What Is the Difference Between Thermocouples and RTDs

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What Is the Difference Between Thermocouples and RTDs
Instrumentation & Measurement, Temperature Measurement

Temperature measurement is part of everyday process control. Heating systems, storage vessels, production equipment, pipelines, and many other industrial processes need a reliable way to know what is happening with temperature. Two common choices are thermocouples and RTDs. Both can measure temperature, but they do it in different ways and behave differently in actual applications. ... Read More "What Is the Difference Between Thermocouples and RTDs" »

What Do Proportional Integral and Derivative Control Do

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What Do Proportional Integral and Derivative Control Do
PID Control & Tuning, Process Control

A PID controller can look complicated when its settings are presented as a collection of terms and numbers. In day-to-day process control, however, the basic idea is easier to understand. A process has a target condition, often called the setpoint. A measurement shows what is actually happening. When the measured condition moves away from the ... Read More "What Do Proportional Integral and Derivative Control Do" »

What Variables Need Continuous Measurement in Water Treatment

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What Variables Need Continuous Measurement in Water Treatment
Industrial Applications, Water & Wastewater Treatment

Water treatment may look straightforward from the outside. Water enters a treatment process, passes through several stages, and leaves in a condition suitable for its intended use. In practice, however, the process can change from one moment to the next. Flow can rise or fall. Water levels can move as tanks fill and empty. Pressure ... Read More "What Variables Need Continuous Measurement in Water Treatment" »

How Do Fluid Conditions Affect Control Valve Selection

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How Do Fluid Conditions Affect Control Valve Selection
Control & Communication, Control Valves

A control valve may look like a fairly simple part of a process line, but its working conditions can vary widely from one application to another. A valve handling clean water does not necessarily face the same requirements as one handling a thick liquid, corrosive fluid, gas, or a liquid containing suspended material. The fluid ... Read More "How Do Fluid Conditions Affect Control Valve Selection" »

What Is the Difference Between Pressure Gauges and Transmitters

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What Is the Difference Between Pressure Gauges and Transmitters
Instrumentation & Measurement, Pressure Measurement

Pressure measurement is common in industrial processes, but the instrument used to read pressure can vary depending on what needs to be done with the reading. A pressure gauge and a pressure transmitter may be installed near the same pipe, tank, or piece of equipment, yet they serve different purposes. The basic difference is straightforward. ... Read More "What Is the Difference Between Pressure Gauges and Transmitters" »

When Is Closed Loop Control Needed in Industrial Processes

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When Is Closed Loop Control Needed in Industrial Processes
Control Loops & Strategies, Process Control

Industrial processes rarely stay exactly the same from one moment to the next. A liquid may enter a vessel at a changing rate. A heating process may lose heat as the surrounding conditions change. A production line may face different material loads during normal operation. Even when a process starts in a stable condition, small ... Read More "When Is Closed Loop Control Needed in Industrial Processes" »