Able Temperature Controls Boost Heater Efficiency

One Series programmable temperature controls from Able have been used as part of a GBP22,000 upgrade of a natural draft utility heater. The heater was only achieving 64 per cent combustion efficiency and was having problems maintaining process temperature. Each of the two fire tubes was estimated to have approximately 3.5 million BTU per hour.

The eight-wire One Series maintained a process temperature of 272C, with only one fire tube running at 68 per cent combustion efficiency. Its two independent solid-state relays allow for the separation of the control points and precise setting for each dead band, which eliminated previous process temperature overshoot and undershoot issues. The second fire tube has a live pilot, which will turn on if the process temperature drops below 267C.

A 4-20mA auxiliary output is included, which can be tied into a PLC/DCS as a trending and monitoring function. The total volume of air is now being heated by one fire tube and is approximately 105,000 SCF per hour; this is a reduction in air volume and translates to more heat into the process and less wasted into the atmosphere. The efficiency gains with using the One Series temperature controls will pay for the system upgrade in as little as two months, with approximately GBP410 per day being saved in fuel costs.

Aquatrode Plus Controls Quality Of Bioethanol

Metrohm's Aquatrode Plus A combined pH glass electrode with ground-joint diaphragm is recommended for measuring the pH in organic solvents. As a result of the expected low conductivity of the sample, the electrode should be particularly well shielded in order to suppress electrostatic influences. The Aquatrode Plus is an electrode that can be used for ethanol measurements. With separable ground-joint diaphragm, the Aquatrode Plus is suitable for measuring the pH of bioethanol.

The pH meter used for the measurement should possess the following GLP functions, among others: three-point calibration with automatic buffer recognition; temperature compensation; calibration data monitoring; automatic measured-value recording; and result memory with identification. The pH meter 827 pH lab for laboratory use and the battery-operated 826 pH mobile offer these functions. The chloride content in bioethanol fuels is the subject of ASTM D 512.

Determinations can be carried out by mercurimetric or argentometric titration or by direct titration with a Cl-sensitive electrode. Argentometric determination (with silver nitrate) is the method of choice because of its environmental advantages and high precision. A defined volume of the sample is pipetted into the titration cell, treated with 5ml of 2M nitric acid and then titrated against 0.01M silver-nitrate solution.

A proven method for sulphate determination is potentiometric titration with lead nitrate using a Pb-sensitive electrode. The pH of the sample is adjusted to pH 3-5 with perchloric acid and the sulphate is then precipitated out with lead-nitrate solution. The Pb-selective electrode detects the first excess of lead ions at the equivalence point. The wide range of potentiometric applications for bioethanol requires a flexible titrator, such as the Metrohm Titrando.

The determinations can be carried out with excellent reproducibility due to the range of high-specification electrodes provided by Metrohm. For the pH measurement, the Aquatrode Plus electrode (6.0257.000) is recommended, but for acidity titration the well-shielded Solvotrode (6.0229.100) non-aqueous electrode is used. For the chloride determination, the low-maintenance Silver Titrode (6.0431.100) is used and for the sulphate determination, the Pb-selective ion-selective electrode is used.

Autonnic Unveils Sensors For Engine Lever Controls

Autonnic has announced the launch of a range of waterproof, non-contact interaction devices, designated the A3300 lever control module. A requirement of the marine sector is that conducting, corrosive seawater must not encounter electronic circuits - however, switches, controls and buttons must be placed where a wet mariner can reach and touch them. Autonnic said it has applied the latest version of its three-axis fluxgate technology to its solution to this interface problem.

The company's solution is magnetic and therefore non-contact, which solves the problem of how to keep the sea out of the electronics behind knobs, levers and buttons. The first of the series to launch is the A3300 set of OEM modules to provide the basis of non-contact engine lever controls for either one or two engines. Originally based on cables, lever controls are the electrical means to communicate between the bridge and engine room.

Fundamental to the operation is a method to convert a hand movement into an electrical signal. While a potentiometer is often used it has a number of disadvantages and Autonnic's challenge has been to solve these while remaining cost-effective. First, potentiometers are not non-contact. The electrical part is mechanically connected and a rotary seal is therefore needed to keep the water out. Second, potentiometers use sliding parts that wear and give rise to electrical noise, which could lead to unreliable operation.

Third, the potentiometer is itself a mechanical turning part and its own movement has to be rigidly accommodated within the final lever product design. Autonnic's solution is based on its low-cost magnetic technology. At its simplest, the company applies a magnet on a lever externally and a sealed internal fluxgate will indicate to what angle the lever has been turned. For adjacent controls, such as a twin-engine lever control, something else has to be put in place - Autonnic's switched magnet technology (SMT).

