IB-103-810
1-1
SECTION I. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
1-1. SCOPE OF MANUAL. This instruction bulletin
covers installation, setup, operation, troubleshooting,
and maintenance of the AOTF-NIR™ Analyzer,
manufactured by Rosemount Analytical, Incorporated.
The troubleshooting and service procedures in this
manual are limited to those that can be performed by
most equipment operators.
1-2. FUNCTIONAL EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
.
When properly configured, the AOTF-NIR Analyzer
can detect and measure the concentration of sample
components that absorb light in the near-infrared
spectrum.
Functional components of the analyzer (Figure 1-1)
include a light source, an optical sampling chamber
(sample cell), an acousto-optic absorption filter and
detector (optics pedestal) and a microprocessor. The
light source is housed in a source module, while the
optics pedestal, microprocessor and related electronics
are housed in an analyzer module. In normal use, an
output flow from the sample process being monitored
is routed through the sample cell.
a. Light Source and Sample Cell
. The light source
sends a beam of light through a condensing lens
and a fiber optic cable to the sample cell. On the
input side of the sample cell, a collimating lens
aligns the light beam to project parallel rays across
the cell. As process sample flows through the
sample cell, the collimated light rays pass through
the sample.
Depending on the chemical content of the process
sample, specific wavelengths of near-infrared light
are absorbed. For absorbed wavelengths, high
concentrations of light-absorbing components
greatly reduce the number (intensity) of light rays
passing through the sample. Smaller
concentrations of the same components absorb
fewer rays of light in the absorbed wavelengths.
Unabsorbed light passes through the sample and
strikes a second condensing lens. This lens focuses
the light onto another fiber optic cable. This cable
transmits the beam to the optics pedestal.
b. Optics Pedestal. At the optics pedestal, the
condensed light passes through another collimator
lens. This lens projects the light's rays onto the
face of an Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF).
The AOTF is an adjustable light filter. The filter
includes an acoustic transducer bonded to a
Tellurium Dioxide (TeO
2
) crystal.
The acoustic transducer is driven by high energy
acoustic frequencies from an RF amplifier. The
transducer generates shock waves of the same
frequency as the input signal. These shock waves
cause the TeO
2
crystal to expand and contract. As
the TeO
2
crystal expands and contracts, its spectral
grating (light filtering capability) changes.
Therefore, by controlling the output of the RF
amplifier, the AOTF-NIR Analyzer tunes the
AOTF to pass discrete wavelengths of light.
For each scan of the process sample, the analyzer
sends a series of different frequencies to the AOTF
crystal. Each frequency allows a different
bandwidth of light to pass. The analyzer identifies
the bandwidth of the passing light by the acoustic
frequency that allows it to pass. The importance of
this will be seen later.
The rays of light passing through the AOTF
crystal are collected by a condensing lens. The
condensing lens focuses the rays onto a
photodiode detector. Due to a piezo-electric effect,
the incident light causes the detector to generate an
electrical (millivolt) output. The amplitude of the
output signal is directly related to the intensity of
the light striking the detector. These millivolt
output signals are then amplified and sent to the
analyzer's microprocessor.
c. Signal Processing and Conditioning Circuits
.
Signals to and from the optics pedestal are
processed and conditioned in the detector pre-amp,
DSP, and RF Synthesizer Modulator, and
Amplifier circuits. These circuits are described in
Section III of this manual.
d. Microprocessor
. The microprocessor records the
light intensity (absorption) data received from the
photodiode detector. The light intensity data is
stored as a function of the acoustic frequency in
the AOTF assembly. By substituting wave
numbers for their related acoustic frequencies, the
microprocessor develops an absorption pattern
(frequency vs. intensity) for the sample process
components.