#22 - Portable Hydrogen and Oxygen Analysis – Part 3

Ceramics Industry

The ceramics industry usually requires different process atmospheres than the metal-working and steel heat-treating industries. Ceramics generally require that the process atmosphere be oxidizing, that is, oxygen should be present. But this will depend on the type of glass or porcelain being worked.

Glass Tank

In the case of a glass tank, a fuel is burned to produce the heat required for melting the glass. Combustion efficiency is needed to obtain the proper temperatures. Combustion of the fuel also produces the required oxidizing atmosphere. Measuring hydrogen and oxygen helps to ensure and maintain these conditions. The Nova Model 340 Portable Oxygen and Hydrogen Analyzer may be used for this purpose.

The combustion fuel may not always be optimally mixed. Therefore, at low oxygen readings, hydrogen may still be present. This should be avoided by either adding more oxygen, or correcting the fuel mixing problem. The 340WP analyzer can also be used to detect and correct these unacceptable conditions.

Kiln Atmosphere

In the firing of ceramics, the atmosphere is important and will depend upon the type of ceramic being fired. Combustion efficiency is also a consideration, especially with the high cost of fuel.

Figure 1 illustrates a tunnel kiln with burners on the side, in which the adjustments of the individual burners or zones can be made by using a Nova 340WP analyzer. In this case, the atmosphere must be tested along the length of the kiln in order to detect burners that are not correctly adjusted. In some cases, air infiltration may be compounding the difficulties caused by a burner problem.

Figure 1

Blanketing Atmospheres

In some cases, an inert generator is used to supply a gas blanket over products sensitive to oxygen. For example, some high-performance production coatings require cure in absence of oxygen. In this case, the 340WP analyzer could be used to monitor such a generator to be sure that the oxygen is low and that the inert gases are therefore present.

Mixed Gases

It is becoming increasingly popular to supply an atmosphere of hydrogen mixed with nitrogen from pressurized gas cylinders instead of producing this atmosphere by an inert gas generator. The 340WP analyzer is very well suited for this, not only to monitor the mixing process and to be sure the proper amount of hydrogen is present, but to also ensure that no inbound air leaks are present. In this case, leakage into the gas distribution system or the furnace would give a poor finished result due to the presence of oxygen.

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 340WP 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/

#19 - “We want to talk. How should we contact you? And where?”

Well, that depends on who is asking the question.

1. If you are a customer (past or future) asking us a question about a new gas analyzer, that’s easy.

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

To save time, have the following information handy:

1. Do you require an intermittent-use portable instrument, or a continuous-use permanent instrument?
2. Briefly describe the process you intend use this equipment for.
3. Which gases do you wish to analyze & what are the ranges required?
4. What is the composition of the sample stream - what other gases are in the sample, and what are their concentrations?
5. What is the pressure and temperature of your sample stream?
6. What is the estimated moisture content of your sample?
7. If this is a combustion application, what fuel is being burned?

With that information, we can usually offer advice on suitable configurations of equipment for your application.

2. If you are a salesperson asking us a question, that could be a challenge.

We get a lot of sales visits, calls, messages, and mail. Many of the products offered have little relevance to what we do at Nova and some sales proposals have questionable value at all. Our product specialists here source a wide array of components as the needs arise. As with many modern buyers, they use the internet as their primary information source.

Our best suggestion for selling to Nova is to have a comprehensive and intelligent website. This is the best ‘foot-in-the-door’ to a Nova buyer.

3. If we are asking you a question, that can also be a challenge.

Having some kind of connection to our customers and our market is a good thing. We value opportunities to talk with our customers about future analysis applications and the performance of their existing equipment. Customer feedback combined with our own research allows us to produce analyzer designs that are useful to the market.

The problem is - our customers are scattered literally around the globe. We have equipment installed in many countries and regions outside of North America. Gathering information from these far-flung places can be a challenge. (I would be willing to visit our customers in the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia, and other desirable locations. Approval from management for these holidays |ahem| I mean research trips, has yet to materialize.)

Another problem is – our customers are busy people. They have processes to monitor and chemical reactions to measure. Having a chit-chat with us is not normally a priority, unless of course there is a problem with the equipment. However, we do encourage our customers to provide meaningful feedback on equipment design.

We are NOVA Analytical Systems. We make gas analyzers for hydrogen, oxygen, methane, and many other gases. Give us a call at the number shown above. We would love to talk.

 

Graphic from: http://www.tackorama.net/Clipart/clipart.htm



#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