SF52
Dew-Point Transmitter
User’s Manual
97224 Issue 02, November 2011 Michell Instruments
Inside front cover (blank)
SF52 User’s Manual
SF52
© 2011 Michell Instruments
This document is the property of Michell Instruments Ltd. and may not be copied or otherwise reproduced,
communicated in any way to third parties, nor stored in any Data Processing System without the express
written authorization of Michell Instruments Ltd.
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SF52 User’s Manual
Contents
Safety .............................................................................................................................................. v
Electrical Safety ......................................................................................................................... v
Pressure Safety ......................................................................................................................... v
Toxic Materials .......................................................................................................................... v
Repair and Maintenance............................................................................................................. v
Calibration ................................................................................................................................ v
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................................vi
Recycling Policy .................................................................................................................................vi
WEEE And RoHS Compliance ..............................................................................................................vi
Warranty .........................................................................................................................................vii
Return Policy ....................................................................................................................................vii
1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Features ......................................................................................................................... 1
2 Preparation for use .................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Electrical Connections ..................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Installation ..................................................................................................................... 2
3 OPERATION .............................................................................................................................. 3
Figures
Figure 2.1 Electrical Connections .................................................................................................. 2
Figure 4.1 Installation location ..................................................................................................... 3
Figure 4.2 Indication of dead space .............................................................................................. 3
Figure A1 Dimensions of the SF52 ............................................................................................... 6
Figure A2 Dimensions of the Sample Block ................................................................................... 6
Appendices
Appendix A Technical Specications ..................................................................................................5
A1 Dimensions ......................................................................................................6
Appendix B Recommended Practices in Humidity Measurements ......................................................... 8
Appendix C List of Worldwide Michell Instruments’ Ofces ............................................................... 13
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SF52 User’s Manual
Safety
The manufacturer has designed this equipment to be safe when operated using the procedures detailed in this
manual. The user must not use this equipment for any other purpose than that stated. Do not apply values
greater than the maximum value stated.
This manual contains operating and safety instructions, which must be followed to ensure the safe operation
and to maintain the equipment in a safe condition. The safety instructions are either warnings or cautions
issued to protect the user and the equipment from injury or damage. Use competent personnel using good
engineering practice for all procedures in this Manual.
Electrical Safety
The instrument is designed to be completely safe when used with options and accessories supplied by the
manufacturer for use with the instrument.
Pressure Safety
DO NOT permit pressures greater than the safe working pressure to be applied to the instrument. The
specied safe working pressure is up to 20 bar (290 psi) maximum.
Toxic Materials
The use of hazardous materials in the construction of this instrument has been minimized. During normal
operation it is not possible for the user to come into contact with any hazardous substance which might be
employed in the construction of the instrument. Care should, however, be exercised during maintenance and
the disposal of certain parts.
Repair and Maintenance
The instrument must be maintained either by the manufacturer or an accredited service agent. Refer to
Appendix C for details of Michell Instruments’ worldwide ofces contact information.
Calibration
The recommended calibration interval for this instrument is 12 months unless it is to be used in a missioncritical application or in a dirty or contaminated environment in which case the calibration interval should be
reduced accordingly. The instrument should be returned to the manufacturer, Michell Instruments Benelux BV,
for re-calibration.
Safety Conformity
This product meets the essential protection requirements of the relevant EU directives. Further details of
applied standards may be found in the product specication.
Michell Instruments v 97224 Issue 02, November 2011
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Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are used in this manual:
bar pressure unit (=100 kP or 0.987 atm)
°C degrees Celsius
°F degrees Fahrenheit
DC direct current
Dp Dew point
g grams
g/m3 grams per cubic meter
gr/ft3 grains per cubic foot
m meter(s)
mA milliampere
mm millimetres
psi pounds per square inch
% percentage
oz ounces
RH relative humidity
V Volts
+ve positive
“ inches
‘ feet
Recycling Policy
Michell Instruments is concerned with the protection of the environment. It is our commitment to reduce
and eliminate from our operations, wherever possible, the use of substances which may be harmful to the
environment. Similarly, we are increasingly using recyclable and/or recycled material in our business and
products wherever it is practical to do so.
The product that you have purchased may contain recyclable and/or recycled parts and we will be happy to
provide you with information on these components if required.
WEEE And RoHS Compliance
The Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive, and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS) Directive place rules upon European manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment. The
directives’ aim is to reduce the impact that electronic devices have on the environment.
Michell products are currently exempt from the RoHS directive, however all future products will be developed
entirely using compliant materials. Furthermore, Michell is taking active steps to remove non-compliant
materials and components from existing products wherever possible.
