Alicat Scientific News - www.alicat.com

Battery power ideal for fieldwork and in-house testing applications
Tucson, Arizona (March 14, 2012) – Alicat Scientific’s MB series portable mass flow and liquid flow meters utilize a 9 volt battery pack to make metering gas flow, pressure, or water flow in the field and lab convenient and reliable.

Alicat Scientific’s MB series portable mass flow and liquid flow meter.

With eight to ten hours of battery life, the MB series mass flow meters quickly and accurately measure pressure, temperature and volumetric flow in addition to mass flow. The portable meters can be used to easily verify proper operation of flow meters and flow controllers from any manufacturer, instantly take measurements in the field, and to quickly test for leaks in multiple processes or systems. Powered by a standard 9 volt battery, the lightweight MB series meters fit easily into a pocket or work bag.

In permanent installation applications, the MB units may also be hardwired or wall powered, with the battery serving as a backup during power loss to maintain critical operations monitoring.

Alicat’s patented laminar flow differential pressure technology delivers highly accurate results with a much faster response time than that of competing technologies. Devices come pre-calibrated (NIST traceable) for Air, Hydrogen, Helium, and Argon as well as 16 other gases and 10 gas mixes.

The integrated digital display enables the MB series to operate simply as a standalone device.  Users can change the configuration of the meter without the need for computers, complicated software or scripts.

Comments (0) »

Jerry Li appointed Country Manager
Tucson, Arizona (December 6, 2011) – Alicat Scientific, Inc. has expanded its sales presence in China. The company has appointed Jerry Li to serve as Country Manager, providing a local contact for customers of Alicat’s line of pressure and mass flow meters, controllers, and accessories. 

Jerry Li, Alicat Scientific’s Country Manager, China

Li is tasked with serving the growing Chinese market for industrial instruments, increasing access to Alicat’s flow control products. He will work with end users of Alicat’s products, providing sales, training and service support, and will develop service facilities for the Chinese customer base. He is also charged with building and managing Alicat’s local distributor network and identifying new product development opportunities.

With experience in both industrial sales and technical service, Li will be an asset to Alicat and its customers in China. Most recently, he worked for Ametek (Shanghai, China), providing marketing, sales and service support in its Calibration Instruments division. He also held sales engineering positions with GE China Co, Ltd’s sensing and Inspection division, and Invensys Process System, China.

In addition to a Bachelor Degree in Automation from East China University of Science and Technology (Shanghai, China), Li has earned a Project Management Professional certificate from the Project Management Institute (Beijing, China).

Li is based in Shanghai and can be reached at +86-21-52068686 ext 118; jli@alicatscientific.com.

Comments (0) »

Precise flow control maintains process integrity and product quality
Tucson, Arizona (November 17, 2011) – Alicat Scientific’s MFC series Mass Flow Controllers provide precision gas flow control for a variety of food and beverage processes. The units accurately regulate flow of process gases, attaining and maintaining flow setpoints in less than 100ms. Alicat’s MFC series can be used in sparging, blanketing, filling and injection processes in food and beverage production.

Alicat’s MFC series can be used in sparging, blanketing, filling and injection processes in food and beverage production.

The MFC series units are calibrated for 30 inert gases and a number of corrosive gases to quickly and accurately measure pressure, temperature and volumetric flow in addition to mass flow. Alicat’s patented laminar flow differential pressure technology delivers highly accurate results with a much faster response time than that of competing technologies. The MFC has a response time of less than 10ms and a control time of 100ms, making it one of the fastest naturally responding mass flow controllers on the market today.

