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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:33 GMT</pubDate>
		<item>

			<category>Events</category>

			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/66</link>

			<title>Basic Course: Moisture/Carbon Dioxide Analyzers on 19-Oct-10 8:00 AM</title>

			<description>&lt;div class=&quot;vevent&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;url&quot; href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/66&quot;&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;summary&quot;&gt;Basic Course:  Moisture/Carbon Dioxide Analyzers&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtstart&quot;&gt;Start Date:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;abbr class=&quot;dtstart&quot; title=&quot;20101019T130000Z&quot;&gt;19-Oct-10 8:00 AM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtend&quot;&gt;End Time:&lt;/span&gt; 
&lt;abbr class=&quot;dtend&quot; title=&quot;20101019T220000Z&quot;&gt;19-Oct-10 5:00 PM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tlocation&quot;&gt;Location:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;location&quot;&gt;
SpectraSensors, Inc, Houston, TX 77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdescription&quot;&gt;Event Details:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;description&quot;&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Day 1: Classroom and Hands-On Training&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Continental Breakfast
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Plant Tour&lt;br&gt;
Technology Background &amp;amp; History&lt;br&gt;
Theory of Operation&lt;br&gt;
Specifications&lt;br&gt;
Installation&lt;br&gt;
Start&amp;#8211;up and Operation&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Lunch
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Troubleshooting&lt;br&gt;
Connecting to a Computer&lt;br&gt;
Diagnostic Spectrum Downloads&lt;br&gt;
AMS100 for HC-12 Based Analyzers&lt;br&gt;
Cleaning the Mirror&lt;br&gt;
Validation&lt;br&gt;
Gas Sample Conditioning&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Duration&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Basic Course: 1 day class:&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
Day 1:&amp;nbsp; 8:00 AM &amp;#8211; 5:00 PM&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/microsoft-word-add-ons.png&quot; width=&quot;27&quot; height=&quot;27&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot; /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/Customer_Training_Registration.doc&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot;&gt;Registration Form (right click, &quot;save as&quot;)&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;vcard&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;fn&quot;&gt;SpectraSensors, Inc
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;adr&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;street-address&quot;&gt;4333 W Sam Houston Pkwy N | Suite 100&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;locality&quot;&gt;Houston&lt;/span&gt;,
&lt;span class=&quot;region&quot;&gt;TX&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;country-name&quot;&gt;USA&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;postal-code&quot;&gt;77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

</description>

			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/66</guid>

			<pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Events</category>

			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/69</link>

			<title>Advanced Course (prerequisite  Basic Course) : H2S in NG and Process Analyzers (Model 2100) on 20-Oct-10 8:00 AM</title>

			<description>&lt;div class=&quot;vevent&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;url&quot; href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/69&quot;&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;summary&quot;&gt;Advanced Course (prerequisite &#8211; Basic Course) :  H2S in NG and Process Analyzers (Model 2100)&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtstart&quot;&gt;Start Date:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;abbr class=&quot;dtstart&quot; title=&quot;20101020T130000Z&quot;&gt;20-Oct-10 8:00 AM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtend&quot;&gt;End Time:&lt;/span&gt; 
&lt;abbr class=&quot;dtend&quot; title=&quot;20101021T200000Z&quot;&gt;21-Oct-10 3:00 PM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tlocation&quot;&gt;Location:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;location&quot;&gt;
SpectraSensors, Inc, Houston, TX 77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdescription&quot;&gt;Event Details:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;description&quot;&gt;Advanced Course (prerequisite &amp;#8211; Basic Course) :H2S in NG and Process Analyzers
(Model 2100)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day 1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Continental Breakfast&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Plant Tour&lt;br&gt;
Review of Basic Theory&lt;br&gt;
Curve Fitting&lt;br&gt;
Differential Spectroscopy&lt;br&gt;
Specifications&lt;br&gt;
Installation&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Lunch&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Start-up and Operation&lt;br&gt;
Connecting to a Computer&lt;br&gt;
Cold-start Downloads&lt;br&gt;
User Parameters&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day 2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Continental Breakfast&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Review of Day 1 Lessons&lt;br&gt;
Passwords&lt;br&gt;
Special Parameters (Operation Mode)&lt;br&gt;
Diagnostic Spectrum Downloads&lt;br&gt;
Plotting and Interpretation of Spectra&lt;br&gt;
AMS100&lt;br&gt;
Validation&lt;br&gt;
Gas Sample Conditioning&lt;br&gt;
Cleaning the Cell and Mirrors&lt;br&gt;
Duration&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Advanced Course: 2 day of classes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Day 1 8:00 AM &amp;#8211; 5:00 PM&lt;br&gt;
Day 2 8:00 AM &amp;#8211; 3:00 PM&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/microsoft-word-add-ons.png&quot; width=&quot;27&quot; height=&quot;27&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot; /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/Customer_Training_Registration.doc&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot;&gt;Registration Form (right click, &quot;save as&quot;)&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;vcard&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;fn&quot;&gt;SpectraSensors, Inc
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;adr&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;street-address&quot;&gt;4333 W Sam Houston Pkwy N | Suite 100&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;locality&quot;&gt;Houston&lt;/span&gt;,
&lt;span class=&quot;region&quot;&gt;TX&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;country-name&quot;&gt;USA&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;postal-code&quot;&gt;77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

</description>

			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/69</guid>

			<pubDate>Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Events</category>

			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/70</link>

			<title>Advanced Course (prerequisite  Basic Course) : H2S in NG and Process Analyzers (Model 2100) on 17-Nov-10 8:00 AM</title>

			<description>&lt;div class=&quot;vevent&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;url&quot; href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/70&quot;&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;summary&quot;&gt;Advanced Course (prerequisite &#8211; Basic Course) :  H2S in NG and Process Analyzers (Model 2100)&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtstart&quot;&gt;Start Date:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;abbr class=&quot;dtstart&quot; title=&quot;20101117T140000Z&quot;&gt;17-Nov-10 8:00 AM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdtend&quot;&gt;End Time:&lt;/span&gt; 
&lt;abbr class=&quot;dtend&quot; title=&quot;20101118T210000Z&quot;&gt;18-Nov-10 3:00 PM&lt;/abbr&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tlocation&quot;&gt;Location:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;location&quot;&gt;
SpectraSensors, Inc, Houston, TX 77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;tdescription&quot;&gt;Event Details:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div class=&quot;description&quot;&gt;Advanced Course (prerequisite &amp;#8211; Basic Course) :H2S in NG and Process Analyzers
(Model 2100)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day 1&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Continental Breakfast&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Plant Tour&lt;br&gt;
Review of Basic Theory&lt;br&gt;
Curve Fitting&lt;br&gt;
Differential Spectroscopy&lt;br&gt;
Specifications&lt;br&gt;
Installation&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Lunch&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Start-up and Operation&lt;br&gt;
Connecting to a Computer&lt;br&gt;
Cold-start Downloads&lt;br&gt;
User Parameters&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Day 2&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Continental Breakfast&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Review of Day 1 Lessons&lt;br&gt;
Passwords&lt;br&gt;
Special Parameters (Operation Mode)&lt;br&gt;
Diagnostic Spectrum Downloads&lt;br&gt;
Plotting and Interpretation of Spectra&lt;br&gt;
AMS100&lt;br&gt;
Validation&lt;br&gt;
Gas Sample Conditioning&lt;br&gt;
Cleaning the Cell and Mirrors&lt;br&gt;
Duration&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Advanced Course: 2 day of classes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Day 1 8:00 AM &amp;#8211; 5:00 PM&lt;br&gt;
Day 2 8:00 AM &amp;#8211; 3:00 PM&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/microsoft-word-add-ons.png&quot; width=&quot;27&quot; height=&quot;27&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot; /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;/attachments/wysiwyg/1/Customer_Training_Registration.doc&quot; style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; &quot;&gt;Registration Form (right click, &quot;save as&quot;)&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 12px; &quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;vcard&quot;&gt;
&lt;a class=&quot;fn&quot;&gt;SpectraSensors, Inc
&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;adr&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;street-address&quot;&gt;4333 W Sam Houston Pkwy N | Suite 100&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;locality&quot;&gt;Houston&lt;/span&gt;,
&lt;span class=&quot;region&quot;&gt;TX&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;country-name&quot;&gt;USA&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span class=&quot;postal-code&quot;&gt;77043&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

