A&C track revealed

ISA Announces the Automation & Control Track at ISA Automation Week 2010 (#ISAwk)

“The Automation & Control track is at the heart of process and control. Attendees at all levels will find a wealth of knowledge to bring them up-to-date on the latest technical information and how they can apply it to their careers,” said ISA Automation Week Technical Program Committee Co-chair Joe Provenzano as The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced the offerings of its Automation & Control Track at ISA Automation Week 2010: Technology and Solutions Event, Tuesday, 5-7 October 2010 in Houston (TX US).

The Automation & Control Track offers in-depth sessions focused on everything from the basics of temperature, pressure, level, and flow to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and distributed control systems.

Automation & Control Track session titles include:

• Instrument Implementation
  
• Alarm Management Best Practices
  
• Enterprise Integration—How and Why to Do It
  
• Justifying Technology Selection
  
• Loop Tuning. One Size Does Not Fit All
  
• Process Control Performance Measurement
  
• Advanced Classical versus Model Predictive Control
  
• Instrumentation Rules of Thumb

Complete details of each Automation & Control session are now available online.

"The world’s most energy-efficient CO2 sensor module!"

With its unparalleled low power consumption the new EE892 from E+E is a highly impressive CO2 sensor module. Features such as an adjustable measuring interval enable optimum adaptation to specific applications while maintaining an average current consumption of less than 60μA.

This makes the EE892 CO2 sensor module the ideal battery-operated, energy-saving device.

The CO2 sensor module was specially developed for OEM applications and high-volume production.

The digital interface and extremely compact design facilitate clear-cut integration in mobile and energy-sensitive applications such as data loggers or demand controlled ventilation.

The CO2 load cell is based on infrared technology (NDIR) and, thanks to the patented E+E autocalibration process, it is completely maintenance-free. Ageing effects are compensated automatically to guarantee outstanding long-term stability.

The exceptional measuring accuracy and the large measuring range of up to 10,000 ppm make the EE892 the ideal tool for universal and flexible applications. E+E also provides corresponding Application Notes to enable easy integration of the CO2 sensor module in specific customer applications.

E+E products are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology.

Unmanned liquid level sensors!

A new miniature range of liquid level sensors for unmanned systems

Gill Sensors has a new range of miniature fuel, oil and coolant level sensors, planned for launch at AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America 2010 (21/22 Sept 2010 - Denver COL US). The miniature sensors feature their new micro-electronics offering an approximate 50% space saving on the standard electronics and giving greater scope for use on smaller unmanned systems applications.

The new miniature sensors utilize advanced solid-state capacitive technology, with integrated electronics providing a fully configurable analogue output accurate to 0.25% of the tank depth. Each sensor is custom-designed to suit the specific application’s requirements to ensure optimum performance without the need to extensively modify existing system components. This makes the sensors equally suited to vehicle upgrades or for specification on new developments.

The sensors typically feature titanium and carbon-fiber constructions to ensure the mass of the sensor has minimal impact on the vehicle operation. Sensor length can be as little as 20mm, allowing for precision monitoring of small reservoirs.

Environmentally protected to IP68, these miniature sensors are suitable for full-submersion in aviation-grade fuel, oil or coolant and are rated for operation from -40ºC to +125ºC. Each sensor can be designed with integral connector or flying lead, designed to meet the most stringent military EMC requirements.

Data provided by the new miniature level sensors can be used to increase the performance and reliability of unmanned systems, offering engineers greater scope for tactical decisions based on reliable sensor data. Sensors currently supplied by Gill into UAV applications provide flight engineers with reliable data from which they can make informed decisions about the length of flight time, helping to optimize the efficiency of the mission.

As a supplier to some of the world’s leading UAV manufacturers, Gill Sensors has established itself as a leader in the field of liquid level measurement for unmanned systems.

New technology for Hydrogen alarms

Over the last few months Quantitech has supplied DPSS Cabling Services with unique hydrogen specific gas monitors for use at 14 different back up power facilities that utilise uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems.

