Our customer was using a stainless steel electro mechanical float switch to measure high levels of oil in a tank. The float switch had an M18 stainless steel thread and was electrically specified at 240v AC or 24v DC (The customer was using the 24v DC option) and the customer stipulated that the M18 mounting thread and the electrical configuration could not change. There were an number of issues –

• Space Constraints – The float switch length was 25mm and therefore could only be used in the larger tanks provided by this   customer.
• Reliability – As the float is a moving product, there were occasions where the switch stuck due to the build up of residue or particulate, this caused false readings.
• Cost – Product cost reduction was desirable – Float switch cost €52.20

By taking one of our LLC liquid level sensors as a building block, SST selected an M18 threaded stainless housing and mounted the required electronics into the housing. We were then able to offer the customer the same mounting and electrical configuration.

The space intrusion into the tank reduced to 7mm, there are no moving parts with the SST Electronic Sensors and therefore the reliability issue was solved and the price reduced by over 40%.

For more information on this type of application, please Ask Our Experts!

The problem of high levels of CO2 in ambient air appears to be a modern one. Yet, this is not one of the new fads that crop up from time to time and then disappear again, never to be mentioned again. It is, indeed, a modern problem, caused by the improvements in building standards and especially window manufacture. These improvements, hailed as a triumph over the age-old problem of draughty buildings, have nevertheless created a new negative effect. Ventilation was never a matter for discussion in most cases, it happened naturally as the wind blew and the air in rooms was replaced on a regular basis. With the new, draught-proof buildings this no longer happened, particularly since central heating made it unnecessary to have an air flow for any reason. This has given birth to the concept of indoor climate control.
The result was stale air. Air that has been used and breathed and not replaced, seen as a rising concentration of carbon dioxide, not to mention humidity. These effects had a detrimental influence on the buildings, promoting the growth of mould and other unwanted plant life. This was not the only effect. Slowly, the level of days off for sickness rose and the quality of work sank in these newer or refurbished buildings, leading to something referred to as Sick

Building Syndrome, since it appeared to affect everybody in one building. The causes were not known for a long time, but now it is recognised that this is a result of breathing stale air with a high concentration of carbon dioxide over an extended period. Studies have shown that a level of 1000 ppm carbon dioxide will reduce the ability to concentrate by about 30 %, a significant drop by any means.
The obvious solution to this problem of indoor climate control was ventilation, and ventilation or air-conditioning systems were installed in all of these buildings leading only to the next problem: the heating bills in winter rocketed and staff complained of stiff necks and other maladies. Sick Building Syndrome was still here, but in a different form. How to provide adequate ventilation without simply heating the environment in winter? The only viable solution is control of the ventilation to reduce the exchange of air to the minimum required to keep a healthy atmosphere in the rooms, which is where indoor climate control becomes an active instead of just a passive discipline.

The real problem is the carbon dioxide, which is best measured with a NDIR infrared sensor. These are available in one or two cha nnel technology for CO2, but the single channel version
is quite accurate and stable enough for this purpose today. Older types of sensor used to drift, as do cheaply manufactured ones, but a good-quality single channel sensor today will remain stable over years, only requiring a reference point occasionally to set a relative zero point.

Such infrared sensors for CO2 are now available from a number of manufacturers such as Madur Electronics in Austria. These come complete with an appropriate analogue output to allow the CO2 level to control the function of the ventilation system. Industry standard for these control functions is the 0…10 V output, but there are other varieties in use. These can be readily accommodated in the construction or calibration of the system to ensure a high quality of indoor climate control. Perhaps we have finally seen the end to Sick Building Syndrome
and can now enjoy the benefits of a controlled climate indoors, if not outdoors. Further details are to be found under http://www.habmigern2003.info/

Simon Fowler madur electronics Voitgasse 4
1220 Vienna
Austria
Phone +43 1 258 45 02
Fax +43 1 258 45 02 22 E-Mail: sales@madur.at

Our customer, a leading supplier of shearing equipment, found an inherent health & safety issue with their sheep shearing units. It was found that when the shearing blades became blocked with excess wool, the blades stopped cutting but the motor continued to run, when the blockage was cleared, the blades immediately began to cut again. This presented a serious problem as the operator was required to manually isolate the unit in order make it safe. This was an unacceptable situation and presented a risk for serious injury.

SST performed significant analysis into the conditions present during normal operation and how these differentiated from the conditions during blockage. It was identified that there were two clear conditions which occurred during a blockage, we performed trials using a variety of technologies including Optical, Hall Effect, Current and Magneto-resistive. The final solution provided fail-safe unit to protect the user and a very cost effective solution for the customer. Additionally we spent time with the customer to make sure our solution was designed to fit in with their existing manufacturing process

Deprived Indoor Air Quality can shrink a person’s ability to execute specific mental activities requiring concentration and memory. Dry itchy eyes, fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea are all symptoms an individual can experience when in an environment where the air quality is poor. Carbon Dioxide is taken to be the main indicator resulting in inadequate conditions for teaching, learning and overall performance in places of work. Ventilation systems incorpating carbon dioxide monitors can be designed to provide optimum indoor air quality to keep individuals alert in any environment where the air quality is poor and causing concern.

Stand Out From the Crowd

SST’s AQ-Alert+ Environmental Monitoring System was designed for the surveillance of air quality in any building in order to combat these wide spread issues resulting in benefits such as improved comfort and health. Stand out from the crowd in your tender submissions by offering air quality solutions that can improve environmental conditions, creating a comfortable environment to teach, learn, work and play. While most customers choose a monitor from our range of standard products, the configuration of the AQ-Alert+ may be defined by the user, making it ideally suited for use in a wide range of applications with varying requirements.

