Meeting Every Viscosity Measurement Need

Having led the field in the design and manufacture of lab, process and portable viscometers for over 20 years, Hydramotion (UK) can meet any viscosity measurement need.
As productivity demands ever greater efficiencies, engineers are constantly looking for ways to reduce the need for servicing, maintaining or repairing equipment. With this in mind, Hydramotion's "bolt-on-and-go" approach is aimed at achieving the minimal possible downtime. The traditional problems afflicting viscosity measurement instrumentation — reliability, calibration and maintenance — are neatly solved by the company's unique technology, which measures the damping effect of the fluid on a resonant vibrating probe to determine viscous drag. The result is a single solid sensor capable of exquisite sensitivity yet with a virtually unlimited measurement range.
Benefits of the system include unequalled ease of use and flexibility of installation with no hidden ongoing costs. Because calibration is unaffected by the installation environment, sensors can operate in any orientation and in any location. Instruments are factory-calibrated once and for all before shipping with no need for on-site recalibration. There are no accessories, moving parts or bearings that can wear out or fail in service, so routine maintenance is minimal.
Comments Operations Manager Danny Morbey, "Our instruments are built to work straight out of the box and to keep on working. There are instruments out there that were installed almost twenty years ago and still performing flawlessly."
The company also specialises in developing bespoke viscosity measurement solutions for all applications. Flexible manufacturing means customers benefit from rapid development from concept to product. Systems for very high or very low pressures are available, and custom probes can be supplied for aggressive or corrosive fluids.
"If it's a fluid, we can measure it," says Danny Morbey. "Many of our customers have special requirements such as long-reach or very rugged sensors. But we have all the expertise needed to give them exactly what they want."
Ideal for petroleum products and oilfield applications is the XL7 series of process viscometers — rugged, versatile systems for the continuous control of viscosity in tanks, reactor vessels or pipes of virtually any size or capacity, offering real-time viscosity measurement with high sensitivity and excellent repeatability. With virtually unlimited measurement range, any XL7 model can be supplied in an intrinsically safe version certified to IEC Ex ia IIC, suitable for installation in all Hazardous Areas up to and including Zone 0 (explosive atmosphere continuously present), equivalent to Class 1 Division 1 Group A. The sensor is a crevice-free all-welded 316 stainless steel construction, although other materials such as special alloys can be used if required. Additionally, a high-polish, PTFE or custom finish can be applied.
The XL7 always operates at process temperature, thereby eliminating the chance of potential errors arising from localised cooling of the fluid. The high-temperature HT2 model can be used at up to 450°C (842°F) without special cooling. An integral temperature sensor enables simultaneous monitoring of fluid temperature and calculation of temperature-corrected viscosity without the need for a separate thermowell. With viscosity so dependent on temperature, the facility for measuring both at the same point offers a significant accuracy advantage, especially where measurement conditions may be changing unpredictably from minute to minute.
Outputs include a fully-configurable 4-20mA analogue viscosity signal and more comprehensive RS232 or RS422/485 serial data, allowing direct connection to a DCS or SCADA system for automated viscosity monitoring and control.