UPS equipment is often preferred to diesel generators because it not only provides surge protection, but also eliminates the use of fossil fuels and any associated exhaust related issues. However, lead acid based battery systems have the potential to emit hydrogen if there is any damage or leakage. Hydrogen is a highly dangerous flammable gas, so DPSS has installed the new gas detection technology capable of detecting low levels of hydrogen, even in mixtures of other gases.

DPSS ordered the HY-ALERTA™ 600 version of the hydrogen monitoring technology, which provides hydrogen-specific leak detection and measurement of hydrogen concentrations as low as 4000 ppm and can be scaled to any concentration up to 5% hydrogen by volume. The monitor is designed for either ceiling or wall mount and has no cross sensitivity to other combustible gases, thereby eliminating false positive alarms and ensuring safety system reliability.

DPSS's Jeff Redhead commented, "As specialists in the field of the design, survey and installation of cabling and associated route works, we often provide the support works for UPS systems. This equipment is becoming more common in applications stretching from shopping centres to military installations, so we are delighted that a reliable hydrogen specific technology is available to monitor at the LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) and provide an alarm in the extremely unlikely event of a leak."

The hydrogen detection technology was developed by H2scan, a US based company represented in Britain by Quantitech. Keith Golding is Managing Director at Quantitech. He says. "There are many applications for which hydrogen specific monitoring is important. These cover both health and safety, and process control within a wide variety of industrial applications including petrochemical refineries, hydrogen production, chlorine manufacture, nuclear power/waste, fossil fuel power, chrome plating, research, semiconductor and electronics manufacture, abatement exhausts, transformer oil, fuel cell technologies and of course lead acid battery monitoring."

Miniature high intensity piezoresistive pressure microphone

Meggitt Sensing Systems has introduced the Endevco® model 8510B, a miniature, rugged, high-sensitivity piezoresistive pressure microphone, designed for the precision measurement of high-intensity sound within a variety of demanding environments.

With available ranges of 1, 2 and 5 psig, the Endevco® model 8510B offers a 300 mV full scale output and a range of at least 100 to 190 dB SPL, in a highly rugged four-active arm strain bridge design that is diffused in a sculptured silicon diaphragm. This miniature pressure microphone offers integral temperature compensation from -18°C to +93°C (0 to +200°F), ensuring measurement accuracy over its full temperature range with excellent linearity, even at three times over-range. Units also offer high resonance frequencies for accurate measurements over the full audio range, with five times minimum burst pressure and 20,000 g shock survivability. These technical attributes make the Endevco® model 8510B the industry’s highest performing pressure microphone of its kind on the market today.

The new pressure microphone uses a 10-32 thread (metric threads available on custom order) for convenient mounting within space constrained environments, and also permits flush mounting on flat or contoured surfaces for boundary layer measurements in flight test, wind tunnels and engine inlet acoustic studies. A 30-inch integral cable is standard, with custom lengths available on request. For customer convenience, the model 8510B comes standard with a vent tube, which can be vented to the ambient atmosphere or connected to a standard reference manifold. Recommended for use with the Endevco® model 8510B are the model 136 three-channel signal conditioner, model 4430A signal conditioner, or the model 4990A (Oasis), all available from Meggitt Sensing Systems.

With its exceptional ruggedness, sensitivity and high output characteristics, the Endevco® model 8510B is ideal for use in applications such as blast testing, rocket motor acoustic studies, engine inlet acoustic studies, shock wave studies, chemical reactor monitoring and aerodynamic studies, among others.

Metals analysis

New integrated OES and X-ray solution for rapid and accurate metals Analysis
Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched an integrated solution for the metals industry combining the power of wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) with optical emission spectrometry (OES). The solution optimizes the their ARL OPTIM'X WDXRF slag analyzer in combination with the 3460 Advantage OES metals analyzer. This unique pairing for foundries and metal processing companies offers effective analyses of metallurgic slags and alloys by WDXRF, and quick and accurate investigation of solid metals by OES. With this new Thermo Scientific product offering primary and secondary metals producers are able to utilize two techniques at once and undertake total quality analyses with ease.