Successful food and beverage MFC installations include:

• Air sparging in ice cream production and CO2 sparging for pH control in beverages
• N2 blanketing in winemaking
• Inert gas filling in meat packaging
• Flow control of N2O for whip cream production
• Corrosive and carrier gas handling in flavor science and spice production

Simple to install and cost effective, the MFC operates simply as a stand-alone device. Its integrated digital display enables users to change the configuration of the meter without the need for computers, complicated software or scripts. For more complex operation, the MFC also interfaces with most process control software without requiring any additional equipment or controllers. The dependable units deliver NIST traceable calibrations and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

Comments (0) »

-X option for use in environments where ignitable gases are present
Tucson, Arizona (October 28, 2011) – Alicat Scientific, Inc. offers its Mass Flow Meters, Mass Flow Controllers, and Pressure Equipment with an ATEX approved -X option. With this ATEX rating, Alicat’s precision devices are even easier to integrate into a wide range of hazardous settings or applications, without sacrificing functionality. 

Alicat’s Mass Flow Meters, Mass Flow Controllers, and Pressure Equipment are ATEX approved.

Alicat devices can be ordered in the ATEX approved configuration with no extension of fast 7 business day lead times. All Alicat ATEX approved mass flow devices have 30 user selectable gas calibrations installed for gases like Acetylene, Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Propane, as well as 16 other gases and 10 gas mixes. Alicat ATEX approved devices also include a NIST traceable calibration and certificate.

Other ATEX approved devices are often stripped of functionality to reduce power consumption and heat generation. Alicat devices, by design, consume very little power and generate very little heat, requiring few modifications to the Alicat ATEX device. It includes all of the benefits and features of its non-ATEX counterpart including the major functional advantage, the digital display. Users in hazardous environments reap the flexibility of having an on-board display for quick visual verification of mass flow meter or mass flow controller operation.

Comments (0) »

Modified PC Series used in sounding rocket payload attitude control systems
Tucson, Arizona (September 21, 2011) – Pressure controllers from Alicat Scientific  have been selected for use in NASA sounding rockets to control payload attitude. Alicat PC Series absolute pressure controllers provide the speed, accuracy and durability required for this mission-critical function.

Alicat controllers modulate the pressure commands to adjust attitude on this NASA sounding rockets' payload section.

The payload sections of some NASA sounding rockets are required to achieve pointing accuracies of finer than 1 arc second (1/3600 of a degree). Conventional attitude control systems (using solenoid valves) introduce too much shock and vibration, and are imprecise. NASA contractor Northrop Grumman turned to Alicat for a solution that would work with its delicate optical instruments.

The Alicat PC Series absolute pressure controllers are used to directly feed the payload’s attitude control jets. The four pressure controllers are fed from a common gaseous argon manifold at approximately 160 psig, with a stock Alicat mulitdrop RS-232 sending set-point commands to the controllers. As soon as the rocket passes 100 km in altitude, all controllers are brought up to 5 PSIA with both pitch and yaw moments balanced. The spacecraft’s attitude is then modified by modulating the pressure commands sent to the Alicat controllers.

Alicat’s control precision enables commanded pressure changes in increments as small as .00234 psi or as large as 150 psi, with extreme speed. NASA’s testing demonstrated the controllers accurately track a 5 hz sign wave, correlating to a response time faster than 32 milliseconds. As there are no backup systems for altitude control, the Alicat pressure controllers are considered to be mission-critical pieces of equipment.

A top choice for a variety of applications, the Alicat PC Series pressure controllers are available with numerous output options in a modular design that delivers fast, accurate and repeatable results. Low power consumption and a rugged design result in lower cost over the course of its long service life. With an industry-leading Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, users can feel confident that their application needs will be met.

To fit NASA’s requirements, the stock PC Series controllers were modified slightly with a different capacitor and connector hardware. To enhance durability and reduce mass, the main electronics board was potted in plastic and the bodies were fabricated from aluminum, rather than the typical stainless steel. The controllers passed NASA testing for shock, vibration, thermal cycling and exposure to vacuum without difficulty, and have completed several successful missions. Northrop Grumman has ordered 28 controllers over a five year period for this application.

