending a low-intensity electromagnetic pulse up and down a conductor in the center of the silo, the radar signal is unaffected by the powder’s angle and is immune to changes in temperature, pressure, conductivity and density, creating a reliable and repeatable measurement every time. In addition, by remotely mounting the transmitter outside the silo and bringing the signal back to their process management system, no personnel were required to climb the silo to take measurements.