#45 - Portable Hydrogen Purity Analysis for Power Generators

Most power generating plants use hydrogen gas to cool the electrical windings within the turbine generator. This improves operating efficiencies by lowering the losses due to the resistance of the windings. This is commonly known as windage losses.

In order to control these losses and keep efficiencies high, the hydrogen purity must be maintained. Even a slight contamination of the hydrogen by oil vapor, water or air will increase the windage losses in the generator. For example, a 1% reduction in hydrogen purity creates a 12% increase in windage loss. A decrease in purity from 99% to 92% can reduce generator output by as much as 2100 kW. Obviously, this reduction in generator efficiency results in higher fuel costs and power replacement requirements.

The other factor to consider of course is safety. Hydrogen in Air mixtures of less than 74% are explosive, so the Nova 380K helps ensure that the impurity level never drops to this point.

The Nova Model 380K Tri-gas analyzer is designed specifically for monitoring hydrogen purity in the hydrogen feed to a power generator and to monitor the purging procedure during generator shut down.

The analyzer can measure the following gases by switch selection:

• Range 1: 0-100% Hydrogen in Air
• Range 2: 0-100% Hydrogen in CO2
• Range 3: 0-100% Air in CO2

The Model 380K contains an oil vapor absorbing filter, thermal conductivity cell, digital readout, range switch, gas pressure regulator, built in sample pump and flow indicator.

Model 380 in our on-line catalog...

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/

http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS

If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

#44 - Plans for growth – Part 4

Last time on Plans for Growth, we were introduced to the Nova 400 Series process analyzer. Through a series of misapplications, it was sentenced to a life of hard labor in a landfill. And now, the thrilling conclusion.

Over the years there were many features & improvements added to Nova process methane analyzers to enable them to survive in a landfill gas application and make accurate measurements.

Some improvements included:

• conversion to stainless steel tubing in place of flexible polymer tubing
• positive pressure system added to cabinet to keep out ambient H2S, thus minimizing the corrosive effects on electronics & sensors
• un-heated detectors & sensors were changed to heated & temperature controlled
• sealed infrared detectors were replaced by modular, cleanable detectors
• thermo-electric chillers were replaced by alternate systems that do not require air, cool water, or replaceable cooling elements
• vacuum gauge & valve were added to minimize flow effects from sample point
• three distinct methods of calibration were developed – manual, one-touch & full auto
• outdoor weather packages were developed to allow analyzer operation in very cold temperatures
• basic CH4 / O2 / CO2 measurements were expanded to offer optional H2S & BTU
• data options grew from analog only to include RS-232, RS-485, MODBUS & Ethernet
• isolated 4-20mA outputs went from optional to standard
• low flow alarm went from optional to standard

By this time, we had noted that there was a growing disconnect between the regular process 470 analyzers and the modified-for-landfill versions. This lead to customer confusion when ordering correct equipment. So we re-numbered the modified 470 / 4170 Series as the 900 Series. And after additional improvements, we recently renumbered the 900 Series to the 910 Series.

The 470 / 4170 models are available today for clean, friendly, non-corrosive process applications only. Current 470 / 4170 analyzers are absolutely unsuitable for landfill gas and biogas applications. Were you to put a current process version into a landfill application, we doubt it would survive long.

However, if you have a Landfill gas or Bio Gas application, we readily recommend our 910 Series as our current offering. It is attractively configured, competitively priced, and based on several years of continuous improvement.

I guess all of this was essentially a reactive development because feedback from the field and the realities of the application prompted changes in the equipment. But it was partly proactive because once we learned something about the application and market we took additional steps for future growth.

So that’s the basic growth story of our landfill / biogas analyzer product line. This also concludes our long-winded and multi-part post regarding plans for growth. We narrowly missed having too many sequels and prequels like a bloated movie franchise.

If your next project involves landfill or biogas analysis, we invite you to speak to Mike or Dave at Nova.