Comments (0) »

Integrated pneumatic shut off valve preserves vacuum process integrity and efficiency
Tucson, Arizona (July 25, 2011) – For vacuum coating and sputtering processes, Alicat Scientific’s MCV mass flow controller provides the tight shut-off parameters required to maintain product integrity. Its integrated pneumatic shut-off valve is normally closed, affording positive shut-off of 1 x 10-9 atm sccm/sec Helium max.

Alicat’s MCV improves vacuum process integrity and efficiency.

The Alicat MCV accurately controls gas flow rates as low as 0.5 sccm or as high as 20 slpm with response times of 50 to 100 milliseconds.  Fast response times can greatly improve vacuum coating end products and help eliminate target poisoning.

Pre-programmed with calibrations for 30 gases, the MCV displays mass flow, volumetric flow, absolute pressure and temperature. The unit may be programmed directly through the instrument’s keypad or remotely via RS-232 (RS-485 also available).

The MCV uses the same patented laminar flow differential pressure (DP) technology as all Alicat Scientific flow instruments, is supplied with NIST traceable certification and carries the CE mark.

Comments (0) »

Monitors methane gas flow during “Bourne Magazine” myth testing
Tucson, Arizona (May 24, 2011) – Alicat Scientific (www.alicatscientific.com) recently supplied equipment to the popular TV show Mythbusters for an episode testing the plausibility of a scene from the movie the Bourne Supremacy. An Alicat 250 SLPM mass flow meter was used to monitor methane gas flow as hosts Adam and Jamie recreated the setup for an explosion involving a gas line, toaster and magazine.

Alicat’s 250 SLPM mass flow meter was used to help bust the “Bourne Magazine” myth.

Mythbusters tests the reality of movie stunts and urban myths when conducted under real-world conditions. The segment in which Alicat’s product was used was entitled “Bourne Magazine.” To escape the bad guys, the Bourne Supremacy’s main character breaks his apartment’s gas line, then inserts a magazine into a toaster, creating a fuse that ignites the gas and causes a massive explosion just seconds after he safely exits the back door.

To test the plausibility of this scene, the cast members recreated the apartment, complete with a magazine and toaster fuse setup and an external methane tank to simulate a residential gas line. The methane tank was rigged with a regulator and flow meter to provide the same kind of gas input as a domestic gas line.

The product supplied by Alicat was its 250 SLPM mass flow meter, with optional TFT color display, calibrated for methane gas with a range of 0-8 standard cubic feet per minute. Equipped with Alicat’s optional totalizer, the unit provided the total methane flow into the simulation apartment. Alicat’s CSA-approved meters and controllers measure mass flow using differential pressure, a unique process resulting in fast response with a rugged design. 

The meter is able to operate simply as a stand-alone device, as it was used by Mythbusters. An integrated digital display enables users to change the configuration of the meter without the need for computers, complicated software or scripts. For more complex operation, the product also interfaces with most process control software without requiring any additional equipment or controllers, a simple to install and cost effective solution.

In the end, the movie scene was deemed “busted” and implausible. Under testing, despite the fact that the toaster fuse actually took a minute and thirty seconds longer to ignite, allowing a greater volume of methane to fill the room, all that resulted was a melted toaster. Even with about 7 cubic feet of methane filling the apartment, the gas did not ignite, let alone explode. Determined not to be robbed of the massive explosion the movie promised, Adam and Jamie unleashed about 20 cubic feet of methane, igniting a neon transmitter fuse only when an exact air to gas mixture was reached, to finally blow out the walls of their simulated apartment.

1 Comment »

Secondary standard for gas flow applications ranging from 0.005 SCCM – 1500 SLPM
Tucson, Arizona (May 24, 2011) – Providing an efficient and affordable secondary calibration standard, the Portable Calibration Unit (PCU) from Alicat Scientific integrates three Alicat Laminar Mass Flow Meters into a portable industrial briefcase that can be taken anywhere. The PCU is ideal for use in laboratories, industrial plants, process facilities and by field technicians to verify proper operation of flow meters and flow controllers from any manufacturer.

