When it comes to the maintenance of measuring instruments, one of the most important things to consider is sensor reliability. The failure of a pressure transmitter can set off a chain reaction which will impact on the industrial process and the quality of your production.
Discover five factors that can help limit sensor failures on your equipment. By understanding these elements, you can avoid costly disruptions and guarantee the reliability of your production.
Pressure transmitters are commonly used in plant maintenance. They are used to monitor and control the pressure in pipes and tanks, which helps to detect system failures, ensure process quality, and avoid hazard occurrence. However, these transmitters may not perform well enough and can damage equipment, impact workers end environment.
It is important to define the level of risk and hazard associated with a transmitter failure before selecting a measuring instrument. Factors to consider are:
This helps you to choose a measuring instrument that fits your needs and reduces any risks.
Among all the possible failures, it is important to identify those that may pose the highest risk to your installation. These are the situations where a transmitter failure could cause significant physical or financial damage.
The Safe Failure Fraction (SFF) is a ratio that measures the safety level of a pressure transmitter. It is calculated by dividing the average rate of detected (safe and dangerous) and undetected (safe) failures, by the average total rate of failures experienced. This indicator allows you to choose the safest transmitter for your equipment. The higher the Safe Failure Fraction, the lower the risk of a dangerous failure.
With a SFF ratio of over 97%, Fuji Electric's VG pressure transmitter offers the highest safety level.
The safety loop is a device that detects transmitter failures and stops the industrial process before it causes any damage. It is an important safety measure that can help limit the risks related to a transmitter failure.
Before selecting a measuring instrument, it is important to target hazards points of the equipment and assess the safety loop. You must ensure that the device is reliable, can detect sensor failures and is compatible with the pressure transmitter you choose.
Process availability is an important indicator of system reliability. It represents the time during which the process is running. Availability must be planned and optimised to ensure system reliability.
When a transmitter fails, it is important to plan and optimise process availability to avoid costly disruptions. This means anticipating the maintenance before parts deterioration. In this way, you can ensure process continuity and reduce the risk of failure.
It is also important to consider the equipment fault tolerance when installing a new pressure transmitter. If the equipment has a low fault tolerance, it is recommended to consider redundancy with a second transmitter in order to ensure process continuity. This strategy reduces the risk of failure and ensures the safety of equipment and operators.
Pressure transmitters failures can be very costly and disrupt your industrial process.
Choosing the right pressure transmitter is essential to limit these failures and ensure the longevity of your equipment, the reliability of your industrial processes and therefore the quality of your production.
By understanding these five key factors when choosing your pressure transmitters, you can ensure the functional safety of your instrumentation and the reliability of your industrial processes.
Fuji Electric's FCX pressure transmitter offers the highest level of safety. With an SFF rating of over 97%, you can be sure you're choosing a reliable transmitter that's right for your industrial equipment.
In addition, our pressure transmitters are SIL 2 (HFT=0) and SIL 3 (HFT=1) certified to IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 standards, making them ideal for high-risk applications in the oil & gas, chemical and nuclear industries.