By using asymmetric passive cores on the lever shafts a common fluxgate can be shared between the two, keeping all the advantages. Because SMT is a vector magnetic method the background field is always being removed from the reading, leaving it unaffected by stray magnetic fields. For the highest precision applications - higher even than lever controls - Autonnic can replace the passive cores with excited symmetric cores so that the movement of one shaft does not distort the field due to the other in even the slightest way so that cross-talk is eliminated.

Airsaver Unit Automatically Controls Air Supply

The Airsaver control unit developed by Beckair is a compressed air control device designed to switch off the air supply when it is not needed. Any waste of compressed air is eliminated, which lowers energy consumption and cost.

It has timed functions that combine to give 'supply on demand' operation. The air supply stops when a gap occurs in the containers on a conveyor or when a container stops in front of the sensor. The stop signal can be delayed to allow the last container to pass through a machine by means of an adjustable timer.

The Airsaver can be used with a variety of sensors. Startup is instantaneous once a moving object is sensed again. One Airsaver unit can operate up to three valves. The sensor unit operates from a 24V DC supply and a power supply can be provided with options for both 110V and 230V AC. Payback time is typically within two to three months of use. It can be mounted onto existing installations and is protected to IP65, so it can be used in most environments.

Miyachi Weld Controls Offer Fast Rise To Current

Miyachi Unitek mid-frequency inverter spot welding controls can be integrated into assembly processes utilising progressive dies, in-line presses or transfer presses. The company said that this enables customers to save time and money as they can bypass a secondary operation for attaching fasteners, studs and so on, by employing in-die welding.

Miyachi inverter weld controls offer a fast rise to current, which allows the user to take advantage of the high contact resistance, minimising the time required to produce a consistent, quality weld. Shorter weld times also facilitate better usage of the weld projection resulting in reduced weld splash, a smaller heat affected zone and less part deformation. The ISA range of inverter power supplies provides a high level of control for large-scale resistance spot welding.

Packaged in NEMA style enclosures, they are designed to deliver robust performance in the harshest of production environments. The ISA models can deliver 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000A of primary welding current, respectively.

Tightdrive Speed Controls Launched By Bison

Bison Gear's Tightdrive speed control for permanent magnet DC (PMDC) motors was designed for applications that require a convenient location for the control on the motor. The majority of PMDC gearmotors and motors used in industry require speed controls in order to operate.

Typically, the control is wired to the motor through a costly, complicated cable system and the motor and control can be many steps away from each other. Bison Gear and Engineering's Tightdrive motor-mounted speed control can be easily field-mounted on Bison PMDC gearmotors up to 1/6 horsepower (124W) and offers a 20:1 speed range with maximum output of 90V.

The Tightdrive is housed in a durable aluminium extrusion that offers NEMA 1 (IP30) protection and good heat dissipation. Speed is controlled with a combination on/off switch and speed potentiometer. In addition, three easily accessible adjustable potentiometers provide settings for minimum rpm, maximum rpm, and current limiting. The SCR control architecture also provides tighter speed regulation than alternative controls.

The Tightdrive is designed for 115V 50/60Hz operation and comes complete with a 3ft power cord and NEMA 5-15P plug. Users can mount the drive directly to the motor in 90-degree increments to optimise position of cord exit and motor leads. The Tightdrive speed controls are available for immediate shipment from Bison's distribution network or direct from the Bison Gear website.

Red Lion Controls Data Station Plus

Red Lion Controls Data Station Plus was designed to act as a nexus for industrial data collection and management. The unit offers multiple protocol conversion, data logging and remote machine access. With three built in serial ports and a 10 Base-T/100 Base-TX Ethernet port, the unit performs protocol conversion, allowing disparate devices to communicate seamlessly with one another. The Ethernet port supports up to four protocols simultaneously so even Ethernet to Ethernet protocols can be converted. The CompactFlash card allows data to be collected and stored for later review.

The files are stored in simple CSV file format allowing common applications, such as Microsoft Excel and Access, to view and manage the data. The free Websync utility provides a means to synchronize the files with a PC's hard drive for permanent storage. The CompactFlash card may also be used to load new configuration files into the Data Station. The built-in web server allows log files to be retrieved manually, and also provides access to the unique "virtual HMI".

The virtual HMI is programmed just like Regular G3 Series HMI. Any standard web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape may be used to monitor or control the HMI from a PC anywhere in the world. The USB port may be used for blazing fast file downloads, or to mount the Data Station's CompactFlash card as an external drive to your PC. The Data Station's DIN rail mounting saves time and panel space and snaps easily onto standard top hat (T) profile DIN rail.