Did You Know?

The AQ-Alert+ offers benefits including:

• 5 sensor options available –  CO₂, O₂, Temperature, Relative Humidity and Atmospheric Pressure
• Maintenance free
• Stand alone or integrated into YOUR building management systems
• Customer specified outputs (voltage, current, relays, RS232, RS485, MODBUS, LEDs, Buzzer)
• Standard or customer specific alarm levels
• Self-calibrating

The amount of oxygen in the flue gas of a boiler indicates how much excess air is in the flue gas mixture. The lower the amount of excess air, the higher the boiler efficiency. In other words, the higher the amount of oxygen, your boiler becomes less efficient and more expensive to operate. According to Carbon Trust, the air to fuel ratio is one of the main factors affecting boiler efficiency. The technology of air to fuel ratio is set during commissioning and over time this tends to drift due to the changes in the fuels calorific value, combustion air temperature and control electronics. As a result of this, the boiler uses more energy to burn more fuel, causing increased emissions and increased costs.

Oxygen trim systems overcome these issues. If you have a large, continuously operating boiler plant, you are likely to save at least 5% and recoup your costs within 2 years. The oxygen sensor is inserted directly into the boiler flue which is connected to a control panel that continuously monitors the oxygen concentration enabling complete control over the boilers air to fuel ratio. Meaning that factors influencing drift within the boilers environment such as barometric pressure and high temperature do not force the boiler to run less efficiently that it is capable of. 

Zirconium Dioxide Oxygen Sensors are the most common type of sensor used in this field and the sensors from SST have been used reliably in boiler exhaust gases for over 25 years. The full pourus stainless steel cap allows free flow of the flue gases to reach the sensor while trapping any soot or debris which might otherwise lead to sensor malfunction. SST’s sensors will last for years even in badly regulated combustion processes before the dirt and pollution has any effect.

Why Use SST’s Zirconia Oxygen Trim Systems? 

• Proven track record, very robust sensor with many years of operation in boiler exhaust gas
• Highly accurate in aggressive, high temperature environment
• Single point calibration with no reference gas required
• Supplied with or without control electronics

The oxygen sensor can be supplied with the control electronics separately or as an integrated solution, both of which use the same technology, the only difference being is the mounting options.

To be cost effective, oxygen trim control systems are really designed for large boilers of over 500kW of output. They can work with natural gas, LPG, oil-fired and dual fuel bruners.

For more information on SST’s Zirconia Oxygen Sensor Systems, please Ask Our Sensor Experts Today!for their advice.

As the demand to measure greater amounts of information within our environments as does the demand for electronic sensors. To remain competitive, small to medium size enterprises (SME’s) sensor manufacturers must continually review their product and service offerings in order to remain key partners to their customers. A distinctive advantage that SME manufacturers have over larger companies is their ability to be flexible and respond to variations in product specifications and customer requirements. Decision making in large multinational companies is often a slow and regulated process whereas SME’s can make decisions within hours rather than weeks.

SST Sensing Ltd has identified this as a very desirable service to their customers and was very much so the focus of their business strategy for growth over the last few years. They invest heavily to ensure they offer high specification and reliable products but have combined this with comprehensive technical, customer service and logistical support. SST can see the encouraging influence this business approach has had on sales revenues over the years, with 2011 seeing a whopping 92% increase compared to 2010. 2012/13 seen only a slight decrease despite the destructive effect of the economic recession in the UK manufacturing industry.  And at the end of our 2013/14 financial year, SST Sensing Ltd reported they were at the top of their game again with a turnover of £3.67 million, resulting in a 22% increase on the previous financial year.

SST witnessed a steady and continuous growth over the years in the number of customers buying their products and their end of 2013/14 year report supports this by confirming a 22% increase.

The future for SST is to execute their business strategy in markets where they have little presence but where there is countless opportunity. With this in mind, the US Sensor Industry is one market SST have yet to embrace with masses of potential for substantial growth. Market research analysts within the Freedonia Group report that US sales of sensors are forecast to climb at a 6.1% annual rate through to 2016 to $14.9 billion in industrial, military/aerospace, automotive, electronics and information technology markets. Having knowing this, gives SST the encouragement to source an established US sales partner capable to implement their business strategy within the US Sensor Industry, and the confidence to know that if all can be achieved there is potential for enormous growth.

As building design increasingly embraces low energy solutions so the concern over internal air quality increases. Monitoring the levels of carbon dioxide found in homes and businesses has become increasingly important and in response to the increased demand from local authorities, architects and builders for accurate, reliable, maintenance free carbon dioxide detectors we have developed the AQ-Alert+.

The AQ-Alert+ System is the latest addition to the range of Carbon Dioxide Air Quality Monitors. The system measures the concentration of carbon dioxide with options to also measure oxygen concentration, temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity allowing effective control and management of air quality. An additional benefit is the detection of leaks from refrigeration, HCFC and CO2 that will send an alarm signal if the air quality is deteriorating.

What’s most interesting about the AQ-Alert+ though is its price. Our Lanarkshire-based research and development unit have developed a carbon dioxide sensor that has the highest specification, innovative design and build quality but is half the cost of its competitors.

Already the AQ-Alert+ has been placed on a number of tender lists and initial enquiries have been high. SST Sensing will showcase the AQ-Alert+ and a number of other sensing products at the World of Technology & Science Trade Show in Amsterdam at the end of September.

Please contact us for further information.