A Free Thermowell Calculator From JMS Southeast Based on the Standard

This month the ASME 19.3 Committee released the new standard on thermowells, PTC 19.3 TW – 2010 Thermowells.

It is available on their website at http://catalog.asme.org/Codes/PrintBook/PTC_193_TW_2010_Thermowells.cfm.

As a member of that committee, I struggled to get them to produce the standard as an electronic spreadsheet but because of technical issues, ASME declined to do so.

JMS Southeast has developed a program based on the standard that allows you to perform the calculations necessary to determine the suitability of your design for your process conditions with few complications.

Just about any type of well can be configured. It is available free to our customers and friends.

Paste this on your browser to access the site: http://www.jms-se.com/Apps/Tools/ThermowellDesign/Home.aspx and learn what this special calculator named “SwiftyCalc” can do for you.

ED Note: 1. The description of the new standard on the ASME website reads as follows:

The object of this Standard is to establish a mechanical design standard for reliable service of tapered, straight, and stepped-shank thermowells in a broad range of applications. This includes an evaluation of the forces due to external pressure, and the combination of static and dynamic forces resulting from fluid impingement. This Standard applies to thermowells machined from barstock, and includes those welded to or threaded into a flange and as well as those welded into a process vessel or pipe with or without a weld adaptor. Thermowells manufactured from pipe are outside the scope of the Standard. Thermowells with specially designed surface structures (e.g., a knurled surface or a surface with spiral ridges) are beyond the scope of this Standard, due to the difficulty of providing design rules with broad applicability for these types of thermowells.  Thermowell attachment methods, standard dimensions, parasitic vibration of a sensor mounted inside the thermowell, and thermal equilibrium of the sensor relative to the process stream are beyond the scope of this Standard. Additionally thermowells fabricated by welding, including flame spray or weld-overlays, at any place along the length of the shank or at the tip are outside the scope of the Standard.

ED Note: 2. The Table of Contents for PTC 3 TW – 2010 may be downloaded in PDF Format here: http://files.asme.org/Catalog/Codes/PrintBook/24036.pdf

This post was submitted by Frank L Johnson.