Our Technology

---

At the heart of everything we do is our industry leading  video microscopy technology. By using the most advanced cameras and lighting modules to provide a live video image of a process fluid , our state of the art image processing software provides real time information on the suspended particles in a fluid system. With video microscopy, not only do you get concentration data within seconds of analysis, you get a particle size distribution for all particles analysed, including D50 values for every particle class measured.

One of the major benefits our analyser software has over conventional methods of analysis is it’s ability to distinguish between suspended droplets and solid particles. By looking at the shape of each particle we can simultaneously measure the round droplets, and the more irregularly shaped solid particles, and provide separate measurements for each.

The software is able to measure 18 different parameters for every particle analysed, which ensures they are properly identified and categorised into pre-defined classes. Some of the commonly used outputs and applications from the software are:

• Droplet Concentration (ppm)
• Total Suspended Solids (ppm)
• Droplet size distribution - D10, D50, D90, etc. (microns)
• Solids particle size distribution - D10, D50, D90, etc. (microns)
• Separate measurement of gas bubbles

Our analysers are an on-line instrument that can be used for the monitoring of particle, droplet sizes and concentrations. It can operate continuously on-line at high pressure and elevated temperatures. The materials that our analysers are constructed from, namely 316 Stainless Steel and industrial sapphire, ensure that continuous and reliable operation is maintained in a wide variety of inhospitable environments. Our analysers can be used on any optically transparent fluid.   

Our analysers use a video microscope in a rugged assembly consisting of a video camera and lens and a light source to examine the contents of a liquid, contained in the measuring head. Sample fluid flows through the analysers' cell module, which has a pair of transparent windows, and the camera looks through the water at the light source. This provides the video microscope with a backlit view of the objects in the water flow, whether these are solid particles, liquid droplets or gas bubbles.

The analyser operates by freezing a single frame of the video image and analysing the objects present. A database of information is built by rapidly acquiring and analysing sequences of these frozen images. Using image analysis techniques to differentiate between particles, droplets and gas bubbles, our analysers monitors, and records data on, up to eighteen parameters about each particle and droplet continuously in real time which include size (microns) and concentration (ppm).

Typical parameters include Feret diameters, perimeter, size, aspect ratio, shape factor and optical density. These measurements can be used to create a mathematical description of a particle size for real‐time particle identification. Size distributions and volumetric concentrations are generated for each particle type assessed. For example, quartz sand has high aspect ratios, medium shape factors, low optical density and these parameters can be used to differentiate between quartz sand and silt.

The software produces many different types of data for each particle observed, the most commonly used data are particle or droplet sizes and concentration information. The particle size distribution for solid particles and the particle size distribution for droplets are each plotted separately; further statistical information and the concentration data are also saved on the computer system to allow analysis and data presentation when the run has concluded.

When operating in continuous online mode then the analyser will provide data updates as frequently as every 10 seconds. Typical data outputs are droplet concentration and solids concentration in the top graph, and droplet size and solid particle size in the bottom graph. This allows process condition and fluctuations to be monitored and the software can also use trend analysis to monitor for future process upsets. 

All the data provided in graphs, along with many analyser alarms can be provided as serial data over Modbus or through 4‐20mA outputs and volt free contacts.

Watch the video below to see our software in action. In this demonstration, it runs continuously, plotting new data points every minute.