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Highest accuracy for loading viscous bitumen

GRISARD BITUMEN AG relies on Promass Q 500

GRISARD BITUMEN AG develops, refines and distributes bituminous adhesives of high quality. The standard bitumen delivered to BITUTANK AG by ship is refined with additives to make polymer-modified bitumen (PmB) and then transported to the customer by rail or tank car. To load tank cars, GRISARD BITUMEN AG uses a truck scale and the new Promass Q 500 Coriolis flowmeter. This flowmeter enables the bitumen, which sometimes outgasses, to be measured with unprecedented accuracy.

Picture of Bitumen loading station at BITUTANK AG in Switzerland ©Endress+Hauser

Bitumen loading station (BITUTANK AG, Auhafen Muttenz (BL), Switzerland)

Picture of Promass Q 500 for measuring fluids,  bitumen containing gas entrainments or microbubbles ©Endress+Hauser

Proline Promass Q 500 (Swiss Technology Award winner) for accurately measuring fluids such as bitumen containing gas entrainments or microbubbles

The results

  • Measuring errors could be reduced from a maximum of 8% down to 0.1 to 0.2%

  • Greater plant availability thanks to web-based data handling

Picture of Bitumen loading station at BITUTANK AG in Switzerland

For years we have found Endress+Hauser to be a skilled and reliable partner. The very close and good cooperation with the service engineer was particularly decisive.

Mr. Eduard Martini, Managing Director
BITUTANK AG, GRISARD BITUMEN AG (Switzerland)

The customer's challenge

Previously, the amount of bitumen filled into the tank cars was determined using a truck scale and another type of Coriolis flowmeter. Due to the outgassing processes in highly viscous bitumen, however, this older Coriolis flowmeter showed measuring errors of up to 8% as compared to the truck scale. Since the flow measurement point is operated system-dependently on both the discharge side and intake side of a pump, outgassing processes are the norm due to pressure fluctuations.

Picture of Truck loading equipment - BITUTANK AG ©Endress+Hauser

Our solution

The bitumen application made it necessary to search for a flow measuring technology (i.e. Promass Q 500) that ensures the greatest loading accuracies for viscous fluids and is not sensitive to process pressure and gas content fluctuations.
Another requirement, based on the need for better plant availability, was to enable all measured data to be saved, evaluated and retrieved using a web-based cloud solution.

Proline Promass Q 500

In place of the original Coriolis flowmeter – which had provided flawless measurement results for bitumen that was not outgassing – a Promass Q 500 was installed specifically for the bitumen loading station:
– Measurement is not dependent on fluctuations in process pressure and temperature
– Excellent performance for business transactions, e.g. custody transfer and/or invoicing
– Patented “Multi-Frequency Technology” (MFT) for reliable measurement of fluids with gas entrainment or microbubbles

Customized IIoT software solution

For web-based data retrieval and evaluation using the cloud, Endress+Hauser developed a specially tailored IIoT software solution:
– Worldwide access to all measured data of current or prior completed loading processes
– Evaluation options, e.g. trend analyses of process and/or quality parameters (mass, volume, density, temperature, etc.)
– Heartbeat Technology for reliable detection of changes in the process and/or device, e.g. through cavitation, buildup or corrosion

Picture of IIoT software solution dashboard ©Endress+Hauser
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