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Application Note: Monitoring Methane at a Landfill

March 15, 2024 | Application NotesMunicipal: Water / Wastewater / Landfill

Flare System Retrofit A Turnkey Solution

Problem

Outdated Control System for Flare Operation

A landfill customer was in need of a new control system for their flare operation— a secondary disposal path for methane. Their current system was 20 years old, outdated, and remained dormant for 4 years.

Their old panel had an obsolete circular chart recorder. Since their system was down for 4 years, NSI worked with them through the process of identifying potential roadblocks and old units that needed to be replaced.

before
before interior
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Solution

Neal Systems redesigned and retrofitted their old system with custom screens and newer technology, creating a cleaner, EPA compliant, operator interface.

NSI retrofitted and rewired their current panel with Foxboro Scadapack 474 RTU and Eurotherm Nanodac for recording and PID loop control. The Scadapack 474 is ruggedized and able to operate in harsh environments, which makes it the perfect solution for outdoor operations.

exterior after
interior after

Conclusion

 
With Neal Systems’ solution, the landfill’s methane flare is operable and compliant with EPA regulations and recording requirements. The new solution provides the customer with reduced operator involvement in startup and operation. They can simply turn it on and forget about it. Our customer now has a viable secondary disposal path for methane in the event that their generators are unavailable.

Labor

Custom panel creation

Field Installation/Modification

Custom Engineering drawings

Integration with existing field devices

Trained staff and provided back-end support

Read Application Note PDF Here.

Solutions Delivered

Cleaner/more intuitive and capable operator interface 

Easier data recording and storage

Custom screens for flare operation and maintenance Worked with customer to revive dormant system

Products

Foxboro Scadapack RTU

ScadP47x_CP21013_web

Eurotherm Nanodac (recorder/controller)

nanodac_34_L_Hor



Job Note: Wide Area Wireless Network Upgrade

March 15, 2024 | Application NotesMunicipal: Water / Wastewater / Landfill

 

Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission

Newark, NJ

Construction Costs: $30K

 

  •  
Passaic Valley Map -1

Services Provided

  • Wireless I/O Radio & Cellular Site Survey

  • Network Infrastructure Consultation

  • Data Acquisition Instrumentation Consultation

Passaic Valley Map -2

Wireless Communications Network Improves Sewage Plant Efficiency and Preparedness

Neal Systems supplied both hardware and engineering services to assist a major northern New Jersey wastewater treatment plant in designing, implementing, and integrating into the plant SCADA a wide area wireless communications network.


Consisting of more than 90 unlicensed 900 MHz and cellular I/O radios, the network linked together remote instrumentation stations within a municipal sewer system covering a region approximately 200 square miles in size. In addition to an I/O radio, each remote station contained instruments and sensors for measuring sewage flow, level, and toxicity levels at each of over 80 locations throughout the entire sewer system.

 

The wireless network delivered remote station data to the plant SCADA where operators could analyze it and take appropriate action to ensure the plant was adequately prepared to process the amounts of raw sewage the remote stations predicted was headed toward the plant.


The network greatly improved plant efficiency and its ability to quickly react to changing influent conditions – most especially in times of when run off from fast moving rainstorms or melting snow caused by unexpectedly warm winter weather would otherwise strain plant resources.

 

Link to job note pdf here!



Neal Systems Hosts the Vibration Institute at NSI Training Center

March 6, 2024 | Company News

Are you new to the vibration field and want to gain more expertise? The Vibration Institute vibration analyst certification program is the benchmark and recognized as one of the highest standards of industry knowledge and competence among professionals in the field. This IS THE ONLY vibration analyst certification program accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). 

There are 4 certification levels with the 1st being category 1. If you’re interested in becoming a category 1 vibration analyst, this course is for you.

Join us at our Newtown Training facility for a 4-day training course with the Vibration Institute. Details of the course are below!

June 3rd-6th

CAT I – Introduction to Machinery Vibration (IMV)

IMV prepares attendees to perform a range of simple machinery vibration condition monitoring and diagnostic activities. It is recommended for individuals as an introduction to machinery vibrations and is partial preparation for the Vibration Analyst Category I Certification Exam. The workshops and demonstrations scheduled throughout the training course are used to illustrate theory and applications. All registered attendees will receive:

  • Course Training Manual
  • Printed Copy of Course PowerPoints
  • Workbook with examples, vibration related questions requiring a solution and 18436-2 Annex A from the Body of Knowledge
  • Calculator
  • Ruler
  • Electronic Certificate of Course Completion

The IMV training is a four-day course and it will begin at 8:00 A.M. and conclude at 5:00 P.M. Monday – Wednesday and 3:00 P.M. on Thursday

IMV Course Content Includes An introduction and background to Vibration; Sources, Uses, Effects, Definitions, Predictive Maintenance, Measurement Concepts, Machines, Basic Analysis, Vibration Sensors and Vibration Instrumentation.

There is a workshop supporting each chapter. The student will test their knowledge and understanding of the material presented for that chapter by completing the workshops during the time allowed in class. The instructor will then review the workshop with the class. The student’s time and understanding of the workshop materials will aid them in their preparation for the certification exam.