Michell is in full compliance with the WEEE Directive (Registration No. WEE/JB0235YW). Customers may be
required to return certain instruments for treatment at the end of their working life.
June 2010
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SF52 User’s Manual
Warranty
Unless otherwise agreed, the Supplier warrants that, as from the date of delivery for a period of 12 months
the goods and all their component parts, where applicable, are free from any defects in design, workmanship,
construction or materials.
The Supplier warrants that the services undertaken shall be performed using reasonable skill and care, and of
a quality conforming to generally accepted industry standards and practices.
Except as expressly stated, all warranties, whether express or implied, by operation of law or otherwise, are
hereby excluded in relation to the goods and services to be provided by the Supplier.
All warranty services are provided on a return to base basis. Any transportation costs for the return of a
warranty claim shall reside with the Customer.
Return Policy
If a Michell Instruments’ product malfunctions within the warranty period, the following procedure must be
completed:
Notify a Michell Instruments’ representative, giving full details of the problem, the
model variant and the serial number of the product.
If the nature of the problem indicates the need for factory service then the instrument
should be returned to Michell Instruments, carriage prepaid, preferably in the
original packaging, with a full description of the fault and the customer
contact information.
Upon receipt, Michell Instruments will evaluate the product to determine the cause
of the malfunction. Then, one of the following courses of action will be taken:
• If the fault is covered under the terms of the warranty, the
instrument will be repaired at no cost to the owner and returned.
• If Michell Instruments determines that the fault is not covered
under the terms of the warranty, or if the warranty has expired,
an estimate for the cost of the repairs, at standard rates, will be
provided. Upon receipt of the owner’s approval to proceed, the
product will be repaired and returned.
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1 Introduction
The SF52 dew-point transmitter from Michell Instruments can provide 4-20mA or voltage signal for either dew
point or absolute humidity with excellent accuracy and linearity.
The robust housing, together with an operating pressure of up to 20 bar (290 psi), makes the SF52 ideal for
many dew-point and moisture measurement applications.
1.1 Features
• Dew-point or absolute humidity outputs
• Current or voltage output signals
• Excellent linearity and temperature compensation
• IP65
• Excellent sensor protection
• Fast response
• Small size
• Digital recalibration (ask local distributor for more details)
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2 Preparation for use
2.1 Electrical Connections
Cable mA output
White Supply V+ +ve power
Green Signal (4-20 mA) Dp
load max 500 Ω
Brown Common Ground
Yellow Not used
Cable Voltage output
White +ve power
Green Signal (Voltage) Dp
Brown Common Ground
Yellow Not used
Figure 2.1 Electrical Connections
2.2 Installation
Prior to installation of the sensor, ensure that hands are clean in order to prevent contamination
NOTE: DO NOT TOUCH THE FILTER DISC
The SF52 can be mounted into either a ow-through sensor sampling block (optional extra) or directly inserted
into a pipe or duct and can be operated at pressures of up to 2 MPa (20 bar / 290 psi) when tted with the
bonded seal provided.
The recommended gas ow rate, when mounted in the optional sampling block, is 1 to 5 l/min (2.1 to 10.6
scfh). However, for direct insertion applications, gas ow can be from static to 10 m/sec (353 scfs).
Tighten the sensor nger-tight, ensuring the cable does not snag. Then, using a 24mm A/F
spanner/wrench, tighten to fully compress bonded seal (~ 30.5 Nm [22.5 ft-lbs]).
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3 OPERATION
Operation is very simple assuming the following installation techniques are adhered to:
Sampling Hints
Be Sure the Sample is Representative of the Gas Under Test:
The sample point should be as close to the critical measurement point as possible. Also, never sample from
the bottom of a pipe as entrained liquids may be drawn into the sensing element.
Figure 4.1 Installation location
Minimize Dead Space in Sample Lines:
Dead space causes moisture entrapment points, increased system response times and measurement errors, as
a result of the trapped moisture being released into the passing sample gas and causing an increase in partial
vapor pressure.
Figure 4.2 Indication of dead space
Remove Any Particulate Matter or Oil from the Gas Sample:
Deadspace
Particulate matter at high velocity can damage the sensing element and similarly, at low velocity, they may
“blind” the sensing element and reduce its response speed. If particulate, such as degraded desiccant, pipe
scale or rust is present in the sample gas, use an in-line lter.
Use High Quality Sample Tube and Fittings:
Michell Instruments recommends that, wherever possible, stainless steel tubing and ttings should be used.
This is particularly important at low dew points since other materials have hygroscopic characteristics and
adsorb moisture on the tube walls, slowing down response and, in extreme circumstances, giving false
readings. For temporary applications, or where stainless steel tubing is not practical, use high quality thick
walled PTFE tubing.
