EP-4543782-B1 - PROCESS OR STORAGE TANK WITH DUAL MEASUREMENT MEANS AND METHOD OF OPERATING THEREOF

EP4543782B1EP 4543782 B1EP4543782 B1EP 4543782B1EP-4543782-B1

Inventors

ALLEN, CAROLE
Bujalski, Jakub
Geppert, Tim

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20230623

Claims (14)

A process or storage tank comprising: • a liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof; • a conduit in fluid communication with the tank or a conduit inside the tank; and • a first means for measuring, configured for measuring a first process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, said first process or storage condition being selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, pH, vibration, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level; wherein the conduit or the first means for measuring is configured for removably integrating a second means for measuring, while process or storage is proceeding inside the process or storage tank, and while the first means for measuring is inside the process or storage tank, wherein the second means for measuring is configured for measuring a second process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, said second process or storage condition being selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, vibration, pH, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level; wherein the first means for measuring comprises a support or core, such as a metal sheath, and wherein the second means for measuring is removably integrable or attachable to the support or core.
The process or storage tank according to claim 1, wherein the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof is a nitrophosphate digestion liquor, a nitrophosphate crystal slurry, a nitrophosphate mother liquor, or a finished fertiliser liquor for evaporation or particulation.
The process or storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first process or storage condition is temperature, and wherein the second process or storage condition is pressure or liquid level.
The process or storage tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first means for measuring is a thermocouple (9) or a resistive temperature probe, and wherein the second means for measuring is a piezoresistive or a pitot tube pressure probe.
The process or storage tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: • a collection box (2, 11) for collecting the data of the first and/or the second means for measuring; and • a processing means for processing the data collected by the collection box (2, 11).
The process or storage tank according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first process or storage condition is temperature, and wherein the second process or storage condition is vibration, and wherein the system further comprises: • a data collection box (2) for collecting vibration data; and • a processing means for processing the vibration data such that the composition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, inside the process storage tank, is determined.
A method for measuring two process or storage conditions of a liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof in a process or storage tank, comprising the steps of: a) measuring a first process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas, or mixture, with a first means for measuring, in a process or storage tank comprising: • the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof; • a conduit in fluid communication with the tank or a conduit inside the tank; and • the first means for measuring, configured for measuring the first process or storage condition selected from the group consisting temperature, pressure, vibration, pH, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level; wherein the method further comprises the steps of: b) removably integrating, to the conduit or to the first means for measuring, a second means for measuring, while process or storage is proceeding inside the process or storage tank, and while the first means for measuring is inside the process or storage tank, wherein the second means for measuring is configured for measuring a second process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, said second process or storage condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, pH, vibration, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level; and c) measuring the second process or storage condition with the second means for measuring; wherein the first means for measuring comprises a support or core, such as a metal sheath, and wherein step b) is performed by removably integrating or attaching the second means for measuring to the support or core.
The method according to claim 7, wherein the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof is a nitrophosphate digestion liquor, a nitrophosphate crystal slurry, a nitrophosphate mother liquor, or a finished fertiliser liquor to be submitted to evaporation or particulation.
The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the first process or storage condition measured in step a) is temperature, and wherein: • the second process or storage condition measured in step c) is pressure; • the second process or storage condition measured in step c) is liquid level; or • the second process or storage condition measured in step c) is vibration.
The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: d) collecting data measured in step a) or step c) in a collection box (2, 11); and e) processing the data collected in step d) in a processing means, thereby determining a third process or storage condition.
The method according to claim 10, wherein the second process or storage condition measured in step c) is vibration, and wherein vibration data are collected in step d), and the vibration data collected in step d) are processed in step e), such that the composition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, inside the process storage tank, is determined.
The use of the process or storage tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for performing the method according to claims 7 to 11.
A method for revamping a process or storage tank comprising: • a liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof; • a conduit in fluid communication with the tank or a conduit inside the tank; and • a means for measuring a process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof; into a process or storage tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the method comprises the steps of: • removing the means for measuring; and • integrating a first means for measuring, said first means for measuring configured for measuring a first process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, said first process or storage condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, pH, vibration, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level, and configured for removably integrating a second means for measuring, while process or storage is proceeding inside the process or storage tank, and while the first means for measuring is inside the process or storage tank, wherein the second means for measuring is configured for measuring a second process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, said second process or storage condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, pH, vibration, viscosity, water content, solid content, solid size, solid shape, solid roughness, and liquid level. wherein the first means for measuring comprises a support or core, such as a metal sheath, and wherein the second means for measuring is removably integrable or attachable to the support or core.
The method according to claim 13, wherein the data generated by the first or the second means for measuring are processable by a processing means, for determining a third process or storage condition of the liquid, slurry, gas or mixture thereof, such that the method further comprises the steps of: • integrating a data box (2, 11) for collecting the data of the first or the second means for measuring; and • integrating a processing means for processing the data collected by the data box (2, 11), thereby determining a third process or storage condition.

