SLUDGE FINDER 2
SERVICE MANUAL
PULSAR ULTRA SERIES
SLUDGE FINDER 2 SERVICE MANUAL (FIRST EDITION Rev 2)
June 2017
Part Number M-920-S-001-1P
COPYRIGHT
© Pulsar Process Measurement Limited, 2000 – 17. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
without the written permission of Pulsar Process Measurement Limited.
WARRANTY AND LIABILITY
Pulsar Process Measurement Limited guarantee for a period of 2 years (for the integrator), and 1 year (for the
transducer), from the date of delivery that it will either exchange or repair any part of the product returned to
Pulsar Process Measurement Limited if it is found to be defective in material or workmanship, subject to the
defect not being due to unfair wear and tear, misuse, modification or alteration, accident misapplication or
negligence.
DISCLAIMER
Pulsar Process Measurement Limited gives nor implies any process guarantee for the product, and shall have
no liability in respect of any loss, injury or damage whatsoever arising out of the application or use of any
product or circuit described herein.
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this documentation, but Pulsar Process Measurement
Limited cannot be held liable for any errors.
TECHNICAL ENQUIRIES
Please contact Pulsar Process Measurement Limited for technical support.
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
If you have any comments or suggestions about this product, then please contact:
Pulsar Process Measurement Limited
Cardinal Building
Enigma Commercial Centre
Sandy’s Road
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 1JJ
United Kingdom
Tel: 01684 891371 (International +44 1684 891371)
Fax: 01684 575985 (International +44 1684 575985)
Web Site: http://www.pulsar-pm.com
e-mail: info@pulsar-pm.com (general information)
e-mail: support@pulsar-pm.com (product support)
CONTENTS
About Service Parameters....................................................................................................................................... 1
Echo Profile Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Sludge Finder 2 Service Parameters....................................................................................................................... 7
P021 Set Distance ........................................................................................................................................... 7
P043 Breakpoint.............................................................................................................................................. 8
P044 Slope ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
P046 Persist Count (Direct Access Only) .................................................................................................... 11
P047 Outside Count ...................................................................................................................................... 12
P883 Gate Expand (Available in Stability Menu under 1997)................................................................... 12
P050 Negative End ....................................................................................................................................... 13
P051 Margin Enable ..................................................................................................................................... 13
P052 End Margin .......................................................................................................................................... 14
P067 Choose Peak ........................................................................................................................................ 15
P068 Measure Percentage ............................................................................................................................. 16
P079 Use Gate ............................................................................................................................................... 17
P088 Hard Default ........................................................................................................................................ 17
Service Alarm ................................................................................................................................................ 17
P194 Date ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
P195 Interval.................................................................................................................................................. 17
P196 STD Zeroes .......................................................................................................................................... 18
P197 STD Code ............................................................................................................................................ 18
P198 Phone Number ..................................................................................................................................... 18
P199 Reset ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
P884 Trace Update ........................................................................................................................................ 19
P885 Threshold Percentage .......................................................................................................................... 19
P886 Minimum Threshold ........................................................................................................................... 19
P887 Wipe Interval ....................................................................................................................................... 20
P888 Motor Persist ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Sludge Finder 2 Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................... 22
Page 1
About Service Parameters
The following parameters can only be accessed via the following passcode
552621 and can be used to modify Echo Processing Algorithms in particularly
arduous applications.
Further parameters allow changes to parameters specific to communications and
other hardware functions.
Care and caution should be exercised when changing any of these parameters
and any such changes should only be undertaken by, or under the guidance, of
an experienced Service Engineer.
Direct Access.
In order to access parameters directly use the following procedure.
Some parameters are not part of the menu system and can only be accessed
directly. To do this use the cancel key until there are no digits in the main
display then key in the parameter number and press enter.
Page 2
Echo Profile Overview
The Digital Adaptive Tracking of Echo Movement, is a powerful algorithm
unique to Pulsar’s ultra range of products. Care should always be taken when
adjusting and analysing echo profiles, if in doubt, please contact Pulsar technical
department.
There are no ‘typical’ echo traces for Sludge Blanket applications, the echo
returns vary widely with the type of application and the concentration levels of the
Sludge.
The screen shot below is a Secondary Clarifier approx 70% full.
The y axis indicates signal strength and the x axis is distance.
The black shape is the echo profile of the sludge.
The blue line indicates the measuring point.
Page 3
The Components of the Echo Profile Display.
Threshold
Line
Measuring
Window
Measuring Line
Echo Profile
Tank
Floor
Indicator
Page 4
How to interpret the echo profile screen.
The first echo that is reflected back to the transducer is from the top of the sludge
blanket, the second echo with the sharper leading edge is the echo reflected back
from the bottom of the tank.
Page 5
Problematic Echo Profiles.
This echo profile is typical of what you would see if the transducer was out of the
water
No echo returns.
There is no sludge present the echo return is from the bottom of the tank
Page 6
The transducer is surrounded by material in flight, or, the blanket level is high
enough to be surrounding the transducer.
