#18 - Apple Storage and Oxygen / Carbon Dioxide Analysis

I read a while back that there were just over 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the United States between the years 1804 and 1905. Since then, more than 6,000 of these have become extinct. That is an 85% decline in apple diversity. Other types of fruits and vegetables have had similar or even worse declines.

Why the astonishing reduction in diversity? It probably has something to do with the forces exerted by the processes of marketing and production. Perhaps the marketing concept of the ‘perfect’ shiny red apple has reduced people’s concept of what an acceptable apple is. This has reduced the demand for variety and has driven production towards singularity. Increased volume-focused production no doubt has little time for maximizing variety anyway. No doubt there are other factors involved also. The net result is an overall reduction in biodiversity.

Reduction in diversity in any species is generally a bad thing. The potential over-all destructiveness of any pathologies or parasites will be greater if the genetic diversity in a pool is low. It is the same basic idea as the financial flaw of having all one’s “eggs in a single basket”. Many countries have responded to this situation by setting up seed banks and allowing genetic engineering and modification. People seem to have mixed feelings about some of these approaches. The potential for uncertain outcomes and corporate hostage-taking seems high. Perhaps there will be patents on the apple genetics of the future.

My favorite variety of apple is generally known as Crispin / Mutsu originally from Japan. This type of apple is a nice balance of contrasts. It has a medium green skin with a bright white interior. The flesh is firm, yet also very juicy. The flavor is an uncluttered combination of tart and sweet.

(http://www.nyapplecountry.com/crispin.htm)

Yes, I have a favorite, but I would love to try the other 7,000 varieties that were once available. That’s a different apple every day for the next 19 years!

Many food products, including apples, are stored in a controlled atmosphere (C/A) for maximum stability & longevity. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels are controlled to produce an atmosphere that slows the fruit ripening process. At Nova, we are interested in this aspect of food storage because we make gas analyzers that are used for C/A applications.

The Model 309 Portable CO2 & O2 Analyzer is a rugged, fast-responding, and accurate instrument for conveniently monitoring the atmosphere in a fruit storage C/A room.

• It utilizes a single cell infrared detector for CO2, and a customer-replaceable electrochemical sensor for O2.
• Neither sensor is affected by water vapor or other gas vapors in the sample gas.
• The outputs of these detectors are displayed on the front panel display meters and are available as optional 0-1 VDC or 4-20 mA recorder outputs. The displays are back-lit to allow for use in dark areas.
• CO2 is not calculated in the Nova Analyzer as may be the case with some other brands. There is a dedicated NDIR (infra red) CO2 detector built into the Model 309 analyzer.
• The analyzer also includes a high capacity pump and a flow control valve to ensure a flow of 1 LPM through the sensors.
• Model 309 in our on-line catalog...check it out

Harvest season will be coming soon. Now might be the time to inquire about an instrument to monitor your controlled atmosphere.

Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.
1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

#17 - Upcoming coupons and offers for the next two weeks.

Sorry, that title was just a cheap ploy to get you reading this post.

We are not so sure that the traditional marketing concepts would work very well with gas analyzers.

Gas analyzers are usually planned purchases that are dependant on the desired application. Promotions such as “buy one – get one free”, discount coupons, frequent purchase cards, “Roll Up the Rim”, etc. work best in retail environments. But gas analysis equipment is another matter entirely.

When I was in the paint & coatings industry a few years ago, we would periodically have batch errors, mis-tints, formulation problems, damaged packaging, discontinued products and other situations where unsalable product was the result. So we put together a department that combined and re-worked the product to render it saleable in specific markets. Our products were humorously nick-named “fall-off-the-truck-deals” by the buyers in our niche market. The concept worked great. Revenue was generated on product that at one time would have been destined for costly disposal.

I like telling that story. But it is quite a bit different from what we are doing here at Nova. We manufacture gas analyzers out of individual components. You might think of us as a components integrator. Our gas analyzers are designed and built with a specific analysis application in mind. We then calibrate and test the instruments in our QC lab. There is no such thing as a “fall-off-the-truck-deal” in this industry. Or at least it's extremely rare.

The best promotion that we can think of is to build reliable, accurate equipment for a reasonable price. That’s what we try to do.

http://www.nova-gas.com/landfill_gas_analyzers_biogas_analyzers.html

Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.

1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsheasbyatnovagasanalyzers

#16 - Portable Hydrogen and Oxygen Analysis – Part 2

The Nova Model 340WP Portable Oxygen & Hydrogen Analyzer is very useful for measuring atmospheres in ferrous heat treating applications.

Ferrous Annealing

Annealing for many kinds of steel has to be done under an atmosphere of about 10% hydrogen or better. This is in order to maintain the brightness and eliminate scaling. Exothermic generators are generally used for this atmosphere.

Transformer Steel

Figure 1 shows the use of the 340WP analyzer in an installation where transformer steel is being annealed. In most cases, after the laminations have been stamped out they must be annealed to obtain the proper soft magnetic characteristics. In this case, the parts are run through a continuous furnace and brought up to the proper annealing temperature. The atmosphere is introduced from an external generator. The drawing illustrates that the analyzer can be used to set the exothermic generator, to check for leaks in the system, and also for checking the proper atmosphere in the various zones of the furnace.

