SLDF2085 Ultrasonic Flow Meter Applications in Petrochemical Industry

1. Industry pain points: The "old problem" of ethylene unit emergency cooling oil measurement

      As a core equipment in the petrochemical industry, the flow measurement of the quench oil system is directly related to the process control accuracy and the safety of the plant operation. However, the complex characteristics of the quench oil medium and the harsh working conditions have long made the traditional flowmeter "unwilling to go".

Poor medium: the quench oil contains coking impurities, bubbles and emulsified components, which are easy to cause sensor adhesion, signal attenuation, resulting in measurement distortion;

The harsh operating conditions pose significant challenges to the flowmeter's durability, including medium temperatures reaching 120-210°C, pipeline diameters ranging from DN600 to DN900, pressure fluctuations, and Zone 20 explosion-proof requirements.

Installation and maintenance difficulties: traditional invasive flowmeter needs to cut the pipeline, stop the work to transform, the construction cycle is long, and the subsequent frequent sewage maintenance, not only pollute the environment, but also increase the safety risk;

Insufficient accuracy: The traditional external flowmeter is easily affected by the inhomogeneity of the medium, and the measurement deviation exceeds ±5%, which cannot meet the precise requirements of process control.

These problems directly lead to the fluctuation of the device liquid level and the increase of energy consumption, which has become a key bottleneck restricting the cost reduction and efficiency improvement of petrochemical enterprises.

 

2. Breakthrough Strategy: Core Technology Solution for SLDF2085 Ultrasonic Flow Meter

       To address the core pain points in emergency cooling oil measurement, the SLDF2085 ultrasonic flowmeter delivers a comprehensive solution through its innovative technical architecture and scenario-specific design.

(1) Core technology highlights

Bidirectional time difference + variable frequency anti-interference algorithm: dynamically switch 0.3-1.8MHz wide-band signal, intelligently identify coking and bubble interference, establish medium characteristic adaptive model, measurement accuracy is stable within ±1%F.S;

High-temperature wide-range compatibility design: The sensor operates within a temperature range of-200°C to 400°C, compatible with DN15 to DN1200 full-diameter pipelines, and withstands pressure conditions from 0.3 to 10MPa, fully meeting the parameter requirements of the rapid cooling oil system.

Non-invasive installation solution: The clamp-on design requires no damage to the pipeline structure. The straight pipe section of upstream ≥10D and downstream ≥5D requires lower installation threshold, the construction cycle is shortened by 80%, and the deployment can be completed quickly during the temporary maintenance of the device;

Explosion-proof smart connectivity: Featuring Exia II CT4 explosion-proof rating and IP67 protection, it supports Modbus/HART communication protocols for seamless integration with DCS systems, enabling real-time flow data monitoring and remote diagnostics.

(2) Targeted allocation plan

Sensor Selection: High-temperature 1MHz sensors are used for DN600-DN700 applications, while 0.5MHz broadband sensors are employed for DN800-DN900 applications. The dual-sensor redundant configuration enhances system stability.

Coupling agent selection: Solid coupling agents with high-temperature resistance are used below 120℃, while metal oxide coupling agents are employed above 120℃ to ensure stable signal transmission under high-temperature conditions.

Algorithm optimization: enable high temperature signal compensation and dirty medium anti-coking algorithm to automatically correct the influence of temperature on sound speed. Signal calibration is completed every 30 minutes.

 

3. Successful Practice: Application Case of Emergency Cooling Oil Measurement in Unit 3 Ethylene Plant

(1) Application Overview

Application scenarios: 3# ethylene unit's emergency cooling oil return pipeline (DN700), oil-water mixture pipeline (DN600), and high-temperature pipeline (DN900,210℃);

Trial period: 3 months (August to November 2025);

Replacement object: a brand of external ultrasonic flowmeter and a traditional orifice plate flowmeter.

(2) Key application results

Measurement accuracy meets standards: Under operating conditions with oil phase ratios ranging from 15% to 60% and coke-containing impurities, the SLDF2085 maintains a stable measurement deviation within ±0.8%, achieving 80% accuracy improvement over traditional equipment and resolving long-standing flow data distortion issues.

Excellent operation stability: 3 months of continuous operation without failure, the sensor signal strength remains above 850, no signal attenuation caused by coking adhesion, compared with the original equipment performance of 2 failures per month, achieving zero failure breakthrough;

Significant cost reduction and efficiency increase: non-invasive installation reduces the loss of work stoppage by more than 1 million yuan, and does not need sewage maintenance to reduce labor and environmental protection costs by more than 30% every year. The service life of equipment is expected to reach 10 years, 50% longer than the traditional flowmeter;

Excellent process adaptability: Under a wide range of operating conditions with temperature fluctuations of 45-210℃ and flow rate of 800-2400m³/h, the data response delay is less than or equal to 0.8s, helping the liquid level fluctuation of the device to be controlled within ±50mm, and the process stability is greatly improved.

 

4. Core Advantages: SLDF2085 Compared with Traditional Flow Meters

Dimensional comparison	SLDF2085 Ultrasonic Flow Meter	Traditional flowmeter (orifice plate)
certainty of measurement	±1%F.S. Inside	±3%-±5%F.S.
Service tolerance	-200~400℃,DN15-DN1200	The maximum temperature tolerance is 150℃, and the compatible diameter is limited
way to install	Non-invasive clip-in, no downtime required	For invasive or external patch methods, pipeline cutting and work stoppage for modification are required.
Maintenance cost	No mechanical parts, low annual maintenance cost	Need regular discharge, calibration and frequent maintenance
capacity of resisting disturbance	Frequency conversion algorithm + interference identification, suitable for dirty media	Susceptible to coking and bubble interference, signal attenuation

 

 

5. Promotional value: Full scenario adaptation beyond emergency cooling oil measurement

The successful implementation of SLDF2085 not only resolves the measurement challenges of ethylene unit quench oil, but also enables horizontal expansion to various complex operating conditions in the petrochemical industry.

Applicable medium: residual oil, heavy oil, oil and water mixture, particle containing medium and other dirty liquid;

Extension scenarios: catalytic unit oil slurry pipeline, refinery crude oil transportation pipeline, chemical intermediate transportation pipeline, etc.;

Core value: Help enterprises to achieve accurate measurement, reduce cost and increase efficiency, while meeting the requirements of environmental protection compliance and safe production, and provide reliable data support for the upgrade of industry 4.0.

 

6. Cooperative Consulting: Customized traffic measurement solutions

The SLDF2085 ultrasonic flowmeter has been rigorously validated by major petrochemical enterprises including CNPC and Sinopec, with over 500 successful implementations. We provide end-to-end services covering operational assessment, product selection, on-site installation and commissioning, as well as post-sales maintenance, ensuring swift deployment and stable operation of the equipment.

For detailed application reports, operating condition matching tables, or on-site technical exchanges for the 3# ethylene unit, please feel free to contact us anytime!

- Empowering the petrochemical industry's high-quality development through precision measurement, SLDF2085 creates value with you!

 

Corresponding product link：https://www.solidat.net/flow/flowmeter/sldf2085-ultrasonic-flow-meter.html