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01/12/2002
INTERVIEW WITH DIEGO
BERNAL
 APLEIN
Ingenieros has supplied an on-line viscosity measurement system
for the Cartagena-Puertollano pipeline Repsol project.
The uniqueness of this supply is that it is based on latest-generation
Solartron technology using on-line vibration.
We interviewed Diego Bernal Caņavate, Head of Instrumentation and
Electricity of the Repsol Plant in Cartagena.
Could you describe the application for
us: product, viscosity, density and temperature range, type of installation?
How long has it been installed?
The viscometer is a Solartron 7827 in association
with a Solartron 7951 signal converter. The system is installed
in the head-end of the oil pipeline which links the Cartagena and
Puertollano refineries and is used for measuring the viscosity on-line
and in real time of the different types of crude oil that are transported.
The ranges of the application are: from 0 to 500 cts; from 500 to
1500 kg/m3 and from 0º to 100º C. The normal operating
values are from 5 to 40 cts; 800 to 900 kg/m3; and from 15º
to 40º C.
The 7827 viscometer is the field unit that is installed in a small
stand-alone frame in a 20" pipe and it has a pump that has
the job of recycling the product in the same pipe.
For its part, the 7951 signal converter is the electronic unit which
communicates with the viscometer and is located in a panel in the
control room. It includes a screen on which the viscosity, density
and temperature can be displayed. It is in fact the viscosity figure
that is transmitted as output signal to the Pipeline Telecontrol
System. It was installed in 2000.
What is the purpose of measuring
viscosity on-line at that point?
The objective is the protection of the Pipeline's
main pumps, providing alarm and tripping signals for them when the
predetermined values of viscosity to guarantee the correct operation
of the pumping stations are exceeded.
In refinery operations, viscometers based
on another measurement principle are used traditionally. What reason
made you opt for a vibrating fork viscometer?
In this precise application the variable
that has to be measured is the viscosity at the process temperature,
for which the instrument is the most appropriate. With the other
viscometers the need exists to use a bath at a reference temperature.
What advantages does this viscometer provide?
Absence of moving parts, which results in
a decreased maintenance requirement, a quick, accurate and reliable
reading, a good quality-to-price ratio and a reduced assembly cost
because of its easy installation.
In any field instrument, maintenance is
of special importance. What type of maintenance do you dedicate
to the viscometer?
As corrective maintenance, only cleaning
for fouling of the intake filter that is located in the suction
of the analyser's pump. And as preventive maintenance, the equipment
undergoes cleaning once a year. Therefore, bearing in mind that
the product analysed is crude oil, it is really a minimum maintenance
requirement.
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