ASHSCAN Standard Manual Ver 2 0
ASHSCAN Standard Manual Ver 2 0
ASHSCAN Standard Manual Ver 2 0
Operation Manual
Version 2.0
Revised May 2008
Contact Details
2 INTRODUCTION 2
2.1 Ash Measurement 2
2.2 Features and Benefits 2
2.3 Duel Energy Ash Measurement Technique 2
2.4 Health and Safety 2
3 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 2
3.1 C-Frame 2
3.2 Control Cabinet 3
4 INSTALLATION 4
4.1 Electrical 4
5 INSTALLATION DIAGRAMS 5
5.1 Mechanical Installation Diagram 5
5.2 Electrical Installation Diagram 5
8 MAINTENANCE 22
8.1 Recalibration 22
9 APPENDIX 23
9.1 Typical Results 23
The ASHSCAN On-Belt Ash Analyser is a fully automatic system that allows accurate
measurement of ash in real time. This instant availability of ash data allows true proactive
process control.
• Metallurgical/process accounting
• Net weight monitoring for quality control purposes
• Product specification compliance
3 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The ASHSCAN On-Belt Ash Analyser comprises two major components, the C-Frame and
the Control Cabinet. The functions and operations of these units are described in this
chapter.
3.1 C-Frame
The on-belt C-Frame houses the measuring system – the gamma sources and detector. The
measuring system is accurately aligned during the manufacturing process, which means that
there is no need for lengthy setting up on site. The C-Frame is designed to fit directly to the
conveyor stringers and is normally arranged so the measuring system is aligned with the
centre of the conveyor belt. The lower arm of the C-Frame contains the gamma ray sources.
The upper arm of the C-Frame contains the scintillation detector and count rate detection
electronics.
The C-Frame is designed to meet IP65 standard for dust and moisture intrusion.
The Redlion Human Machine Interface (HMI) is mounted on the door of the Control Cabinet
for easy and instant access to a range of data.
The Control Cabinet is designed to meet IP65 standard for dust and moisture intrusion.
Warning: Do not remove the batteries from the Programmable Logic Controller when the
unit is not powered. This will result in loss of stored parameterss, which will require
manual entry. The batteries are rated for several years and should only be
replaced while the processor is powered.
4.1 Electrical
The ASHSCAN supports 110 to 240V AC (60 to 50Hz) input voltage, and requires a supply
current of 2A. Please refer to Section 5.2 Electrical Installation Diagram on page 4 for a
schematic diagram.
The inputs and outputs provided by the ASHSCAN in its standard configuration are as
follows.
In the standard setup AO1 provides an output of instantaneous ash which is an average of
the measured ash over a configurable number of seconds.
In the standard setup AO2 provides an output of the tonnage weighted ash measurement
since the last tons weighted reset; this is normally used for shift results.
The scaling parameters for each output are configurable on the HMI.
Conveyor Run is an input signal from plant that is used to tell the instrument when the
conveyor belt it is installed on is actually running. This is used internally to control analysis.
Tons Weighted Reset is an input that is used to initiate a reset of the current tons weighted
ash result.
All operation of the HMI is via its touch screen interface. To edit any parameter just double
touch the parameter’s value and a numeric keypad will popup allowing numeric data entry.
For example to change the “Americium” variable on the “Empty Belt Values” page. First touch
the “Instrument Setup” button once, followed by the “Empty Belt” button. Now double touch
the value to the right of the parameter name text. Now enter the desired value using the
number pad and press ENTER.
To return to the main menu at any time press the Menu button.
The main banner at the top of the screen will contain a text string that will indicate the current
system state. Possible values are:
ANALYSING
This indicates that the system has material of appropriate thickness on a running belt and is
producing results.
NO FEED
This indicates that the system does not have material on the belt of appropriate thickness or
the belt has stopped.
This indicates that the input listed is not producing values considered to be appropriate for
correct operation.
CHECK BATTERY
This indicates that the PLC backup battery is reading low voltage.
At the bottom left of the screen is an indication of the current source position. It displays the
words “SOURCE ON” in red, “SOURCE OFF” in green and “SOURCE ERROR” in yellow for
the three possible states of the source mechanism.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup-
>Current Results”.
This page displays the current results being calculated. When the system has no feed they
display the last valid result.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup->Empty
Belt”.
This page displays the current empty belt parameters as set by the standardisation
procedure. The values can be edited from this page but it is advised to always use the
standardisation procedure for the best possible results.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup-
>Calibration”.
