FAQ

1. Who should install the Ultimo DVM?

Almost anyone in the maintenance staff can install the Ultimo DVM.  There are very few steps and no special knowledge is required.

2. What tools are required for installation?

No special tools are required unless the plant elects to weld the mounting bracket to the wall.  

3. What are the minimum and maximum diameters of a vessel/pipe or reactor?

There are no maximum diameters as the Ultimo DVM acquires the data it needs only from the wall and the material just inside the wall.  As for minimum diameters, the Ultimo DVM works on any vessel (tank or pipe) which diameter allows mounting by the recommended method of installation.

4. What about the vessel construction?  What are the minimum and maximum wall thicknesses and are there any vessel types that are not suitable for the Ultimo DVM?

The Ultimo DVM is designed to work on steel, aluminum, fiberglass and plastic; the most commonly found vessel materials.  For our current model, Version 4.0, wall thicknesses should not exceed ½ inch (12.5mm).

5. Will we have to shut down for installation?

No, the Ultimo DVM can be installed at any time and does not require the vessel to be either full or empty at time of installation.    Matter of fact, it will be easier to start the calibration process if the system is in operation at the time of installation.

Calibration   

6. Is calibration required and is it done on site?

          Yes, standard two-point calibration is required. It can be done on site or can be  

          factory calibrated. If it is factory calibrated then onsite offsetting may be necessary

7. Once a vessel is calibrated will it need to be re-calibrated if the material contents are changed? 

          Yes if a different material is fed into the vessel.

Yes if the density or viscosity of the same material moves from the range established by the latest completed 2-point calibration. 

No if the Ultimo DVM was already calibrated to the new material in the vessel with the calibration parameters stored in the device’s calibration database.

Operation and Measuring

8. Is the Ultimo DVM suitable for both liquids and loose solid materials?

Yes, the Ultimo DVM works equally well on these types of material in addition to slurries.   

9. What effect will coating on the inside wall of the vessel have on the accuracy of the Ultimo DVM?

Probably none.  If the coating is there at the time of installation and does not ‘grow’ significantly over time, then it will be ‘calibrated’ in at time of installation.  Also, if the coating is loosely attached it may become disengaged by the striking at the wall generated by the Ultimo DVM.

10.  What type of viscosity is measured -- dynamic or kinematic?  What is the viscosity range?

The Ultimo DVM measures viscosity in units of measurement set at the time of calibration.  It is up to a user to assign which type of viscosity will be measured - dynamic or kinematic.

11.  Is the density measurement for a material in the tank or of the bulk sample?  Could it be used to detect an interface between oil and water?

The Ultimo DVM measures density within some volume around the point of its mounting on the wall, therefore it measures the bulk density.

The Ultimo DVM can be used to detect the interface between oil and water and generate an appropriate alarm signal to the user

12.  12. Can it be used on jacketed vessels?

It will work on most jacketed vessels as long as the Ultimo DVM can have direct contact to the vessel’s exterior wall.

13.  Can it be mounted on the bottom of a vessel?

The current version of the Ultimo DVM requires side mounting. Ask your reseller about other options for mounting    

14.  What is the range of viscosities for which it can be used?

There is no defined range for the Ultimo DVM’s set point of viscosity or density. However, in order to be able to implement the 2-point calibration procedure, the viscosity range should not exceed ±25% of the set point value. If there is a need to measure in wider ranges, the Ultimo DVM supports multi-point calibration. 

15.  What are the temperature ranges?  Is it good for 250°C?

The Ultimo DVM V4.0 works on vessels with process temperature up to 100 C° (212 F°). We are working on extending this range to 250 C° (482 F°)

16.  Is it capable of compensating for temperature variations in the vessel?

          The Ultimo DVM is equipped with a thermal drift control function making the device 

insensitive to the environmental temperature variations. We are working on adding a vessel material content temperature correction function.

17. Can viscosity be measured while mixing?

Yes, it can with the understanding that the viscosity of the material during mixing could differ from the viscosity of the same material after the mixing is completed

18.  What happens if there’s a power failure?  Will I have to reset or recalibrate the Ultimo DVM after power comes back on?