Training and Workshops Include:

  1. Vibration Sources and Use; definitions, units, properties, measurements, motions, time, frequency, and amplitude.
  2. Basic Machinery Vibration; conversions, analysis, excitation, natural frequencies, resonance and critical speeds.
  3. Data Collection and Analysis; physical observations, sensors, frequency spans, measures, triggering, sensor mounting, sensor location and instruments.
  4. Machine Characteristics; fault sources, frequencies, design, function, acceptance testing, fault and condition analysis.
  5. Vibration Instruments; meters, oscilloscopes, data collectors, analyzers and virtual instruments.
  6. Vibration Testing; periodic monitoring, data collection, transducer positioning, alarms and reports.
  7. Basic Analysis; mass unbalance, misalignment, looseness, rolling element bearings, blade pass, vane pass and gear mesh.
  8. Vibration Severity; bearing housing evaluation, shaft vibration, gears, bearings, charts and graphs.

It is recommended that attendees review the Body of Knowledge found in ISO 18436-2 Annex A, prior to the course.

Course Agenda:

Monday – Wednesday: 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Thursday: 8:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Optional CAT I Exam: Friday 8:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.

Registration Fee:

Member: $1,950

Non-Member: $2,050

Includes Course Materials, Lunch, and Afternoon Break

Optional Certification Exam to be administered the day AFTER the course:

Vibration Analyst Category I: $350

Vibration Analyst Category II: $400

Vibration Analyst Category III: $450

Vibration Analyst Category IV: $500

Balancing Field Specialist Exam: $350

Register here!



Application Note: Revolutionizing Laboratory Gas Monitoring: A Cost-Effective Solution

February 5, 2024 | Application NotesLife Sciences

Problem

A pharmaceutical customer in Pennsylvania required a solution to help monitor toxic, flammable, and O2 depleting gases in their laboratory. They need the ability to change the sensors depending on what gases are being detected at the time; in this case – oxygen (O2) and Silicon Tetrachloride (SiCl4). The detectors they have are permanent, meaning that once they install the unit, they have to replace the entire thing to sense a new gas— a very inconvenient and costly task. 

 

Not only that, but their existing system was a rat’s nest of wires with little to no drawings. It was retrofitted so many times to the point where nobody understands how the system functions anymore. In fact, the customer was having a difficult time finding anyone with the knowledge and expertise to help them. That is when the Neal Systems team came to help.

Before
Before

Solution

After troubleshooting and testing the pre-existing equipment to know how everything worked together, Neal Systems demolished obsolete portions of the existing cabinet and repurposed what we could. Their existing equipment was retrofitted with a new Draeger Regard 7000 enclosure, several Draeger Polytron 7000 transmitters, gas detectors, and new light stacks. Our solution simplifies the process to exchange sensors, and the controller can recognize exchanged sensors and recommend settings based on what is plugged in.

The Big Reveal

Our solution allows the customer to change out multiple gas sensors with relative ease. The system can recognize the different sensors that are plugged into the transmitters, and even recommend when the sensor life is near an end so that they can be proactively changed out. The customer no longer has the hassle of replacing detectors when they need to monitor new gases. We’ve also updated the drawings so that future work and expansion of the system would be feasible. The solution we provided to our customer was cost-effective, quick, and efficient, thanks to Neal Systems’ Engineering team and Draeger’s advanced technology, especially the Regard 7000 Gas Detection System.

After
After
After

After

After

PRODUCTS USED

Draeger Polytron 7000

Screen Shot 2024-01-11 at 12.38.23 PM

Draeger Electrochemical (EC) Sensor

draeger o2 sensor

Draeger Regard 7000

regard 7000

Engineering Inquiry? Contact us here and we will be in touch!

View Application Note PDF Here


Job Note: Waste Water Treatment Plant Scada Upgrade

January 31, 2024 | Application NotesMunicipal: Water / Wastewater / Landfill

 

Waste Water Treatment Plant
Northeast, USA
Construction Costs: $250K

Waste Water Treatment Plant
Northeast, USA
Construction Costs: $250K

Services Provided

  • SCADA Systems

  • Remote I/O Racks & OIT’s

  • PAC Control System

  • Wireless Communication

    Systems

  • Cyber Security Consulting

  • Enclosures

  • Installation Services



WARDS ISLAND SCREEN
enclosure

SCADA upgrade for gas detection, alarm annunciator replacement, wet well, MSP’s, DO tanks, digesters, hypo tanks, chlorine control and final effluent including all field devices, enclosures and communication systems.

Our customer’s previous system covered only half the plant and did not provide any reporting or reliable alarming. The operators never used the system because of communication failures and unreliable data.

The system NSI designed was entirely Ethernet based, but used copper, fiber, and wireless to reach all areas. Cyber security was designed into the system with whitelisting and MAC address filtering along with a firewall performing deep packet inspection. Different remote I/O racks, multi-loop controllers, PAC’s and OIT’s were used to bring in the 400 new I/O points— all using either Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP.

NSI brought a specific expertise in Chlorine dosing control to the facility, reducing their Sodium Hypochlorite consumption by 15% whilst improving the stability of the residual Chlorine.

The plant finished up with a system that included all areas allowing operators to monitor a sizeable area from a central location. Remote view nodes using a browser allowed management to interrogate the plant at any time and the added reports allowed for more effective regulatory compliance.


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