The terms functional safety and safety integrity level (SIL) have occurred more frequently since the publication of the international standard IEC 61508/IEC 61511. Particularly in systems with hazard-causing processes, such as in chemical plants, the consideration of functional safety has become indispensable. On this basis, safety-related practices, design principles and error considerations must be met to minimise the risk of a dangerous failure.
UWT’s rotary paddle level switch for overfill and dry run protectionThe UWT engineers focused on this topic and redesigned the rotating paddle switch Rotonivo RN 6000 series according to the normative requirements of functional safety to ensure safety functions and risk mitigation in accordance with SIL2. Typical safety functions are over-fill and dry-run protection.
Depending on the requirements, the Rotonivo rotary paddle switch is used as a full, demand or empty detector in storage silos or process vessels and is suitable for use in almost all solids. With its simple electromechanical measuring principle, it can also be adapted for extreme process conditions. A motor driven shaft causes the vane to rotate. Once the material level reaches the vane, thereby preventing further rotation, this creates a torque, which is converted via a switch to an electric signal. Once the vane is free again of the material, the output signal is reset and the motor driven shaft rotates again.
As part of the functional safety issue, the electronics of the rotating paddle series have been configured so that any failure of electrical components leads to a safe switching state of the output signal thus avoiding potential system hazards. With the innovative SIL2 compliant Rotonivo RN 6000 series, operators of safety-related systems have access to a level sensor in accordance with the specified SIL.
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