Conquering High Temperature, Steam & Agitation Interference: JWrada-35 80GHz Radar Level Transmitter Ensures Precision in Petrochemical Reactors

I. Executive Summary

In the core production processes of the petrochemical industry, precise level control within reactors is paramount. However, complex working conditions involving high temperatures, high pressures, strong steam, dense foam, and agitator interference have historically been a “nightmare” for level measurement.

This case study delves into the severe challenges faced by a national high-performance polyimide (PI) material production base in East China regarding liquid level measurement in its core polymerization reactor. This reactor, an 18-meter-high, 4-meter-diameter vertical cylindrical vessel, serves as the “heart” of the entire production process. For an extended period, its internal medium—a polymerization solvent with an extremely low dielectric constant (εr ≈ 2.5)—operated under extreme conditions of 195℃ high temperature and 4.0 MPa high pressure. Coupled with vigorous agitation (featuring a Φ1.5-meter three-layer agitator blade inside the vessel) and a 500-800mm thick viscous foam layer generated at the end of the reaction, accurate liquid level measurement became an insurmountable challenge.

Previously, the client primarily relied on a 26GHz low-frequency radar and a differential pressure transmitter for measurement. However, due to its wide beam angle (approx. 10°), the low-frequency radar consistently failed to avoid the agitator blades and protruding structures on the vessel wall, leading to frequent false echoes. This caused liquid level data to fluctuate by over ±200mm 5-8 times per hour on average, severely disrupting the normal operation of the DCS (Distributed Control System) and triggering alarms. More vexingly, when the viscous foam layer appeared, the low-frequency radar would completely “lose signal,” forcing operators to resort to manual estimation, which significantly escalated production risks. The differential pressure transmitter, exposed to 200℃ high-temperature steam, frequently suffered from steam condensation and pressure drift in its capillary pressure guiding system. This necessitated 3-4 shutdowns annually (each lasting approximately 8 hours) for manual venting and recalibration, or resulted in significant measurement errors due to drift, severely impacting production efficiency and maintenance costs. Furthermore, on-site commissioning and maintenance of these devices required engineers to obtain high-altitude work permits and ascend the 18-meter-high reactor top amidst high temperature, high pressure, and explosion hazards to connect handheld communicators, posing considerable safety risks.

To fundamentally address these pain points, the base ultimately chose to introduce the Jiwei JWrada-35 80GHz Radar Level Transmitter high-frequency radar level transmitter, replacing its previous measurement solutions.

II. Client Background & Core Challenges

East China New Material Technology Co., Ltd., a leader in high-performance polyimide (PI) materials, relies on its core polymerization reactor for its 200,000-ton annual production line of special polymers—a crucial link in the entire production chain. The reactor’s extremely complex environment has long posed a series of severe challenges for level measurement:

1. Instrument Reliability Crisis under Harsh Process Conditions: The reactor’s interior consistently maintains 180℃-200℃ high temperatures and 4.0 MPa high pressure, accompanied by significant high-pressure steam. This extreme environment places immense demands on sensor durability, leading to frequent failures of traditional contact-type and low-performance non-contact instruments due to high temperature, high pressure, and corrosion.
2. Multiple Complex Interferences Causing Measurement Distortion and Failure: Inside the vessel, there is not only a medium with an extremely low dielectric constant (εr ≈ 2.5), but also a high-speed rotating Φ1.5-meter three-layer agitator blade, and a 500-800mm thick viscous foam layer formed at the end of the reaction. These factors collectively caused the original measurement solutions (such as the 26GHz low-frequency radar) to frequently suffer from false echo interference, leading to severe data fluctuations, and even complete “signal loss” when foam appeared, gravely threatening production safety and control accuracy.
3. High Operating and Maintenance Costs with Significant Safety Hazards: The reactor is located at a height of 18 meters in an explosion-proof Zone 1 area. Frequent malfunctions and drift of traditional instruments resulted in multiple annual shutdowns for maintenance and high-altitude operations. Each maintenance event required complex high-altitude work permits, with engineers facing immense risks from high temperature, high pressure, and explosion hazards while climbing the vessel for on-site commissioning. This not only led to significant economic losses but also posed serious threats to personnel safety.

Consequently, the client urgently sought an advanced level measurement solution that could thoroughly resolve measurement difficulties, enhance reliability, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure production safety.

III. JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter Solution

After extensive technical review and on-site testing, the client ultimately selected the JWrada-35 80GHz high-frequency radar level transmitter, specifically designed for harsh working conditions.

JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter perfectly resolved the client’s challenges with the following key technical features:

1. 80GHz High Frequency + 3° Extremely Narrow Beam: Penetrating Foam, Avoiding Interference JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter’s exceptionally high 80GHz transmission frequency delivers an extremely short wavelength and an ≥3° extremely narrow beam angle. This acts like a sharp “laser sword,” effectively penetrating the dense steam and foam layers within the reactor to directly reach the liquid surface. Simultaneously, the narrow beam effortlessly avoids agitator blades and heating coils inside the vessel, fundamentally reducing the generation of interference echoes.
2. Tolerance for 220℃ High Temperature & Comprehensive Explosion Protection Certification: Safe and Reliable To address the reactor’s high-temperature environment, JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter employs high-temperature resistant PFA/316L antenna materials and a professional heat dissipation structure design, enabling stable operation at temperatures up to 220℃. Furthermore, the product holds dual explosion protection certifications for gas and dust (Ex db llC T6 Gb / Ex ia lllC T200 80℃ Da, etc.), fully meeting the stringent safety standards of the site.
3. Intelligent Echo Learning Algorithm: Automatically Adapting to Complex Conditions Facing periodic interference from the agitator, JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter’s independently developed intelligent adaptive echo learning algorithm played a crucial role. After installation, through a simple “empty tank learning” and “filled tank learning” process, the system automatically identified and suppressed fixed false echoes generated by the agitator, accurately locked onto the true liquid level echo, achieving dynamic tracking.
4. Bluetooth 5.0 + WeChat Mini-Program: A Revolutionary Commissioning Experience This feature proved most popular among frontline maintenance personnel. With the JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter’s built-in Bluetooth 5.0 module, instrument technicians no longer needed to risk high temperatures and explosion hazards to climb the reactor top for open-cover commissioning. They could simply stand in a safe area at ground level, open the “Jiwei ZK®” WeChat mini-program on their mobile phone, and wirelessly connect to the instrument to view echo curves, set parameters, or perform diagnostics.

IV. Results & Benefits

Since the JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter was put into operation for over a year, the liquid level measurement challenges in the reactor have been completely resolved. Measurement results are precise and stable; even during the most severe agitation and foaming phases of the reaction, liquid level data remains reliable, maintaining an accuracy of ±1mm, effectively reducing data fluctuations. This stability enables the DCS (Distributed Control System) to control raw material ratios and reaction processes more precisely, thereby optimizing process control and improving the quality consistency of the final products. Concurrently, thanks to non-contact measurement and intelligent algorithms, the instrument is virtually maintenance-free, significantly reducing routine maintenance costs. In terms of safety, Bluetooth wireless commissioning completely revolutionized work procedures, eliminating dozens of high-altitude, high-temperature, and explosion-prone operations annually, thereby substantially enhancing operator safety.

V. Conclusion

The successful application of the JWrada-35 80GHz radar level transmitter has not only achieved groundbreaking progress in the critical polymerization reactor of East China New Material Technology Co., Ltd. but has also demonstrated its unparalleled superior performance in extreme industrial environments worldwide. It is far more than just a simple measuring instrument; it is a comprehensive intelligent solution integrating cutting-edge high-frequency radar technology, advanced intelligent algorithms, and modern convenient communication methods (Bluetooth 5.0 and the “Jiwei SmartControl®” WeChat mini-program). Radar Level Transmitter Radar Level Transmitter

This revolutionary instrument, with its penetrating 80GHz high-frequency narrow beam, precisely overcomes the measurement bottlenecks of traditional instruments in the presence of high-temperature steam, viscous foam, and strong agitation interference. Its integrated intelligent adaptive echo learning algorithm empowers the instrument with self-learning capabilities, intelligent identification of false echoes, and dynamic tracking of the true liquid level, ensuring the output of high-quality, precise, and long-term stable measurement data even in rapidly changing complex conditions. Simultaneously, the wireless commissioning function, eliminating the need for high-altitude work, completely revolutionized traditional maintenance models, significantly enhancing on-site operational convenience and safety, and substantially reducing operational risks and maintenance costs for enterprises.

The successful practice of JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter offers a truly safe, reliable, and intelligent new paradigm for level measurement across industries facing extreme conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, strong corrosion, steam and foam, dust and flying ash, and low dielectric constant media, including petroleum, chemical, metallurgy, electric power, building materials, and food. It represents a significant step forward for the industrial measurement sector towards higher precision, stronger adaptability, lower maintenance requirements, and greater intelligence. In the future, JWrada-35 Radar Level Transmitter is expected to play a core role in more critical industrial processes, becoming an indispensable cornerstone in driving the Industry 4.0 intelligent manufacturing process.