Monitoring in hazardous areas
February 2001
Sensors & Transducers
Monitoring processes and plant equipment in hazardous areas invariably introduces many additional factors when designing, installing and commissioning.
The wide choice of certified sensors, barriers, power supplies, data acquisition and transmission equipment can lead to problems with compatibility, cabling and software.
Trolex, designers and manufacturers of sensors and controllers for over 40 years, has addressed these problems by providing a range of equipment designed to meet international standards while capable of interfacing with standard control room PC equipment.
The range of sensors includes level, pressure, flow, temperature, vibration, gas, proximity, fire, together with audio/visual warning devices, LED indicator lamps, programmable trip amplifiers and programmable sensor controllers with communication facilities.
Each sensor is provided with an integral transmitter and the option of a display for local readout. Termination chambers are provided with four cable entries and generous space for 'ending-off'. The electronics module can be exchanged on-site without the removal of the sensor itself - so reducing maintenance costs and expensive downtime. Standard process connections mean that costly plant modifications are unnecessary.
Legislation regarding EMC emissions and immunity are becoming increasingly important considerations and it is reassuring to know that all Trolex sensors and monitoring devices have been subjected to the most rigorous tests - the special stainless steel reinforcement used in the sensor housing moulding ensures total compliance with legislation worldwide.
The control and display instruments for use with Trolex sensors all have convenient DIN rail mounting and can be quickly and simply mounted in suitable enclosures either on the plant or in the control room.
All units provide simple user-programmable functions and even a 'library' of engineering units - this means, for example, that a trip amplifier does not have to be specially ordered to suit a specific application - the user can easily select the units and functions to suit his requirements.
The Trolex Enviro Sensorstation is a very convenient method of monitoring any combination of toxic and flammable gases and even provides an auxiliary input which will accept a 4 to 20 mA signal from any other sensor, dust monitoring for example.
The unit has a high definition, full graphic display, two thousand point data logging and trend display for each sensor, a high intensity flashing alarm with associated audible alarm and output contacts. The datacomms output enables up to 32 Enviro Sensor-stations to communicate on one databus.
Equally important on the plant is the protection of personnel in areas where there is a risk of poisoning by toxic gas or explosions from inflammable gases.
The Trolex Enviro Multisensor is a portable battery-powered gas sensor which can monitor up to five gases and measure air flow.
There is a choice of 30 plug-in, calibrated, smart sensor modules and the Enviro Multisensor provides 2000 points of data logging for each sensor. The data can be downloaded in the safe area onto any PC. Temperature and pressure compensation is provided if the unit is to be used in particularly difficult conditions.
Trolex SA
(011) 397 6958
[email protected]
www.trolex.com
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