Moisture Measurement Innovation at Work Integrating nanotechnology into moisture measurement

The Best Choice for Performing
Moisture Spot-checks in Compressed Air
PhyMetrix Portable Moisture Analyzers PPMa & PPBa  

 Compressed Air is so widely used in industrial plants that it may be considered as a utility like electricity, gas and water. Compressed Air is a convenient and safe energy source for many kinds of power tools, processes and various equipment. Compressors are utilized to produce the required compressed air. As the air is compressed, the water vapor contained in the atmosphere is compressed along with it; the increased pressure causes much of the water vapor in the air to condense and drop out in a liquid form. When the compressed air is cooled, more water vapor can condense and drop out as a liquid. It is well recognized that the presence of liquid water in the compressed air system can cause a variety of problems in the long term reliability of the system as well as the immediate ability of the system to operate. Therefore all compressed air installations have some means of removing the liquid water. In addition most installations have a means of further drying the compressed air to prevent condensation - if the ambient temperature changes or if the air cools at locations where there is a rapid pressure drop. There are many technologies available to achieve the task of drying the compressed air, each with different capabilities. The degree to which the compressed air should be dried depends on the specifications of the equipment being operated by the compressed air. Some examples are: for Air Motors -30°Cdp, for Paint Spray systems
-40°Cdp, for Pharmaceutical systems -70°Cdp.  The performance of these dryers is monitored using hygrometers - to assure that the compressed air is drier than the specification of the equipment being operated and in many cases to provide alarms if the dewpoint rises above specifications. In many applications the hygrometer is purchased and installed by the dryer manufacturer as an integral part of the dryer. In addition to providing a verification of the dryer performance, the hygrometer measurement is often used to control the dryer so that it does not waste energy in drying the compressed air more than necessary; this kind of operation is sometimes referred to as “dewpoint demand” or “purge saver” controls. It is evident that the performance of the compressed air system hygrometer is essential in the proper performance of the plant. A hygrometer producing a lower than actual measurement, can cause the dryer control system to attempt saving energy and thus produce an output out of specification. If the same hygrometer is used to monitor the compressed air output, then an alarm will not be produced and the plant can suffer equipment damage and enormous losses due to faulty product and work stoppage, to be followed by costly maintenance. Whether the on-line measurements are performed by PhyMetrix or other hygrometers; from-time-to-time the users will need to check the moisture content at various locations of the compressed air distribution system. More importantly the users will need to verify the continued accuracy of the on-line hygrometers by performing regularly scheduled maintenance spot-checks.

The PhyMetrix portable moisture analyzers are ideal for performing these measurements because of their unique features:
●  High Accuracy over a wide measuring range -110°C to +20°C
●  Speed of Response - Saving valuable service technician time
●  Low Cost of Ownership
●  Small, lightweight, rugged, weatherproof
●  Perfect for testing in tight spaces and above ground locations
●  Field analyzer designed for use in industrial environments and outdoors
●  Extremely Easy to Operate, with intuitive graphical user interface
●  On screen graph indicates when measurement is stable
●  Powered by a rechargeable battery
●  Data logging (single point or continuous) with location/operator tags
●  USB interface for transferring logged data to MS-Excel® spreadsheet
●  Resistant to Contaminants common in field measurements e.g. oil vapor
●  Superior Reliability
●  Expert prompt support from PhyMetrix engineers
●  Training software available for technicians to practice on the use of the analyzer at their convenience