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Appendix A
Technical Specications
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Appendix A Technical Specications
Performance
SF52 User’s Manual
Measurement range (dew point)
Measurement range (absolute
humidity)
Accuracy (dew point)
Accuracy (absolute humidity)
Stability
Response time
Electrical output/input
Output signal
Supply voltage
Current consumption
Supply voltage inuence
Operating conditions
Operating temperature
Probe, Housing
Storage
Operating pressure
Temperature coefcient
-40 to +60°C (-40 to +140°F), dew-point temperature
0 to 200 g/m3 (0 to 87.4 gr/ft3)
±2°C (±3.6°F) dew point
0.4 to 3 g/m3 (0.175 to 1.311 gr/ft3) on value of absolute humidity
<1°C / year (<1.8°F / year)
<10 sec typical (for 90% of the step change)
0–1, 0–5, 0–10 V or 4–20 mA
14-30 V DC (for 0–10 V output)
8-30 V DC (for 0-1 / 0-5 V / 4-20 mA output)
9 mA + load current
±0.005% RH/V
-30 to +85°C (-22 to +185°F)
-40 to +85°C (-40 to +185°F)
20 bar (290 psi) maximum
Temperature compensated across operating temperature range
Mechanical specication
Ingress protection
Housing material
Dimensions
Filter
Weight
Mechanical connections
Cable
IP65
Nickel-coated brass
L=85mm, ø24mm (L=3.34”, ø0.94”) (max)
HDPE front lter
320g (11.29oz)
G ½” BSP (DIN ISO 228) or ½” NPT
2m (6.5’)
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A1 Dimensions
Figure A1 Dimensions of the SF52
Figure A2 Dimensions of the Sample Block
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Appendix B
Recommended Practices in
Humidity Measurements
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Appendix B Recommended Practices in Humidity Measurements
The following text is reproduced with kind permission from the National Physical Laboratory. It is originally
published in the booklet,
Denition of Relative Humidity
Relative Humidity – The ratio of the actual vapor pressure to the saturation vapor pressure over a plane
liquid water surface at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage. This is commonly understood when
the term ‘X percent relative humidity’ is used.
A Guide to the Measurement of Humidity.
For actual vapor pressure, e, and saturation vapor pressure, e
s
e
relative humidity (in %) = ––– x 100
e
s
USAGE: The phrase ‘relative humidity’ is commonly abbreviated RH although this is not a recognized
abbreviation. Values of relative humidity are commonly expressed in units of percent relative humidity (%
RH).
Recommended practices in humidity measurements
General practical recommendations
• Where relative humidity is of interest, a direct measurement of relative humidity is usually best. Where an
absolute measure of humidity is needed, choose dew point, vapor pressure or similar measurements.
• Establish the measurement requirements at the purchasing stage in order to have the right instrument for
the job.
• Allow hygrometers to equilibrate in any new environment. This is particularly necessary after changes in
temperature due to transportation or storage. Depending on the instrument and on how great the change
in conditions, this may require from only a few minutes to many hours.
• Follow Michell Instruments’ care instructions for the instrument. Some instruments need routine cleaning
or other maintenance. Before using any solvent cleaner, check with Michell Instruments that this will not
harm the sensor or other materials of construction.
• Wherever possible, ensure that hygrometers are calibrated under the conditions of use, i.e. at similar values
of humidity and temperature, and (if relevant) in similar conditions of pressure, airow, etc.
• Keep a record of calibrations and any adjustments to the hygrometer. This will show the long-term stability
of the instrument and allow the associated uncertainty to be assessed.
• Check instruments, if possible, at intervals between calibrations, by comparison with another (stable)
instrument, to monitor for long-term drift. Routine checks are also useful before and after subjecting an
instrument to transportation or other stress, which might lead to a shift in its performance. Where the
check is against two (or more) instruments this is even better: not only does this add condence, but in the
event of one instrument drifting among a set of three, it can be seen which reading is most suspect.
• Cleanliness of the environment will affect different hygrometers in different ways. Dust and airborne droplets
should be avoided or ltered out if possible. Contaminants can come from the most surprising sources,
ordinary urban pollution, for example.
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• The readings given by some types of hygrometer are sensitive to gas type. For any Instrument which
reads in terms of mass per unit volume, e.g. in grams per cubic metre, it must be conrmed whether the
calibration is valid for the gas in use.
• Avoid using instruments in direct sunlight or near any other source of heat, unless they are suitably shielded
to prevent measurement errors.