</description>

			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/cev/70</guid>

			<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/79/</link>
			<title>Fluorescence Quenching Eclipses Conventional O2 Measurements in Natural Gas Pipelines</title>
			<description>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;For as long as anyone can remember,
Oxygen (O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) has been a problem in natural gas pipelines, especially
when high levels of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S are present.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Measurement of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; has
always come with its own set of issues: maintenance costs, inaccuracies, and
reliability. But all that is changing with the introduction of a new
technology&amp;#8230;Fluorescent Quenching.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Based on a proven technology in the
bio-tech world, it uses a sensor (optical probe) that contains an indicator dye
sensitive to O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;. The dye is optically excited by an LED light
source. The fluorescence emission of the indicator dye decays at a known rate,
but if oxygen is present an energy transfer occurs and &amp;#8220;quenches&amp;#8221; the
fluorescence, hence the name, Fluorescent Quenching. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Advantages over traditional
measurement include greater accuracy, much faster response, simplified
calibration, and virtually no maintenance. There is also no need for a scrubber
and the net result is lower overall operating costs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The sensor is not affected by even
high levels of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S and there is no cross sensitivity to contaminants
or other gases found in natural gas.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Larry Ewing, the owner of Ewing
Energy Consulting of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is an expert in gas quality measurement
technology. He see&amp;#8217;s a wide range of potential applications in natural gas
pipelines for Fluorescent Quenching. &amp;#8220;It is ideal technology for any area that
has H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S concentration such as sour gas monitoring, production areas,
and pumping stations.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;SpectraSensors of Houston, Texas, recently
introduced the OXY4400 optical oxygen analyzer for natural gas pipelines using
this technology. SpectraSensors has pioneered the use of optical analyzers with
its Tunable Diode Laser units that are used world-wide in the industrial
process and environmental monitoring markets.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The OXY4400 oxygen analyzer is a
compact, stand-alone, one-channel meter with LCD display and data logger. The
unit uses a light source (LED), an optical sensor probe and a photo detector. Pulsed
light from the LED is sent down a fiber optic cable to the sensor probe (optode)
where the energy from the light is absorbed by an indicator dye. The light
(fluorescence emission) is sent back through the cable to the photo detector,
where it is converted to an electrical signal that can be read.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The amount of &amp;#8220;quenching&amp;#8221; is
determined by the amount of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; in the stream. The result is an exact
and almost instant measurement down to 0.5 ppm.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal&quot;&gt;Accuracy&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Conventional membrane sensors
(Clark Cells and Galvanic Cells) can be destroyed by high levels of hydrogen
sulfide in the stream. For this reason, they require a scrubber to absorb the H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S.
But when the scrubber becomes saturated the sensor loses it accuracy. In
addition, traditional sensors use an electrolyte solution that is
&amp;#8220;self-consuming&amp;#8221; caused by an electrochemical reaction to the oxygen
concentration. But that consumption degrades the sensor (similar to a battery)
over time forcing users to perform constant calibration. Once these trace
oxygen sensors are exposed to high levels of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; it can shorten the
life or destroy the sensor which must be purged and that can take a long time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;All of this adds up to high
maintenance costs and replacement parts to keep membrane sensors accurate. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Fluorescent Quenching offers new
levels of accuracy. It does not consume O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and needs no scrubber, in
fact, it reads the O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; without being affected by the hydrocarbons or
sulfur content. Optical response time is measured in seconds, not minutes. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Since there are no moving parts or
electrolytes, there is no need for constant calibration once it is installed. The
optical sensor is also unaffected by EMI, shock, or vibration. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal&quot;&gt;Cost Comparison&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Initial costs of the OXY4400 are
higher than the cost of a traditional system. But the total cost of ownership
over the first year is much less than a membrane system. The difference comes
from the elimination of constant maintenance and replacement parts for Galvanic
cell or &lt;st1:place w:st=&quot;on&quot;&gt;Clark&lt;/st1:place&gt; cell units. In addition, the cost
savings of the optical measurement increases over the lifetime of the
instrument. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&amp;#8220;It&amp;#8217;s a ten-fold savings in cost of
ownership compared to membrane technology,&amp;#8221; adds &lt;st1:place w:st=&quot;on&quot;&gt;Ewing&lt;/st1:place&gt;,
&amp;#8220;and the reliability is much higher. Just think of the late night maintenance
calls when an O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; spike sets off an alarm. Membranes take hours to
recover, the optical sensor recovers immediately. There is no need for a maintenance
operator to stay on task for hours testing for a gas that isn&amp;#8217;t there just
because his antiquated sensor has not recovered yet to give him an accurate
reading.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Sam Miller of SpectraSensors sees a
host of applications for the OXY4400. &amp;#8220;This technology transforms oxygen measurement
in the natural gas industry due to its long-term stability. This is especially
important for remote locations.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;3-Feb-10 4:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Fluorescence Quenching Eclipses Conventional O2 Measurements in Natural Gas Pipelines</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;For as long as anyone can remember,
Oxygen (O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;) has been a problem in natural gas pipelines, especially
when high levels of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S are present.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Measurement of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; has
always come with its own set of issues: maintenance costs, inaccuracies, and
reliability. But all that is changing with the introduction of a new
technology&amp;#8230;Fluorescent Quenching.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Based on a proven technology in the
bio-tech world, it uses a sensor (optical probe) that contains an indicator dye
sensitive to O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;. The dye is optically excited by an LED light
source. The fluorescence emission of the indicator dye decays at a known rate,
but if oxygen is present an energy transfer occurs and &amp;#8220;quenches&amp;#8221; the
fluorescence, hence the name, Fluorescent Quenching. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Advantages over traditional
measurement include greater accuracy, much faster response, simplified
calibration, and virtually no maintenance. There is also no need for a scrubber
and the net result is lower overall operating costs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The sensor is not affected by even
high levels of H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S and there is no cross sensitivity to contaminants
or other gases found in natural gas.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Larry Ewing, the owner of Ewing
Energy Consulting of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is an expert in gas quality measurement
technology. He see&amp;#8217;s a wide range of potential applications in natural gas
pipelines for Fluorescent Quenching. &amp;#8220;It is ideal technology for any area that
has H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S concentration such as sour gas monitoring, production areas,
and pumping stations.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;SpectraSensors of Houston, Texas, recently
introduced the OXY4400 optical oxygen analyzer for natural gas pipelines using
this technology. SpectraSensors has pioneered the use of optical analyzers with
its Tunable Diode Laser units that are used world-wide in the industrial
process and environmental monitoring markets.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The OXY4400 oxygen analyzer is a
compact, stand-alone, one-channel meter with LCD display and data logger. The
unit uses a light source (LED), an optical sensor probe and a photo detector. Pulsed
light from the LED is sent down a fiber optic cable to the sensor probe (optode)
where the energy from the light is absorbed by an indicator dye. The light
(fluorescence emission) is sent back through the cable to the photo detector,
where it is converted to an electrical signal that can be read.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;The amount of &amp;#8220;quenching&amp;#8221; is
determined by the amount of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; in the stream. The result is an exact
and almost instant measurement down to 0.5 ppm.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal&quot;&gt;Accuracy&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Conventional membrane sensors
(Clark Cells and Galvanic Cells) can be destroyed by high levels of hydrogen
sulfide in the stream. For this reason, they require a scrubber to absorb the H&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;S.
But when the scrubber becomes saturated the sensor loses it accuracy. In
addition, traditional sensors use an electrolyte solution that is
&amp;#8220;self-consuming&amp;#8221; caused by an electrochemical reaction to the oxygen
concentration. But that consumption degrades the sensor (similar to a battery)
over time forcing users to perform constant calibration. Once these trace
oxygen sensors are exposed to high levels of O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; it can shorten the
life or destroy the sensor which must be purged and that can take a long time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;All of this adds up to high
maintenance costs and replacement parts to keep membrane sensors accurate. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Fluorescent Quenching offers new
levels of accuracy. It does not consume O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and needs no scrubber, in
fact, it reads the O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; without being affected by the hydrocarbons or
sulfur content. Optical response time is measured in seconds, not minutes. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Since there are no moving parts or
electrolytes, there is no need for constant calibration once it is installed. The
optical sensor is also unaffected by EMI, shock, or vibration. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal&quot;&gt;Cost Comparison&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Initial costs of the OXY4400 are
higher than the cost of a traditional system. But the total cost of ownership
over the first year is much less than a membrane system. The difference comes
from the elimination of constant maintenance and replacement parts for Galvanic
cell or &lt;st1:place w:st=&quot;on&quot;&gt;Clark&lt;/st1:place&gt; cell units. In addition, the cost
savings of the optical measurement increases over the lifetime of the
instrument. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&amp;#8220;It&amp;#8217;s a ten-fold savings in cost of
ownership compared to membrane technology,&amp;#8221; adds &lt;st1:place w:st=&quot;on&quot;&gt;Ewing&lt;/st1:place&gt;,
&amp;#8220;and the reliability is much higher. Just think of the late night maintenance
calls when an O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; spike sets off an alarm. Membranes take hours to
recover, the optical sensor recovers immediately. There is no need for a maintenance
operator to stay on task for hours testing for a gas that isn&amp;#8217;t there just
because his antiquated sensor has not recovered yet to give him an accurate
reading.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;line-height:150%&quot;&gt;Sam Miller of SpectraSensors sees a
host of applications for the OXY4400. &amp;#8220;This technology transforms oxygen measurement
in the natural gas industry due to its long-term stability. This is especially
important for remote locations.&amp;#8221;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/79/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/78/</link>
			<title>Naizak and SpectraSensors sign MOU to Manufacture TDL Gas Analyser</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;Naizak Global Engineering Systems and SpectraSensors, Inc of USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and manufacture the TDL (Tunable Diode Laser) gas analyzers for the Saudi Arabian and the GCC market.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The collective agreement was signed recently in Bahrain between Khalid Al Abdulkarim, President of Naizak, and George Balogh, CEO of SpectraSensors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors is the leading global provider of laser-based process instrumentation. Naizak is a customer-driven, local services organization with a deliberate policy to invest in people of high caliber and specialization. A large part of that investment is in training nationals and allowing them to participate in our economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The introduction of the TDL gas analyzers in Saudi Arabia and in the GCC through this partnership will boost the productivity and efficiency of the region&#8217;s oil and gas sectors,&#8221; Abdulkarim said after signing the agreement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;We are pleased and delighted with our collaboration with Naizak, and our company looks forward to be able to provide the needs of the region&#8217;s hydrocarbon industry,&#8221; Balogh said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under the agreement, Naizak will manufacture and develop the product. The partnership will also undertake integration capability to qualify the approval of SpectraSensors products as Saudi Arabian manufactured products in order to gain market preference and better provide the needs and requirements of the customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The manufacture products will be marketing by Naizak to customers in Saudi Arabia, and in GCC through Naizak&#8217;s regional offices. SpectraSensors has assigned an official representative to assist Naizak permanently in Saudi Arabia. He will also support the development of the TDL marketing in the region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors has proven solutions for various industrial sectors, such as natural gas, refinery, gas processing/LNG, petrochemicals, chemical and atmospheric weather measurements. The company has a portfolio of patents including 14 issued, 36 pending and licenses for an additional six technology and product patents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors uses TDLs in conjunction with Absorption Spectroscopy in an array of products including: Ambient Air Monitoring Analyzers, Moisture Analyzers (Hygrometers), Dew Point Analyzers, Hydrogen Sulfide Analyzers, and Gas Analyzers for Natural Gas Pipelines and Processors, Petrochemical Refineries and Chemical companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors&#8217; Gas Analyzers measure Moisture (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Mehtane (CH4), Ammonia (NH3) Ethylene Oxide (ETO) and for various applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The agreement provides the development of local manufacturing, sales and services and TDL Technology. More products are due for release.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Saeed Saad Al-Shahrani, Naizak General Manager of the Instrumentation &amp;amp; Control Division, said the development and production of the TDL products will be undertaken in three phases. As General Manager of the Instrumentation &amp;amp; Control Division, Al-Shahrani oversees and manages four divisions, namely sales, services, process/analytical, and ISG services and calibration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The TDL products are very environment friendly and enable the energy and petrochemical industries to get cleaner; they are designed specifically to improve process efficiency in refineries and chemical plants.&#8221; Al-Shahrani said. He said the immediate beneficiaries of the TDL products are the oil and petrochemical companies in the region, including Saudi Aramco and SABIC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The TDL products are the most effective means of reducing environmental impacts from energy and chemical production by giving the accurate gas analysis. Improved process efficiency delivered by the TDL products enables lower maintenance costs, more accurate measurements, faster response times and more economic value with fewer materials and waste, according to Al-Shahrani.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Using tunable diode laser (TDL) technology that has been proven in the harshest real-world proven in SpectraSensors&#8217; solutions successfully measure and monitor gas and petrochemical concentrations in a variety of applications such as environmental, energy, water, and chemical process monitoring. Recent advancements in semiconductor lasers have made spectroscopy economically viable for a host of commercial applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors uses highly scientific resources to deliver cost-effective robust measurement tools to customers. SpectraSensors&#8217; products provide unprecedented reliability and speed and require virtually no maintenance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors have a highly-skilled management team with decades of relevant industry experience, including deep expertise in lasers, optics, process efficiency, and applications and systems design for the gas and petrochemical industries. The team has a proven track record in using optical technologies, including laser absorption spectroscopy, a chemical sensing technique that emphasizes precision, fast response, and immunity to corrosive or contaminating elements in the sensing environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors was founded in 2001 as a technology spin-off of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Among its customers, in additional Naizak, are Chevron (also an investor in the company), Conoco Phillips and BP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors will be providing training to personnel of Naizak, as well as to the users of the TDL technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak has diversified into the areas of in-Kingdom manufacturing, advanced supply chain programs and providing products, professional solutions and services in the areas of electrical and power, communication, industrial oil field, instrumentation, industrial automation, information technology, enterprise applications, Lab Systems and training and education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak continues to get involved in the growth of the Saudi economy by taking a leading role in providing products and services from its global partners to address and meet the needs of customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;We are delighted to have brought to Saudi Arabia the SpectraSensors technology, which will play a crucial and very important role in the Kingdom&#8217;s energy sector, particularly in the field of environmental protection,&#8221; said Abdulkarim.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak is a subsidiary of Al Abdulkarim Group, the Gulf&#8217;s largest supplier/stockiest of electrical, electromechanical, telecommunication, instrumentation and oilfield components and equipment. &lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;27-Aug-09 11:00 AM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Naizak and SpectraSensors sign MOU to Manufacture TDL Gas Analyser</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Naizak Global Engineering Systems and SpectraSensors, Inc of USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and manufacture the TDL (Tunable Diode Laser) gas analyzers for the Saudi Arabian and the GCC market.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The collective agreement was signed recently in Bahrain between Khalid Al Abdulkarim, President of Naizak, and George Balogh, CEO of SpectraSensors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors is the leading global provider of laser-based process instrumentation. Naizak is a customer-driven, local services organization with a deliberate policy to invest in people of high caliber and specialization. A large part of that investment is in training nationals and allowing them to participate in our economy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The introduction of the TDL gas analyzers in Saudi Arabia and in the GCC through this partnership will boost the productivity and efficiency of the region&#8217;s oil and gas sectors,&#8221; Abdulkarim said after signing the agreement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;We are pleased and delighted with our collaboration with Naizak, and our company looks forward to be able to provide the needs of the region&#8217;s hydrocarbon industry,&#8221; Balogh said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Under the agreement, Naizak will manufacture and develop the product. The partnership will also undertake integration capability to qualify the approval of SpectraSensors products as Saudi Arabian manufactured products in order to gain market preference and better provide the needs and requirements of the customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The manufacture products will be marketing by Naizak to customers in Saudi Arabia, and in GCC through Naizak&#8217;s regional offices. SpectraSensors has assigned an official representative to assist Naizak permanently in Saudi Arabia. He will also support the development of the TDL marketing in the region.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors has proven solutions for various industrial sectors, such as natural gas, refinery, gas processing/LNG, petrochemicals, chemical and atmospheric weather measurements. The company has a portfolio of patents including 14 issued, 36 pending and licenses for an additional six technology and product patents.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors uses TDLs in conjunction with Absorption Spectroscopy in an array of products including: Ambient Air Monitoring Analyzers, Moisture Analyzers (Hygrometers), Dew Point Analyzers, Hydrogen Sulfide Analyzers, and Gas Analyzers for Natural Gas Pipelines and Processors, Petrochemical Refineries and Chemical companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors&#8217; Gas Analyzers measure Moisture (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), Mehtane (CH4), Ammonia (NH3) Ethylene Oxide (ETO) and for various applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The agreement provides the development of local manufacturing, sales and services and TDL Technology. More products are due for release.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Saeed Saad Al-Shahrani, Naizak General Manager of the Instrumentation &amp;amp; Control Division, said the development and production of the TDL products will be undertaken in three phases. As General Manager of the Instrumentation &amp;amp; Control Division, Al-Shahrani oversees and manages four divisions, namely sales, services, process/analytical, and ISG services and calibration.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The TDL products are very environment friendly and enable the energy and petrochemical industries to get cleaner; they are designed specifically to improve process efficiency in refineries and chemical plants.&#8221; Al-Shahrani said. He said the immediate beneficiaries of the TDL products are the oil and petrochemical companies in the region, including Saudi Aramco and SABIC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The TDL products are the most effective means of reducing environmental impacts from energy and chemical production by giving the accurate gas analysis. Improved process efficiency delivered by the TDL products enables lower maintenance costs, more accurate measurements, faster response times and more economic value with fewer materials and waste, according to Al-Shahrani.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Using tunable diode laser (TDL) technology that has been proven in the harshest real-world proven in SpectraSensors&#8217; solutions successfully measure and monitor gas and petrochemical concentrations in a variety of applications such as environmental, energy, water, and chemical process monitoring. Recent advancements in semiconductor lasers have made spectroscopy economically viable for a host of commercial applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors uses highly scientific resources to deliver cost-effective robust measurement tools to customers. SpectraSensors&#8217; products provide unprecedented reliability and speed and require virtually no maintenance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors have a highly-skilled management team with decades of relevant industry experience, including deep expertise in lasers, optics, process efficiency, and applications and systems design for the gas and petrochemical industries. The team has a proven track record in using optical technologies, including laser absorption spectroscopy, a chemical sensing technique that emphasizes precision, fast response, and immunity to corrosive or contaminating elements in the sensing environment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors was founded in 2001 as a technology spin-off of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. Among its customers, in additional Naizak, are Chevron (also an investor in the company), Conoco Phillips and BP.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors will be providing training to personnel of Naizak, as well as to the users of the TDL technology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak has diversified into the areas of in-Kingdom manufacturing, advanced supply chain programs and providing products, professional solutions and services in the areas of electrical and power, communication, industrial oil field, instrumentation, industrial automation, information technology, enterprise applications, Lab Systems and training and education.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak continues to get involved in the growth of the Saudi economy by taking a leading role in providing products and services from its global partners to address and meet the needs of customers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;We are delighted to have brought to Saudi Arabia the SpectraSensors technology, which will play a crucial and very important role in the Kingdom&#8217;s energy sector, particularly in the field of environmental protection,&#8221; said Abdulkarim.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naizak is a subsidiary of Al Abdulkarim Group, the Gulf&#8217;s largest supplier/stockiest of electrical, electromechanical, telecommunication, instrumentation and oilfield components and equipment. &lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/78/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/77/</link>
