We are looking for a consultant who has actual experience in designing
electromagnetic flow meters. This person is very likely in the UK or
Europe where most of this design work has been done in the past. A
good answer would be contact information for such a consultant who at
least claims to have specific experience in the design of this type of
flow meter within the past ten years. |
Request for Question Clarification by
easterangel-ga
on
15 Jul 2005 18:14 PDT
Hi!
Are you looking for a specific person? Or would companies that design
flow meters be enough as an answer?
Would companies in the US be ok as well?
Thanks!
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
16 Jul 2005 07:00 PDT
We are primarily looking for an individual, but they could be employed
by a consulting firm. The knowledge we need is very specific and can
only be gained by having personally participated in the design
process. Many electronics design firms would say, "Sure, we can help
with mag meter design." Thanks, but we already have good engineers. A
good candidate would be an electrical engineer or physicist, former
employee of one of the mag meter makers who has retired or been
downsized and gone into consulting. Examples of mag meter makers would
be Danfoss (now Siemens) Endress and Hauser, Krohne, Sparling, ABB
Kent. A consultant based in the US would be great, we just suspect
from our efforts that there aren't many.
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Request for Question Clarification by
easterangel-ga
on
16 Jul 2005 15:31 PDT
Hi!
Is this a good example of the type of person you're looking for?
http://www.engineering.usu.edu/uwrl/www/faculty/btullis.html
Thanks!
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
16 Jul 2005 20:54 PDT
Nope, sorry. the person has to have participated in the actual design
of a mag meter. Not evaluate, test, calibrate...just design. We're
trying to avoid reinventing the wheel. We've already gotten all the
help we can from people like this. Now we need somebody who has really
done it.
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Request for Question Clarification by
easterangel-ga
on
16 Jul 2005 23:38 PDT
Hi again!
I was not able to find any substantial information as regards to this
question. Maybe another researcher can help you get the right people.
Thanks!
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
17 Jul 2005 13:32 PDT
Thanks for your efforts. It's a diificult search and I'm hoping
somebody knows of a really good international consultants database.
that may not be realistic
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
17 Jul 2005 14:20 PDT
Hello ninetydays:
I've done some searching and found Richard Paton who works at a UK
consulting firm, NEL. I first found him mentioned as the author of an
article on electromagnetic flowmeters:
FLOW MEASUREMENT GUIDANCE NOTE NO. 37 - Electromagnetic Flowmeters for
the water industry
URL: http://www.flowprogramme.co.uk/publications/guidancenotes/GN37.pdf
Contact Info:
Richard Paton, NEL, East Kilbride, Glasgow,
G75 0QU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1355 272 965
Fax: +44 (0)1355 272 999, e-mail: rpaton@nel.uk
Mr. Paton is also mentioned as a member of NEL's Standards Committee:
NEL's STANDARDS COMMITTEE
URL: http://www.flowprogramme.co.uk/contact/committees.asp \
Quote: "1.1.4 VOLUME-BASED METERS (including Water Meters)
BSI CPI 30/7/1: Member: Richard Paton
ISO TC30/SC7: Member of UK Delegation: Richard Paton"
I went to this NEL company and found quite a bit of evidence that they
consult on design of electromagnetic flowmeters:
NEL - Flow Systems
URL: http://www.nel.uk/services.asp?G=6&T=1&S=25&NS=8
Quote: "At NEL we provide consultancy in relation to both established
and emerging technologies. In flow measurement technology we have in
depth knowledge of turbine, positive displacement, differential
pressure, ultrasonic, Coriolis and electromagnetic flowmeters. Our
expertise also includes pumps, valves, controls, instrumentation
systems, separation systems and general fluid handling system design.
Our practical experience spans the oil & gas, power generation,
chemical &pharmaceutical and water distribution industries....
Consultancy projects carried out by NEL include:...Flow meter system
design and installation guidance"
NEL's contact information can be found at:
Contact Us
URL: http://www.nel.uk/contact.asp
I would be happy to email both Mr. Paton and NEL's consultancy arm in
general for you if you'd like - to get confirmation of electromagnetic
flowmeter design work they have done in the past 10 years. Please let
me know.
If this consultant is what you've been looking for, I'd also be happy
to use similar search methods to try to find other options for you.
Again, let me know.
websearcher
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
17 Jul 2005 20:01 PDT
This looks very promising. If you can get a response from an
individual there who has done mag meter design work, we would
definitely consider that a good answer, and pick it up from there.
