Hello all.

I am currently a control room operator in a iron ore concentrator with background as an instrumentation tech. Our process is not clean. We are currently using bubbler tubes to read level in some of our slurry sumps. But they often plug giving me an inaccurate reading. Wondering if anyone has any advice on something better to try. The material being collected and pumped out of these sumps are magnetite with a density averaging 40-50 (could be a little higher or lower) any suggestions would be appericated!

Thanks

 

While it would vary by density so I'm not how much you mean by a little higher or lower, have you tried something simple like a pressure sensor?

 

The simplest solution may be to purge the bubble tube more frequently. I would try that first. You may be able to get away with using ultrasonic levelŠbut the differential in price between ultrasonic and pulse radar is decreasing. If the slurry isn¹t too foamy, you ought to be able to use simple pulse radarŠthe dielectric of iron slurry should be high enough to give you a whacking big return signal.

But try increasing the purge frequencyŠif it works, you¹re home free without having to buy a new instrument.

Best,
Walt Boyes

Walt Boyes, Life Fellow, ISA; Fellow InstMC
Chartered Measurement and Control Technologist
Spitzer and Boyes LLC
3646 Wyoming Street
St Louis MO 63116
[email protected]
office: +1-630-639-7090

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