Masoneilan 12410 Digital Level Controller with Built-In PID

Overview

The Masoneilan 12410 is the controller model of the Baker Hughes 12400 Series digital level instruments. Where its sibling models only measure and report, the 12410 adds a PID algorithm inside the instrument head so that it can close a level loop on its own. Baker Hughes states that it was designed specifically to retrofit pneumatic level control loops, or to give an easy and cost-effective local and independent control loop, using the same displacer and torque tube hardware that a 12800 pneumatic controller would use.

Seven Star LLC is a trusted supplier for Masoneilan and quotes the Masoneilan 12410 for process plants in the Sultanate of Oman and the GCC. Because the controller function can only be enabled if it was ordered with the instrument, we confirm the model code before quotation, checking the action digit that distinguishes the controller from the two transmitter models, the mounting digit, the approval and the housing material.

Operating Principle of the Masoneilan 12410

The Masoneilan 12410 measures level by buoyancy. A change in liquid level changes the apparent weight of the displacer, the load on the torque tube changes in proportion, and the rotation of the torque rod alters the magnetic field seen by a non-contact sensor. The signal is converted to a digital value, processed by the on-board microcontroller and used as the process variable for the controller. The controller compares it with a local set point, and the 4-20 mA signal on AO_1 is the PID output rather than the level.

The PID structure of the Masoneilan 12410 is the parallel mode, and the derivative action can be based on either the error or the process variable. Proportional gain runs from 0 to 50, integral time is entered in seconds and a value of zero disables it, derivative time runs from 0 to 5000 ms, and a differential gain Kd from 0 to 100 and a nonlinear factor beta from -9 to 9 are also available. When beta is zero the gain is linear, and otherwise it depends on the size of the error. The controller output can be set to Direct or Reverse.

Engineering Design of the Masoneilan 12410

The three terminal pairs of the Masoneilan 12410 have fixed roles. AO_1 carries the controller output with HART communication, AO_2 carries the level or interface measurement without HART, and DO_1 and DO_2 are two independent isolated digital switch outputs that the user adjusts. The controller function is available on firmware revision 113 or later, and the controller set-up parameters can be changed only through the ValVue suite, which also provides a Controller Monitor screen with bargraphs for output, process variable and set point, device status, tag name, PID parameters and alarms.

Set-up covers the set point range and limits, an initial set point on power-up, set point tracking, ratio control, a controller dead zone in percent, an output rate limit in percent per second, a manual reset bias and a controller rate in multiples of 0.06 seconds. Controller alarms are either absolute or deviation alarms, with low and high limits that must lie within 10 percent of the set point limits. The instrument head is a two-compartment housing with a glass window, three explosion-proof pushbuttons and an LCD, and it connects to the torque tube through a coupling that is calibrated at commissioning.

Key Features

The following capabilities distinguish the Masoneilan 12410 from the transmitter models in the same series:

• A built-in parallel PID algorithm controls the level locally, with the controller output on AO_1 and HART on the same pair of wires.
• The second analog output on AO_2 carries the measurement, so a DCS can still monitor the level.
• Two isolated digital outputs provide adjustable alarm or switch functions, polarity sensitive and with open-collector outputs.
• Set point tracking makes the set point equal to the process variable when the controller changes from manual to normal mode.
• Ratio gain and ratio bias are calculated automatically when the set point and the level measurement use different units or ranges.
• The controller can be switched on or off from the Advanced Setup menu by pushbutton or from ValVue.
• Specific gravity from 0.15 to 1.4 with the standard displacer, with other values possible with special displacers.
• Only the transmitter function is covered by the SIL certification, and the controller function is not part of that scope.

Industrial Applications

The Masoneilan 12410 is aimed at stand-alone level loops on separators, scrubbers and accumulators where a local controller is wanted instead of a pneumatic controller or a loop run from the DCS. It is also a practical route for modernising older plants, because the manual describes fitting the head on an existing 12200, 12300 or 12400 Series torque tube. Plants in Oman that still run pneumatic level controllers are the natural users of the Masoneilan 12410 for such retrofits.

In Oman and the GCC, Seven Star LLC supplies the Masoneilan 12410 together with the control valves and positioners of the loop. The controller output can feed a positioner such as the Masoneilan SVI3 digital valve positioner on a Masoneilan 41005 cage-guided valve, or a Masoneilan SVI FF positioner. We will review the vessel and loop before confirming the model code.

Technical Specifications

The table lists the published data for the Masoneilan 12410 from the Baker Hughes instruction manual and safety guide, revision E.

Related Masoneilan level instruments include the Masoneilan 12400 Series digital level transmitter, Masoneilan 12800 Series pneumatic level controller and Masoneilan 21000 Series top-guided globe valve.

Request a Quote for Masoneilan 12410

To request pricing or technical support for the Masoneilan 12410, send a formal RFQ to the Seven Star LLC instrumentation division with the vessel connection, range, specific gravity, process temperature and pressure, and the hazardous area approval you need. We can confirm the model code, and provide the Baker Hughes instruction manual from this page. In Oman and the GCC, Seven Star LLC supplies genuine products with manufacturer documentation.