#192 - Mad Science in the Nova Courtyard

Dave and Grant at Nova set up shop temporarily in an old courtyard behind the Nova facility. We were testing for a measurable response to vapor from rolling oil on an infra-red detector. The experimental layout was a little bit ‘kit-bashed’ in terms of quality. This was the last day before we each left the office for holidays with our families, so there was a less-than-rigorous vibe in air.

Let’s back up a little and provide the context and purpose of the test:

In a steel plant there are rolling mills that reduce the steel into sheets of specific thickness to be rolled up into coils. The finished product may be used in the container, construction, automotive, and appliance industries. Rolling oils are introduced into the rolling process to increase roll mill life and reduce mill power consumption by reducing roll loads and vibration.

In the high-temperature sections of some rolling mills there is a concern that fumes from the oil will accumulate in the furnace atmosphere in high enough concentrations to combust or even explode. By measuring the fume concentration in the furnace, corrective action can be taken to avoid explosive fume mixtures. Corrective action sometimes involves increasing the air changes in the furnace to dilute the fume concentration.

We were asked by one of our sister companies if we could measure rolling oil fumes. In this case, the specific rolling oil was called Magiesol®47 manufactured by Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P.. This particular product is basically just mineral oil. Our infrared detector can detect hydrocarbon gases, but we were uncertain of the following variables:

• viability of the IR response to this particular hydrocarbon
• the mobility of the sample through tubing
• sample loss from condensation caused by temperature gradients
• the calibration process for this hydrocarbon

So we set up a test that consisted of an enclosed volume of rolling oil inside of a stainless steel receptacle which was suspended in a mini-furnace and heated to approximately 250C. A gas sample from the head-space of the oil receptacle was continuously pulled using a down-stream pump. The collected gas was sent through the sample tube of an IR detector, and the output was measured using a digital interface & software.

The stainless steel receptacle containing the oil required some time to reach the target temperature. At low temperatures, there were insignificant amounts of the oil vapor in the sample gas and no useful response was observed on the detector. Once up to temperatures above 200C, the oil vapor content increased dramatically and a useful IR response was observed. We also noticed significant visible signs of oil vapor and condensation in the tubing as the temperature decreased after leaving the furnace.

Based on these results we decided that we would move forward with a design to be used on a rolling furnace upgrade project. We were also able to combine oxygen and dew point with the hydrocarbon analysis to provide a three-gas analyzer.

The actual furnace upgrade work is being handled by Tenova Core.

Tenova Core

Cherrington Corporate Center

100 Corporate Center Drive

Coraopolis, PA 15108-3185

Phone: (412) 262-2240

Fax: (412) 262-2055

http://www.corefurnace.com/

core@tenova.com

For information on these and other gas analyzer systems, 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/

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#191 - Nova Serial Number Ten Thousand

Remember Y2K? At Nova, we recently had S10K.

Our production & design department reached equipment serial number 10,000 last week. We started making gas analyzers back in 1976. Our serial numbering system started at 1,000. That means we have built and sold at least 9,000 pieces of gas analysis equipment over the years. (We also built numerous pieces of equipment before we implemented the serial system.) Many of the early instruments are still in service, and no doubt many are not. Nova gas analyzers have found their way around the world over the years.

There are some instrumentation companies out there that have a much longer history and higher equipment output than we do. But for us, 10K is a big deal.

The actual unit with S/N 10,000 happened to be for an O2 / CO / CO2 analyzer from the 870 Series to be shipped to a large North American steel company.

We have an archive of some old black & white photos of Nova analyzers from the 1970's. Here are a few photos from the collection:

Possibly a PPM O2 process analyzer.
Similar to this current Model - 415N4

Portable Dew Point analyzer.
Similar to the current Model - 207

Wall mount Ex-proof analyzer.
We still produce analyzers with
these types of cabinets - link

This appears to be an ex-proof LEL monitor.
We don't manufacture these any more.
However, a portable LEL monitor
is still available - 600 Series

This may be an early version of
Nova's generator atmosphere
analyzer. Still available here.

