Process Instrumentation

In the complex world of power generation, every drop of fuel, every pound of steam and every gallon of cooling water matters. Power plants — whether fueled by natural gas, coal, nuclear energy or renewables — rely on precise control of flow across multiple systems to ensure efficiency, reliability and safety. Flow measurement is not just about monitoring numbers on a gauge.

The adoption of digital technology has significantly transformed industries across the globe, including pressure transmitters and other sensors and measurement devices. Traditional analog devices, once the industry standard, are increasingly being replaced by digital solutions. Digital communication protocols such as CANopen are playing a key role in this transition, enabling seamless communication and enhanced functionality in modern systems.

Imagine this: an engineer is reviewing flow data from a custody transfer application. The flowmeter in use is a high-quality, precision-calibrated unit. Yet, the readings fluctuate more than expected. The equipment appears to be functioning correctly, but the numbers are still off. In many cases, the issue is not the flowmeter itself but the process conditions surrounding it. Flow measurement accuracy plays a critical role in process efficiency, product quality and regulatory compliance.

For more than 20 years, P.I. Process Instrumentation’s annual Innovation Awards program has recognized the latest solutions in process instrumentation. The program accepts nominations from companies that would like to submit their technology breakthroughs in process instrumentation. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the awards program by nominating. And, congratulations to this year’s winners. We hope to see your solution nominated next year.

ProcessMaster, ABB’s next generation electromagnetic flowmeters, are now available with Ethernet-APL (Advanced Physical Layer) connectivity, allowing for high-speed transmission of field data. By expanding its portfolio of APL-enabled instrumentation, ABB continues to bring the benefits of Ethernet communication to industrial operations.

(Endress+Hauser release) — Endress+Hauser has unveiled iTHERM SurfaceLine TM611, a non-invasive thermometer engineered to deliver high-performance temperature measurement across a wide range of industrial applications. Designed for environments where traditional invasive sensors pose safety, engineering or cost challenges, iTHERM SurfaceLine TM611 offers a breakthrough solution that combines precision, reliability and ease of installation.

Oct. 30, 2025 (Emerson release) — Emerson, an industrial technology leader delivering advanced automation solutions, has launched the world’s first native WirelessHART non-contacting radar level transmitter. The Rosemount 3408 Wireless Level Transmitter – Non-Contacting Radar reduces the complexity, time and costs associated with installing cabling in automated measurement points.

Oct. 30, 2025 (Emerson release) — Emerson, an industrial technology leader delivering advanced automation solutions, has launched the world’s first native WirelessHART® non-contacting radar level transmitter. The Rosemount™ 3408 Wireless Level Transmitter – Non-Contacting Radar reduces the complexity, time and costs associated with installing cabling in automated measurement points.

Technical work in legal cases is often quite interesting as one tries to solve a mystery after the fact with little available evidence. Sometimes, the drama plays out like a whodunit on television with the periodic appearance of information, which may or may not be true or relevant. The invoiced amount of water in a repurposed office building (built originally as a garage) increased well over 10-fold a few years prior to my being contacted.

Which of the following techniques would be applicable when calibrating a flowmeter used to measure the flow of raw materials in a process plant? Flow laboratory Flow calibration facility Signal simulation Dimensional check The value of the raw materials passing through a flowmeter in this service could be millions of dollars, so wasting even small amounts in a continuous operation could result in a large financial penalty.