Process Flow Metering
Silixa’s patented non-intrusive FiberWrap™ distributed fibre optic sensing-based process flow metering solution delivers significant cost savings by enabling operators to increase productivity, maximise operational efficiency and minimise water consumption.
It does so by delivering actionable information derived from continuous distributed acoustic measurements that enable operators to manage and monitor water dependency and process challenges in compliance with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) business sustainability initiatives.
Significant cost savings with flow metering
Silixa’s non-intrusive FiberWrap solution has the Lowest CAPEX and OPEX in the industrial and mining flow metering markets. It can be easily installed to both brownfield and greenfield operations.
As the sensing element, the fibre, is fitted onto existing pipes with no interruption to process operations there is zero downtime across the product and operator asset lifecycles.
This delivers significant cost savings.
Improved sustainability
The solution improves the sustainability of operations with significantly reduced energy consumption and with no power requirement on site at the flow measurement zones.
Increased safety
Unmanned and remote operations contribute greatly to improved site safety.
Flow metering gives increased efficiency
FiberWrap enables process automation and significantly increases efficiency. It does so by acquiring data continuously, without interruption to operations at remote locations or inaccessible places where traditional flow monitoring technologies cannot be integrated due to many challenges, such as pipeline arrangement, size or technology.
It can measure flow at multiple processes at the same time and it is able to detect and measure dirty and frothy fluids and flows even in partially filled large diameter pipes.
- Mining and mine water management
- Water treatment
- Process control
- Flotation mass pull
- Provide flow data as part of an intelligent mine automation system
Maximum number of metering zones | 25 (pipe size dependent) |
Installation type | Non-intrusive |
Flow régime | Pressurised turbulent flow |
Flow types | Liquid, bubbly liquid, slurry, dense slurry, gas |
Operating temperature for sensing cable | Min: ‑45°C max 150°C |
Pipe sensing length | Preferably several pipe diameters |
Maximum cable length per iDAS | 13 km |
Compatible pipe geometries | Circular & non-circular bends (including segmented bends, 45°, 90°) Tees Reducers (including articulated, continuous stubs) |
Compatible pipe materials | Steel, HDPE, PVC, Rubber |
Pipe material thickness | Min. schedule 10 to max. schedule 160 |
Update rate | From 5s |
Output | CSV, data transfer via OPC method |
Output units | Flow speed (m/s) Volumetric flow rate (m3/s)* Sound speed (for multi-phase flow allocations) |
Bi-directional measurement | Yes |
Pipe diameter range | Min: 1” max: 50” |
Minimum measurable velocity | 0.5 m/s |
Measurement accuracy (standard) | +/- 5% of reading |
Measurement accuracy (calibrated) | +/- 1% of reading |
Repeatability | +/- 0.5% |
The sensing element, a continuous length of ruggedised fibre optic cable, is helically wrapped on the external section of process pipes where flow measurements are desired.
Utilizing this fibre optic cable, distributed acoustic measurements are taken continuously. The system can have up to 25 flow measurement zones per interrogator, which is Silixa’s phase-coherent intelligent Distributed Acoustic Sensor, iDAS.
Installation of the system is possible retrospectively without interrupting existing operations.