Thermo Scientific products offer the most comprehensive systems for the complete analysis of metals and non-metals in iron and steel production. OES provides rapid analysis of carbon and low nitrogen along with all other alloying elements in irons and steel while XRF offers most reliable and repeatable analysis of metallurgical slags, raw materials, including iron ores and sinters and cast irons. In addition, XRF assures high repeatability which makes the technique effective for the control of major elements and expensive alloying elements.

The ARL OPTIM'X spectrometer is a compact, cost effective and reliable XRF solution for all non-metallic samples as well as major and minor elements in metals. As well as providing lowest cost of ownership for a WDXRF instrument with practically no peripheral support (neither internal nor external water cooling, nor compressed air), the ARL OPTIM'X slag analyzer allows quick sample preparation and fast analysis. In addition to common oxides such as CaO, SiO2, MgO, Na2O, Al2O3, S, K2O, Fe2O3, the instrument is capable of analyzing fluorine in slags wherever needed. Slags can be analyzed both as directly cast slags and as pressed pellets after grinding and pelletization. Fusion beads can also be used for ultimate accuracy and control.

The ARL 3460 Advantage spectrometer is one of the most established OES instruments in the metals industry. Based on decades of experience and continuous improvements, this instrument provides an ideal solution for foundries and metal producers. Offering increased reliability and stability, the ARL 3460 Advantage ensures trouble-free operation with minimal maintenance costs over the entire lifetime of the instrument. With optical configuration optimized to cover most of the analytical requirements in a foundry, users benefit from the highest quality technology to ensure improved metals analysis in terms of quality and productivity in addition to low operational costs.

The ARL OPTIM'X and ARL 3460 Advantage are delivered with factory calibrations for immediate operation and use. Both instruments are driven by Thermo Scientific Windows 7-based OXSAS analytical software helping the user quickly learn and operate the two instruments. Comprehensive training can be provided on both instruments after installation eliminating the need for two separate interventions. They can also be fully automated with ARL SMS solutions for on-line unattended analysis when fast 24/7 throughput is required.

Better manage, analyse and report on data

New version of data Management software features GPS synchronisation and sound data playback capabilities

National Instruments has announced NI DIAdem 2010, the latest version of the data management software that helps engineers and scientists better manage, analyse and report on data collected during data acquisition or generated through simulations. The new version of DIAdem features GPS synchronisation, sound data playback and increased offline analysis and reporting capabilities. This combination of features gives engineers and scientists the opportunity to increase the return on their data investment by reducing the time it takes to make decisions from data collected in applications such as automotive, aviation and structural and environmental monitoring.

They integrated customer feedback to design DIAdem 2010 specifically with test and measurement engineers and scientists in mind. With the ability to view GPS information on a map display, DIAdem 2010 provides a new method to interact with and visualise data. It also offers the option to stream map images through a network connection or cache map images locally. To better understand measurements, engineers and scientists can characterise the effect of geographic or environmental context on data acquisition by synchronising measurement and GPS data playback. For example, when conducting in-vehicle data logging, engineers and scientists can take the GPS location of the vehicle into consideration to understand what environmental phenomena, such as an elevation change or intersection encounter, caused the vehicle to decrease in speed.

In addition, DIAdem 2010 now offers sound data playback and increased analysis and reporting capabilities. Engineers and scientists can interact with sound data in a new way by synchronising the playback of sound data with measurement data to hear measurements in action. Also, DIAdem offers the option to automatically convert textual or MathML formulas to graphical math displays to more effectively represent calculations used during analysis. These embedded formulas provide significant value when creating publication-ready reports, with immediate one-click export to the most common printable, shareable report formats including PDF, HTML and Microsoft PowerPoint.

These new features help engineers and scientists save time locating, analysing and reporting results offline. DIAdem 2010 provides a powerful feature set that is optimised for high-speed loading and analysis of large data sets. To receive the most value from test and measurement data, engineers and scientists can combine DIAdem with technologies including the Technical Data Management Streaming (TDMS) file format for data storage and the NI DataFinder for indexing files.