			<title>Laser-based analyzer</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;A new H2O moisture and analyzer technology is available that employs tunable laser diode (TDL) spectroscopy to provide highly accurate and virtually instantaneous measurements of trace amounts of a particular gas (H2O in this instance). By its nature, the TDL based gas detection method is not susceptible to aging affects, making its factory calibration a timeless constant. The result is a very low maintenance analyzer that does not require consumables or scheduled calibration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;TDL-based analyzers have revolutionized the measurement of gases in petrochemical streams such as natural gas. The technology employs a simple measurement that uses a fundamental principle: molecules vibrate when excited by light at specific wavelengths.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;24-Aug-09 1:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Laser-based analyzer</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;A new H2O moisture and analyzer technology is available that employs tunable laser diode (TDL) spectroscopy to provide highly accurate and virtually instantaneous measurements of trace amounts of a particular gas (H2O in this instance). By its nature, the TDL based gas detection method is not susceptible to aging affects, making its factory calibration a timeless constant. The result is a very low maintenance analyzer that does not require consumables or scheduled calibration. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;TDL-based analyzers have revolutionized the measurement of gases in petrochemical streams such as natural gas. The technology employs a simple measurement that uses a fundamental principle: molecules vibrate when excited by light at specific wavelengths.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/77/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/73/</link>
			<title>TDL-Based Analyzer Eliminates Costly Problems of Inaccurate Acetylene Measurement</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;The purity of ethylene feedstock is critical to the quality of a wide range of petrochemical products, particularly polyethylene plastics. Yet, periodically there are problems when contaminant concentrations exceed stringent purity specifications, rendering valuable ethylene feedstock unacceptable for use in producing such materials.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;One of the most problematic of those impurities is acetylene (C&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;H&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;), which can be difficult to measure accurately using conventional analyzers, and can also drift off spec due to slow analyzer response.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Because it is one of the more problematic contaminants that can spoil ethylene production, acetylene is removed from the ethylene during the purifying proves via the Acetylene Converter Unit. This series of reactors converts the acetylene in the hydrogen to form ethylene. When performing accurately, the converter reduces the amount of acetylene down to low PPM or even PPB levels as required.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;Acetylene hinders and damages the catalyst used in the chemical reaction to form polyethylene,&#8221; says Al Kania, a veteran of the petrochemical industry. &#8220;A big part of the problem is that acetylene, like moisture, is a component that is very difficult to measure accurately through chemical analysis. Also, the few tools that were previously available, such as the gas chromatograph, were unable to go very low in terms of sensitivity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Today, however, there is a technology for accurately measuring acetylene content in ethylene. That technology is a sophisticated application of the tunable diode laser (TDL), that was first developed by NASA to measure gas species even in extremely low concentrations.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 13.5pt;&quot;&gt;TDL versus GC&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are several advantages of the TDL-based analyzer over the gas chromatograph (GC), which has been the primary tool for measuring acetylene and other impurities in ethylene until now.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To begin with, the TDL analyzer is extremely accurate, and remains so for the life of the analyzer. It is quite capable of measuring the concentrations of acetylene and other impurities at sub parts per million levels. The TDL analyzer, developed by NASA-spinoff SpectraSensors, Inc., Houston, TX, has become a state-of-the-art tool for accurately and continuously measuring very low levels of moisture, H&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;S and other impurities in hydrocarbon streams for several years.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The accuracy of the TDL analyzer is especially applicable to measuring acetylene impurities in ethylene today, not only because ethylene is such a valuable commodity, but also because excessive levels of such impurities will corrupt downstream uses of the ethylene.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;In the past, processors used to be able to tolerate a fair amount of acetylene in ethylene. But in polyethylene production, the presence of acetylene above stringent PPM and sometimes PPB levels is unacceptable and creates very expensive waste,&#8221; adds Kania.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If an acetylene converter unit operates too aggressively, he says, it could hydrogenate some of the ethylene back into ethane. So, the proper operation of the unit requires the fast and precise monitoring of acetylene in between the first of the two acetylene reactors (mid-bed) and as it exits the final reactor.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In addition to dependable and repeatable accuracy, the speed of measurements is vital to maintaining consistent purity in ethylene production. TDL analyzer offers the advantage of very high-speed readings.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When using the GC technology, the readings are relatively slow, commonly taking from 3 &#8211; 6 minutes to provide measurements. Conversely, the TDL analyzer provides almost continuous readings, with intervals taking only from 1-4 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;When you&#8217;re producing a lot of ethylene every day, acetylene and other impurities can swing on you very quickly,&#8221; Kania explains. &#8220;If you are unaware of those impurities for several minutes, which happens with the GC, you don&#8217;t have a chance to reroute the corrupted offspec ethylene. Also, it will take many hours of production, perhaps days, to purge it out of their downstream units. That&#8217;s an expensive proposition. On the other hand, the TDL analyzer measures the ethylene as it is manufactured to ensure it is of a very high purity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 13.5pt;&quot;&gt;Beyond measurement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;In addition to high-speed accuracy, the TDL laser offers ethylene producers other significant benefits over the traditional GC technology.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;GCs are traditionally very complex mechanically, and require a lot of labour-based maintenance, Kania says. They also require a lot of consumables in order to maintain proper operation. However, the TDL analyzer requires very little maintenance and no consumables.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;In the past this was not so much of an issue because the ethylene was so valuable that processors simply bit the bullet and put in whatever resources were necessary,&#8221; explains Kania. &#8220;But the TDL analyzer requires only periodic maintenance, which adds to valuable uptime. And it does not use consumables, which may be secondary, but also adds to the high ROI.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;Another advantage of the TDL analyzer is the ability of ethylene producers to standardize on equipment. In addition to acetylene, there is an assortment of contaminants they need to monitor, and the TDL analyzer is an ideal solution for a large number of these contaminants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors analyzer, for instance, measures H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;O, NH&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;, H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;S and CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2 &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;as well as acetylene. It is possible for users to standardize on SpectraSensors analyzers, operating them from the same control center.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;When they use multiple units for various contaminants they can roll up the measurements,&#8221; Kania says. &#8220;By doing this they not only upgrade their analyzer systems but also create more stable operations so that they don&#8217;t have to worry about these impurities or over purifying.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;30-Jun-09 2:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>TDL-Based Analyzer Eliminates Costly Problems of Inaccurate Acetylene Measurement</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;The purity of ethylene feedstock is critical to the quality of a wide range of petrochemical products, particularly polyethylene plastics. Yet, periodically there are problems when contaminant concentrations exceed stringent purity specifications, rendering valuable ethylene feedstock unacceptable for use in producing such materials.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;One of the most problematic of those impurities is acetylene (C&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;H&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;), which can be difficult to measure accurately using conventional analyzers, and can also drift off spec due to slow analyzer response.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Because it is one of the more problematic contaminants that can spoil ethylene production, acetylene is removed from the ethylene during the purifying proves via the Acetylene Converter Unit. This series of reactors converts the acetylene in the hydrogen to form ethylene. When performing accurately, the converter reduces the amount of acetylene down to low PPM or even PPB levels as required.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;Acetylene hinders and damages the catalyst used in the chemical reaction to form polyethylene,&#8221; says Al Kania, a veteran of the petrochemical industry. &#8220;A big part of the problem is that acetylene, like moisture, is a component that is very difficult to measure accurately through chemical analysis. Also, the few tools that were previously available, such as the gas chromatograph, were unable to go very low in terms of sensitivity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Today, however, there is a technology for accurately measuring acetylene content in ethylene. That technology is a sophisticated application of the tunable diode laser (TDL), that was first developed by NASA to measure gas species even in extremely low concentrations.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 13.5pt;&quot;&gt;TDL versus GC&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are several advantages of the TDL-based analyzer over the gas chromatograph (GC), which has been the primary tool for measuring acetylene and other impurities in ethylene until now.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To begin with, the TDL analyzer is extremely accurate, and remains so for the life of the analyzer. It is quite capable of measuring the concentrations of acetylene and other impurities at sub parts per million levels. The TDL analyzer, developed by NASA-spinoff SpectraSensors, Inc., Houston, TX, has become a state-of-the-art tool for accurately and continuously measuring very low levels of moisture, H&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;S and other impurities in hydrocarbon streams for several years.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The accuracy of the TDL analyzer is especially applicable to measuring acetylene impurities in ethylene today, not only because ethylene is such a valuable commodity, but also because excessive levels of such impurities will corrupt downstream uses of the ethylene.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;In the past, processors used to be able to tolerate a fair amount of acetylene in ethylene. But in polyethylene production, the presence of acetylene above stringent PPM and sometimes PPB levels is unacceptable and creates very expensive waste,&#8221; adds Kania.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;If an acetylene converter unit operates too aggressively, he says, it could hydrogenate some of the ethylene back into ethane. So, the proper operation of the unit requires the fast and precise monitoring of acetylene in between the first of the two acetylene reactors (mid-bed) and as it exits the final reactor.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In addition to dependable and repeatable accuracy, the speed of measurements is vital to maintaining consistent purity in ethylene production. TDL analyzer offers the advantage of very high-speed readings.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When using the GC technology, the readings are relatively slow, commonly taking from 3 &#8211; 6 minutes to provide measurements. Conversely, the TDL analyzer provides almost continuous readings, with intervals taking only from 1-4 seconds.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&#8220;When you&#8217;re producing a lot of ethylene every day, acetylene and other impurities can swing on you very quickly,&#8221; Kania explains. &#8220;If you are unaware of those impurities for several minutes, which happens with the GC, you don&#8217;t have a chance to reroute the corrupted offspec ethylene. Also, it will take many hours of production, perhaps days, to purge it out of their downstream units. That&#8217;s an expensive proposition. On the other hand, the TDL analyzer measures the ethylene as it is manufactured to ensure it is of a very high purity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 13.5pt;&quot;&gt;Beyond measurement&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;In addition to high-speed accuracy, the TDL laser offers ethylene producers other significant benefits over the traditional GC technology.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;GCs are traditionally very complex mechanically, and require a lot of labour-based maintenance, Kania says. They also require a lot of consumables in order to maintain proper operation. However, the TDL analyzer requires very little maintenance and no consumables.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;In the past this was not so much of an issue because the ethylene was so valuable that processors simply bit the bullet and put in whatever resources were necessary,&#8221; explains Kania. &#8220;But the TDL analyzer requires only periodic maintenance, which adds to valuable uptime. And it does not use consumables, which may be secondary, but also adds to the high ROI.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;Another advantage of the TDL analyzer is the ability of ethylene producers to standardize on equipment. In addition to acetylene, there is an assortment of contaminants they need to monitor, and the TDL analyzer is an ideal solution for a large number of these contaminants.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors analyzer, for instance, measures H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;O, NH&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;, H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;S and CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; color: black;&quot;&gt;2 &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;as well as acetylene. It is possible for users to standardize on SpectraSensors analyzers, operating them from the same control center.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;When they use multiple units for various contaminants they can roll up the measurements,&#8221; Kania says. &#8220;By doing this they not only upgrade their analyzer systems but also create more stable operations so that they don&#8217;t have to worry about these impurities or over purifying.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/73/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/72/</link>
			<title>H2S, H2O &amp; CO2 3-Pack gas analyzer system</title>
			<description>&lt;span style=&quot;width: 500px;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors H2S, H2O &amp;amp; CO2 3-Pack gas analyzer systems retain the analytical benefits and reliability known by existing TDL users. Training, support, installation costs, space and overall complexity are reduced by employing one technology for all measurements. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The gas measurements are not affected by glycols, methanol or other corrosives. There is no need for light source or probe replacements, no tape, no carrier gas, and no field calibration. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The system includes all required sample conditioning and regulation. The sample system is heated to 50&amp;#176;C (122&amp;#176;F) to keep all constituents in vapor phase. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/span&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;15-Jun-09 4:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>H2S, H2O &amp; CO2 3-Pack gas analyzer system</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;span style=&quot;width: 500px;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors H2S, H2O &amp;amp; CO2 3-Pack gas analyzer systems retain the analytical benefits and reliability known by existing TDL users. Training, support, installation costs, space and overall complexity are reduced by employing one technology for all measurements. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The gas measurements are not affected by glycols, methanol or other corrosives. There is no need for light source or probe replacements, no tape, no carrier gas, and no field calibration. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The system includes all required sample conditioning and regulation. The sample system is heated to 50&amp;#176;C (122&amp;#176;F) to keep all constituents in vapor phase. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/72/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/51/</link>
			<title>Purifying Ethylene With More Precision</title>
			<description>&lt;div&gt;Excessive acetylene contaminants in ethylene make that valuable commodity unusable for polyethylene production. Fast, repeatable and dependable, the laser-based analyzer constantly measures acetylene contaminants during ethylene production, assuring high-quality product while eliminating costly waste.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; The purity of ethylene feedstock is critical to the quality of a wide range of petrochemical products, particularly polyethylene plastics. Yet, periodically there are problems when contaminant concentrations exceed stringent purity specifications, rendering valuable ethylene feedstock unacceptable for use in producing such materials. One of the most problematic of those impurities is acetylene (C2H2), which can be difficult to measure accurately using conventional analyzers, and can also drift off spec due to slow analyzer response. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		 		&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because it is one of the more problematic contaminants that can spoil ethylene production, acetylene is removed from the ethylene during the purifying process via an acetylene converter unit. This series of reactors reacts hydrogen with acetylene to form ethylene. When performing accurately, the converter reduces the amount of acetylene down to low parts per million (PPM), or even parts per billion (PPB), levels as required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#8220;Acetylene hinders and damages the catalyst used in the chemical reaction to form polyethylene,&#8221; says Al Kania, a veteran of the petrochemical industry. &#8220;A big part of the problem is that acetylene, like moisture, is a component that is very difficult to measure accurately through chemical analysis. Also, the few tools that were previously available, such as the gas chromatograph (GC), were unable to go very low in terms of sensitivity.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Today, however, there is a technology to accurately measure acetylene content in ethylene. That technology is a sophisticated application of the tunable diode laser (TDL), which was first developed by NASA to measure gas species even in extremely low concentrations.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TDL Vs. GC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