Alicat’s Portable Calibration Unit incorporates three Alicat Laminar Mass Flow Meters into a single rugged device that can be taken anywhere in the world.

Unlike other currently available secondary standards, the PCU is fully self-contained and does not require any additional support equipment or line power. It is as simple as having a tech arrive on site, plug the unit into the system and take readings. The PCU also has on-board digital output to send flow data to a laptop or other computer system via multi-drop RS-232 communications for simultaneous data acquisition.

Each of the integrated meters on the PCU displays mass flow, volumetric flow, pressure & temperature with high accuracy calibration of +/- (0.4% of reading + .2% of full scale). The ranges of the flow meters are specified by the end user upon ordering the PCU. Twenty pre-set selectable gas calibrations and ten pre-set gas mix calibrations (specific gas mixes and calibrations) are available.

Alternate and adjustable standard temperature & pressure simplifies comparisons to other flow devices. The unit has an integrated totalizer for tests that require long term averaging.  Alicat’s FlowVisionSC GUI software is included, enabling graphing, data acquisition, and scripted polling.

The PCU can be plugged into wall power or powered by two standard 9V batteries. The unit will alert the user via a bright led indicator to replace the batteries when power falls below a minimum threshold. Like Alicat’s standard line of flow devices, the PCU has no large mechanical parts to service or fail.  All of Alicat’s products carry the CE marking and are NIST traceable.

Comments (0) »

For use in Class 1 Division 2 Hazardous environments in the United States and Canada
Tucson, Arizona (March 25, 2011) – Continuing its mission of providing equipment to fit a wider range of customer requirements, Alicat Scientific, Inc. has attained CSA approval for the use of Alicat Mass Flow Meters, Mass Flow Controllers, and Pressure Equipment, in Class 1 Division 2 Hazardous environments. With the Class 1 Division 2 rating, Alicat’s precision devices are even easier to integrate into a wide range of factory settings or applications. 

Alicat’s Mass Flow Meters, Mass Flow Controllers, and Pressure Equipment are now CSA approved for use in Class 1 Division 2 Hazardous environment

Alicat devices can be ordered in the CSA approved configuration with no extension of the already fast 7 business day lead times. All Alicat CSA approved devices have group ABCD approval, and all flow devices come pre-calibrated (NIST traceable) for Acetylene, Hydrogen, Ethylene, and Propane, as well as 16 other gasses and 10 gas mixes.

Comments (0) »

Live smash tests demonstrate product durability
Tucson, Arizona (February 16, 2011) – Alicat Scientific, Inc., will display its line of mass flow devices during Pittcon 2011, March 13 to18 at the Georgia World Congress Center (Atlanta, Georgia).  A live demonstration in the company’s booth, number 3020, will give show visitors a first-hand look at product durability and accuracy.

Alicat’s MC series mass flow controller will be taking on the company’s simulated impact device at Pittcon 2011.

Alicat meters and controllers measure mass flow using differential pressure, a unique process resulting in fast response with a rugged design. To demonstrate this accuracy and durability at Pittcon, an Alicat MC series unit will be subjected to the company’s simulated impact device. With gas flowing through the device, it will be launched in the air and allowed to slam on to a metal platform.  Visitors will be able to witness that the calibration remains steady, despite the harsh treatment.

Another highlight of Alicat’s exhibit will be the MB portable mass flow meter which measures mass flow, volumetric flow, absolute pressure and temperature for any of 30 user-selected gas calibrations.  Powered by a standard or lithium 9Vdc battery, the color TFT display is visible in both no light and direct sunlight conditions for use in any environment.

Alicat’s PCU portable calibration unit; corrosion-resistant MS and MCS Series gas flow meters and controllers; L and LC series liquid flow meter and controller; PCD dual valve pressure controller; and RDD remote digital display will round out the company’s exhibit.

To learn more about any of these products and to see the simulated impact device in action, visit Alicat at Pittcon booth 3020.

Comments (0) »