Multiple echoes, the unit is receiving multiple signal returns, either from different
densities of Sludge Blanket, or, an object in the water.
Page 7
Sludge Finder 2 Service Parameters
P021 Set Distance
Use this parameter to tell the unit which of the echoes is the correct one in a
situation where there are multiple echoes, or there is a large amount of ’material
in flight’ in the area above the interface.
Establish the distance from the face of the transducer to the interface in
measurement units and then enter this value into P21.
The unit will lock onto the true echo and attempt to suppress any unwanted echoes
in the settling zone above the interface leaving the correct echo untouched.
Example. The settled sludge is at 4m distance but, there is an echo from a ‘rag’
layer at 2.5m, go to parameter 21 and enter 4m thus informing the unit which of
the echoes it is required to measure, the unit will then auto-adjust to this echo.
Default = 0.00
Page 8
P043 Breakpoint
The gain starting point in meters, for signal amplitude decay compensation. Used
in conjunction with P44, to establish fixed gain levels. See table below for details.
Application Type SBR
Application Type Secondary
Default = Application Dependant
Application Type
SBR
Industrial
Primary
Secondary
P43 Breakpoint (metres)
1.0m
1.5m
1.5m
1.0m
P44 Gain (slope/angle)
5
10
10
15
P050 Negative
End Setpoint.
Default = 80
Values Min = 0m Max = 99.9m
Page 9
In addition to the operator adjustable signal amplitude decay compensation there
is also an existing layer of suppression programmed into the Sludge Finder
software. This suppression becomes active when SBR’s or Secondary are chosen
as the application type.
The suppression works by applying negative gain compensation to the settle zone
in front of the leading edge of the gate as indicated below.
If Industrial or Primary is chosen as the application type this compensation is not
present. However, in instances where there are large amounts of settling material
in front of the true echo, as shown below by the Blue Trace (the Raw Echo Signal
Return), and the operator adjustable signal amplitude decay compensation is not
sufficient, it may be necessary to alter the application type to increase signal
suppression.
Application Type
SBR
Industrial
Primary
Secondary
Settle zone signal
suppression active
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Page 10
The compensation works as explained below.
Page 11
P044 Slope
This sets the angle of the positive time varied gain line. That is, the amount of
gain applied. See the explanation of P43 for details.
Values Min = 0
Max = 1000
P046 Persist Count (Direct Access Only)
This parameter determines the number of processed echoes the unit will need to
see moving in the same direction before the display reading is updated. This is to
help prevent the displayed reading from fluctuating whilst inside the gate. Sludge
echoes are constantly changing shape and in order to prevent the reading from
‘hunting’, the echo has to move in the same direction for 5 counts in order for it to
be seen as a trend and update the reading.
Values Min = 1
Max = 1000
Default = Application Dependant
Default = 5
Page 12
P047 Outside Count
This parameter determines the number of processing cycles, or transducer ‘shots’,
that any valid echo must be seen outside of the gate before the gate will move and
allow the new echo to be processed. This will prevent any unwanted update, or
false readings being given due to the intermittent appearance of echoes from
devices such as scrapers.
Values Min = 1
Max = 5000
P883 Gate Expand (Available in Stability Menu under 1997)
This parameter is closely associated with the Outside Count as part of the
Damping parameters designed to make the reading more stable. When the Outside
Count has expired and the Gate is moving towards a new target then it expands at
a rate of 0.1m after every cycle.
Values Min = 0
Max = 99.99
Default = 10
Default = 0.1m/min
Page 13
P050 Negative End
The point at which, the negative gain line intersects the 0.0m distance y axis.
This parameter determines the angle at which the rate of near signal amplitude
suppression, (gain attenuation), is applied, over a distance starting at the gain
breakpoint . See the explanation of P43 for details.
Values Min = -999
Max = 999
P051 Margin Enable
This parameter is associated with P52 End Margin.
1 switches the feature on
0 (off) is the default value
Values Min = 0
Max = 1
Default = 80
Default = 0 off
Page 14
P052 End Margin
The End Margin sets a boundary within which the Secondary Negative Gain
applied from the front of the gate is released.
Sometimes during periods of rain or high flow the interface is disturbed, this can,
under certain conditions, cause the unit to read incorrectly low.
When the event is over and the interface is re-forming at a higher level the
negative gain applied at lower levels is preventing the correct echo from being re-
established.
When the ‘End Margin’ is set to on and the echo falls to a level below the level
set in P52, then the Secondary Negative Gain applied from the front end of the
gate is not applied and the unit has a chance to re-establish itself on the correct
echo.
Values Min = 0.00m
Max = 99.99m
Note * The unit as does not apply negative gain at the front of the gate as a default
when no echoes can be seen within the system span (i.e. no ‘Normalised’ echo
trace).
If this is required, then set P51 = 1 and P52 = 0
*Versions 111E and above.
Default = 0.2m
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