The Ultimo DVM design has Fail Safe functionality built-in and therefore a brief power failure will not require recalibration.  The last reported condition will be maintained.  The Ultimo DVM does not lose settings due to power failure. Once power is restored it will continue to work normally. The Ultimo DVM was designed for continuous work. If the power was lost for a long time (hours) then validate and adjust the device following the instructions in the DVM Operator’s Manual   

19.  We would like to test your device for measuring density of a fluid undergoing phase change from liquid to solid. What can you tell us about your capability for this need?

Typically, the phase change is associated with changes of the content’s viscosity and density. The Ultimo DVM captures these changes and produces an alarm signal using its versatile output interface

20.  Our interest is in a density range of 0.15 g/cc (9 lb. /ft³) to about 1 g/cc (55 lb. /ft³).  You don't have to cover the whole range but tell us what range is possible.

If the 2-point calibration method is used then you can measure accurately within ±10% of the set point value. For example, if your set point density or density nominal value is equal to 0.35 g/cm³, then the measurement range will be from 0.315 g/cm³ to 0.375 g/cm^3.

21.    21. Can the DVM be used for measurement in a multiphase flow, such as a stirred tank or a fluidized bed, where the level or density is constantly changing?

If the level is not changing but the density is changing due to stirring, the Ultimo DVM can be used in its regular measurement mode.

If the level is changing then the density measurement could be affected by the level change. In a case where the material level is substantially higher than the device’s mounting height, small level deviations will not affect the density measuring. The user must determine the effect of the changing level on the accuracy of density measurement during the Ultimo DVM’s calibration time. 

22.  Could this technique be used to monitor the progress of a polymerization reaction with final viscosity in the range of 1000cP to 10000cP (in the presence of suspended solids (10%w), with slurry density on the order of 1150kg/m³, at temperatures in excess of 200C°)?

Only if the multi-point calibration procedure is used.   Version 4.0 of the Ultimo DVM is limited to 100 C° process temperature. Higher temperature protection and multi-point calibration function will be among the features of the future versions of the Ultimo DVM.

23. 23.  What is the typical accuracy and precision of the Ultimo DVM?

The Ultimo DVM was designed to be used in process control measurement applications of heterogeneous materials.  As such there is no typical accuracy.  However, precision will always be superb.  Accuracy and precision will be defined by the conditions of these applications. Our laboratory tests demonstrated at least 2% precision and 5 % accuracy on measuring density of a slurry with high concentration of solids, 0.5% of precision and accuracy for measuring density and viscosity of viscous fluids and exceptionally good precision in measuring the density of light powders.   

24.  24. Can it be installed on piping (does flow interfere with the signal; what is the minimum piping diameter, if any)?

Yes, it can be installed on piping. The minimum piping diameter for a standard   schedule 40 steel pipe is 50.8 mm (2.0 inches). Calibration should be performed at a nominal value of the material flowing in the pipe. The accuracy of readings can be affected in those cases when the material flow deviates more than 25% from its flow rate during calibration 

25.  25. Will we be able to use a vibrator on a vessel with the Ultimo DVM?

Yes, most industrial vibrators generate a vibration frequency spectrum that does not affect the processing of striking and resultant wall/content material oscillations generated by the Ultimo DVM. 

26.  26. We are interested in measuring the specific gravity and viscosity of a slurry with an s.g. range of 1.2-1.5 and viscosity range of 5-10 Cp.  Will the DVM work for this requirement?

Yes, it will work for this requirement as long as the pipe’s dimensions meet our requirements as noted above. 

Power

27.  27. What are the power requirements?

          The Ultimo DVM requires standard 120/240 V AC. 

Certifications

28.  28. Is the DVM rated for operating in hazardous locations (i.e. Class I, Div. I or Div. II)?

Not yet.  Our V4.0 is not yet rated to work in hazardous locations.  Future versions will meet this need.

29.  29. How about the Intrinsically Safe certification?  Does the Ultimo DVM meet that requirement at this time? 

Not yet.  Future versions will meet this need.

Other

30.  30. Is this technology patented?

Our core technology is patented in several countries and additional method and device patents are pending. 

31. 31.  What is the price?

Pricing is established by your local reseller and will vary depending on the level of technical service requested. 

32.  32. How do I get an Ultimo DVM for evaluation?

Please check with your local reseller.  See the Contact Reseller section of this website for the name and contact information.