Maximize energy recovery in retrofit water pipelines

InPipe Energy's existing flowmeters caused pressure loss, directly eroding the hydraulic head that InPipe Energy wants to convert into power. In an energy recovery application where every PSI matters, even small losses compound to reduce generation efficiency.

Many flowmeters required long straight‑run piping upstream and downstream. In brownfield galleries – where elbows, strainers, valves and legacy pipework already fill the envelope – those straight run rules can force re-piping, increase costs, enlarge the footprint and even jeopardize a retrofit’s feasibility when space simply doesn’t exist.

Additionally, InPipe Energy’s engineers faced challenges with other 0 x DN devices on the market that produced unstable signals and required days of field troubleshooting and adjustments. This led to delays, extra troubleshooting and backup equipment needs for emergency purposes and added unnecessary costs. With systems being installed in global projects, the team also needed reliable remote support and in‑situ performance verification. Given recent work in Thailand and upcoming sites like Tualatin, Oregon, global service coverage is more than a convenience – it is a risk reducer for a small company running critical schedules sometimes far from home.

The team at InPipe Energy adopted Endress+Hauser’s Proline Promag W 10, an electromagnetic flowmeter with 0 x DN full-bore option that eliminates straight‑run piping needs and avoids pressure loss while maintaining high accuracy. The device can be mounted directly after elbows, strainers or valves without compromising signal quality or measuring accuracy. Having that capability directly addressed the main retrofit challenge: Projects are no longer dependent on the availability of several diameters of straight pipe for installation. In one Thailand deployment, late-stage upstream additions would have invalidated a conventional straight run spec – Promag W 10 with 0 x DN full-bore option preserved the project without redesign, rework or timeline shock.

Equally important, the full-bore flow path removed the measurement bottleneck that had been quietly taxing InPipe’s energy balance. Because Promag W 10 does not reduce the internal diameter, it avoids the velocity increases and added head-loss common to narrowed sections, protecting the pressure budget that feeds the turbine. For InPipe Energy, that translates to more electricity from the same pipe – a direct lift to the company’s central KPI of maximizing net power generation.

In addition to solving installation challenges, Promag W 10 enabled commissioning within 20 minutes – a significant improvement over the multi-day tuning cycles required with previous 0 x DN offerings. This rapid, predictable startup reduces travel, labor and schedule risk and eliminates the need to carry back-up flowmeters as contingency. The stable, dependable signal/flow data at startup also gives InPipe Energy greater confidence when planning flow-based control strategies at future sites.

Endress+Hauser’s network of service centers also supports global service needs. And the feature Heartbeat Technology enables future in‑situ performance verification within the device at any time.