Sampling in general
• Relative humidity measurements should be carried out at a representative temperature.
Failure to allow temperature equilibration will lead to a false indication of the relative humidity.
• Variations in vapor pressure from place to place can occur where an environment is subject to any
addition or removal of water. If so, care must be taken over where to make a measurement in order to
obtain a representative result.
• Sources and sinks of water vapor should be avoided in any sampling system. Invasion of stray water can be
minimised by attention to leaks, hygroscopic materials, droplets and condensation. The lower the humidity,
the more critical these precautions are.
• Hygroscopic materials should be avoided. Many materials contain moisture as part of their structure,
particularly organic materials (whether natural or synthetic), salts (or anything which contains them), and
anything which has small pores. Temperature changes can increase the tendency of these materials to
affect the humidity of the surrounding air.
• Condensation in a sampling process can invalidate humidity measurements by reducing the water content
of the gas being measured. What is more, condensed liquid may alter the humidity elsewhere by dripping
or running to other locations and evaporating there. In these circumstances, measurement results may be
misleading if hygrometer location is not considered carefully.
• Water droplets or mist must be avoided. These can result in overestimates of the humidity of the air between
the droplets. Such results may exceed 100% RH, or may be impossible to interpret meaningfully. Droplets of
liquid also damage some electrical types of humidity sensor. Filtering the air sample can eliminate droplets.
• If pumps are used for sampling gas, these should be located after the hygrometer, to avoid contaminating
the measurement environment. Where possible, oil free pumps should be used, or lters employed.
Oscillations in pressure due to pumping can sometimes be reduced or buffered using a needle valve or a
reservoir of large volume.
• Special treatments such as ltration can change the amount of moisture in a gas. Some drying agents take
out other gases, too
• When sealing any sensor or probe into a port or manifold in a duct or chamber, leaks through the probe
or electrical cable should be considered. These are not always sealed against passage of ambient air.
• Where sampling involves a step change in temperature, pressure or gas ow rate, relative to the process
being sampled, results may need to be converted or interpreted. For example ‘pressure dew point’ will differ
from the value found after expanding the gas sample to atmospheric pressure. Care should be taken to
distinguish between ‘gauge’ and absolute values of pressure.
Dew point in general
• The measuring environment and all parts of the sampling pathway must be kept above the dew point
if condensation is to be avoided. Electrical trace heating or other heating methods should be used if
necessary. An excess temperature of 10°C above the dew point is usually a safe margin.
• For measurements in the region below 0°C it must be clear whether the condensate is dew or frost. Failure
to distinguish between these can result in errors of about 1°C for every 10°C below zero.
Michell Instruments 9 97224 Issue 02, November 2011
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Relative humidity in general
• Due care must be taken of temperature. The effect of temperature on humidity is highly signicant. Failure
to take this into account can sometimes lead to errors so large that the measurement is meaningless.
In many situations, the largest single source of uncertainty in a humidity measurement is the effect of
temperature differences from place to place in the process, room or chamber. The importance of considering
the temperature effects carefully cannot be overstated when relative humidity is the parameter of interest.
• Care must be taken when expressing uncertainties, changes or fractional differences in relative humidity.
For example, the difference between 50% RH and 52% RH is 2% RH. This can also be expressed as a
difference of 4% of value. It is important to distinguish clearly between these two kinds of statement.
Recommendations specic to ranges of measurements
• Ambient humidity - Avoid using hygrometers near the body, which is a source of heat and moisture. Do not
breathe close to the measurement.
• High humidity, above the ambient range - Ample lines should be maintained above the dew point of the gas
being measured, to avoid condensation. Electrical trace heating is often the most practical method.
• Low humidity, and very dry gases - If possible, prepare for measurements by ushing sample lines and
hygrometers with dry gas, or by evacuating to low pressure. Drive off stray residual water by baking
assemblies if possible (but not instruments – unless designed for this!). The lower the moisture content to
be measured, the more dramatically the required drying time multiplies.
• Avoid hygroscopic materials. At low humidity (anything much below a dew point of 0°C) the amounts of
water given off by organic and porous materials can dramatically affect the value of humidity. The lower
the level of moisture, the more signicant the effects.
• Choose impermeable materials, to avoid inward diffusion of moisture through sampling tubes and enclosures.
Steel and other metals are practically impermeable. PTFE (‘Teon’) is only slightly permeable and will
usually be satisfactory for dew points above -20°C, and sometimes below this level. Materials such as PVC
and rubber are relatively permeable and so totally unsuitable at low humidity, and not really satisfactory in
any humidity range.
