The problem
A municipal wastewater treatment facility located in Louisiana was having problems with a clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter. The existing instrument had experienced numerous electronics failures, and the plant manager was having difficulty obtaining spare parts. The question was, was it the technology or the specific product causing the problem?
The customer wanted the advantages that a clamp on meter provided of minimal interruption to the effluent flow because it would interfere with reporting to the local Department of Environmental Quality. He also wanted assurance that the Siemens flow meter would be supported, and that spare parts and factory support would be guaranteed for at least 5 years. Prior experiences with competing manufacturers had convinced the customer that this type of guarantee was essential.
The solution
The Siemens SITRANS FS290 portable clamp on meter was installed within a few hours. In addition a letter was issued to confirm that the SITRANS FS290 system installed would be supported by Siemens for at least 5 years and that Siemens had a similar clamp-on flow products in the field that had been supported for over 15 years. The immediate availability of the portable demo and guarantee of Siemens’ product support convinced the customer to purchase the portable flow meter that same day.
The result
The Siemens SITRANS FS290 portable demo unit was installed and operational within a few hours. The effluent flow signal was restored, and the plant was brought back into compliance. The demo operated flawlessly and provided immediate validation of its reliability and accuracy. The validation that it was not a problem of the measurement technology led the customer to purchase a SITRANS FS230 for permanent installation which continues to work without interruption.
The product
The SITRANS FS290 clamp-on non-intrusive ultrasonic flow meter offers maximum versatility plus battery power for portable field use. It operates in the WideBeam transit-time mode which ensures suitability for virtually any wastewater application. The meter is ideal for general flow survey work where high accuracy is required and is available in single channel configuration.
