NSure Elemental Analyser Delivers Tier III-Compliant Sulfur Analysis with 100% Air

PAC’s Antek NSure Elemental Analyzer provides the flexibility to use either air or oxygen as the combustion gas, depending on the best choice for the application, to deliver sulfur measurements with excellent repeatability and reproducibility at various stages of production and blending.

Sulfur in fuel products is highly regulated because a high sulfur content makes the catalytic conversion capacity less efficient and increases nitrous oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and hydrocarbon emissions. This has created a challenge for refiners, who must adjust their processes to meet increasingly lower standards for sulfur in diesel, gasoline, jet and kerosene products, and most recently meet Tier III requirements.

PAC’s NSure can use instrument air as both a carrier and combustion source in most applications. This is a preferred option when it is a challenge to pipe in oxygen as the combustion source and argon as the carrier gas. Instrument air is also readily available at the site. This option reduces the hazards that come with using a highly flammable gas like oxygen, and requires fewer utilities, helping to reduce the ongoing cost of operation.

By using NSure, refineries can control costs and increase safety with use of 100% air as opposed to oxygen.

NSure’s updated technology and design extends preventative maintenance efforts and life of key components helping keep the maintenance cost down.

NSure can be used to meet Performance Based Measurement System (PBMS) Tier III precision and accuracy requirements in a process environment. The analyser was designed for maximum ease of use and energy efficiency in a rugged, field environment. With fewer electronic boards, the instrument is highly stable and very quiet, which leads to less vibration and more accurate results. It has a highly responsive touchscreen interface that maintains functionality even in dusty or damp on-site conditions.

The NSure analyser communicates in one of three ways: Modbus via RS-485, Ethernet, or remote PC used as a virtual connection to duplicate the information on the touchscreen directly on the PC. It delivers real-time data, including method, calibration, validation, alarm settings, and digital output controls, which can be accessed from a PC to view data remotely from anywhere in the world, as long as an Internet connection is available.

NSure uses the same proven technology of its previous model - the Antek 6200 - to ensure lab accuracy with process robustness. By using the same technology that labs use to qualify products, NSure enables plants to ensure regulatory compliance while operating as close to the upper limit to maximize profitability with continuous and precise measurements that correlate with the primary test methods.

As shown in figures 1 and 2, a diesel sample was tested at concentration levels of 7ppm and 4ppm. The figures show that NSure delivers the equivalent results as using oxygen as the combustion gas at 7ppm and 4ppm.

It was found that analysing samples with less than 2ppm of sulfur is not recommended with air as the combustion gas. When testing less than 2ppm is required, the use of oxygen is the ideal choice to ensure the best performance.