Flow measurement –––––– FLOWave SAW flowmeter / Type 8098

Smooth flow
measurement toensure the correct
protein content

Flow measurement –––––– For the required protein content/ Make way for proteins / During the industrial productionof milk or whey powder, the protein is separated from theraw milk or whey. Whether it is baby food or a fitness drink:
The ability to produce a specific volume of powder with therequired protein content is critical for plant operators.
A flowmeter that measures more than just the flow rate
supports them.

3A dairy converts milk and whey into powder. The end pro­
duct must have a defined protein content. The challenge:
The separation process influences the protein content.
If this content is too low, separation must continue until thecorrect value is reached. If the protein content is too high,the system may become clogged.

Product 1

Product 2

Product 3

Product 4

Do you want the ability to measure and control volume flow and protein
content continuously? Read the following pages to discover how easy
this can also be done in your plant.

Flow measurement –––––– Task

5/ Is the protein content correct? / During the production ofmilk and whey powder, your plant must measure and control
the volume flow through the evaporator or filter precisely –because the protein concentration depends on it. A flow­
meter that measures more than just the flow rate offers
added value.
Evaporator

Milk

Milk /wheystorage tankProtein content
If the protein content is too low, the flowrate volume through the evaporator must bereduced. If the protein content is too high,the flow rate must be increased.

Proteincontent

Spray drier

Flow rate volume
If the flow rate volume deviates from thetarget value, the pump control must beadapted.

Conventional solutions
Electromagnetic flowmeters (EMF) can measure
the flow of milk or whey. However, they are unable todetermine the protein concentration.
Mechanical flowmeters do not conform to thehygiene standards of the food industr y.
Coriolis flowmeters are expensive to purchase anddifficult to handle due to their size and weight. Since
the pipeline is tapered, product deposits canaccumulate.

Filling

Goods issue

Flow measurement –––––– solution

6/ Flow measurement with SAW technology / Hygiene isparticularly important during the production of dairy pro­ducts. FLOWave gives you a compact solution that measures
the flow under completely hygienic conditions. Thanks toinnovative SAW technology, the flowmeter dispenses withsensor elements in the measuring tube. No parts in themeasuring tube means: no deposits, no material incompati­
bility, no maintenance, no pressure drop and easy cleaning.

FLOWave

SAW stands for Sur face Acoustic Waves. These occur innature, e.g., during seismic activities. We harness their effectin our patented SAW technology for inline flow measurement.

7Flow measurement –––––– Benefits

89/ A compact all-rounder / FLOWave is more than just aflowmeter. The sensor not only measures the flow rate, butalso the temperature, density factor and acoustic transmis­
sion factor of your liquids. This ensures that the required
protein content is reached. This is a gain for your production
plant: Your plant operates with maximum reliability.

Maximum precision

Constant processes and product quality

FLOWave measures the volume flow independently of
the conductivity of the medium with an accuracy of
0.4 % of the measured value, the accuracy for thetemperature is ≤ 1 °C.

The “density factor” and “acoustic transmissionfactor” functions enable FLOWave to detect different
protein contents quickly and reliably. This reduces
waste and costs while increasing productivity.

Meets the highest hygiene requirements

Easy to handle and install

FLOWave dispenses with sensors in the measuring
tube that come into contact with the medium. It
therefore measures the flow under completely hygienicconditions. This is confirmed by various cer tificates(ASME BPE, 3A and EHEDG).

The compact and lightweight flowmeter fits into ever ysystem and is easy to install. At two inches in size, aFLOWave device weighs just 3.4 kg – compared to the70 kg heavy, two-inch Coriolis system.

Fast start-up and easy operation
Fit for the future
FLOWave devices utilise the Bürker t device platform
EDIP. EDIP stands for “Efficient Device Integration
Platform”. It considerably simplifies the handling of
the devices and helps to integrate them quickly into an
existing fieldbus system. In shor t: EDIP is par t of ourcontribution to Industr y 4.0.

The high-resolution 2.4“ display offers flexibleoperation with intuitive, graphic user guidance. Freelydefinable measured value designations and theoptional display of one to four measured values, atrend cur ve and the parameterisation inter face enable
an individually coordinated display.
The WiFi module allows remote access tomeasurement parameters via web browser. This is
par ticularly relevant when FLOWave is installed atdifficult-to-access points in the process.

Flow measurement –––––– Density factor

10/ Protein concentration at a glance / FLOWave determines
the density factor, the acoustic transmission factor and thetemperature. From these measurements, the controller or thegateway module ME43 calculates the current protein content.
If the plant is in danger of becoming clogged, the acoustictransmission factor comes into play by revealing differencesin the flow characteristics of the protein solution. The more
solids in the liquid, the more viscous the flow. FLOWave
reports these types of variations and uses continuous inline
measurement to guarantee consistent product quality.

How does the acoustic transmission factor work?
This measured variable indicates the attenuation of thesur face acoustic waves as they propagate inside thesensor tube. It is equivalent to the turbidity measurement. The acoustic transmission factor could also be
described as acoustic turbidity. It is mainly influenced
by bubbles and solids in the liquid.
Pure water has a density factor of 1,000 and an acoustic
transmission factor of 100%. In milk or whey, the density
factor increases with a higher protein content. At thesame time, the acoustic transmission factor decreases
as more protein increases the attenuation of the sur face
acoustic waves.

11Risk analysis 1: Protein content too high / too low
A conventional flowmeter does not detect the protein content in the powder. If this content
falls outside the tolerance range, an entire batch can be rendered unsuitable for sale.
Riskanalysis

Risk analysis 2: Plant clogged
There are two reasons why a plant can become clogged: Excessive protein content andexcessive viscosity of the milk /or whey concentrate. The result: The plant shuts down andmust be cleaned thoroughly.

Milk with
40% protein content

Milk with
50% protein content

Acoustic
Transmission

Acoustic
Transmission

Density Factor

Density Factor

70%

1.025

55%

1.032

FLOWaveensures that the required protein
content is achieved and the plant does
not become clogged. Ultimately, thissaves money and reduces downtimes.

894594 | Version 10/2019 | Printed 10/2019

Flow measurement

Bürkert Fluid Control Systems
Christian-Bürkert-Straße 13 –1774653 Ingelfingen
Germany
Phone: +49 7940 100
Fax: +49 7940 1091204
info@burkert.com
www.burkert.com