Hybrid combustion analysis.

Servomex has co-operated with Danish gas analysis company FLO₂R, which has created a unique measurement for combustion safety in high dust environments.

The innovative Hybrid 600 combines the benefits of in-situ and extractive gas analysis techniques into a unique gas analysis solution ideal for controlling potential dangerous conditions in applications such as cement production, power plants, waste incinerators and lime kilns.

Substituting a conventional extractive system with a laser-based hybrid bypass solution, Hybrid 600 uses Servomex’s SERVOTOUGH Laser 3 Plus Combustion analyzer as a key system component. Unlike extractive systems, which have response times of up to sixty seconds, require regular maintenance, and take up significant space, the Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) technology utilised by the Laser 3 Plus delivers a fast-response measurement, typically in less than five seconds, without the requirements of sampling system.

Operating in dust loads up to 200 g/m³, regardless of duct size, Hybrid 600 provides a system which eliminates many of the problems that face TDL analyzers in high dust environments. This includes an air knife to protect the optics from process gases, a protective optical barrier, and replacement of the dust-free process gas for analysis every three seconds.

Hybrid 600 is therefore able to all deliver the benefits of TDL analysis – speed, low maintenance, small footprint, lower project price, simple installation and operation – without losing the benefits of an extractive system.

Successful trials for the new system were conducted at Aalborg Portland Cement Plant in Denmark. A Hybrid 600 system was installed at the electro precipitator inlet, utilizing a SERVOTOUGH Laser 3 Plus Combustion analyzer as the control measurement for carbon monoxide (CO) levels. The unit operated at130°C, with a process-dependent dust load between 50 and 200 g/m³, with H2O at 30 Vol%.

The trials were highly successful, demonstrating the Hybrid 600’s capabilities in high dust load processes and verified the rapid response time. The efficiency of the air knife purging system in keeping the optics clean was also confirmed.

Karsten Brink Floor, MD FLO₂R with 

Servomex's Stephen Firth

FLO₂R Managing Director, Karsten Brink Floor said: “The fast response of the Laser 3 Plus makes it the ideal choice for our hybrid bypass solution.

“In addition to fast performance, the Laser 3 Plus is extremely compact, making it easy to fit into the overall system without significantly increasing the footprint. It also offers unique optics that minimize light loss in dusty conditions – essential to the successful performance of the Hybrid 600 system.”

Servomex Global Business Development Manager Stephen Firth said: “The trials at Aalborg proved the value of the Hybrid 600 system in high dust load environments. It also clearly demonstrated the performance benefits of using the Laser 3 Plus within that system.

“The Laser 3 Plus is designed for high particulate environments, and is easy to install and align. In addition, the analyzer is fitted with a line lock system to ensure it continues to measure the required gas accurately. This is crucial for safety system applications, such as detecting rapid CO build-up.

“Importantly, the Laser 3 Plus can also be optimized to measure both CO and methane, increasingly recognized as a key measurement for safety in combustion.”