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
17 Jul 2005 20:22 PDT
Hello ninetydays:
Thanks for the feedback. I have sent an email to NEL asking for
further information as per your requirements. I'll let you know as
soon as I hear anything.
websearcher
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
19 Jul 2005 08:16 PDT
Hello ninetydays:
Well, I received some feedback from Richard Paton at NEL. However,
given that I'm not an engineer, I'm unsure as to whether the response
meets *your* requirements or whether you need further information.
The (abridged) email I sent was:
*************************************
A client of mine is looking for a UK consultant (or consultancy firm) that
has actively taken part in the *design* (as opposed to calibration, testing,
etc.) of Electromagnetic Flowmeters. I gather from your website at:
http://www.nel.uk/services.asp?G=6&T=1&S=25&NS=8
and from
http://www.flowprogramme.co.uk/publications/guidancenotes/GN37.pdf
That NEL may be what my client is looking for.
Can you please give me some idea as to your firm's experience in this design
area in the last ten years? Any information you might have on the
backgrounds/qualifications of NEL experts in this area would also be of
interest.
************************************
The (abridged) reply I just got was:
************************************
I am sure we will be able to work with you to assist your client. We
certainly can provide advice on market sector, performance requirements, and
access to testing and approval assistance. We have also done some CFD
modelling work on EM meters but I would need to consult colleagues to obtain
more details of how useful this would be to you. We also have a full range
of testing capability to assist with the practical side of product
development or approval and specification work. As you probably know we are
independent of any other manufacturer and confidentiality to a client is a
vital part of our business delivery.
If your client is an UK based SME we have some DTI funded schemes in
operation to assist you at no charge. If your client is a large company or
not UK based we can still obviously provide a wide range of assistance both
practical and consultancy based.
******************************************
My reading of this is that they didn't really answer my question - I'm
still unsure whether they do the *design* work you need. Is that your
reading of it?
How should we proceed? I see a few alternatives:
1. You could supply me with any specific question(s) you still need
answered, and I could send them to Paton and then let you know the
reply.
2. You could contact Paton yourself at this point and let me know
whether they meet your criteria or not. At that point, I could
continue to look for alternate possibilities.
3. You let me know that this company meets your criteria and I can
move on to other possibilities right away.
Please let me know how you'd like to proceed.
Thanks.
websearcher
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
19 Jul 2005 15:13 PDT
You're a good researcher and I wish I could say we have a hit here,
but my reading is the same as yours. Everything that he said they
could do for us is something we already do for ourselves or have
suppliers for. I guess a pair of focused questions would be, 1)Could
you help at the level of hardware and software design to improve
signal reading and stability at extremely poor S/N ratios, based on
previous successful magmeter design work?
2)Do you have experience relevant to lowering current draw in a
magmeter to <2 milliamp levels?
This is the type of specific experience we need, and it only comes
from having done some form of it in the past.
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
19 Jul 2005 19:45 PDT
Hello ninetydays:
I have sent an email with your follow-up questions and am awaiting a
response. I'm not holding my breath for a positive response, however.
Tomorrow I will look for more possible people. Having these additional
details from you might assist in the actual searching.
I'll be in touch soon.
websearcher
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
20 Jul 2005 08:33 PDT
Hi ninetydays:
We were right about NEL. Here's the latest reply:
***************************
I am sorry but I am afraid we do not have experience in the electronics area
which could help your client directly in the design. We are familiar with
the needs of the devices and, at a superficial level well aware of the
principles of the techniques which can be employed to increase sensitivity
and to reduce power. We could not provide any assistance with the design of
circuitry to implement these principles....
****************************
websearcher
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Request for Question Clarification by
websearcher-ga
on
20 Jul 2005 08:41 PDT
Hi ninetydays:
I tried searching based on your current draw needs and I'm afraid that
everything I was able to find mentioned draws in the 10 - 25 mA range.
I saw one product that claimed to *average* 3 mA, but nothing
approaching a strict upper bound of 2 mA.
I can't think of any other ways to search right now. I may re-approach
this question in the days ahead, but I'm afraid I'm also going to have
to open it to other researchers at this time.
Sorry I was unable to find you what you need.
websearcher
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
20 Jul 2005 14:10 PDT
Websearcher,
Thanks for your efforts to date. I know it's a togh one. We'd offer
more if they would let us, since it's very important to us.
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Clarification of Question by
ninetydays-ga
on
25 Jul 2005 12:03 PDT
Ummm...the conflict issue is probably insurmountable.
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