• Surface nish of pipework is important for very dry gases. Even the tiny quantities of water adsorbed on
the surfaces of non-hygroscopic materials can have signicant effect. Polished or electropolished steel is
recommended for the best results.
• Clean environments are always best for humidity measurements, but this is especially critical at very
low humidity. Even ngerprints harbour water. High purity cleaning agents are recommended: Analytical
Reagent (AR) quality solvents for oil-based contaminants, and puried water (distilled or de-ionised) for
salts. Cleaning should be followed by thorough drying by a clean method.
• Sample tubing should be as short in length as possible. The surface area should be minimised by using the
narrowest tubing that the ow conditions will permit.
• Avoid leaks. Minimising the number of connections (elbows, tees, valves, etc.) helps with this.
• Adequate ow of the gas sample should be ensured, to minimise the inuence of sources of stray water in
the ow path.
• ‘Dead ends’ should be avoided, as they cannot easily be ushed.
• Back-diffusion of moisture should be minimised, e.g. by fast ow rates of gas, long exhaust tubes after the
sensor, or by valves which isolate the low-humidity region from ambient air.
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SF52 User’s Manual
Practical recommendations for specic types of hygrometer
Relative humidity capacitive sensor
• Care should be taken to avoid mechanical shock (impact) or thermal shock (sudden temperature changes).
Sensors should be protected from steam or water sprays, and from direct sunlight.
• Where a sensor is at risk of exposure to dust, droplets, or the occasional knock during handling, the
appropriate guard or lters for the sensor head should be used.
• Any temptation to breathe on the sensor, or to wave it over cups of tea, etc. should be resisted. Filters and
saturation guarding may protect the sensor, but these actions carry a risk of damage by condensation or
other contamination.
• Protective lters can slow the response time of sensors. This can be avoided by removing any lter, but the
benet must be weighed against the risk of damage to the sensor.
• Sensors should not normally be submerged in liquids. In the case of a resistive (electrolytic) sensor, water
or other liquids would certainly damage the sensor beyond repair.
• Salt solutions are especially commonly used for calibration of electrical sensors, and should be provided
with traceability directly or via a calibrated hygrometer. Protection of sensors from direct contact with salt
or solution is most important as contamination would destroy or seriously impair the sensing element.
Michell Instruments 11 97224 Issue 02, November 2011
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Appendix C
List of Worldwide Michell
Instruments’ Ofces
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SF52 User’s Manual
Appendix C List of Worldwide Michell Instruments’ Ofces
Asia
Michell Asia
PO Box 3149
Joondalup
WA 6027
Australia
Tel: +61 893 046587
E-mail: au.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/au
China
Michell Instruments (Shanghai) Ltd
Room 505, Qilai Building
889 Yishan Road
Shanghai, 200233
P R China
Tel: +86 21 5401 2255
Fax: +86 21 5401 2085
E-mail:
cn.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/cn
Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Michell Instruments GmbH
Industriestrasse 27
D-61381 Friedrichsdorf
Germany
Tel: +49 6172 591700
Fax: +49 6172 591799
E-mail:
de.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/de
Benelux
Michell Instruments Benelux BV
Krombraak 11
4906 CR Oosterhout
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 162 680 471
Fax: +31 162 437 566
E-mail: nl.info@michell.com
Web:
www.michell.com/nl
France
Michell Instruments SAS
2-4, rue Jean Desparmet
69008 Lyon
France
Tel: +33 437 53 88 20
Fax: +33 437 53 88 21
E-mail: fr.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/fr
Italy
Michell Italia Srl
Via Capecelatro, 10
20148 Milano
Italy
Tel: +39 02 4047194
Fax: + 39 02 40010565
E-mail: it.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/it
Japan
Michell Japan KK
Musashino Center Building
1-19-18 Nakacho, Musashino
Tokyo 180-0006
Japan
Tel: +81 422 502600
Fax: +81 422 521700
E-mail: info@michell-japan.co.jp
Web: www.michell-japan.co.jp
North America
Michell Instruments Inc
319 Newburyport Turnpike, Suite 207
Rowley, MA 01969
USA
Tel: +01 978 484 0005
Fax: +01 978 843 7669
E-mail:
us.info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/us
Middle East
Michell Instruments Middle East
P-06, #097
Sharjah Airport Int’l free zone
Sharjah,
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 6 5575028
+971 6 5575029
Fax:
E-mail: me.info@michell.com
United Kingdom
Michell Instruments Ltd
48 Lancaster Way Business Park
Ely, CB6 3NW
Cambridgeshire
England
Tel: +44 1353 658000
Fax: +44 1353 658199
E-mail: info@michell.com
Web: www.michell.com/uk
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