ACHEMA 2012 - Process sensors

for use in hazardous areas

Hamilton Bonaduz AG

In hazardous areas like in the chemical industry, process sensors must comply with various safety directives. Especially for applications in these surroundings, Hamilton now offers the VisiFerm DO Arc Hx with ATEX approval. The optical process sensor has been approved for zones 0 and 1 (now class 1 and 2), meaning that it can be used in areas where there are dangerous, explosive mixtures of air and combustible gases, vapors or mists all the time, frequently or for long periods without risk for ignition.

The sensor is designed for a temperature range between -10 and 130°C and a maximum pressure of 12 bars. The silicon membrane where oxygen is measured is fixed in a stainless steel cap and screwed onto a stainless steel shaft. Only novel and very compact components are used for the sensor. Although their computing power and  measuring accuracy remain constant they barely generate heat. Consequently, this optical dissolved oxygen sensor is approved for areas prone to explosion. The VisiFerm DO Arc Hx with ATEX approval is used for monitoring the oxygen content of reaction mixtures in gas phase among other applications.

Building on the exisiting Arc family, the VisiFerm DO Arc Hx offers the functionality and benefits of an optical dissolved oxygen sensor including decreased downtime with no polarization and only one replacement part, and easy integration into existing process environments. By integrating the transmitter into the Arc sensor’s head, the number of signal interfaces is reduced and the quality and safety of the measured values increased. The option of connecting sensor types in succession without the necessity to reconfigure simplifies work processes. The Arc system guarantees optimized processes and rules out common interferences caused by humidity, cable length or other signal disturbances. ATEX approval enables these functions in areas prone to explosion.