There are several advantages of the TDL-based analyzer over the GC, which has been the primary tool for measuring acetylene and other impurities in ethylene until now. To begin with, the TDL analyzer is extremely accurate and remains so for the life of the analyzer. It is quite capable of measuring concentrations of acetylene and other impurities at sub-PPM levels. The TDL analyzer, developed by NASA spin-off SpectraSensors Inc., has become the state-of-the-art tool for accurately and continuously measuring very low levels of moisture, H2S and other impurities in hydrocarbon streams for several years. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;The accuracy of the TDL analyzer is especially applicable to measuring acetylene impurities in ethylene today, not only because ethylene is such a valuable commodity, but also because excessive levels of such impurities can corrupt downstream uses of the ethylene.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#8220;In the past, processors used to be able to tolerate a fair amount of acetylene in ethylene. But in polyethylene production, the presence of acetylene above stringent PPM, and some times PPB, levels is unacceptable and creates very expensive waste,&#8221; according to Kania.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Kania adds that if an acetylene converter unit operates too aggressively, it could hydrogenate some of the ethylene back into ethane. So, proper operation of the unit requires the fast and precise monitoring of acetylene in between the first of the two acetylene reactors (mid-bed) and as it exits the final reactor.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; In addition to dependable and repeatable accuracy, the speed of measurements is vital to maintaining consistent purity in ethylene production. This TDL analyzer, furthermore, offers the advantage of very high-speed readings. When using GC technology, the readings are relatively slow, commonly taking from three to six minutes to provide measurements. Conversely, the TDL analyzer provides virtually continuous readings, with intervals taking only from one to four seconds.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &#8220;When you&#8217;re producing a lot of ethylene every day, acetylene and other impurities can swing on you very quickly,&#8221; Kania explains. &#8220;If you are unaware of those impurities for several minutes, which happens with the GC, you don&#8217;t have a chance to reroute the corrupted off-spec ethylene. Also, it takes many hours of production, perhaps days, to purge it out of downstream units. That&#8217;s an expensive proposition. On the other hand, the TDL analyzer measures the ethylene as it is manufactured to ensure it is of a very high purity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Beyond Measurement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; In addition to high-speed accuracy, the TDL laser offers ethylene producers other significant benefits over traditional GC technology.  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Conventionally, for instance, GCs are very complex mechanically and require a lot of labor-based maintenance, according to Kania. They also require a lot of consumables in order to maintain proper operation. However, the TDL analyzer requires very little maintenance and no consumables.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &#8220;In the past, this was not so much of an issue because the ethylene was so valuable that processors simply bit the bullet and put in whatever resources were necessary,&#8221; indicates Kania. &#8220;But the TDL analyzer requires only periodic maintenance, which adds to valuable uptime. And it does not use consumables, which may be secondary, but it also adds to the high return on investment.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Another advantage of the TDL analyzer is the ability of ethylene producers to standardize on equipment. In addition to acetylene, there is an assortment of contaminants they need to monitor, and the TDL analyzer is an ideal solution for a large number of these contaminants.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt; The SpectraSensors analyzer, for instance, measures H2O, NH3, H2S and CO2, as well as acetylene. It is possible for users to standardize on SpectraSensors analyzers, operating them from the same control center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &#8220;When users use multiple units for various contaminants, they can roll up the measurements,&#8221; Kania says. &#8220;By doing this, they not only upgrade their analyzer systems, but also create more stable operations, so that they don&#8217;t have to worry about these impurities or over-purifying.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors manufactures optically based gas analyzers and moisture analyzers for analytical process markets, and uses TDL absorption spectroscopy in an array of products, such as ambient air monitoring, moisture analyzers and gas analyzers for natural gas pipelines and processors, petrochemical refineries and chemical companies. For more information from the company, please call 800.619.2861 or visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.spectrasensors.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;20-May-09 4:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Purifying Ethylene With More Precision</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;div&gt;Excessive acetylene contaminants in ethylene make that valuable commodity unusable for polyethylene production. Fast, repeatable and dependable, the laser-based analyzer constantly measures acetylene contaminants during ethylene production, assuring high-quality product while eliminating costly waste.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; The purity of ethylene feedstock is critical to the quality of a wide range of petrochemical products, particularly polyethylene plastics. Yet, periodically there are problems when contaminant concentrations exceed stringent purity specifications, rendering valuable ethylene feedstock unacceptable for use in producing such materials. One of the most problematic of those impurities is acetylene (C2H2), which can be difficult to measure accurately using conventional analyzers, and can also drift off spec due to slow analyzer response. &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		 		&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Because it is one of the more problematic contaminants that can spoil ethylene production, acetylene is removed from the ethylene during the purifying process via an acetylene converter unit. This series of reactors reacts hydrogen with acetylene to form ethylene. When performing accurately, the converter reduces the amount of acetylene down to low parts per million (PPM), or even parts per billion (PPB), levels as required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#8220;Acetylene hinders and damages the catalyst used in the chemical reaction to form polyethylene,&#8221; says Al Kania, a veteran of the petrochemical industry. &#8220;A big part of the problem is that acetylene, like moisture, is a component that is very difficult to measure accurately through chemical analysis. Also, the few tools that were previously available, such as the gas chromatograph (GC), were unable to go very low in terms of sensitivity.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Today, however, there is a technology to accurately measure acetylene content in ethylene. That technology is a sophisticated application of the tunable diode laser (TDL), which was first developed by NASA to measure gas species even in extremely low concentrations.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;TDL Vs. GC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
There are several advantages of the TDL-based analyzer over the GC, which has been the primary tool for measuring acetylene and other impurities in ethylene until now. To begin with, the TDL analyzer is extremely accurate and remains so for the life of the analyzer. It is quite capable of measuring concentrations of acetylene and other impurities at sub-PPM levels. The TDL analyzer, developed by NASA spin-off SpectraSensors Inc., has become the state-of-the-art tool for accurately and continuously measuring very low levels of moisture, H2S and other impurities in hydrocarbon streams for several years. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_3.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;The accuracy of the TDL analyzer is especially applicable to measuring acetylene impurities in ethylene today, not only because ethylene is such a valuable commodity, but also because excessive levels of such impurities can corrupt downstream uses of the ethylene.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&#8220;In the past, processors used to be able to tolerate a fair amount of acetylene in ethylene. But in polyethylene production, the presence of acetylene above stringent PPM, and some times PPB, levels is unacceptable and creates very expensive waste,&#8221; according to Kania.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Kania adds that if an acetylene converter unit operates too aggressively, it could hydrogenate some of the ethylene back into ethane. So, proper operation of the unit requires the fast and precise monitoring of acetylene in between the first of the two acetylene reactors (mid-bed) and as it exits the final reactor.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; In addition to dependable and repeatable accuracy, the speed of measurements is vital to maintaining consistent purity in ethylene production. This TDL analyzer, furthermore, offers the advantage of very high-speed readings. When using GC technology, the readings are relatively slow, commonly taking from three to six minutes to provide measurements. Conversely, the TDL analyzer provides virtually continuous readings, with intervals taking only from one to four seconds.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &#8220;When you&#8217;re producing a lot of ethylene every day, acetylene and other impurities can swing on you very quickly,&#8221; Kania explains. &#8220;If you are unaware of those impurities for several minutes, which happens with the GC, you don&#8217;t have a chance to reroute the corrupted off-spec ethylene. Also, it takes many hours of production, perhaps days, to purge it out of downstream units. That&#8217;s an expensive proposition. On the other hand, the TDL analyzer measures the ethylene as it is manufactured to ensure it is of a very high purity.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Beyond Measurement&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; In addition to high-speed accuracy, the TDL laser offers ethylene producers other significant benefits over traditional GC technology.  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
&lt;table style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 9px; width: 0px; clear: left;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://chem.info/images/0904/chem_fr_4.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt; 		  	  &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Conventionally, for instance, GCs are very complex mechanically and require a lot of labor-based maintenance, according to Kania. They also require a lot of consumables in order to maintain proper operation. However, the TDL analyzer requires very little maintenance and no consumables.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &#8220;In the past, this was not so much of an issue because the ethylene was so valuable that processors simply bit the bullet and put in whatever resources were necessary,&#8221; indicates Kania. &#8220;But the TDL analyzer requires only periodic maintenance, which adds to valuable uptime. And it does not use consumables, which may be secondary, but it also adds to the high return on investment.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt; Another advantage of the TDL analyzer is the ability of ethylene producers to standardize on equipment. In addition to acetylene, there is an assortment of contaminants they need to monitor, and the TDL analyzer is an ideal solution for a large number of these contaminants.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt; The SpectraSensors analyzer, for instance, measures H2O, NH3, H2S and CO2, as well as acetylene. It is possible for users to standardize on SpectraSensors analyzers, operating them from the same control center.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt; &#8220;When users use multiple units for various contaminants, they can roll up the measurements,&#8221; Kania says. &#8220;By doing this, they not only upgrade their analyzer systems, but also create more stable operations, so that they don&#8217;t have to worry about these impurities or over-purifying.&#8221;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;SpectraSensors manufactures optically based gas analyzers and moisture analyzers for analytical process markets, and uses TDL absorption spectroscopy in an array of products, such as ambient air monitoring, moisture analyzers and gas analyzers for natural gas pipelines and processors, petrochemical refineries and chemical companies. For more information from the company, please call 800.619.2861 or visit &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;www.spectrasensors.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/51/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 21:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/45/</link>
			<title>Making Analyzers that Work in the Real World</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;If you work in a process plant, you probably have had some frustrating experiences with analyzers. They&#8217;re vital to process measurement and control, but keeping them running can be a real pain. Why can&#8217;t someone make an analyzer that works as well and as reliably as a pressure, a temperature or a flow transmitter?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The problems with analyzers are twofold. First, the measurements that have to be made are often a complex and frequently involve chemical reactions. Analyzing chemical composition is always going to more difficult than measuring pressure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Seconds, many analyzer vendors have roots in making lab instruments for controlled and continuously monitored environments. Adapting these analyzers for on-line operation and field installation while making them rugged enough to not need daily maintenance has been too high a hurdle for many lab instrument vendors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now, new entrants from completely different industries are making their mark. For examples, SpectraSensors (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/&quot;&gt;www.spectrasensors.com&lt;/a&gt;) was started in 1999 to commercialize products adapted from NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Because the original products were designed for mission-critical aerospace applications, high reliability and low maintenance were a given.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The challenge was to adapt these aerospace-quality analyzers for industrial use and make them affordable. So, SpectraSensors focused on optical, laser-based gas analyzers for energy and petrochemical industry applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The company&#8217;s tunable diode laser (TDL) technology measures moisture and carbon dioxide. SpectraSensors also provides custom configurations for measurement of other compounds, such as methane, acetylene, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A leading application for SpectraSensor&#8217;s TDL analyzer is in refinery catalytic reformer units. These units convert naphtha streams into higher octane aromatic compounds that can be used in gasoline blending or chemical plants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All of these compounds must be accurately measured and controlled, or their concentrations can increase until they poison the catalysts in the reactors. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia must be minimized, while the right balance of moisture and hydrogen chloride must be maintained to extend the time between catalyst regeneration cycles and improve yields.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;All of the measurements can be performed on-line with TDL analyzers, which require less maintenance and are more reliable than previous methods,&#8221; says Bill Jenko, SpectraSensors&#8217; director of process product line management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The most compelling is hydrogen chloride measurement, which typically is done manually with stain tubes, a handheld off-line measurement method subject to operator-induced variability. Some refineries use stain tubes to measure sulfur and ammonia as well. The ability to move these measurements from manual off-line to continuous on-line reduced operational costs, and improves the production of the reformate and the hydrogen,&#8221; adds Jenko.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Concentrations measured vary by application, but a typical dual-range analyzer might measure 0 ppm to 50 ppm and 0 ppm &#8211; 1,000 ppm hydrogen chloride.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;Some plants have existing on-line analyzers for moisture measurement, but I haven&#8217;t heard of any other proven technology for on-line hydrogen chloride or ammonia measurements in these streams,&#8221; claims Jenko.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Jenko says TDL has some advantages that improve reliability and reduce maintenance. &#8220;TDL analyzers require no carrier gas or other consumable gases, and this lowers cost of ownership over other technologies. TDL hydrogen chloride and ammonia analyzers need a scrubber because they&#8217;re based on differential spectroscopy, but the scrubbers are the only consumable and typically last at least a year.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;1-Jan-09 2:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Making Analyzers that Work in the Real World</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;If you work in a process plant, you probably have had some frustrating experiences with analyzers. They&#8217;re vital to process measurement and control, but keeping them running can be a real pain. Why can&#8217;t someone make an analyzer that works as well and as reliably as a pressure, a temperature or a flow transmitter?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The problems with analyzers are twofold. First, the measurements that have to be made are often a complex and frequently involve chemical reactions. Analyzing chemical composition is always going to more difficult than measuring pressure.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Seconds, many analyzer vendors have roots in making lab instruments for controlled and continuously monitored environments. Adapting these analyzers for on-line operation and field installation while making them rugged enough to not need daily maintenance has been too high a hurdle for many lab instrument vendors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now, new entrants from completely different industries are making their mark. For examples, SpectraSensors (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/&quot;&gt;www.spectrasensors.com&lt;/a&gt;) was started in 1999 to commercialize products adapted from NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Because the original products were designed for mission-critical aerospace applications, high reliability and low maintenance were a given.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The challenge was to adapt these aerospace-quality analyzers for industrial use and make them affordable. So, SpectraSensors focused on optical, laser-based gas analyzers for energy and petrochemical industry applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The company&#8217;s tunable diode laser (TDL) technology measures moisture and carbon dioxide. SpectraSensors also provides custom configurations for measurement of other compounds, such as methane, acetylene, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen monoxide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A leading application for SpectraSensor&#8217;s TDL analyzer is in refinery catalytic reformer units. These units convert naphtha streams into higher octane aromatic compounds that can be used in gasoline blending or chemical plants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All of these compounds must be accurately measured and controlled, or their concentrations can increase until they poison the catalysts in the reactors. Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia must be minimized, while the right balance of moisture and hydrogen chloride must be maintained to extend the time between catalyst regeneration cycles and improve yields.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;All of the measurements can be performed on-line with TDL analyzers, which require less maintenance and are more reliable than previous methods,&#8221; says Bill Jenko, SpectraSensors&#8217; director of process product line management.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;The most compelling is hydrogen chloride measurement, which typically is done manually with stain tubes, a handheld off-line measurement method subject to operator-induced variability. Some refineries use stain tubes to measure sulfur and ammonia as well. The ability to move these measurements from manual off-line to continuous on-line reduced operational costs, and improves the production of the reformate and the hydrogen,&#8221; adds Jenko.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Concentrations measured vary by application, but a typical dual-range analyzer might measure 0 ppm to 50 ppm and 0 ppm &#8211; 1,000 ppm hydrogen chloride.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&#8220;Some plants have existing on-line analyzers for moisture measurement, but I haven&#8217;t heard of any other proven technology for on-line hydrogen chloride or ammonia measurements in these streams,&#8221; claims Jenko.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Jenko says TDL has some advantages that improve reliability and reduce maintenance. &#8220;TDL analyzers require no carrier gas or other consumable gases, and this lowers cost of ownership over other technologies. TDL hydrogen chloride and ammonia analyzers need a scrubber because they&#8217;re based on differential spectroscopy, but the scrubbers are the only consumable and typically last at least a year.&#8221;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/45/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/5/</link>
