Electricity and Control June 2021

MEASUREMENT + INSTRUMENTATION

Collaboration sees industry first for fire pump test lab When a fire pump test facility was looking to eliminate human error from its testing processes, it contacted Instrotech.Tinus Ludik, Sales Account Manager, recommended an Optris Xi80 infrared camera to replace the handheld temperature ‘gun’ that the laboratory was using.The Optris Xi80 combines the benefits of infrared cameras and infrared thermometers.

L evey’s PumpTest Lab (LPL), in Pretoria, Gauteng, measures temperature of fire pump units as it tests and certifies them for a wide range of industries. Managing Director, Francois Levey, says, “Recently, we conducted a test run on the fire pump set of an industrial fire sprinkler system – which typically runs for six hours – and during the test, the engine’s thermostat failed to open. This led to its overheating and catastrophic failure, with a resultant replacement cost of R200 000. We then decid- ed to purchase the Optris Xi80 thermal camera to prevent such incidents occurring in future.” While using the Xi80 and PIX Connect standard software for the temperature measurement, LPL realised that it needed more customised features. Pieter Deysel, Managing Director of Instrotech which supplies Optris locally says, “The possibilities and applications of the Optris Xi80’s technology are virtually endless. However, Optris, the manufacturer of the camera and software developer, is realistically not able to customise the unit for each customer’s specific application. And in this case, LPL wanted not only temperature, but additional parameters such as pressure as well as fow, and LPL therefore had to customise a software solution.” This is where Dewald Scholtz of Rhizoo Christos Technologies (RCT) came in and, using the Optris SDK (Software Development Kit) supplied with the PIX Connect software, developed software specifically to address the

Francois Levey (LPL), Dewald Scholtz (RCT) and Tinus Ludik (Instrotech) at Levey’s PumpTest Lab (LPL) in Pretoria, with a running fire pump unit in test process. ‘picture-in-picture’ function LPL required. With an additional high-resolution camera, LPL can log on to a custom- developed user interface and switch between the different live camera feeds, with full adjustability and customised probe placement, and see exactly how the pumps are performing. Scholtz notes: “It’s crucially important for any company that builds sensors to provide some sort of interface for a customised solution, adaptable to any industry and appli- cation requirement. This enables its customers to develop a solution that satisfies the needs of the client, which is ex- actly what we did for LPL.” In addition, RCT has written software for LPL’s custom- ers, giving them secure log-in access to see – in real time – the temperature and performance of their pumps during the test runs on their equipment. The software overlays the HD video with the Optris IR camera and combines the images to produce a picture-in-picture, clearly showing in context, which part of the engine is overheating. LPL can set adjustable threshold indicators in the software, so that if things are not running as expected, it can halt the test and contact the customer. Pump performance is linked directly to the pump’s oper- ating temperature. To be able to monitor a live, online ser- vice, tracking the temperature, is regarded as an industry first for pump testing companies in South Africa, and sets the benchmark for this particular service. □

The Optris Xi80, a compact pyrometer and IR camera, on site at LPL.

A screengrab of RCT’s software for LPL’s customers; it provides secure log-in access to temperature and performance tests of their pumps in real time.

For more information visit: www.instrotech.co.za

20 Electricity + Control JUNE 2021