ACN: 108037252

MoistScan® Pre-Commissioning Instructions

About this Document

The objective of this document is to:

1. Ensure that the MoistScan® is installed correctly in the most appropriate location given the
objectives and constraints.
2. Detail the process conditions and services required whilst the Commissioning Engineer is on
site to enable the analyser to be effectively set up and calibrated.
3. Ensure that the analyser is functioning correctly prior to the Commissioning Engineer
attending site.

Please read this document and communicate with the nominated RTI Commissioning Engineer by
completing and returning the checklist on pages 7 and 8.

Installation
Please refer to the manual supplied for details on Installation and mechanical and electrical drawings.

The following should be considered prior installing the MoistScan®:

 Location
 Environment
 Mechanical Installation
 Electrical Installation
 Communications
 Calibration Switching

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Location

To determine where the analyser should be installed consider the following:

 Objective
o Consider the relevance of the measurement to process control decisions
o For feed-back control the instrument should be immediately downstream of the unit
operation
o For feed-forward control, the instrument should be immediately upstream of the unit
operation
 Sampling
o Consider the installation location relative to any sampling points
o Effective, representative sampling is the ultimate controlling factor of the accuracy of
the instrument
o Always aim to install the instrument immediately upstream of a sampling point
 Auxiliary Inputs
o Consider the installation location relative to any other instruments that provide
necessary/useful signals
o Important auxiliary signals are typically either mass/volume throughput sensors (e.g.
belt scales or flow meters) or property sensors (e.g. temperature probes or density
gauges)

Environment

The following data is for a standard, unmodified MoistScan®. Broader ranges are available for
specialised applications:

 Ambient Temperature 0°C to 40°C, out of direct sunlight

 Relative Humidity Non-condensing*
 Ingress Protection IP 65

Note that the only measurable impact from humidity is the accumulation of condensation on surfaces
between the transmitter and receiver antennas. In large throughput applications (>100 tph) it is
unlikely that the presence of condensation would be a measurable disturbance.

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Mechanical Installation

Mechanical installation must always be conducted in accordance with local regulations and site
specific safety practices.

Precision is maximised when the presentation of material is consistent. On conveyor belts, this
involves material being dressed centrally and evenly on the belt, for all feed rates. In vessels and
hoppers this means consistent presence of material between the antennas. Issues with material
presentation should be rectified prior to installation of the MoistScan system.

Conveyor Belt Installation

 The C-Frame is typically installed on a purpose-built frame, attached to the conveyor belt
stringers
 It is recommended that the mounting frame be adjustable
 The C-Frame must be aligned in three ways:
o The centreline of the antenna cover should be aligned laterally with the conveyor belt,
and by extension the flow of material
o Installation should be as close to the trailing (downstream) idler as practical, without
interfering with its operation, to minimise belt deflection
o Vertically such that the loaded clearance between the conveyor and the lower antenna
cover is between 10mm and 20mm
o The above installation parameter does not apply to “Reflectance Type Analysers”
The clearance distance between the lower antenna surface and the underside of the
loaded conveyor belt should be 40 to 100 mm depending on the material being
analysed.
 Should the peak of the material flow not correspond with the centre of the conveyor, then the
centre line between the two antennas should be aligned with the central peak of the material
cross section.

Hopper or Vessel Installation

 Antennas should be installed as low as possible on the vessel, to ensure consistent presence of
material
 Antennas should be installed such that the linear distance between them is minimised,
 The fraction of material that will pass through the analysis zone should be maximised
 Typically, antennas are installed at the narrowest section of the vessel

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Electrical Installation

Electrical installation must always be conducted in accordance with local regulations and site
specific safety practices.

MoistScan® incorporates sensitive microwave components that require a high quality power supply.
The following data corresponds to the standard, unmodified analyser:

 Supply Voltage 110 to 240 V AC

 Frequency 50/60 Hz
 Current Draw 300 W max

It is strongly recommended that the power supply to the instrument be filtered power, preferably on
UPS. Equipment damage due to inadequate power supply is not covered under warranty.

Instruments may be alternatively supplied with 24 or 48 V DC power supplies, this supply must be of
instrument quality, fluctuations in voltage greater than ± 2 volts cannot be tolerated.

Communications

Electrical installation must always be conducted in accordance with local regulations and site
specific safety practices.