			<title>TDL Technology Promises Improved Process Control in Gas Plants</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Confronted with increasing costs and product integrity issues, the hydrocarbon processing industry has become increasingly dependent on sensors for detection and measurement of impurities in gas streams. For some sensing technologies this can be a hit and miss situation that can compromise process control and result in costly actions including high maintenance costs, unplanned shutdowns and unanticipated shut-ins where the buyer can block the seller from shipping gas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gas processing plants require fast and accurate measurements of moisture (H2O), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2) because these contaminants damage expensive equipment such as turbo-machinery and pipelines, shorten desiccant, contactor, or mole sieve lifetimes, and threaten the operator&#8217;s ability to maintain tight process control and product quality. In some cases, the gas processor&#8217;s downstream customer can shut in their supplier which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) based analyzers are increasingly being used in these &#8220;pain-point&#8221; analytical applications to measure contaminants reliably while reducing maintenance and operating costs. TDL absorption spectroscopy employs a laser mounted behind a window that protects it from the wear and tear of caustic gas contents, while enabling the analyzer to accurately and quickly read varying gas concentrations. The laser does not come into contact with the gas and calibration does not change or drift over time (Figure 1 and 2).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Dependable H2O Analysis&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Impurities such as moisture and corrosive acids found in many gas streams are the nemesis of conventional sensors, which are directly exposed to the gas stream and those harmful elements. Over time&#8212;and sometimes within a few weeks&#8212; those probes become damaged and inaccurate, resulting in costly repair or replacement. In the meantime, corrosion and contamination from problematic impurities can damage equipment, catalysts, desiccants and processes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based analyzer allows the gas processors, whether they are sweetening, dehydrating, or removing various impurities, to monitor and measure the inputs and outputs of their processes for CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;, acids, moisture and H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S. Furthermore, it accurately takes repeatable measurements within seconds, whereas conventional devices often take many minutes. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Excessive dehydration costs may be incurred because of inaccurate moisture readings or concern on the part of the operator that the gas may be too wet. In many cases, it is necessary to over-process the gas in order to achieve quality specs for multiple customers when taking into consideration the risk of inaccurate measurements and potential false shut-ins. The availability of a fast and reliable measurement allows the plant to confidently deliver gas that is within specifications.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based technology is very fast and does not drift, thereby enabling operators to keep dehydration costs to a minimum&#8212;without fear of a shut-in. (Figure 3)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Accurate H2S Sweetening&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;For monitoring and measuring H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S in gas streams, lead acetate tape analyzers are frequently the technology of choice. In that design, gas is sent directly through the lead acetate tape, which changes color when reacting with sulfur. The system analyzes the color change with a photometer. However, the lead acetate tape is a consumable that is directly exposed to the gas stream. Tape reels must be changed periodically (weekly or monthly), and if there is a system leak, it exposes the whole tape. Also, the used tape is considered hazardous waste, and must be disposed of accordingly. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Some processors use a UV photometer for measuring H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S. Natural gas may have varying percentages of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;methane, propane and possibly more than a dozen other components. The measurements results of UV photometers are susceptible to gas composition changes. When the background matrix of the gas changes, &amp;nbsp;that often causes erroneous readings and consequential problems. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;For H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;S applications, the TDL-based analyzer measures sour gas going into processing, and sweetened gas coming out. Fast analyzers enable better control of processes by letting the &lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;processor know instantly how much processing is needed and provides for faster shut-off when the sweetened gas is not up to required standards. Changes in gas concentrations can be seen immediately with TDL analyzers preventing false alarms, false readings and unwarranted shutdowns.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;LNG Applications&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The presence of even trace amounts of H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;O or CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt; can threaten the integrity of processing equipment during compression and liquefaction of natural gas due to ice formation. It is essential to have very fast H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;O or CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt; detection in order to improve the life of the desiccant while retaining product quality. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;In the past, LNG (liquid natural gas) and NGL (natural gas liquids) gas processors have relied on surface based analyzers such as electrochemical and quartz crystal cells to measure trace amounts of moisture in process streams. Although these devices may perform with acceptable accuracy at first, the confidence level in their measurements soon becomes low, due to drift, the inability to read high concentrations of moisture, and the tendency for their sensor probes to become desensitized by the gas streams they are measuring. Such situations have led to excessive maintenance and high operational costs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based gas detection method does not experience aging effects, making its factory calibration a timeless constant. The result is a very low maintenance analyzer that does not require consumables or scheduled calibration.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Emphasis on Process Industries&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Although TDL-based analyzers have been widely accepted by the natural gas production and pipeline transmission industry, this technology is fairly new to the process industry. However, because the need for improved process control and reduced costs &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;are equally if not even greater among processors, there has been immediate interest in applying this technology throughout the petrochemical industry. Thousands of TDL analyzers are now installed at operations from off shore production to processing and refining, to chemical plants and emissions monitoring.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Note: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;periodically publishes articles about the technology of new products or innovative technologies introduced into existing products. This is to explain the technology in a non-commercial way to inform potential end-users of technology that may suit their application.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;does not verify the test results noted, nor does &lt;em&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/em&gt;endorse these products. The technology is presented for informational purposes only.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;5-Dec-08 1:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>TDL Technology Promises Improved Process Control in Gas Plants</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Confronted with increasing costs and product integrity issues, the hydrocarbon processing industry has become increasingly dependent on sensors for detection and measurement of impurities in gas streams. For some sensing technologies this can be a hit and miss situation that can compromise process control and result in costly actions including high maintenance costs, unplanned shutdowns and unanticipated shut-ins where the buyer can block the seller from shipping gas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gas processing plants require fast and accurate measurements of moisture (H2O), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2) because these contaminants damage expensive equipment such as turbo-machinery and pipelines, shorten desiccant, contactor, or mole sieve lifetimes, and threaten the operator&#8217;s ability to maintain tight process control and product quality. In some cases, the gas processor&#8217;s downstream customer can shut in their supplier which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Tunable Diode Laser (TDL) based analyzers are increasingly being used in these &#8220;pain-point&#8221; analytical applications to measure contaminants reliably while reducing maintenance and operating costs. TDL absorption spectroscopy employs a laser mounted behind a window that protects it from the wear and tear of caustic gas contents, while enabling the analyzer to accurately and quickly read varying gas concentrations. The laser does not come into contact with the gas and calibration does not change or drift over time (Figure 1 and 2).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Dependable H2O Analysis&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Impurities such as moisture and corrosive acids found in many gas streams are the nemesis of conventional sensors, which are directly exposed to the gas stream and those harmful elements. Over time&#8212;and sometimes within a few weeks&#8212; those probes become damaged and inaccurate, resulting in costly repair or replacement. In the meantime, corrosion and contamination from problematic impurities can damage equipment, catalysts, desiccants and processes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based analyzer allows the gas processors, whether they are sweetening, dehydrating, or removing various impurities, to monitor and measure the inputs and outputs of their processes for CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;, acids, moisture and H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S. Furthermore, it accurately takes repeatable measurements within seconds, whereas conventional devices often take many minutes. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Excessive dehydration costs may be incurred because of inaccurate moisture readings or concern on the part of the operator that the gas may be too wet. In many cases, it is necessary to over-process the gas in order to achieve quality specs for multiple customers when taking into consideration the risk of inaccurate measurements and potential false shut-ins. The availability of a fast and reliable measurement allows the plant to confidently deliver gas that is within specifications.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based technology is very fast and does not drift, thereby enabling operators to keep dehydration costs to a minimum&#8212;without fear of a shut-in. (Figure 3)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Accurate H2S Sweetening&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;For monitoring and measuring H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S in gas streams, lead acetate tape analyzers are frequently the technology of choice. In that design, gas is sent directly through the lead acetate tape, which changes color when reacting with sulfur. The system analyzes the color change with a photometer. However, the lead acetate tape is a consumable that is directly exposed to the gas stream. Tape reels must be changed periodically (weekly or monthly), and if there is a system leak, it exposes the whole tape. Also, the used tape is considered hazardous waste, and must be disposed of accordingly. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Some processors use a UV photometer for measuring H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;S. Natural gas may have varying percentages of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;methane, propane and possibly more than a dozen other components. The measurements results of UV photometers are susceptible to gas composition changes. When the background matrix of the gas changes, &amp;nbsp;that often causes erroneous readings and consequential problems. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;For H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;S applications, the TDL-based analyzer measures sour gas going into processing, and sweetened gas coming out. Fast analyzers enable better control of processes by letting the &lt;span style=&quot;color: black;&quot;&gt;processor know instantly how much processing is needed and provides for faster shut-off when the sweetened gas is not up to required standards. Changes in gas concentrations can be seen immediately with TDL analyzers preventing false alarms, false readings and unwarranted shutdowns.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;LNG Applications&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The presence of even trace amounts of H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;O or CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt; can threaten the integrity of processing equipment during compression and liquefaction of natural gas due to ice formation. It is essential to have very fast H&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;O or CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: MyriadPro-Regular; color: black;&quot;&gt;&amp;#8322;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt; detection in order to improve the life of the desiccant while retaining product quality. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;In the past, LNG (liquid natural gas) and NGL (natural gas liquids) gas processors have relied on surface based analyzers such as electrochemical and quartz crystal cells to measure trace amounts of moisture in process streams. Although these devices may perform with acceptable accuracy at first, the confidence level in their measurements soon becomes low, due to drift, the inability to read high concentrations of moisture, and the tendency for their sensor probes to become desensitized by the gas streams they are measuring. Such situations have led to excessive maintenance and high operational costs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The TDL-based gas detection method does not experience aging effects, making its factory calibration a timeless constant. The result is a very low maintenance analyzer that does not require consumables or scheduled calibration.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: #0071bc;&quot;&gt;Emphasis on Process Industries&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Although TDL-based analyzers have been widely accepted by the natural gas production and pipeline transmission industry, this technology is fairly new to the process industry. However, because the need for improved process control and reduced costs &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;are equally if not even greater among processors, there has been immediate interest in applying this technology throughout the petrochemical industry. Thousands of TDL analyzers are now installed at operations from off shore production to processing and refining, to chemical plants and emissions monitoring.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Note: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;periodically publishes articles about the technology of new products or innovative technologies introduced into existing products. This is to explain the technology in a non-commercial way to inform potential end-users of technology that may suit their application.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;does not verify the test results noted, nor does &lt;em&gt;Gases &amp;amp; Instrumentation &lt;/em&gt;endorse these products. The technology is presented for informational purposes only.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/5/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/24/</link>
			<title>Gas Analyzer Technology Boosts Potential For Converting Biogas To Electric Power</title>
			<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The ability of advanced, laser-based sensors to detect moisture, hydrogen sulfide and other contaminants in gases can smooth the way for biogas as a resource for electric utilities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Wouldn&#8217;t it be great if some of the expensive green power programs you hear about actually worked? Experts and financiers are predicting it will take billions of investment dollars and decades to get any meaningful quantity of energy from alternative resources.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Perhaps not. One of the oldest and most widespread forms of potential energy &#8212; methane gas &#8212; promises to give those efforts a sizable boost &#8212; right now. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The main component of &#8220;natural gas,&#8221; methane is found in abundance in many places other than subterranean gas wells. Landfills, oil pipelines, pasturelands, forests and waste treatment plants all contain methane or the biomass from which methane can be formed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Although methane gas contains plenty of energy, until recently the gas available from many sources has been considered economically unviable as a source of energy,&#8221; explained Sam Miller, a senior official with SpectraSensors, Inc., Houston, TX.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Whatever the source of methane, you have to get it to market, which often means getting it into a pipeline that delivers gas to users such as power plants and industrial companies,&#8221; he said.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Transporting and marketing methane through pipelines requires that it meet safety and quality standards, Miller said. Virtually all biogas contains significant amounts and varieties of impurities that must be removed before pipelines will transport it and customers will accept it. Such impurities can disrupt the flow of gases, damage pipelines and contaminate the air with toxins that can be deadly to breathe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E Harnesses Cow Power&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Last spring BioEnergy Solutions, Bakersfield, CA, launched California&#8217;s first biogas-to-pipeline injection project in Fresno County, central California. The project is using renewable natural gas derived from animal waste at a PG&amp;amp;E site.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;With nearly 2 million dairy cows in California, there is great potential for the state&#8217;s agriculture and power sectors to work together to address the challenges of climate change,&#8221; said Roy Kuga, vice president of energy supply at PG&amp;amp;E. &#8220;This project is yet another example of our company&#8217;s commitment to add innovative forms of clean renewable energy to help meet our customers&#8217; future power needs.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E is one of California&#8217;s largest investor-owned utilities. The state&#8217;s recently enacted Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program requires each utility to increase its procurement of eligible renewable generating resources to achieve a goal of 20% of load by 2010. The RPS Program was passed by the California Legislature and is managed by the CPUC and California Energy Commission.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Under a long-term contract approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), BioEnergy Solutions will deliver up to 3 Bcf of renewable natural gas a year to PG&amp;amp;E. Using SpectraSensors&#8217; laser-based gas analyzer technology, this is the first project in California to deliver pipeline-quality, renewable biogas to a utility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;We are using these analyzers to monitor moisture in the methane,&#8221; said David Albers, BioEnergy Solutions president. &#8220;And of course we&#8217;re checking for hydrogen sulfide content and carbon dioxide content.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Albers said the project, located in the town of Riverdale in western Fresno County, will use manure from the Vintage Dairy&#8217;s 5,000 milk-producing cows and calves. The waste is flushed into a covered lagoon &#8212; equal in size to the area of nearly five football fields and over three stories deep &#8212; that traps the methane gas produced as the manure decomposes. The biogas is upgraded, or &#8220;scrubbed,&#8221; to remove corrosive materials to meet PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s industry-leading environmental standards for power plants and then delivered to PG&amp;amp;E through the utility&#8217;s pipeline.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E uses the natural gas to deliver renewable electricity to its customers in central and northern California. The methane production system also reduces emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, by 70%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Albers said SpectraSensors moisture analyzer offers assurance that the project will continually meet PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s high standards. He said that in addition to offering the highest reliability of gas analyzers, this technology has a track record for considerably lower maintenance costs in both labor and consumables.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E, a leader in utilizing biogas, is also a user of SpectraSensors technology. In addition to the utility&#8217;s contract with BioEnergy Solutions, it is working to cultivate the next generation of biogas technologies through its biomethanation research project.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Depending on what impurities might be contained in &#8220;polluted&#8221; gas &#8212; substances such as H2O, H2S, CO2, unsaturated hydrocarbons and glycols &#8212; it is vital to use monitoring equipment that can accurately read the levels of contaminants in gas streams.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The &#8220;gas analyzer&#8221; technology needed to quickly and accurately measure a wide variety of contaminants and background gases has been advanced to new heights by SpectraSensors, which makes Miller optimistic about the safety and economic viability of using non-standard sources of methane and other biofuels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;There has been a significant rise in activity in production and distribution of &#8216;green gas&#8217; as an alternate fuel,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our company considers this a growth market. And while a primary market for our analyzer instruments include pipeline-quality natural gas from traditional producers, we can also help nontraditional producers deliver clean methane to various power generation customers.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Miller cited several examples of sources for methane, which together could amount to a very sizable reduction of greenhouse gases as well as renewable resource for generating electric power for a grid that every year experiences added demand and will soon have to accommodate plug-in passenger cars.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Waste-to-energy methane from human and livestock digesters has the potential to become a major source,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But other, smaller sources are becoming increasingly viable. For instance, the methane gas pockets present in pipeline oil have traditionally been burned off when it reached the oil refinery. Now, it is economically feasible to feed that gas into a gas pipeline and use it to generate electricity.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The patented technology that SpectraSensors employs in its gas analyzers is tunable diode laser (TDL)-based absorption spectroscopy. This is an optical measurement technology used to detect moisture (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), oxygen (O2) and more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;In the traditional natural gas production and pipeline market this technology has become the de facto standard for ensuring consistently accurate readings in gas streams. Not only is it in use among many leading pipeline operators, but is also the technology of choice among leading utility companies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Fast, Accurate And Lower In Costs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Essentially, the SpectraSensors TDL-based gas analyzer uses laser (light) absorption spectroscopy to identify and measure one or more gases in a flow of mixed gases. This type of analyzer is typically &#8220;tuned&#8221; to monitor a target gas (e.g. H20, CO2, H2S) by monitoring the absorption of light at wavelengths specific to the target gas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors gas analyzer line is designed to provide extremely fast and accurate readings without expensive labor and replacement costs. That is because the gas is analyzed away from the stream in a sample cell. As the laser light passes through the gas sample in the cell, the presence of any target gas is detected and its concentration measured.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;This design is very process worthy,&#8221; said Miller. &#8220;The TDL-based analyzer technology has proven to be so reliable and trustworthy that it is the new standard in the natural gas pipeline industry, and is being adopted by oil refineries, petrochemical plants and process industries all over the world.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;1-Nov-08 9:00 AM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Gas Analyzer Technology Boosts Potential For Converting Biogas To Electric Power</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The ability of advanced, laser-based sensors to detect moisture, hydrogen sulfide and other contaminants in gases can smooth the way for biogas as a resource for electric utilities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Wouldn&#8217;t it be great if some of the expensive green power programs you hear about actually worked? Experts and financiers are predicting it will take billions of investment dollars and decades to get any meaningful quantity of energy from alternative resources.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;Perhaps not. One of the oldest and most widespread forms of potential energy &#8212; methane gas &#8212; promises to give those efforts a sizable boost &#8212; right now. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;The main component of &#8220;natural gas,&#8221; methane is found in abundance in many places other than subterranean gas wells. Landfills, oil pipelines, pasturelands, forests and waste treatment plants all contain methane or the biomass from which methane can be formed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Although methane gas contains plenty of energy, until recently the gas available from many sources has been considered economically unviable as a source of energy,&#8221; explained Sam Miller, a senior official with SpectraSensors, Inc., Houston, TX.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Whatever the source of methane, you have to get it to market, which often means getting it into a pipeline that delivers gas to users such as power plants and industrial companies,&#8221; he said.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Transporting and marketing methane through pipelines requires that it meet safety and quality standards, Miller said. Virtually all biogas contains significant amounts and varieties of impurities that must be removed before pipelines will transport it and customers will accept it. Such impurities can disrupt the flow of gases, damage pipelines and contaminate the air with toxins that can be deadly to breathe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E Harnesses Cow Power&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Last spring BioEnergy Solutions, Bakersfield, CA, launched California&#8217;s first biogas-to-pipeline injection project in Fresno County, central California. The project is using renewable natural gas derived from animal waste at a PG&amp;amp;E site.