Figure 1

Annealing of Roll Steel

The coils of roll steel need to be annealed, which is usually done in a batch operation. In this case, the 340WP analyzer is invaluable in determining when the atmosphere has been replaced before the heat is applied to the annealing operation. The analyzer can be placed at the exhaust of the annealing chamber, and this way, by the lack of oxygen and the increase of the hydrogen it can be determined when it is safe to start applying the heat and begin the annealing operations.

The Nova Model 340 Portable Hydrogen and Oxygen Analyzer is available with the following choice of ranges:

0-25.0% O2, 0-40.0% H2
0-2.0% and 0-25.0% O2, 0-40.0% H2
0-100 to 0-9,999 PPM O2, 0-40% H2

Which range is best for you depends on the application. Before purchasing a hydrogen analyser, we require that you tell us what other gases are in your sample. This will determine equipment suitability and design.

Model 340 brochure...

We make gas analyzers for oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and many other atmospheric gases. We provide gas analysers for syngas, landfill gas, purity gas, biogas, and others.

Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.
1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

#15 - Some tricks that might keep you from needing tech support.

Yeah right - are there really tricks when it comes to tech support for your gas analyzer?

Actually, yes there are a few of them.

1. Call this secret Nova Tech Support Number: 123-456-7890. When the agent answers, say in a high voice, “The fish has swallowed a bicycle.” This is a secret code. The agent will then transfer you to our secret under-sea laboratory which houses the richest repository of gas analyser technical data in the world. All of your problems will be solved within the first 10 seconds of conversation. Do not spread this information around indiscriminately. It is so secret that no one at Nova above sea-level even knows about it.

(If the above approach does not work for some strange reason, there are other more practical ways to avoid the need for tech support on gas analyzers.)

2. When you are first discussing your application with us, provide as much accurate information as possible about your sample stream. Some users have created problems for themselves by omitting information in their discussions with us. Analyzer functionality may be compromised if the integrated components are not designed for the intended exposure.

Even if the constituents of your gas stream are benign or inert, we want to know about them. For example, if you want a hydrogen gas analyzer, we are also interested in the other gases in your sample because these may interfere with or distort the hydrogen reading.

3. Regular analyzer maintenance including:
- Regular calibration on the recommended cal gases
- Regular filter checks, at sample point and internal filter
- Regular leak checks and flow rate checks

Regular maintenance does not mean giving the analyzer a complete over-haul. As with automobile maintenance, periodic checks of only a few things will provide good long-term performance.

We’re Nova. We make oxygen analyzers, hydrogen analyzers, methane analyzers, and other gas analyzers.

Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail. (We have direct lines into the undersea base.)
1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
spareparts at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

#14 - Our favorite projects over the coming months?

That’s a tough one. Favorite projects are not always the most necessary projects.

Projects around here are basically divided into two categories – projects that we really should be doing, and projects that we like to do. Sometimes a project falls into both categories. Deriving fun out of a project that also happens to have high priority is a bonus. But often, a project simply needs to be done regardless of its fun factor. In fact, if a project needs doing, it may be because there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

Enough preamble. Three current Nova projects that are ‘on the burner’ are :

1. Improving delivery times - this is something most manufacturing companies wrestle with. We are no exception. It’s easy to go crazy-fast on one order while the rest of the orders suffer. It takes concerted effort at many points in the manufacturing process to sustainably reduce delivery times ‘across the board’. But yeah, we’re working on it.

2. Syngas / Gasification / Pyrolysis applications - we get lots of inquiries about analysis of various forms of synthesis gas. There are lots of applications out there where a carbon-rich feedstock is basically being cooked and turned into gas, or gasified. Plasma arc gasification is one of the methods used by some of our customers. The gas produced is energetic and can be used as a power source. To understand what the process is producing, the user frequently wants to know how much carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, and sometimes oxygen is in the produced gas. Gasification and syngas has been around for many decades. But interest is returning to this application, along with the many ways and feedstocks used to produce syngas. With new applications, there is sometimes uncertainty. So Nova has developed a very tough and versatile analyzer system. The 970 Series can do continuous and simultaneous analysis of CO, CO2, CH4, H2, and O2. We can do all of these gases up to 0-100%. and the H2 reading is fully compensated for the interfering effects of the other measured gases. Cool stuff.

Check it out at:
http://catalog.nova-gas.com/item/all-categories/roduct-lines-syngas-gasification-970-series-syngas/974a-syn-gas-analyzer?plpver=10&categid=100&prodid=1235&origin=keyword

3. Social marketing – that’s sort of what this blog is about. We have an amateur presence on LinkedIn, Blogspot, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and probably some others that I’m forgetting about. I hear that some of these venues are cooler than others. We will worry about coolness later. Despite being analytical types here at Nova, we are not 100% sure what do to with the whole social network phenomenon. But it looks like a wave. So we will ride it. You might even see us on YouTube sometime this year. Hopefully not under titles such as ‘analyzer fail’.