The Calibration Select parameter is used to select from the 4 available calibrations.
The Applied Slope and Offset values display the actual values being used for calculation.
There are 4 of these pages, one for each of the system calibrations. To cycle through them
use the Next and Previous buttons. For each calibration the slope and offset can be set from
the appropriate page.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup->Misc
Settings”.
This page is used to edit the smoothing parameters for the Seconds and Minute Ash results.
This sets the period for the rolling average for that result. They can both be set to 0-300.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup->Misc
Settings->Next”.
These parameters are used to setup the internal tonnage value calculated using the Cesium
input. Roller Width is in millimetres and Trough Angle is in degrees and both can be
measured as per the following figure.
The Area Slopes 1 & 2 should both be set to 1 and Area Offset set to 0 unless calibration
data has been collected to compare the internal tonnage rate to and external source.
Belt speed is in meters per second and should be set to the speed of the belt at normal
operation.
Bulk density is in grams per cubic centimetre and should be the approximate bulk density of
the material on the belt.
6.2.7 Timeouts
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup->Misc
Settings->Next->Next”.
This page is used for setting up various timeouts used in the PLC control logic. All
parameters are measured in seconds.
Source Timeout is the period for which the source switch has to be in neither the on or off
position before a source error condition occurs.
System Healthy Timeout is the period of time for which an input must be in an error state
before a System Healthy error is generated.
Average Reset Timeout is the period of time that the analyser pauses analysis after receiving
a reset command before restarting calculation.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Instrument Setup->Misc
Settings->Next->Next->Next”.
These parameters are related to the radiation detection systems and are setup during
manufacturing they should not be modified without proper understanding of their effect.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Input Output Setup->Input
Setup”.
Americium and Cesium should be between 0 and 1000 and in the lower half of the range
when the belt is empty.
HV should be stable in the range 900 to 1200 and is a measure of the high voltage being
applied to radiation detection system.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Input Output Setup->Input
Setup->Next”.
This page is used to setup the inputs being used on the instrument. The default setup is for
all inputs to be connected. Any input that is set as not connected cannot cause a system
healthy error.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Input Output Setup->Input
Setup->Next->Next”.
This page is used to setup the scaling factor for the analog inputs to the analyser. The default
values are to scale the 0 to 10V HV signal as 500 to 1500.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Input Output Setup->Input
Setup->Next->Next->Next”.
The parameters on this page are used to control the Feed OK logic. If the values of all inputs
are between their min and max limits then the analyser deems that the feed on the belt is
OK. If any input is above its max limit then the analyser deems that the feed on the belt is
HIGH. If any input is below its min limit the analyser deems that the feed on the belt is LOW.
In any condition other than Feed OK the analyser does not calculate new results.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Input Output Setup-
>Output Setup”.
There are two Output Setup pages, one for each of the two 4-20mA outputs. To navigate
between them use the Next and Previous buttons.
The Output Type parameter is used to select to value to be output, possible values are
Seconds Ash, Minutes Ash, TW Ash and HV.
The next parameters are used to scale the output and are in the units of the selected output
type.
Action if High and Action if Low are used o control the behaviour of the output in the case of
feed going HIGH or LOW. They can be set to either Hold or Zero, when set to Hold the last
calculated value is held on the analog output, when set to Zero the analog output will output
zero.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Utilities->Standardise”.
Standardisation is the process of measuring the empty belt conditions to use as a form of
tare. This needs to occur on a running empty belt. This utility screen helps to perform this
procedure correctly. The Standardisation Period is in seconds and is best set to period of one
belt revolution, If this is not possible the longest period possible is optimum. This
Standardisation will be performed 5 times during a full test suite and so the total test time is 5
times the Standardisation period.
The Americium and Cesium are displayed as a method of checking that the belt is running
empty. Both values should be close to zero and stable to run a standardisation.
When the belt is running clean and empty and the Americium and Cesium values are stable
press the Start button and the following screen will appear.
During each of the 5 standardisation period one of the 5 groups at the top of the page will
update with a running average of the Americium and Cesium values. After the 5 periods have
finished the lower set of stats will be calculated.
For the first standardisation the Error value will be large, for subsequent standardisations the
SD and Error should be small. If the standardisation seems acceptable press the Accept
button and the values will be installed in the empty belt parameters otherwise press the
Reject button.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Utilities->Screen Setup”.
