SA Analysis Division Selects SRU Analyser for Innovative Product of the Year Award at Annual Symposium

The Analysis Division of the International Society of Automation (ISA) selected AMETEK Process Instruments (USA) to receive the  prestigious Innovative Product of the Year award at the Division Symposium, held April 26 to 29, in Galveston, Texas.

The three-day symposium, now in its 60th year, was attended by more than 300 process and analysis professionals and industry experts from around the world. It included technical sessions and presentations, vendor-led training programs and an awards ceremony.

AMETEK was chosen over of 12 other entrants for its Model 888 sulphur recovery unit (SRU) tail gas analyser. The third-generation analyser represents a significant advancement in the control of the Claus sulphur recovery process. It addresses the three most-common external failure modes encountered by sulphur recovery units and incorporates the following features to deal with them: Automatic flow control for proactive response to adverse process conditions, such as reducing entrainment during SRU turndown, Flange temperature alarm to give early warning of bad steam quality or defunct steam trap, and Extended ambient temperature range to 60oC (140oF) without external cooling that increase the life of electronics. 

In addition, the Model 888 features AMEVision full-color, web-enabled user interface and smart diagnostics. The unit’s extensive self-diagnostics monitor six temperature zones and automatically adjust to changes in four pressures. It also is equipped with anti-clogging blowback features that initiate automatically if plugging is detected.

The compact, rugged analyser mounts directly on the process pipe without an external sample line, eliminating the complexity of fiber optic coupled photometers. In addition, the Model 888 occupies the same footprint and uses the same connections as its predecessor so a new, more advanced unit can be substituted in less than a day. Its stainless steel housing is rated IP65/NEMA 4X for harsh outdoor operating conditions.