1-800-295-3771

sales at nova-gas dot com
websales at nova-gas dot com
http://www.nova-gas.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS

If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

#43 - Monitoring Oxygen and Carbon Monoxide for Maximum Boiler and Furnace Efficiency

Most fuel engineers know that low excess air firing on a boiler or furnace is far more efficient than the high excess air firing normally recommended by manufacturers of these processes. The high excess air is to ensure against stack smoking due to burner air and fuel distribution tolerances and changing weather conditions, etc. Because of this, many plants are operating with far more excess air than is required to burn the fuel, resulting in wasted energy and fuel dollars. In addition, high excess air can result in boiler tube and radiant tube failures.

Maximum fuel savings is achieved by reducing this excess air and the proportionate volume of flue gases going out the stack by increasing the CO content to about 120 PPM. This will result in a corresponding oxygen reading anywhere from about 0.6% O2 to 7% O2 depending on fuel used, burner condition and firing rate.

When operating the burners with the overall CO level between 100 and 200 PPM, there is also a significant reduction in emissions. The opacity will usually be less than 3%. NO levels can be reduced from 350 PPM at 20% excess air to 275 PPM at 3% excess air. SO3 reduction is directly proportional to excess air and can be reduced from 40 PPM to 6 PPM when reducing excess air from 20% to 3%.

The NOVA Model 360K and 360TK Portable Combustion Analyzers have been designed to detect and digitally display flue gas oxygen and CO. In addition, a high range switch on CO allows the operator to continue to observe high CO levels that may have over ranged the 0-2000 PPM low range scale.

In the 'T' versions, a special thermocouple probe and separate temperature readout are supplied to quickly determine combustion efficiency from a graph supplied in the operator’s manual. This can also be accomplished with any model with the use of a separate stack thermometer.

Model 360 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/
http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS
If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

#42 - Floating Cities and Ambient Air Analysis

The debate over anthropogenic global warming does not seem to be cooling off. There are many opinions offered from both sides. There are also many credibility accusations made from both sides.

Couple of general thoughts:

• Polar ice melting may or may not be a cyclical event that occurs naturally due to cyclical climate changes. However, I would be really surprised if noticeable changes of this kind have historically happened in less than 100yrs.
• The ice ‘system’ on earth is really big. Getting to move in a particular direction in such a short time would require a sizable push. A big part of the key would be to prove a large portion the ice is really melting, and where this ‘push’ came from.
• It is standard practice for big industry to downplay environmental impacts & effects.
• Downplaying global warming would definitely serve the interests of many combustion- and petroleum-based industries. Many thinking people are therefore very wary of popular industry-influenced efforts to down-play or deny anthropogenic warming effects.

Anyway, if all of the forecasts about ice melting and ocean levels rising are true, that brings up inevitable questions about where all of the water-displaced people are going to live. The fine folks at eVolo have encouraged their contributors to think about this issue as a starting point for some novel architectural designs. Similar designs have emerged from other sources also. Even Thomas Dolby is interested in floating cities.

Nova does not have any capability in architectural design; especially underwater structures. However, as environmental issues have come to the forefront in many countries, we have noticed a high level of interest in portable ambient air monitoring. The analytical performance of portable instruments is less than one would expect from larger continuous systems. However, the performance of portable instruments is frequently adequate for establishing site baselines and evaluation of known atmosphere constituents in the ppm (parts per million) range.

The Nova 600 Series Portable Multi-gas Ambient Air analyzers are intended for analysis of a few specific gases in ambient air. The original intent of these analyzers was to monitor the safety of breathable air. The analysis ranges in this series generally reflect the levels associated with permissible exposure limits (PEL) in occupational environments. However, as mentioned above, we have seen an increasing number of environmental applications of this product line.

The gases and ranges available in this analyzer series are:

• Oxygen (O2): 0-25.0%
• Carbon Monoxide (CO): 0-200ppm
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): 0-5000ppm
• Nitrogen Oxide (NO): 0-100ppm
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): 0-20ppm
• Relative Humidity & Temp: 0-100% RH / -40°C to +40°C
• LEL Combustibles: 0-100% (as CH4 usually)
• Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S): 0-20ppm
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): 0-20ppm
• Chlorine (Cl2): 0-20ppm
• Ammonia (NH3): 0-20ppm
• Hydrogen Chloride (HCL): 0-20ppm

 

Nova 600 Series in Nova on-line catalogue... (Some of the specs and features have been modified since the website went live, but the catalog covers the basic idea.)