This screen is used to calibrate and setup the touch screen interface. To adjust the contrast
and brightness press the appropriate buttons. To calibrate the screen press the Touch
Calibration button and follow the prompts. To test the touch screen use the Touch Test
button and touch the screen to see the touch locations. To return from the calibration and test
screens use the Menu button.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Utilities->System
Params”.
This page displays the state of the system healthy logic in the PLC. It is used to diagnose
which inputs or system parameters are causing the analyser to enter the system unhealthy
state.
To navigate to this screen from the main menu the button order is “Utilities->Count Rates”.
This page shows the values of the count rates being measured by the high speed counter
connected to the PLC. The IN results are completely unmodified whereas the DTF values are
deadtime corrected.
• Check for a green light on both the 24V and ±15V power supplies, indicating that
110/240V AC supply is present.
• Check the 24V and ±15V rails on the terminal strip. (See Section 5.2).
• Check that values appear on the REDLION HMI display when viewing the ”Input
Readings” and “Count Rates” screens.
• After initial power up and before commencing any standardisation, the analyser
needs to get to its normal operating temperature range of around 40 degrees Celsius.
You should allow between 30 to 50 minutes before commencing standardisation. The
operating temperature can be observing the display on the temperature controller in
the cabinet.
• Turn the source on using the shutter control lever. Verify that the High Voltage locks
on and is stable by viewing the HV value on the “Input Output Setup -> Input Setup”
page.
• On the “Utilities -> Standardise” page set the “Standardisation Period” to 300s or belt
revolution and make sure the Americium and Cesium values are stable on a running
empty belt. Press the start button.
• The standardisation will proceed. Once all 5 runs are complete verify that the mean,
standard deviation and error are all acceptable (a large error on the first
standardisation is expected). If there are no problems with the standardisation results
press “Accept”
The objective of sampling is to collect representative samples. The location of the ASHSCAN
and the design of the process will greatly affect the sampling options. In fact, it may not be
possible to sample in a representative manner. Whatever the scenario, every effort must be
made to eliminate as many errors as possible.
Each sample should be collected over a 15-minute period and consist of a minimum of 15
primary increments. Secondary sampling may be required if the sample mass is too large.
Refer to the appropriate ISO sampling standard.
• A value of 1 should be entered in the Calibration parameter on the “Instrument Setup ->
Calibration” page.
• A value of 1 should be entered into the Ash Slope 1 parameter on the Calibration 1
screen.
• A value of 0 should be entered into the Ash Offset 1 parameter on the Calibration 1
screen.
• The first sample should then be collected over a 15-minute period. After the 15 minutes
the TW Ash value displayed on the Current Results screen.
• Repeat until the desired number of samples are collected, recording the TW Ash values
for all on-line samples for later comparison with laboratory results
• Using the provided Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, perform a linear regression of the TW
Ash values against the returned laboratory results.
• Approx 20 samples should be prepared. The sample size will depend upon the typical bed
depth to be measured, but as a general rule should be large enough to fill a 20 litre bucket.
• A value of 1 should be entered in the Calibration parameter on the “Instrument Setup ->
Calibration” page.
• A value of 1 should be entered into the Ash Slope 1 parameter on the Calibration 1
screen.
• A value of 0 should be entered into the Ash Offset 1 parameter on the Calibration 1
screen.
• A value of 1 should be entered into the Smoothing 2 parameter on the Smoothing screen
• Ensure the conveyor belt is stationary, clean, and appropriately isolated so that there is no
possibility of the conveyor accidentally starting and endangering personnel.
• The first sample should be presented under the analyser. Ensure the profile of the material
is even and typical of what will be presented to the analyser when operating on-line.
• Record the Minute Ash value on the minute for 4 minutes. Ignore the first reading.
Calculate the average value for the 3 remaining ash values.
• Present the second sample to the analyser and repeat the previous step.
8 MAINTENANCE
The upgrade electronics are a robust and reliable system that will provide precise ash
measurements of the material for which it has been calibrated. However, like any precision
instrument, it requires occasional maintenance and recalibration.
8.1 Recalibration
It is recommended that the system be recalibrated on a monthly basis or when a process
variable is significantly altered. Typically the effect of belt wear and electronics drift results in
an error of approx 0.1 to 0.2% total ash over the course of a month. The recalibration
process is identical to the procedure described in Chapter 0 on page 18. This work should
take approximately 1 hour.
Figure 9.2 Tracking plot of ASHSCAN result against laboratory result by sample