A BLRBAC Compliant Monitoring System Designed Specifically for Black Liquor Recovery Boilers

MDS Monitor Divert System

The Electron Machine Corporation manufactures a BLRBAC compliant Black Liquor solids monitoring system designed specifically for Black Liquor Recovery Boilers.

The Black Liquor Recovery Boiler Advisory Committee is a group that exists for the purpose of generating safety procedures and guidelines that govern the operation of Black Liquor Recovery Boilers.  The BLRBAC was formed in 1961 by several groups of concerned professionals that had become alarmed by the number of Black Liquor Recovery Boiler explosions. 

The MDS Monitor Divert System consists of two completely independent MPR E-Scan Hybrid-Digital refractometers with a separate monitor console that supervises the proper operation of each refractometer. The monitor constantly insures that all parameters remain within operational limits and applies the proper divert or alarm actions should a fault or low solids liquor be detected. A built-in printer records all actions with a date and time stamp. The entire system is designed to be user friendly with large daylight-readable color displays and an intuitive menu-driven interface.

Isolation Valves are also required to meet the BLRBAC guidelines and allow the refractometer sensing heads to be isolated from an active pipeline should maintenance be needed. The system closely monitors the position of these isolation valves to verify that the refractometers are in service.

All functions of the MDS Monitor Divert System are automatic. For example, should a refractometer fault occur the unit is electronically removed from service and an alarm is activated. Simultaneously the output signal is driven low to warn the operator to disregard this reading. The monitor system then isolates, displays the fault and provides a hard copy record on the built-in printer. Liquor diversion is now controlled by the refractometer in service.

• Intelligent purge function- ensures the proper cleaning and extends prism life 
• Divert trending - provides an actual time left before a diversion when liquor solids are declining 
• Password protection- to protect critical software areas

The MDS Monitor Divert System is pre-wired and mounted on a panel for easy installation. All customer connections are made to a single terminal strip. Standard output is a 4-20mA for liquor concentration with relay contacts for liquor divert, alarms, and system error indicators. A remote divert input is also available. The system can be provided in an optional stainless steel enclosure with either a vortex-cooler or fan ventilation depending on the specified mounting location.

For more information on the BLRBAC visit here.

For more information on the MDS Monitor Divert System visit here.

Inline Process Refractometers in Tomato Processing

Inline Process Refractometers in Tomato Processing

It's obvious that tomato processors have a need to predict product yield, consistency and quality, as these variables directly affect sales and profitability. However, consistency and quality in tomato products is fairly difficult to control because of the fruit variation, harvest maturity, and farming area.

Consumers often select tomato sauces, pastes, purees and dressings based on sweetness levels, so it's very important food producers to accurately control sweetness. The common method for measuring sweetness in this industry is by reading Brix. Degrees Brix (°Bx) is the measure of the amount of sugar in an aqueous solution and is used because it's reliable and fast.

Refractometry is used to determine degrees Brix, and refractometers are the instruments used for the measurement. Very basically, refractometers use a prism to determine how light bends through a substance. The change in light direction is then used to repeatably determine certain values - in this case Brix.

There are several types of refractometers in food processing. Many food processing labs do batch sampling through the use of hand-held refractometers. Another type is the inline process refractometer.  It is used to provide a Brix measuring control loop right on the production line, and can be employed anywhere in the overall process from evaporation stages up to the concentrated final product.

Inline Process Refractometer

Inline process refractometers are installed using a sanitary-type pipe adapter, designed and manufactured to appropriate 3-A Sanitary Standards. Should the tomato product be known to produce stubborn coatings on the refractometer prism, a steam port is added to the adapter to allow the prism to be steam cleaned at specific intervals.

The head of the refractometer is mounted directly in the processing line and provides real-time detection of Brix with a measurable output. The refractometer's circuitry then conditions the head's output and compares it to a desired value in a controller. The controller provides a corrective output signal, such as 4-20mA, to a final control element, such as a control valve. The control valve increases or decreases the amount of an ingredient to keep things in balance. Not unlike any other process control variable (pressure, temperature, level or flow), Brix measurement is determined and controlled via it's own control loop by the inline process refractometer,  providing the tomato processor greater control over product quality and consistency.

For more information on the use of inline process refractometers in tomato processing, contact Electron Machine at 352-669-3101 or visit http://electronmachine.com.

Refractometers for Food and Beverage Processing

Refractometers commonly used to detect sugar levels and properties of jams juices, beverages, dairy products and much more.

Electron Machine Corporation developed the first in-line process refractometer more than 50 years ago when orange juice was first concentrated. Since that time, their refractometers have been successfully applied on many more applications including the production of sucrose, fructose, dextrose, soft drinks, fruit juices, dairy, apple sauce, jams, jellies, beer, wine, coffee, tea, vegetable oils, tomato paste, ice cream and honey.