Moisture and other user-defined outputs can be relayed to the Plant DCS via a number of
communication options. These are:

 4-20mA Analogues
 RS-232 (two ports)
 RS-422/RS-485 (shared port)
 TCP/IP

The default communication protocol is Modbus. The following communication protocols are available
with an optional upgrade:

 DiviceNet
 ProfiBus DP
 CANopen

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Calibration Switching

Normally products require product-specific calibrations. There are several options available to switch
between calibrations:

 Manually, where the operator sets which calibration to apply from the MoistScan® HMI.
 Via Communications Protocol, where the plant DCS links to MoistScan® via a serial or Ethernet
connection (e.g. RS-232, RS-422, RS-485 or TCP/IP).

If both options above are not available switching between calibrations can be done via digital
inputs (2 spare digital inputs enable switching between up to 4 calibrations). This however is not
standard in the current version of software. Please let RTI know if you require calibration
switching via digital inputs.

Site Requirements for Calibration

To calibrate the MoistScan® the following services and operational conditions are required whilst the
commissioning engineer is on site:

Empty Belt

 Clean, empty belt for at least two complete revolutions of the belt. For belts that have
excessively long periods (e.g. overland conveyors), then the belt should be run empty for at
least 10 minutes.

 Ramp up the throughput of material on the belt until a nominal level is reached. This should be
performed as gradually as possible (and practical). If gradual increase is not possible, then
stepped increases will suffice.

Variation in Moisture over full range moisture range

 The moisture in the material should if possible be varied so that samples can be taken over the
normal moisture range. Ideally 10 samples should be taken in duplicate at low moisture, 10 at
average moisture and 10 at high moisture.

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Representative and Duplicate Sampling

 Ideally online calibration requires that a minimum of 30 representative samples over the full
moisture range and in duplicate. Normally sampling is conducted using the standard site
sampling procedure.
 If additional sampling is required and this has to be performed manually site labour will be
required.

Laboratory Analysis

 Collected samples require prompt and representative analysis. Analysis technique should be
consistent with typical analysis procedures and comply with any standards applicable to the
specific material. If this service is not available, then an external laboratory will be used.

Please communicate with the nominated Commissioning Engineer to discuss these site requirements
and any limitations that need to be addressed.

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Pre-Commissioning Checklist

Prior to a Commissioning Engineer attending site it is important that the analyser is installed and set
up correctly. All instructions in the manual and associated drawings should be followed. Details on
the various inputs and outputs are available in the manual and associated electrical drawing.

Please complete the following checklist and return via email of fax together with requested digital
photos.

Mechanical installation

 What is the clearance from the top of the transmitter cover to the bottom of the conveyor belt
when the belt is empty? __________mm (this should be between 10-20mm)

 What is the clearance from the top of the antenna cover to the bottom of the conveyor belt when
the belt is fully loaded? __________mm (this should be between 10-20mm)

 How is the MoistScan® aligned?

1 The level sensor is aligned with the peak of the material
2 The level sensor is aligned with the centre of the conveyor belt

 Does the material profile change under different process conditions (that is does the peak of the
material move laterally on the belt)?
1 YES
2 NO

 Send photos of the final installation, clearly showing belt clearance and conveyor alignment, to
Callidan Instruments.

 Send a photo indicating clearly the profile of material on the conveyor to Real Time Instruments.

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

Electrical Installation

 The MOISTSCAN has been integrated to the site power supply and control system.
1 YES
2 NO

 What type of power supply is being used?

1 240V AC
2 110V AC
3 24V DC
4 Other _____________________

 What type of communications is being used?

1 4-20mA AO1
2 4-20mA AO2
3 RS-232
4 RS-485
5 TCP/IP IP ___.___.___.___ SM ___.___.___.___ GW ___.___.___.___
6 DeviceNet
7 ProfiBus DP
8 CANopen

 Has the Conveyor Running signal been connected (optional)

1 YES
2 NO

 Has the System Healthy signal been connected (optional)

 If the profile of the product on the belt is erratic then the 4-20mA signal from a belt weigher
located close by on the same conveyor could be connected in place of the Ultra Sonic input to the
MoistScan®
1 YES
2 NO

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au
ACN: 108037252

 Send a photo or copy down from the HMI “Inputs” page (Select RESULTS then INPUTS on the HMI)
the values of IN1 to IN5 while the conveyor is empty, clearly showing the measurements, to Real
Time Instrument

IN1 _____
IN2 _____
IN3____
IN4 ____

 Send a photo of the HMI “Inputs” page while the conveyor is fully loaded, clearly showing the
measurements, to RTI.

IN1 _____
IN2 _____
IN3____
IN4 ____

Please complete pages 7 and 8 and send to your nominated Commissioning Engineer.

PO BOX 9117 Slade Point, Mackay 4740.

Ph.: 07 49 555 944 Fax: 07 49 657 099
www.realtimeinstruments.com.au