Showing posts with label refractometer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label refractometer. Show all posts

A Free Technical Paper Explaining Refractive Index

Refractive Index

Refractive index measurement is a measurement of the speed of light in a medium. The speed of light (usually denoted by c) is 299 792 458 m/s in a vacuum. In other media, the speed of light is lower, and the refractive index (R.I.) of a medium is how much slower the light's speed is in the medium.

The detection of liquid concentrations by optical means is not new. The law of refraction was mathematically formulated first by Ibn Sahl in 984 but not known in Europe. Instead, its discovery misattribution goes to the Dutch astronomer and mathematician Willebrord Snellius (Snell), who rediscovered the law and published it in 1621. The first laboratory instrument to accurately measure liquids' refractive index was developed by Ernst Abbe in 1874.

This technical paper, courtesy of Vaisala K-Patents, is a technical explanation and understanding of the refractive index.

For more information about industrial refractometers, contact Piping Specialties / PSI Controls by calling 800-223-1468 or by visiting their web site at https://psi-team.com.


Sanitary Process Refractometers for Food, Beverage & Dairy Industries: The Vaisala K-PATENTS PR-43A

Vaisala K-PATENTS® PR-43A Models PR-43-AC, PR-43-AP, PR-43-APT

Vaisala K-PATENTS® Sanitary Process Refractometers PR-43-AC for hygienic installations in small pipe line sizes of 2.5 inch and smaller; PR-43-AP for hygienic installations in large pipes, tanks, cookers, crystallizers and kettles and for higher temperatures up to 150°C (300 °F); and the PR-43-APT for flush mounting installations in cookers, cooling crystallizers and other vessels that have scrapers or mixers.

Sanitary Refractometer Applications:

Extraction, evaporation, brewing, distilling, sugar dissolving, blending, filling. Alcohol, rum, whiskey, brandy, vodka, molasses, liquors, cider, alcoholic beverages, pre-mixed liquors. Beer and malt beverages, wort, cut beer, root beer. Juices, blended vegetable and fruit juices and nectars, still drinks, vegetable and juice concentrates, iced tea and coffee, instant coffee and tea. Soft drinks, energy and sport drinks, beverage base. Wines, grape must.

Sanitary Refractometer 3A Approval:

The Sanitary refractometer PR-43-A is Sanitary 3-A approved to meet the highest hygiene requirements of food production. The 3-A Symbol assures that the Sanitary Refractometer

PR-43-A conforms to 3-A Sanitary Standard Number 46-04 for Refractometers and Energy-Absorbing Optical Sensors for Milk and Milk Products and it has passed the independent Third Party Verification inspection for 3-A Symbol authorization.

For more information about Vaisala K-PATENTS products in New New England, contact Piping Specialties, Inc. / PSI Controls. Call them at 800-223-1468 or visit their web site at https://psi-team.com.

Refractometer Application in Kraft (Sulphate) Pulp Process: Digester Washing Zone and Blowline

Refractometer Black Liquor

Introduction

The first operation in the Kraft pulping process involves the extraction of cellulose from wood by dissolving the lignin that binds the fibers together. This is done in a strongly alkaline solution.

This process is known as cooking. After the wood pulp is obtained, it is washed and bleached to obtain the fibrous product.

To optimize the pulp chemical consumption and water usage, the black liquor concentrations have to be measured before and after washing.

Application

Incoming wood is debarked and chipped to an optimal size to minimize fibre damage, and to maximize the impregnation with the cooking liquor. The chips and the cooking liquor are fed into a large vessel known as digester. The pulping reaction takes place under pressure and at a high temperature.

After cooking, the pulp passes through a blow line to the blow tank and then to a washing section. The diffuser washers separate the black liquor from the fibers by washing them with a washing liquor or water. The products from the fiber line are a clean pulp, and a diluted black liquor known as weak liquor.

The washed pulp is then screened before it is sent to the bleaching plant, and the weak black liquor passes from the washing section to the chemical recovery process.

Instrumentation and installation

The K-Patents SAFE-DRIVE Refractometer PR-23-SD measures in real-time the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) content in black liquor.

K-Patents PR-23-SD
The K-Patents refractometer is installed in-line in different points after the digester. TDS measurement
in the blow pulp suspension after the digester enables monitoring of the diffuser operation. Together with other measurements (e.g. filtrate and flush liquor) this provides the mill with the ability to control the performance of the washing zone in the digester. In addition, TDS measurement in the blow line allows the performance of the digester to be monitored, ensuring that it yields the correct concentration. The combination of these measurements facilitates continuous calculation of the mass balances of the digester.

The refractometer’s measurement is unaffected by bubbles, particles, consistency, flow, ion changes, pH, temperature, pressure, color or turbulent flow. The measurement surface is periodically cleaned using an integrated and automatic prism cleaning system.

The K-Patents PR-23-SD 

Black liquor concentration measurement with the SAFE-DRIVE process refractometer helps to increase washing efficiency, obtain a consistent pulp quality, reduce bleaching chemical consumption and environmental load, and increase evaporation efficiency.


For more information, contact PSI Controls (Piping Specialties, Inc.). Call them at 800-223-1468 or visit their website at https://psi-team.com.

Instructional Video: Inserting K-Patents Generation 2.1 SAFE-DRIVE™ Process Refractometer PR-23-SD

This video is intended for individuals installing, commissioning, operating, and/ or servicing the K-Patents Safe-DriveTM Process Refractometer PR-23-SD, generation 2 model. The purpose of this video is to provide a quick guide for the above mentioned tasks in the form of K-Patents recommended best practices.

K-Patents SAFE-DRIVE™ design allows for safe and easy insertion and retraction of the sensor under full operating pressure without having to shut down the process.

Below the video is the document "Best Practices for the Safe-DriveTM Process Refractometer PR-23-SD Generation 2" for your convenience.

For more information, visit http://www.psi-team.com or call 800-223-1468.

VIDEO



DOCUMENT