With an extremely durable Sapphire prism as its foundation, the Electron Machine MPR E-Scan combines accurate measurements with ruggedized components in the sensing head combining for years of of dependable and accurate service in harsh food production environments.

Inline Refractometer Adapters, Cleaning Systems & Isolation Valves

There are many different mounting adapters available for the MPR E-Scan refractometer. These adapters have been designed and modified with decades of field experience to provide the most successful installation for specific applications. The video below provides a quick visual tour of the most popular.

For more information visit http://www.electronmachine.com or call 352-669-3101.

Understanding the Use of Inline Refractometers in Food and Beverage Production

Inline refractometers are used
for jam and jelly production to
ensure consistency and quality.

This post is intended to give a basic understanding of the use of inline refractometers in commercial food and beverage production. 

Refraction

According to Wikipedia, "Refraction is the change in direction of wave propagation due to a change in its transmission medium."

To understand more clearly, consider this. If you place a pencil in a jar of standing in water and look through the jar, it appears to be broken at the water line. When you add sugar to the water, the pencil appears to bend even more. The reason for this is because light travels slower in water than through air. When you dissolve materials (sugar) in the solution, the light will travel even slower.  Understanding this basic concept allows you to understand how you can measure, and therefore control, the concentration on a material in a solution through the use of refraction.

Refractive Index

The refractive index (RI), is the ratio between the speed of light in vacuum and the speed of light in a given media. It determines how much light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. The Refractive Index of air is 1.0003, and the RI of most gases, liquids, and solids is between 1 and 2.

Refractive Index is defined as:

• RI= Speed of Light in Vacuum / Speed of Light in a Particular Medium

Applying Refraction to Food and Beverage Processing

Food and beverage industries prefer to use their own units rather than the index of refraction for controlling quality of their product. Examples are measuring sugar content in tomato products, citrus juices, and jams and jellies. These industries prefer to use the % Brix scale, which refers to the sugar concentration. Refractive Index is easily converted to % Brix units through simple calculations.

Inline Refractometers for Large Scale Food and Beverage Production

Industrial inline refractometers directly measure the Refractive Index of process fluids and then display the reading in any number of customer-desired units such as Brix, Percent Solids, Dissolved Solids, etc. 

Inline refractometer in food and beverage process
highlighting sensing element and electronics console.

There are two primary components to an inline refractometer, the electronics console and the sensing head.  

The electronics console usually contains a display of some type, and provides a standard output such as 4-20mA. Optionally, there may be some form of networking protocol such as HART® or RS-232/422. 

The sensing head is installed in line by mounting the prism assembly in a pipe and inserting this pipe section in the process line. Vessel mounting is accommodated by having the prism assembly inserted in a flange that can be attached to a storage tank or mixing tank. 

For more information on any commercial or industrial application for inline refractometers, contact visit Electron Machine at http://www.electronmachine.com or call 352-669-3101.

Industrial Refractive Index Transmitters

Example flow loop diagram
showing role of transmitter.

Transmitters are process control field devices. They receive input from a connected process sensor, then convert the sensor signal to an output signal using a transmission protocol. The output signal is passed to a monitoring, control, or decision device for use in documenting, regulating, or monitoring a process or operation.

Transmitters are available for almost every measured parameter in process control, and often referred to according to the process condition which they measure.

The refractive index determines how much light is bent, or refracted, when entering a material. When light moves from one medium to another, it changes direction (refracted). This change in the direction of the light can be measured and applied to properties of the material.

Example of Industrial Refractive Indextransmitter/controller.
Can act as transmitter alone, or with
optional PID control functions.

Industrial Refractive Index transmitters directly measure the refractive index of process fluids. It then conditions the input signal, making it linear, and then converts that signal into any number of customer-desired units (Brix, Percent Solids, Dissolved Solids, SGU, R.I., etc.) and transmits a standard, linear electrical output (4 to 20 mA) that can be utilized by receiving instruments and displays.

Many transmitters are provided with higher order functions in addition to merely converting an input signal to an output signal. On board displays, keypads, Bluetooth connectivity, and a host of industry standard communication protocols can also be had as an integral part of many process transmitters. Other functions that provide alarm or safety action are more frequently part of the transmitter package, as well.

Industrial Refractive Index transmitters have evolved from simple signal conversion devices to higher functioning, efficient, easy to apply and maintain instruments utilized for providing input to process control systems.

For more information on Industrial Refractive Index transmitters visit Electron Machine at http://www.electronmachine.com or call 352-669-3101.

RSP Remote Status Panel for Process Refractometer

Electron Machine RSP Remote Status Panel for Process Refractometer from Electron Machine Corporation