We can usually do up to four gases in one analyzer. This depends on the gas mixtures and levels expected in the sample. If you are interested in this type of gas analysis, 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/
http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS
If you have a LinkedIn account, search for us under Companies and follow us if you want.

Ice melting pics:
Top right – Upsala Glacier photo copyright Archivo Museo Salesiano / Green Peace
Bottom right - Upsala Glacier photo copyright Green Peace / Beltra
Top left – Muir Glacier photo by William Field
Bottom left – Muir Glacier photo by Bruce Molnia
http://www.whiteearth.org/WhiteEarthScience.html

Floating city pics:
Left Side
Water-Scraper: Underwater Architecture
http://www.evolo.us/competition/water-scraper-underwater-architecture/
Right Side (from top)
Wetropolis: Towards a Post Diluvian Future
http://spluspba.weebly.com/a-post-diluvian-future.html
Lilypad, A Floating Ecopolis For Climate Refugees - Vincent Callebaut Architectures
(http://vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-lilypad.html)
Gyre-Seascraper
http://zigloo.ca/gyre-seascraper/
Underwater Architecture – Taiwan Skyscraper
http://www.evolo.us/architecture/underwater-architecture-taiwan-skyscraper/


  .

#41 - Plans for growth – Part 3

I wouldn’t exactly call the gradual development of Nova’s landfill gas analyzers a precisely planned sequence of continuous improvement. There is no ‘golden age’ space program story to tell here. When we look back, we seem to have ‘fallen into it’ from initially unintended beginnings.

It began a few years ago when inquiries starting coming in for methane analysis. Oxygen and carbon dioxide were also frequently of interest. The application would always be somewhat vague, with information about the actual sample gas make-up usually not provided. Keep in mind that we had more experience with clean process applications. So we would treat these new inquiries as such and recommend the equipment that we were accustomed to providing.

Nova’s Model 470 started out as a process methane analyzer which was intended for clean, dry, and noncorrosive process gases only. Clearly, landfill gas / biogas does not always fit that description. But we didn’t fully appreciate all of the nuances of that at the time.

We were aware that the sample gas usually had lots of moisture. So we had a thermo-electric sample chiller mounted in a second cabinet beside the main analyzer. We sometimes nick-named it the ‘pony cabinet’. With the ‘pony cabinet’ it was denoted as Model 470N4-400M. Other times we would build the chiller into the main cabinet and would be denoted as a Model 470MN4. We had used thermo-electric chillers in other applications, but there were problems sometimes with this approach on landfills.

Landfills are frequently in remote locations. Some have challenging climate and environmental conditions. The sample gas may contain high amounts of corrosive gases. Feedback from customers regarding analyzer performance / durability told us that landfill gas and biogas was not ordinary process gas. After visiting a few sites, we really started to take notice of what these applications were all about. We also started realizing that there were a lot of landfills and biogas projects out there. This called for clear plans for growth on our part – which is a convenient closing reference to the title of this post.

We will continue the gripping account in a future post.

Nova 910 Series Landfill & Biogas Analyzers

In the meantime, if you need gas analyzers for oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, or other gases, 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/

http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS

If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

#40 - Driving Clean and Engine Exhaust Analysis – Part 2

In a previous post we talked about Ontario’s Drive Clean program for monitoring vehicle exhaust.

Edit Oct 2014 - Other posts about engine exhaust
#38 - Driving Clean and Engine Exhaust Analysis - Part 1
#80 - Unique Application – Portable 8 Channel CO analyzer
#193 - Update on Automotive E-testing

Emissions testing is also useful for tuning engines irrespective of government clean air programs. High levels of certain gases may indicate a specific engine condition. For example,

High HC’s may indicate:
- Vacuum leaks
- Ignition system malfunctions
- Incorrect air/fuel mixture

High CO may indicate:
- Dirty air filter, faulty choke or carburetor
- Faulty computerized engine management system and/or oxygen sensor
- Inoperative/missing catalytic converter

High NOx may indicate:
- Inoperative/ineffective exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system
- Excessively lean/fuel ratio
- Malfunctioning or missing catalytic converter

Nova is interested in engine exhaust analysis because that is something that we can do. Our 7460 Series Portable Engine Exhaust Analyzers are available in various combinations including O2, CO, CO2, HC, & NOx. Our customers have used this analyzer on diesel, gasoline, propane, or natural gas powered 2 and 4 cycle engines. We have even had inquires for exhaust analysis on these little beauties from India:

Check out the 7460 Series in our on-line catalog.