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;With nearly 2 million dairy cows in California, there is great potential for the state&#8217;s agriculture and power sectors to work together to address the challenges of climate change,&#8221; said Roy Kuga, vice president of energy supply at PG&amp;amp;E. &#8220;This project is yet another example of our company&#8217;s commitment to add innovative forms of clean renewable energy to help meet our customers&#8217; future power needs.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E is one of California&#8217;s largest investor-owned utilities. The state&#8217;s recently enacted Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program requires each utility to increase its procurement of eligible renewable generating resources to achieve a goal of 20% of load by 2010. The RPS Program was passed by the California Legislature and is managed by the CPUC and California Energy Commission.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Under a long-term contract approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), BioEnergy Solutions will deliver up to 3 Bcf of renewable natural gas a year to PG&amp;amp;E. Using SpectraSensors&#8217; laser-based gas analyzer technology, this is the first project in California to deliver pipeline-quality, renewable biogas to a utility.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;We are using these analyzers to monitor moisture in the methane,&#8221; said David Albers, BioEnergy Solutions president. &#8220;And of course we&#8217;re checking for hydrogen sulfide content and carbon dioxide content.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Albers said the project, located in the town of Riverdale in western Fresno County, will use manure from the Vintage Dairy&#8217;s 5,000 milk-producing cows and calves. The waste is flushed into a covered lagoon &#8212; equal in size to the area of nearly five football fields and over three stories deep &#8212; that traps the methane gas produced as the manure decomposes. The biogas is upgraded, or &#8220;scrubbed,&#8221; to remove corrosive materials to meet PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s industry-leading environmental standards for power plants and then delivered to PG&amp;amp;E through the utility&#8217;s pipeline.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E uses the natural gas to deliver renewable electricity to its customers in central and northern California. The methane production system also reduces emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide, by 70%.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Albers said SpectraSensors moisture analyzer offers assurance that the project will continually meet PG&amp;amp;E&#8217;s high standards. He said that in addition to offering the highest reliability of gas analyzers, this technology has a track record for considerably lower maintenance costs in both labor and consumables.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;PG&amp;amp;E, a leader in utilizing biogas, is also a user of SpectraSensors technology. In addition to the utility&#8217;s contract with BioEnergy Solutions, it is working to cultivate the next generation of biogas technologies through its biomethanation research project.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Depending on what impurities might be contained in &#8220;polluted&#8221; gas &#8212; substances such as H2O, H2S, CO2, unsaturated hydrocarbons and glycols &#8212; it is vital to use monitoring equipment that can accurately read the levels of contaminants in gas streams.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The &#8220;gas analyzer&#8221; technology needed to quickly and accurately measure a wide variety of contaminants and background gases has been advanced to new heights by SpectraSensors, which makes Miller optimistic about the safety and economic viability of using non-standard sources of methane and other biofuels.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;There has been a significant rise in activity in production and distribution of &#8216;green gas&#8217; as an alternate fuel,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our company considers this a growth market. And while a primary market for our analyzer instruments include pipeline-quality natural gas from traditional producers, we can also help nontraditional producers deliver clean methane to various power generation customers.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Miller cited several examples of sources for methane, which together could amount to a very sizable reduction of greenhouse gases as well as renewable resource for generating electric power for a grid that every year experiences added demand and will soon have to accommodate plug-in passenger cars.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;Waste-to-energy methane from human and livestock digesters has the potential to become a major source,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But other, smaller sources are becoming increasingly viable. For instance, the methane gas pockets present in pipeline oil have traditionally been burned off when it reached the oil refinery. Now, it is economically feasible to feed that gas into a gas pipeline and use it to generate electricity.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The patented technology that SpectraSensors employs in its gas analyzers is tunable diode laser (TDL)-based absorption spectroscopy. This is an optical measurement technology used to detect moisture (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), oxygen (O2) and more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: black;&quot;&gt;In the traditional natural gas production and pipeline market this technology has become the de facto standard for ensuring consistently accurate readings in gas streams. Not only is it in use among many leading pipeline operators, but is also the technology of choice among leading utility companies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Fast, Accurate And Lower In Costs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;Essentially, the SpectraSensors TDL-based gas analyzer uses laser (light) absorption spectroscopy to identify and measure one or more gases in a flow of mixed gases. This type of analyzer is typically &#8220;tuned&#8221; to monitor a target gas (e.g. H20, CO2, H2S) by monitoring the absorption of light at wavelengths specific to the target gas.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;The SpectraSensors gas analyzer line is designed to provide extremely fast and accurate readings without expensive labor and replacement costs. That is because the gas is analyzed away from the stream in a sample cell. As the laser light passes through the gas sample in the cell, the presence of any target gas is detected and its concentration measured.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&#8220;This design is very process worthy,&#8221; said Miller. &#8220;The TDL-based analyzer technology has proven to be so reliable and trustworthy that it is the new standard in the natural gas pipeline industry, and is being adopted by oil refineries, petrochemical plants and process industries all over the world.&#8221;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/24/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>Articles</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/18/</link>
			<title>Improving Process Control with TDL Technology</title>
			<description>&lt;div&gt;Confronted with increasing costs and product integrity issues, the hydrocarbon processing industry has become increasingly dependent on sensors for detection and the measurement of impurities in gas streams. For some sensing technologies, this can be a hit and miss situation that can comprise process control and result in costly actions, including high maintenance costs, unplanned shutdowns and unanticipated shut-ins.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Protecting expensive process equipment&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Gas processing plants require fast and accurate measurements of moisture (H2O), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2), because these contaminants damage expensive equipment such as turbo-machinery and pipelines; shorten desiccant, contractor or molecular sieve lifetimes; and threaten the operator's ability to maintain tight process control and product quality. In some cases, the gas processor's downstream customer can shut in their supplier, which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;1-Oct-08 2:00 PM
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>Improving Process Control with TDL Technology</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>&lt;div&gt;Confronted with increasing costs and product integrity issues, the hydrocarbon processing industry has become increasingly dependent on sensors for detection and the measurement of impurities in gas streams. For some sensing technologies, this can be a hit and miss situation that can comprise process control and result in costly actions, including high maintenance costs, unplanned shutdowns and unanticipated shut-ins.&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;font-family: Arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Protecting expensive process equipment&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;Gas processing plants require fast and accurate measurements of moisture (H2O), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2), because these contaminants damage expensive equipment such as turbo-machinery and pipelines; shorten desiccant, contractor or molecular sieve lifetimes; and threaten the operator's ability to maintain tight process control and product quality. In some cases, the gas processor's downstream customer can shut in their supplier, which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</itunes:summary>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/art/18/</guid>
			<author>Jennifer Soto</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/55/</link>
			<title>Monitoring Moisture Content In The Air Can Help Save Lives And Billions Of Dollars In Fuel Costs From Air Traffic Delays.</title>
			<description>Every day, weather forecasters are challenged to accurately assess the potential for severe weather such as flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes, as well as helping to ensure the safety of commercial and private aircraft from threatening thunderstorms, icing and wind shear. On average, more vaporized water (in the form of vapor and clouds) flows over the dry state of Arizona than flows down the Mississippi river. It is this high-energy atmospheric moisture that provides severe weather systems the majority of their strength.    Since the 1940&amp;#8217;s, a network of about 70 weather balloon stations across the country have collected information about the atmosphere at twelve-hour intervals. They provide the basic weather measurements from the ground up through the jet stream, the layer of the atmosphere where our weather forms. But weather moves quickly, and a snapshot of the atmosphere just a few hours old can become misleading and unrepresentative. This loss of awareness of the...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/55/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/54/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Introduces OXY4400 for Trace Measurement of Oxygen in Natural Gas</title>
			<description>Houston, TX (PRWEB) November 9, 2009 -- SpectraSensors, Inc., a leading supplier of optical sensors for petrochemical applications, announced the model OXY4400 oxygen analyzer for natural gas pipelines.    A common problem associated with the production of natural gas is the presence of oxygen which can enter via air leaks in upstream equipment. The negative impacts of oxygen in natural gas include corrosion of piping, reduced life of gas plant equipment and penalties on the prices of the gas.    Operators control oxygen in natural gas by eliminating leaks, however levels of 10 to 100 ppmv (parts per million by volume) are common. The measurement of oxygen at these low concentrations has been difficult in the past because available technologies suffer damage from corrosive constituents in the gas such as H2S and the sensors themselves decay over time.    The maintenance and repair of equipment in these applications is expensive. Natural gas production and gathering sites are typically...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/54/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/51/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Receives 2009 North America Frost &#0038; Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation of the Year</title>
			<description>Houston, TX &#8212; September 21, 2009 &#8212; Based on its recent analysis of the trace gas and moisture measurement instrumentation market, Frost &amp; Sullivan recognizes SpectraSensors with the 2009 North America Frost &amp; Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation of the Year. The recipient has developed instruments that use laser absorption spectroscopy and a tunable diode laser (TDL) that emit near-infrared light (NIR) for enhanced, non-contact, precise measurement of key constituents such as moisture, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and acetylene in a gas sample.    SpectraSensors&#8217; TDL technology can be applied in critical and demanding applications, including natural gas quality measurement, trace measurement in industrial process plants, and atmospheric monitoring. The company offers high selectivity, immunity to interfering analytes in the gas stream, increased sensitivity and repeatability, rapid response time, and freedom from contamination.    SpectraSensors&#8217; analyzers can help natural...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/51/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:15:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/50/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Ranked for the Second Year in a Row on Inc. Magazine's List of the Top 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies</title>
			<description> Houston, TX (PRWEB) August 17, 2009 -- For the second year in a row, SpectraSensors, Inc. has been ranked on the Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, with nearly 324 percent revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. SpectraSensors is a leading manufacturer and supplier of precision optical laser-based gas analyzers used by the natural gas, petrochemical, and atmospheric industries to improve efficiency and product quality.     SpectraSensors was founded in 2001 as a technology spin-off of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. The company uses tunable diode lasers (TDLs) to improve the quality and efficiency of natural gas and petrochemical processing and to conduct environmental monitoring in a host of clean tech applications. It enables customers such as Chevron (also an investor in the company), ConocoPhillips and BP to operate in a cleaner and safer manner while also helping to improve product yields.     Over...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/50/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/47/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Secures $6M in New Funding</title>
			<description>   Houston, TX May 18, 2009 -- SpectraSensors, Inc., a leading supplier of optical sensors for industrial and environmental gas sensing applications, announced the company has raised in excess of $6M in new financing from both its current investors as well as new investors. Investors participating include Blueprint Ventures, Nth Power, American River Ventures, Nomura Private Equity Investment, and Chevron Technology Venture Investments.    Raising additional working capital at favorable terms in the current economic climate is a true testament to the strength of SpectraSensors products, customers and technology, said George Hoyem, Managing Director of Blueprint Ventures, further stated, as the company continues to expand and grow, this additional working capital allows SpectraSensors to aggressively address new markets and applications for its world class technology and solutions.    George Balogh, CEO, stated, This investment along with operating changes implemented earlier in the...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/47/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2009 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/45/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Reorganizes Sales and Marketing Team</title>
			<description>   Jorge Jones appointed Vice President Marketing &amp; Business Development to head Strategic Marketing, Product Management and Business Development      Jorge Jones has been appointed Vice President Marketing &amp; Business Development reporting to the CEO of SpectraSensors Inc. Jones has been with SpectraSensors for 3 years successfully leading the International expansion of the business. Reporting to Jones are the Directors of Product and Industry Management for SpectraSensors&#8217; two major market segments, natural gas and process. These two positions are at the core of the company&#8217;s efforts to further develop and define products for the respective industries.    As SpectraSensors evolves into a midsize corporation these changes are designed to further strengthen three areas of the organization: Product portfolio management, strategic marketing, and the sales channels ability to continue delivering exceptional growth as a larger global organization said George Balogh, CEO of SpectraSensors. ...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/45/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/2/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Ranked Fifth on Inc. Magazine's List of the Top 50 Environmental Services Companies in America</title>
			<description>Optical Laser-Based Analyzer Manufacturer and Supplier Ranked Fifth in Environmental Category, 583rd Overall  Houston, TX &#8211; August 26, 2008 &#8211; SpectraSensors, Inc. has been ranked fifth on Inc. Magazine&#8217;s list of the 50 fastest-growing private American companies in the environmental category, which includes a broad range of product and services companies. The company placed 583rd on the Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., with nearly 600 percent revenue growth from 2004 through 2007. SpectraSensors is a leading manufacturer and supplier of precision optical laser-based gas analyzers used by the natural gas, petrochemical, clean tech and environmental monitoring industries to improve efficiency and product quality.  Our second annual Inc. 5,000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism, said Inc. 5,000 project manager Jim Melloan. The Inc. 5,000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/2/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/3/</link>
			<title>Gas Analyzer Manufacturer SpectraSensors Awarded ISO 9001:2000 Certification</title>
			<description> SpectraSensors, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced laser-based moisture analyzers used by the natural gas and petrochemical industry, has been recommended for ISO 9001:2000 certification by Underwriters Laboratories Inc.     Rancho Cucamonga, CA (PRWEB) May 20, 2008 -- SpectraSensors, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced laser based gas analyzers used by the natural gas and petrochemical industry, has been recommended for ISO 9001:2000 certification by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. The certification will be officially awarded in approximately 30-45 days by the International Standards Organization.     The new registration represents a key step forward in SpectraSensors' plans to meet international market standards and compliance in terms of product quality, safety and documentation processes.     We are committed to assuring our customers that we have the systems and other qualifications in place to satisfy their immediate and long-term needs, says Alfred Feitisch, Vice President of...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/3/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2008 21:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/4/</link>
			<title>Atmospheric Testing Expert to Present Carbon Emission Trading Scheme at Geneva Aviation and Environment Summit</title>
			<description>Representing SpectraSensors, Inc., a leader in laser-based absorption spectroscopy, Dr. Fleming will present a new atmospheric water vapor sensor for commercial aircraft to improve weather information and hence reduce fuel consumption. The payoff - lower carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.  Rancho Cucamonga, CA (PRWeb) March 26, 2008 -- Prominent atmospheric scientist Dr. Rex J. Fleming will provide a new insight into carbon emission trading schemes (ETS) at a pre-conference workshop of the Aviation &amp; Environment Summit meeting in Geneva on April 21, 2008.  The advanced atmospheric moisture analyzer, part of SpectraSensors' laser-based moisture analyzer product line, will also be exhibited as part of the Aviation &amp; Environment Summit April 22-23, 2008.  This is the third annual conference where members of the aerospace industry, regulators and representatives of civil society meet to discuss technological progress, such as advanced moisture analysis, that...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/4/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<category>Release</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/7/</link>
			<title>SpectraSensors Awarded Patent on Enhanced Optical Monitoring of Moisture in Natural Gas</title>
			<description>The new enhanced gas analyzer patent for the detection of water vapor in natural gas further strengthens SpectraSensors' position in the natural gas industry.  Houston, TX (PRWeb) March 12, 2008 -- SpectraSensors, Inc. has been issued a new patent for the advanced detection of water vapor in natural gas streams via a laser-based gas analyzer system. This new patent is an enhancement of the previously issued patent 7,132,661 on moisture monitoring using lasers in the 1.9 microns, 0.9 microns and 2.7 microns spectral region.  I believe this new patent underscores our leadership in laser based trace gas analyzers and further strengthens our position in the natural gas industry, says George M Balogh, SpectraSensors CEO.  The new patent extends that which is embodied in a unique method of determining the level of water vapor in natural gas. That method is based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), which provides a light source emitting light at a precise frequency where...
</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/rel/7/</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:45:00 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/agmsc-2010/</link>
			<title>AGMSC 2010</title>
			<description>                                                  If you have        difficulty viewing this email, please see the onlinecopy.                                                 Exhibiting at         AGMSC 2010         August 10-12, 2010                                    Leading Global Provider of Process Based Instrumentation         for Natural Gas will be exhibiting at AGMSC 2010!         SpectraSensors has recently completed the introduction of several new products to expand on its gas quality measurement solutions, including the following:    &amp;#8220;e&amp;#8221; product configuration for H20 and CO2 analyzers  OXY4400 Oxygen Analyzer based on Quench Fluorescence Technology  H2S + H20 + CO2 Combination Analyzers  Sample Pre-Conditioning Products from Mustang Sampling           AMS100 Analyzer Management Software   In addition, we will be hosting a hands-on session and TWO paper sessions all of which introduce you to moisture measurements in natural gas:Hands On Training: SpectraSensors...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/agmsc-2010/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:47:57 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/directions/</link>
			<title>Locations</title>
			<description>                                                                                           Headquarters                       4333 W Sam Houston Pkwy N        Ste 100       Houston, TX 77043-1223        Phone: (713) 300-2700                Fax: (713) 856-6623         sales@spectrasensors.com                Click here for online directions                       Manufacturing and R&amp;D                       11027 Arrow Route                Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-4866 Phone: (909) 948-4100         Toll Free: (800) 619-2861                Fax: (909) 948-4142        Click here for online directions                                                                               Service                       4333 W Sam Houston Pkwy N        Ste 100 Houston, TX 77043-1223 Domestic: (800) 619-2861 option 2 International: (713) 300-2700 option 2        Fax: (713) 856-6623         service@spectrasensors.com                                   

