AW-Lake flow monitors help NOAA measure ocean salt

AW-Lake reported Jan. 31 that it’s supplying flow monitors to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for use on its research vessels to measure the temperature and salt content of the world’s oceans. NOAA was previously unaware when a pump clogged when taking in salt water as part of its measuring process. Different types of sea plankton and debris from seawater congested the pump, creating inaccurate readings.

As a result, AW-Lake’s MX 9000 panel-mount process monitor not only tracks the amount of seawater flowing into the pump, but it provides an integrated output to the ship’s data-gathering computer. The monitor is also calibrated to trigger an onboard alarm if water flowrates drop below a certain level.

“Whether it’s out on the open ocean or the open road, our products help industries measure and monitor flowrates,” says Mark Iverson, general manager at AW-Lake. “In many applications similar to NOAA, it’s imperative that process operations run more smoothly and efficiently.”