That’s all for now.
Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.
1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

#13 - Subsurface Fire Detection in Landfills, and other fire-related gas analyzer applications

Over the years we have run across a few fire-related gas analysis applications. Following are a few that come to mind.


Fire Suppression

People who research fire suppression systems are frequently interested in carbon dioxide (CO2) analysis. They may be using CO2 to blanket an area to stifle a fire. Or they may be burning something in a controlled environment and want to observe the effects.

Different concentrations of gas may stratify in enclosed areas. So in the past we have produced CO2 analyzers with three entirely separate CO2 channels. This allows the users to get a picture of what levels of CO2 are developing at different elevations in the space. For this application, we have typically used our Model 302 Portable CO2 Analyzer and modified it to essentially result in a 3-in-1 analyzer.

http://catalog.nova-gas.com/item/-dioxide-analyzers-testers-portable-co2-analyzers-/sters-portable-carbon-dioxide-analyzer-302a-series/model-302ak? (This is a link to the standard, un-modified version of Model 302.)

Fire Detection – Coal Mines

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Besides being rather hot and bright, fires have other characteristics. The old saying above points out another obvious sign of fire. But sometimes you can’t see or feel the fire and smoke. You have to exploit other means to detect a fire.

I was reading a while back about subsurface coal mine fires. This is a global problem that can render a region unsafe for human habitation. It’s also an environmental problem.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2917579.ece
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2196

We were pleased to have these cool guys http://www.aquafoam.com/ give us a call and express interest in a portable gas analyzer. I think they were/are doing research on gas permeation through coal masses in the context of coal mine fires. The requirement was for portable % oxygen, ppm carbon monoxide, & ppm carbon dioxide analysis. We built a modified version of our Model 375K analyzer for them.

http://catalog.nova-gas.com/viewitems/flue-gas-analyzers-emissions-analyzers/on-monoxide-and-carbon-dioxide-analyzer-375-series?&bc=100|1004|1096


Fire Detection – Landfills

Fires can start under the ground in landfills due to the fuel available in the form of garbage and flammable gases. All that is required is heat/ignition source and oxygen. The biological decomposition process can supply the necessary heat, which may lead to ignition. Ingress of oxgen via leaks in the landfill cover or associated systems will facilitate combustion.

From the USA, California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has a decent discussion of landfill fires here: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/SWFacilities/Fires/LFFiresGuide/default.htm

Because they are way out of sight, subsurface landfill fires are sometimes hard to detect. The only way to detect them is by their ‘tail-pipe’ effects. One of the signature combustion gases is carbon monoxide (CO). By analyzing the landfill gas for low levels of CO, subsurface fires can be detected. The CalRecycle link above also cites some other helpful fire indicators.

Some landfill operators test for CO using a handheld flue gas analyser. The problem with this approach is that it is only a brief on-the-spot check. Landfill gas can also contain aggressive constituents that can interfere with or degrade the sensors in a traditional portable flue gas analyzer.

So we have recently added a CO option to our 910 Series Continuous Landfill Analyzers. It’s not yet on the website, but we can quote you on adding a 0-2.0% CO channel to the analyzer. The analysis is by infrared detector and is not as sensitive to fouling and interference by landfill gas as are many electrochemical flue gas sensors. This new option will give you continuous around-the-clock subsurface fire detection. The CO reading can be tied into an alarm, for prompt warning.

Oxygen ingress will feed a fire. Oxygen analysis is valuable for discovering a leak in the landfill collection system. Most models in the 910 Series have oxygen analysis built in.

http://www.nova-gas.com/landfill_gas_analyzers_biogas_analyzers.html

We make gas analyzers for oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and many other atmospheric gases. We provide gas analysers for syngas, landfill gas, purity gas, biogas, and others.

Give Mike or Dave at Nova a call, or send us an e-mail.
1-800-295-3771
sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

#12 - Spare Parts for Gas Analyzers

We get a number of inquiries about spare parts for Nova analyzers. This is understandable. Continuous reliable process data is often one of the most valuable assets in a facility. Taking steps to ensure that the data stream is uninterrupted makes a lot of sense. We also like to see that our customers are protecting and maintaining another important asset – the analyzer itself.

The most commonly-sold analyser spare parts are filters. That’s a good thing because clogged or fouled filters will decrease sample flow rate and increase analytical error. If the filter eventually degrades enough, break-through can occur which may result in damage to critical components in the analyzer.

The most common filters in Nova continuous gas analyzers include the pre-filters, particulate filters, condensate filters, finishing filters, oil filters, liquid blocks, etc. Many customers prefer to have a few spares on hand instead of waiting for a failure. Most filter elements cost between $20-40USD. The low cost certainly makes being prepared an easy choice.

To determine which filters your analyzer requires, check the parts page in your operator manual.

Our Parts Department can be contacted at:
1-800-295-3771
spareparts at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/