Description

Field The present disclosure relates to the field of a process or a storage tank with a dual measurement means. Background Measuring is a critical aspect in ensuring proper control of a production process or the safety, that is the absence of decomposition, in a storage, buffer or holding tank. A wide variety of measurement means, in particular sensors based upon a wide variety of technologies exist for determining conditions such as temperature, pressure and vibration. Without indications from such measurement means, neither a production process nor safe storage can be controlled. The nitrophosphate process, enabling the production of NPK fertilizers is an example of a multi-step process, requiring the control of the process conditions at each step. In particular, the temperature and the pressure are to be controlled. The nitro-phosphate process comprises six main steps. In a first step (digestion step), phosphate rock is digested in nitric acid yielding a digestion liquor at a temperature of 65°C. In a second step (crystallisation step), calcium nitrate tetrahydrate is crystallised out of the digestion liquor yielding a crystal slurry. In a third step (separation step), the crystallised calcium nitrate is separated by a technique such as filtration or centrifugation, resulting in calcium nitrate tetrahydrate crystals being separated from the liquid of the crystal slurry, referred to as the mother liquor. In a fourth step (neutralisation step), the mother liquor is neutralized using ammonia up to a pH of approximately 5.8. In a fifth step (particulation), the neutralized mother liquor is particulated into the final product (e.g. for use as an NP-fertilizer). Potassium salts can be added during the neutralization process or to the neutralized mother liquor. When the particulation is performed by prilling, an evaporation step is performed upfront the addition of potassium salts, in order to reach a water content sufficiently low to perform prilling. In a sixth step (coating step), the particles can be subsequently coated, for example with a coating agent suitable for reducing moisture absorption and for, thereby, ensuring proper physical properties for the particles. Therefore, in the NPK process, also measuring the pH at the neutralisation step and the composition of the slurry, through vibration measurement, during the crystallisation step, in order to ensure proper crystal growth, is necessary. Prior art DE102018112913A1 relates to a sensor for detecting the flow noise and / or the temperature in a pipeline. According to the invention it is proposed that the sensor is provided with a contact surface, which bears in the position of use from the outside to the pipeline, and that the sensor is held with a pipe surrounding clamp or a flexible band firmly in the position of use on the pipeline. CN215639594U discloses a high accuracy triaxial temperature vibration composite sensor relates to signal detection technical field. On the premise of simultaneously detecting the vibration signal and the temperature signal of the object to be detected, the vibration detection device has the advantages of simple and compact structure and easiness in assembly and debugging, and the vibration detection direction of the sensor is adjustable. The temperature vibration composite sensor comprises a lower base; an annular mounting cavity is formed in the lower base, and a mounting base is arranged in the annular mounting cavity; the mounting base can rotate in the annular mounting cavity; the sleeve is sleeved on the outer side of the mounting base, the locking nut is sleeved on the outer side of the sleeve, the lower end of the locking nut is in threaded connection with the upper end of the lower base, and the mounting base is tightly pressed in the annular mounting cavity; the temperature sensor probe is connected to the bottom of the mounting base, the signal processing chip is arranged at the upper end of the mounting base, and the mems acceleration chip is arranged on the signal processing chip. The application is used for improving the performance of the temperature vibration composite sensor. CN215573123U discloses a temperature vibration composite sensor based on mems acceleration chip relates to signal detection technical field. The vibration signal and the temperature signal of the object to be detected can be detected simultaneously, and the device has the advantages of simple and compact structure and easiness in assembly and debugging. The temperature vibration composite sensor comprises a sensor shell, a temperature sensor probe, a mems acceleration chip and a signal processing chip; a sensor mounting cavity which is communicated from left to right is arranged in the sensor shell, a sensor mounting base is arranged in the mounting cavity, the sensor mounting base is connected to the opening at the left end of the sensor shell, and a sensor cover plate is arranged at the opening at the right end of the sensor shell