This is an early version of our portable
ambient air monitor with a
chlorine channel - 600 Series.

This is also an early version of the 600 Series.
This one has O2 / CO / CO2 capability.

This looks like an early version of our
water-wash sample preparation system.
Discussed on this page.

An early version of our EAF analyzer.
This is part of our EAF optimization
system discussed here and here.

An early version of our flue gas analyzer system
equipped with auto-calibration and cabinet climate control.
Still available, but in a smaller footprint - link.

We have made substantial technical progress since these units were built. Our customer base is quite a bit bigger now too. Hopefully we won't have to wait as long to sell the next 10K.

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.

For information on these and other gas analyzer systems, 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

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#190 - Nova Analyzers from the Field – Episode 7

This portable CO2 analyzer is about 10yrs old and is the property of a large North American railway company. We have periodically sold these instruments for use in locomotive repair.

Many locomotives have large diesel fuel tanks that occasionally require welding. However, even with all of the fuel drained out, there is still a significant risk of the residual fumes exploding in the presence of oxygen and a spark. Welding repairs on the tank provide a dangerous source of ignition.

A good way to eliminate this risk is to purge the tank with carbon dioxide (CO2). If the tank is rich in CO2, the tank atmosphere will not support combustion. To ensure that the CO2 purge atmosphere is maintained, a portable analyzer can be used.

The measurement range on these analyzers is 0-100% CO2 in air using an infra-red detector. This model is available with a LOW CO2 alarm and audible beeper. The set point is adjustable. On the unit shown above, the alarm is set at 60%. That means that the alarm will sound when the tank atmosphere drops below 60% CO2.

The unit shown above was not functioning probably due to a worn pump. After the pump was replaced and the detector re-calibrated, the unit was returned to the railway for active duty again.

This instrument is still readily available from Nova. Give us a call if you need to monitor a CO2 atmosphere.

Here are a couple of other train-related posts in the Nova blog.

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/05/120-rapid-train-loading-systems-by.html

http://nova-gas.blogspot.ca/2013/06/126-takraf-train-post-was-big-hit.html

Notes:

Locomotive pic 

Diesel tank copyright 2004 Joe Shaw

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#189 - Update on Boyan Slat

In May 2013 we did a blog post about a young man named Boyan Slat who had an interesting idea for cleaning up the plastic that is caught in the earth's ocean gyres. At the time, the pollution problem, the clean-up concept, a few diagrams, and expressions of interest and encouragement from various parties were all that could be examined. A feasibility study had yet to be done on Mr. Slat’s idea.

I wanted to do an update to the May 2013 blog post because it has been persistently popular among our visitors and is actually increasing in popularity lately. The increased interest can probably be traced to the fact that the feasibility study has finally been completed and a crowdfunding campaign is in its final stages at this time of writing.

During the feasibility studies, the concept seems to have evolved somewhat. However, the core idea of funneling plastic debris from at / near the water surface is still intact. The Ocean Cleanup organization remains confident that their floating array can “remove almost half the plastic from the North Pacific Garbage patch in 10 years, while being an estimated 7900x faster and 33x cheaper than conventional methods.” – from their website.

They are also interested in expanding the scope of the concept to “river deltas and other waterways that transport plastic to the oceans. This could provide a rapid reduction of the influx of new plastics into the oceans.”

A copy of the feasibility study executive summary is available here.

This study has enabled Boyan Slat move forward with having a positive discussion in response to some of the various questions and criticisms initially raised about the concept. The next steps are to develop detailed engineering, scale up the testing, and continue the research.

At present, there are opportunities for anyone to assist with funds or with expertise.

https://fund.theoceancleanup.com/

http://www.theoceancleanup.com/contact/join-our-team.html

Edit Dec 23/2014 - We noticed this recent article on the Chem.info website about another study of the ocean plastic problem.

#186 - Nova Norm’s African Safari

We recently posted some of Norm’s pictures from his adventures on Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. After conquering the mountain, he somehow had enough energy to go on a 4-day safari in the African savanna.