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/directions/</guid>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:12:28 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101/</link>
			<title>SS500e Enhanced Moisture Analyzer</title>
			<description>      SpectraSensors SS500e Analyzer is an economical analyzer which utilizes the same state-of-the-art technology as SpectraSensors higher detection analyzers, assuring the user of high reliability and repeatability.  Product Code: 10101     Application Note  Drawings  Manuals                 Application Note Rapid Response Time   At four measurements per second, the analyzer can measure the fastest changes in the pipeline. Adjustable, real-time results display every 0.25-2 seconds.      No Consumables    Because the analyzer&amp;#8217;s sensor never touches the gas stream it does not get contaminated. The factory set calibration lasts for the life of the analyzer and reconditioning is never required.        Payback The SS500e very quickly pays for itself by doing away with expensive consumables, extra sensor heads, labor and overhead associated with excessive maintenance. Costs due to unreliable gas measurements can be reduced by eliminating added processing steps, poor gas quality and...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:17:23 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/ss2000h2otraditional/</link>
			<title>SS2000 Series - Moisture Analyzer Solution</title>
			<description>     For H2O, the SS2000 Single Channel Analyzer is extremely reliable and tailored for the needs of the natural gas industry. Tunable diode laser (TDL) determines concentration of gas without coming into physical contact with it. Measurements are not hampered by wet-up or dry-down times as with surfaced-based sensors.     Product Code: 10201    Application Note  Drawings  Manuals            Application Note  SpectraSensors SS2000 Single Channel Analyzer for H2O is extremely reliable and tailored for the needs of the natural gas industry. The sensor measures gas using a patented Tunable Diode Laser Diode (TDL) to determine the concentration of the gas without coming into physical contact with the stream. Rapid Respone Time The SS2000 analyzer takes four measurements per second with a laser and detector and immediately averages the results. Because there is no contact with the gas, real-time measurements are not hampered by wet-up or dry-down times as with surfaced-based sensors.  ...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/ss2000h2otraditional/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:13:47 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10201emodel/</link>
			<title>Model SS2000e Enhanced Analyzer</title>
			<description>      SpectraSensors SS2000e Single Channel Analyzer for H2O or CO2 is extremely reliable and tailored for the needs of the natural gas industry. The sensor measures gas using a patented Tunable Diode Laser Diode (TDL) to determine the concentration of the gas without coming into physical contact with the stream.           Drawings   Manuals                 Application Note Rapid Response Time   At four measurements per second, the analyzer can measure the fastest changes in the pipeline. Adjustable, real-time results display every 0.25-2 seconds.      No Consumables    Because the analyzer&amp;#8217;s sensor never touches the gas stream it does not get contaminated. The factory set calibration lasts for the life of the analyzer and reconditioning is never required.     Payback  The SS2000e very quickly pays for itself by doing away with expensive consumables, extra sensor heads, labor and overhead associated with excessive maintenance. Costs due to unreliable gas measurements can be...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10201emodel/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:13:32 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101emodel/</link>
			<title>Model SS500e Enhanced Analyzer</title>
			<description>      SpectraSensors SS500e Analyzer is an economical analyzer which utilizes the same state-of-the-art technology as SpectraSensors higher detection analyzers, assuring the user of high reliability and repeatability.        Drawings    Manuals                        Application Note Rapid Response Time   At four measurements per second, the analyzer can measure the fastest changes in the pipeline. Adjustable, real-time results display every 0.25-2 seconds.      No Consumables    Because the analyzer&amp;#8217;s sensor never touches the gas stream it does not get contaminated. The factory set calibration lasts for the life of the analyzer and reconditioning is never required.     Payback  The SS500e very quickly pays for itself by doing away with expensive consumables, extra sensor heads, labor and overhead associated with excessive maintenance. Costs due to unreliable gas measurements can be reduced by eliminating added processing steps, poor gas quality and the possibility of damage to...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101emodel/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:13:09 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101traditional/</link>
			<title>SS500 - SS500 Mid-Sensitivity Moisture Analyzer Solution</title>
			<description>   SpectraSensors SS500 Analyzer is an economical analyzer which utilizes the same state-of-the-art technology as SpectraSensors higher detection analyzers, assuring the user of high reliability and repeatability.    Product Code: 10101    Application Note  Drawings  Manuals            Application Note     SpectraSensors SS500 Analyzer is an economical analyzer which utilizes the same state-of-the-art technology as SpectraSensors higher detection analyzers, assuring the user of high reliability and repeatability.    Rapid Response Time At four measurements per second, the analyzer can measure the fastest changes in the pipeline. Adjustable, real-time results display every 0.25-2 seconds.     No Consumables Because the analyzer&amp;#8217;s sensor head never touches the gas stream it does not get contaminated. The factory set calibration lasts for the life of the analyzer and reconditioning is never required.       Payback  The SS500 very quickly pays for itself by doing away with expensive...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10101traditional/</guid>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:12:44 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/wvss/</link>
			<title>WVSS-II - Atmospheric Gas Analyzer</title>
			<description>   Prior to the advent of the SpectraSensors WVSS-II (Water Vapor Sensing System), weather forecasts for commercial and general aviation were often a compilation of data from weather satellites, weather balloons, pilots&amp;#8217; experience and sophisticated estimates of emerging patterns. But the most accurate weather models are updated in 12-hour intervals only at 70 national launch sites for radiosonde balloons and cannot respond to unforecasted atmospheric instability.      Brochure  Data Sheet Aviation Industry on Climate Change with WVSS           Application Note  Why weather satellites and balloons are not enough  Accurate weather forecasting needs measurements of water vapor, wind, temperature and pressure at all levels of the atmosphere. Weather satellites provide broad coverage of atmospheric information for regional and international forecasting. But their data, whether derived from infrared or visual imaging, cannot reveal the detailed changes in water vapor in the vertical...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/wvss/</guid>
			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:16:58 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10603/</link>
			<title>SS1000 - Portable Carbon Dioxide Analyzer Solution</title>
			<description>   SpectraSensors SS1000 Portable Carbon Dioxide Analyzer is light weight, easy to handle and battery-powered. Utilizing the same extraordinary sensor technology as the SS2000, the instrument is designed for convenience and allows for fast and easy measurements in the field.      Product Code: 10603    Application Note  Drawings    Operating Manual          Application Note   SpectraSensors SS1000 Portable is a light weight, easy to handle, battery-powered CO2 analyzer, used to verify measurements and for spotchecking when other methods provide questionable results.    In natural gas pipeline applications, poor quality measurement results are extremely costly. Additional processing or dehydration costs, upset conditions, shut-ins and inconsistent process results may be caused by sensors that do not perform properly. The SS1000 reveals poorly performing sensors, pinpoints high moisture and can be used as a standard for measurement validation.    Rapid Response Time The SS1000 allows...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10603/</guid>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:53:43 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Content Managers</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/10401/</link>
			<title>SS1000 - Portable Moisture Analyzer Solution</title>
			<description>     SpectraSensors SS1000 Portable Moisture Analyzer is light weight, easy to handle and battery-powered. Utilizing the same extraordinary sensor technology as the SS2000, the instrument is designed for convenience and allows for fast and easy measurements in the field.    Product Code: 10401    Application Note  Drawings  Manual            Application Note  SpectraSensors SS1000 Portable is a light weight, easy to handle, battery-powered H2O analyzer, used to verify measurements and for spotchecking when other methods provide questionable results. In natural gas pipeline applications, poor quality measurement results are extremely costly. Additional processing or dehydration costs, upset conditions, shut-ins and inconsistent process results may be caused by sensors that do not perform properly. The SS1000 reveals poorly performing sensors, pinpoints high moisture and can be used as a standard for measurement validation. Rapid Response Time The SS1000 allows for fast, simple...