The 7460 Series is a portable analyzer that uses infrared and electrochemical sensors / detectors. As such, it does not likely qualify for official regulatory use such as in Ontario’s Clear Air Program.

We do build these analyzers to meet Bar 97 and ISO 3930/OIML R99, Class O specifications. Therefore, many mechanics have effectively used this analyzer for reliable engine tuning and emissions reduction. We have noticed that this analyzer is also popular among equipment mechanics who work on forklifts and other non-road vehicles.

Added March 2013 - We have noticed that our fork-lift customers frequently print on the analyzer cabinet the target gas readings for a properly tuned engine. For example, we have a couple of units in the Nova lab right now being calibrated for one of our customers. They have printed the following target gas readings on the analyzer:

• O2: 0.8 % to 2.0 %
• CO: 0.1% to 0.8 %
• CO2: more than 11.0 %
• HC's: less than 200ppm

We have even sold a couple of these analyzers for high altitude use in the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan). A facility located somewhere in the Tien Shan Mountains at an elevation of 4000m / 13,100ft is using our analyzers for mechanical maintenance of site equipment.

Nova equipment is somewhere in them hills!

If you are in the business of tuning engines and require analysis of engine exhaust, ask Mike or Dave about the 7460 Series Gas Analyzers.

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

http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS

If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

For additional information, please see the following links:

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h56.pdf

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@ene/documents/resource/stdprod_087907.pdf

Photo of vehicle

Copyright © 2006 Panchnath Auto Pvt. Ltd.
http://www.pal3wheeler.com/pick-up-angle-body.htm

Photo of Tien Shan Mountains © Kopylov Vladimir

http://mountains.tos.ru/kopylov/pict/khan_sh.jpg

http://mountains.tos.ru/tiensh.htm

#39 - Plans for growth – Part 2

In a previous post, we talked about setting long term goals and ideas for growth. We’re Nova Analytical Systems and we make gas analyzers. As with every manufacturing operation, there are areas of our internal process that can benefit from innovative thinking and attainable goals. There are also external areas of our business that we have made efforts to improve.

One such area is our product line. It is obviously important for a product line to have a viable market if it is to succeed. Even well-established companies with successful products need to regularly review their relevance to the market.

Nova has been making gas analyzers for over 30yrs. Bringing an analytical instrument to market is a slow evolutionary process that may be proactive or reactive.

A proactive situation might be a case where we have sourced a new sensing technology, or we have developed a new feature. Armed with this development, we perceptively look for new applications that can potentially have a use for it. Proactive growth requires alertness, an innovative spirit, and a willingness to take a chance. It also requires ingenuity in presentation – a useful ‘form factor’.

A reactive development might occur gradually in response to the experience gained on past projects. The driving force might be a reaction to a problem or might be a response to a customer request. Reactive developments emerge when we are willing to listen to customer feedback, adjust to needs in the field, and establish working relationships with users. To make meaningful reactive progress, there must be clarity of information from the field and from the development staff. At Nova, if Mike & Dave do not have clarity and confidence in the proposed solutions, those solutions will not likely be sold into our customer’s projects.

The reactive innovations are interesting to watch as they play out. Our landfill gas analyzers were reactively developed over the course of a few years. I’ll leave that story for another time.

We’re Nova. We make gas analyzers for oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, and other gases.

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/

http://twitter.com/#!/NOVAGAS

If you have a LinkedIn account, search for Nova Analytical Systems under Companies and follow us if you want.

Graphic modified from Velma's Retro Clip Art and Images
http://free-retro-graphics.com/2011/02/scientists-with-guinea-pig-clip-art/