From Wikipedia:

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses...

The closed forest types such as broadleaf forests and rainforests are usually not grazed owing to the closed structure precluding grass growth, and hence offering little opportunity for grazing. In contrast the open structure of savannas allows the growth of a herbaceous layer and are commonly used for grazing domestic livestock.

The quote directly refers to the suitability of savannahs to grazing domestic livestock. However, this undoubtedly also applies to non-domestic grazing species. The presence of grazing herds also attracts carnivorous and many other animal species. And it is the open canopy tree growth that allows this ecosystem dynamic to flourish.

Norm’s pictures demonstrate the vitality that plains of grass and open-canopy tree distributions allow.

We'll show some of the carnivorous species in a future post.

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#185 - Revised perspective on Safety training

We recently labored through some rather boring safety training videos to satisfy some mandatory H&S training requirements that we have in our facility. The videos had questionable relevance to office staff, but we paid attention to our lessons and scored good marks on the multiple choice tests that followed. (Our production staff also scored well. More importantly, they have a good record of implementing good safety practices in the shop.)

A couple days later, I noticed an article on the Chem.info website that demonstrated the value of some of the training we received. Apparently, a chemical cleaning powder was mistaken for an edible cheese product in a restaurant and used in the preparation of someone’s meal. The hapless diner fell ill immediately after eating and had to be rushed to a hospital emergency room.

The powdered chemical had been removed from its original container and placed in another container that was not properly labeled. Thankfully the diner quickly recovered. However, incidents like this show that proper labeling of decanted chemicals is important. 

In a recent audit, our company was awarded a high score for safety among the Tenova companies. Perhaps we should open a restaurant. We can build analyzers safely. How hard can cooking be?

#182 - Oil & Gas Spills Increase in 2013

In reading various industry magazines and blogs, one can’t help noticing the frequency of spill and leak events in the oil industry these days.

Quoted from Processing Magazine:

More than 7,600 oil spills and leaks were recorded in 2013 in the top 15 states for onshore oil and gas activities, according to a new analysis by EnergyWire based on state data. This is a 13-percent increase on the previous year, even though overall drilling activity remained generally flat over that period.

The total number of incidents including spills, blowouts and leaks at drilling sites came in at 7,662, equaling more than 20 per day, EnergyWire said. The majority of these spills were relatively small and were contained quickly, before any serious damage was caused. However, the combined volume of oil, fracking fluid, fracking wastewater and other liquids that were released in them amounted to 26 million gallons. Some of the increase could be put down to new reporting requirements that were introduced in several states last year, but the number of spills went up even if those were not factored in.

In terms of regional distribution, the Bakken Shale recorded some of the most dramatic increases in spills and leak rates. Specifically, Montana saw the sharpest rise in spills (48 percent), followed by North Dakota (42 percent). Anadarko Petroleum Corporation reported 321 incidents in 2013, landing at the top of the chart, leaving ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum far behind with 256 and 240 spills, respectively, the data shows.

More than a million gallons of diluted bitumen leaked into Michigan's Kalamazoo River in July 2010. These types of onshore spills appear to have increased in 2013.

It should be noted that this data based only on the top 15 states in just the USA. The world-wide figures are undoubtedly much higher. The rush to extract fossil fuels from the earth is evidently not without its challenges. The familiar expression “haste makes waste’ seems to be appropriate, especially in regions that have had a recent surge in oil and natural gas extraction.

Looking elsewhere - Lawrenceville Plasma Physics in Middlesex, New Jersey have been working on controlled nuclear fusion using dense plasma focusing. If this project succeeds, perhaps it will reduce the world’s unhealthy reliance on burning fossil fuels to obtain energy.

They have a crowd-funding initiative to help stimulate awareness and raise money. The folks at Next Big Future reported on it here.

Oil spill photograph courtesy Michigan Department of Environmental Quality from article at National Geographic -  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/110919-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline-groundwater/

Fusion Energy Flow Chart from Next Big Future link shown above

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