Electricity + Control March 2019

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT round up

Real-time in-situ hydrogen monitoring

generated contain hydrogen. Key features of the LaserGas II SP and LaserGas II MP include: - In-situ and extractive H2 monitoring - Open-air H2 detection - Application in complex and varying gas matrices - No requirement for field calibration. As this laser gas technology has no zero drift, a continuous health check option, and does not require any consumables, the maintenance cost of the new analysers is low. “Neo Monitors adds this breakthrough technology to its long history of singularly effective technical and process control in- novation. This latest solution in hydrogen monitoring is now available from RTS Afri- ca in South Africa,” concludes Fraser. Enquiries: RTS Africa Engineering. Tel: +27 (0)12 433 6335, or visit www.rtsafrica.co.za Breakthrough technology in real-time hydrogen monitoring is now available in the LaserGas TM II SP H2 and MP H2 analysers.

A global first from NEO Monitors and RTS Africa has introduced a reliable method to measure hydrogen in-situ in multiple gas process streams – a major boost for refinery and petrochemical plant process control. The long-established Norwegian com- pany, Neo Monitors has developed the LaserGas TM II SP H2 and the LaserGas TM II MP H2 hydrogen analysers. The tech- nology represents a quantum leap in the measurement of process stream gases and marks a highly innovative upgrade to Neo Monitors' existing infrared tunable di- ode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLS). In South Africa, leading engineering solutions provider, RTS Africa Engineering represents Neo Monitors' control instru- mentation locally and across Africa. Neo Monitors has for many years been manu- facturing TDLS-based instruments to mon- itor a variety of industrial process stream gases. However, until now, it seemed not possible to design and manufacture one that was specifically tuned for hydrogen. "With the introduction of the LaserGas II SP H2, Neo Monitors has solved that prob- lem, so process engineers can now detect hydrogen in a mixture of gases," explains Ian Fraser, Managing Director of RTS Africa Engineering. The LaserGas II MP H2 is an extractive multi-pass solution for applications with higher demands for sensitivity or wherever an in-situ solution is not feasible. The critical advantage of the new in- struments is that the response times are fractions of a second. Hydrogen detection instruments have typically been relatively slow, because they were based on absorp-

tion or thermal conductivity, among other technologies. "In process control, having to wait as long as a minute or more for results could have a significant impact on the efficiency of the process and in turn on product qual- ity," Fraser notes. Hydrogen molecules have for a long time been considered as non-absorbing in the infrared region. This is actually tech- nically incorrect and, by redesigning the analysers, Neo Monitors has achieved an unprecedented sensitivity – down to the miniscule absorption levels required to monitor hydrogen. Neo Monitors is one of the world-leading suppliers of gas and dust analysers based on TDLS. These analysers are the preferred choice for a broad range of applications within process and emissions control. The new technology to monitor hydro- gen in-situ will have benefits for the pet- rochemical and oil refining industry as well as other industrial processes where hydro- gen monitoring is necessary – such as in chemical production where the flue gases

Coded RFID sensors protect against tampering

ifm electronic offers a range of coded RFID (radio frequency identification) sensors which provide a high level of protection against tampering. Up to 32 sensors can be connected in series and the same level of safety integrity is retained. Flashing LEDs monitor the sensing area and the sensors can display switch-off operation of the sensors directly, using the LED display, if the actu- ator slowly leaves the sensing range. In terms of preventive maintenance, this means that, for ex- ample, a door and actuator can be ideally paired to each other and higher machine uptime is achieved.

The non-contact RFID sensors allow reliable moni- toring of the door status without any wear. The sensors meet the requirements ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 for machine safety. They can be programmed as often as required, ensur- ing easy set-up, and meet the new interface de- scription CB241 from Germany’s ZVEI. They are ideal for use in automotive parts se- lection and assembly lines and in food and bever- age production processes. Enquries: ifm electronic.Tel. +27 (0)12 450 0400, or email: info.za@ifm.com

Coded RFID sensors provide protection against tampering on production lines.

34 Electricity + Control

MARCH 2019