What makes your probes different from everyone else's?
The large majority of foam sensors in the marketplace today use the conductivity of the sample as a means of measuring the foam level. Ours do this too, but we also have the added benefit that ours will continue work, even when coated with foam. When heavily fouled, standard probes will either cease to function or will detect this coating as constant foam and send incorrect signals to the controller, leading to wasted defoamer and, more importantly, wasted money!
The Thermo Electron system measures the total impedance inside the vessel using a twin electrode construction. The upper electrode acts as a guard, which electrically isolates the effect of leakage currents flowing through the fouling medium on the surface of the sensor. So the foam sensor will remain unaffected by sticky deposits on its surface. No matter how heavily it is coated, the Thermo Electron Foam Sensor keeps working.
By using Thermo Electron Foam Probes and Controllers, you can, not only increase the level of control you have but you can also save on defoamer costs too.
Can I just buy the probe or do I need to buy the controller too?
Yes and no! Our probes are sometimes compatible with other systems but we can't guarantee that they will function as expected, especially the fouling protection. The technology that drives this fouling protection depends upon electronics within both the probe and the controller. To ensure good foam control, we would always recommend purchasing the probe and controller.
Will it work in my application?
Thermo Electron have years of experience working with and selling these sensors so you can be rest assured that we will be able to advise you as best as possible on the compatibility of our system with your application. In the past we have sold to very many different industries, which have used our system in very many different applications. Just a small sample of industries and applications that have benefited from these systems are: petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food, effluent, paint and more recently, resin.
What types of probe fittings are available?
We supply a wide variety of fittings as standard. Types include, BSP, DN25, Triclover, flange mounted or special adjustable versions of these fittings. Even if the fitting is not a standard type, if it is possible to use with our probe then we can supply it as long as we can source it. As always with Thermo Electron, specials can be made to order if required.
As your probes work on a conductance theory, what if my sample doesn't conduct?
Don't worry. We have developed a special sensor for use in non-aqueous/non-conducting samples. The sensor works by measuring the di-electric constant of the sample rather than its conductivity. The sensors are very similar to the standard types, however, the length of the measuring electrode is chosen to suit the sample being sensed, with more difficult materials requiring a longer electrode. Please contact us for more details. |
