Chemical Engineering May 2012 - 25

BaySpec
SENSOR MANUFACTURERS
www.bayspec.com
Endress+Hauser www.us.endress.com
trometers. " This type of spectroscopic
measurement allows efficiencies on
the production line thanks to realtime
feedback that permits adjustments to
be made on the spot, " he says.
The biggest benefit, notes Bergles,
is the realtime decision making this
type of measurement encourages. " It
provides the ability to precisely monitor
what's going on in the reaction, " he
says. " Before in-process technologies
there were recipes and experiments in
the laboratory that tried to replicate
the process, but there was no real way
to know what was going on in the reaction
until after the fact, when it's too
late. The ability to measure during the
process prevents bad batches, waste
and facility overhead. It allows a
streamlined, decision-based process. "
Raman spectroscopy technology assists
with this type of monitoring. For
Raman spectroscopy, both excitation
and detection are achieved in the visible
or near infrared (NIR) range, but
the obtained spectral information is in
the IR range. Detection of light in the
visible/NIR range is generally much
easier than in the IR range since it is
less susceptible to thermal noise.
While the technology has been available
for quite a while, until recently it
was expensive and not portable. Now,
LumaSense www.lumasenseinc.com
Mettler Toledo
www.mt.com
less expensive, but powerful narrowband
lasers, high efficiency gratings
and optimally cooled detectors allow
Raman spectrometers to be made in
portable, even handheld, instruments
at a fraction of the cost of traditional
research instruments, says Bergles.
Lumasense also recognizes the cost
benefits of moving measurements out
of the laboratory and onto the floor,
as well as the ability to measure multiple
points. " We find customers are
looking for value-added gas sensors
that can sense multiple points and
be deployed easily in different points
around the plant, " says Prabhu Sountarrajan,
business unit manager with
LumaSense (Santa Clara, Calif.; www.
lumasenseinc.com).
As a result, the company offers its
nondispersive infrared (NDIR) gassensing
technology, which uses a
broadband IR emitter to cover all of
the wavelengths of interest for a given
set of gases to be measured. Optical
Band Pass filters allow that portion
of IR wavelengths at which a specific
gas absorbs IR energy. The technology
offers high reproducibility between
production runs, automated pre-inspection,
set up, calibration and final
verification and modular functionality
for servicing.
❏
SENSOR PRODUCTS
The following are descriptions of
additional sensor products
Vision sensor
The IV vision sensor (photo, p. 26)combines
some of the functionality of machine
vision and traditional sensors
in a single system and can handle a
range of presence detection applications.
The sensor's standard equipment
includes high-intensity illumination,
high-performance lenses and
a selection of eight different sensor
heads to enable sharp, clear, stable images.
The IV camera selection includes
close-, medium- and long-range models.
It complies with the IP67 enclosure
rating and can be used in dusty
or wet environments. - Keyence Corp.
of America, Elmwood Park, N.J.
www.keyence.com
for example:
Sludge drying
Glycol recovery
Used oil recovery
Lubricant recycling
Environmental
Applications
ACHEMA 2012
18.-22. June, Hall 4.0
Booth A68
Keyence
system solutions
Signal converters
CTC Series Signal Converters (photo)
allow users to employ an existing standard
5-A secondary CT (current transformer)
or low voltage ProteCT current
transformer with non-contact ranges
as low as 0-5 A over a conductor to
produce a standard 4-20-mA two-wire,
for evaporation and biopharma
Processing Partners:
www.gigkarasek.at
www.incontech.com
Circle 21 on p. 61 or go to adlinks.che.com/40267-21
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM MAY 2012 25
Waste
to m
http://www.bayspec.com http://www.lumasenseinc.com http://www.us.endress.com http://www.mt.com http://www.lumasenseinc.com http://www.gigkarasek.at http://www.incontech.com http://www.keyence.com http://adlinks.che.com/40267-21 http://WWW.CHE.COM
Chemical Engineering May 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering May 2012