</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/10401/</guid>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:52:15 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>
		<item>
			<category>Survey</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?3</link>
			<title>Sales &#0038; Marketing Meeting 2008 -- Cancun, Mexico</title>
			<description>Objectives: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Release Date: 15-Jan-09 11:00 AM&lt;br&gt;Expiration Date: 21-Jan-09 11:00 AM&lt;br&gt;</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?3</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Survey</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?2</link>
			<title>2009 Sales Meeting, Cancun, Mexico</title>
			<description>Objectives: Goals are to find out if attendees found the event informative and how it differed from the 2008 Sales Meeting.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Release Date: 9-Jan-09 7:00 AM&lt;br&gt;Expiration Date: 16-Jan-09 7:00 AM&lt;br&gt;</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?2</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
</item>

		<item>
			<category>Survey</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?1</link>
			<title>Lorem ipsum survey</title>
			<description>Objectives: &lt;p&gt;Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummynibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat. Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tution ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Duis autem dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit au gue duis dolore te feugat nulla facilisi. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci taion ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi per suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Release Date: 9-Oct-08 10:21 AM&lt;br&gt;Expiration Date: 9-Jan-09 10:21 AM&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummynibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat. Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tution ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Duis autem dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit au gue duis dolore te feugat nulla facilisi. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci taion ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat. Duis te feugifacilisi per suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex en commodo consequat.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diem nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut lacreet dolore magna aliguam erat volutpat. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Ut wisis enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci</description>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/sur/?1</guid>
			<author>noemail@spectrasensors.com</author>
			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:21:33 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/780/</link>
			<title>IMG_0729</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/780/IMG_0729-m.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>IMG_0729</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/779/</link>
			<title>IMG_0728</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/779/IMG_0728-m.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>IMG_0728</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/778/</link>
			<title>DSCN1320</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/778/DSCN1320-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1320</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
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		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/777/</link>
			<title>DSCN1319</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/777/DSCN1319-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1319</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/776/</link>
			<title>DSCN1312</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/776/DSCN1312-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1312</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/775/</link>
			<title>DSCN1311</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/775/DSCN1311-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1311</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/774/</link>
			<title>DSCN1309</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/774/DSCN1309-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1309</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/773/</link>
			<title>DSCN1307</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/773/DSCN1307-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1307</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/772/</link>
			<title>DSCN1306</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/772/DSCN1306-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
</description>
			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1306</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
		</item>

		<item>

			<category>photos</category>
			<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/photos/v/771/</link>
			<title>DSCN1305</title>
			<description>&lt;img src =&quot;http://www.spectrasensors.com/tpeople/wwwspectrasensors4.1/jsoto/photos/771/DSCN1305-m.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;br&gt;File uploaded by Jennifer Soto. 
&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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			<itunes:subtitle>DSCN1305</itunes:subtitle>
			<itunes:summary>File uploaded by Jennifer Soto.</itunes:summary>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:35 GMT</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>Lorem ipsum</title>
<category>Courses</category>
<link>http://www.spectrasensors.com/en/courses/view.asp?courseid=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[Instructor: Instructor<br><br>

Lorem ipsum<br>
]]></description>
<dc:subject>Course</dc:subject>
<dc:date>2008-10-09T15:21:33Z</dc:date>
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