Model 1505D-EXP Operating Instructions
Contents
1. 12 Testing the Safety Valve The instrument is fitted with a Safety Valve to ensure that the lid is properly seated prior to pressurizing the chamber The Safety Valve will vent the chamber if the lid is not properly closed This valve MUST be tested at the beginning of each measurement session First use your finger to depress the piston Insert a solid rubber gasket into the lid so that it is inside the safety valve Install the lid on the chamber Turn the lid clockwise to the stop Ensure the cam is directly over the piston Hl i my Then turn the lid back so that the cam Begin to slowly apply pressure to the chamber is not blocking the piston SAFETY VALVE C D o y Am Collar 7 4 p s 3 3 lt Piston gt em Buna 70 O Ring 006 The safety valve should pop open before the pressure reaches 2 bar You will hear nitrogen escaping from the valve and the pressure will not increase in the chamber If it does not turn the control to EXHAUST then remove the nut and piston of the safety valve and lubricate the O ring on the piston with petroleum jelly Reassemble and test the safety valve again When the safety valve opens the pressure in the chamber should drop to near zero This time the safety valve should open at a pressure below 2 bar If it does not remove the nut and piston of the safety valve and again clean and lubricate the O ring on the piston with petroleum jelly Chec2. When the batteries get too weak for the gauge to operate reliably the gauge will shut off If the gauge is turned on with batteries in this condition the version and range display will show momentarily but the gauge will again shut off If the batteries are too weak the gauge will not turn on REPLACING THE BATTERIES 1 Remove the 4 screws that hold the instrument panel inside the case 2 Remove the instrument from inside the case and turn it over 3 Locate the back of the gauge Using your thumb slide the back panel from the gauge 4 Replace batteries with high quality fresh AAA batteries Recycle old batteries according to local recycling laws CALIBRATION ERROR For any calibration or error in gauge performance please contact PMS Instrument Company WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED MEASUREMENTS 1 Close valve on nitrogen tank 2 Release pressure from 6 foot hose by using the purge valve on the hose Release any excess pressure in chamber by turning control valve to EXHAUST position 3 Check gauge on hose to ensure it indicates no pressure Check gauge on instrument to ensure it indicates no pressure Disconnect the hand nut from the nitrogen tank and then the quick disconnect fitting on the instrument INSTRUMENT MAINTENANCE 1 Remove the O Ring from around the lid Clean with rag and lubricate with Petroleum Jelly for optimal performance 2 Remove the Compression Gland Screw from the lid Clean the threads of the Screw and
3. 98 37 EC 97 37 EC Equipment is below class I limits per the oy Mar ELANCOURT FRANCE Fa 1 30 50 34 50 Fax 01 30 50 34 49 sols masures com info y Ssols mesures com Responsible party in the European Union Place Elancourt France Date May 6 2009 President PMS Instrument Company ia Place Albany Oregon USA Officer Jeff Ham el Pr esid ent Date May 6 2009 PMS Instrument Conipany 15 Warnings Considerations and Limits Intended Usage The Pressure Chamber Instrument usage is intended for applying pressure to plant material to determine water potential or to extract water xylem from plants It should not be used to pressurize anything other than plant material Using this instrument for any other purpose or in an unsafe manner could result in harm to the user Upon receiving the instrument or using it for the first time each user should familiarize themselves thoroughly with all safety features and set up process to avoid damage of instrument or physical injury to operator Working Environment The instrument is robust and durable and designed for outdoor use It may be used in temperatures as high as 55 C and as low as 10 C It is best to store inside where temperatures do not exceed 40 C or lower than 0 C Keep in clean and dry area Store on a flat surface that is protected from being struck or damaged Normal vibration during use will not affect performance of the instrument such
4. Good root development is also key in regulating water stress Soil Supply Soil composition is critical for the plant Moisture content is a key factor in PMS In addition the temperature of the soil and depth will influence PMS Depending upon the texture of the soil and how it holds moisture is another important aspect of the soil Loose sandy soil will drain out moisture quickly while heavy clay will hold moisture longer How it Works Simply put the pressure chamber is just a device for applying pressure to a leaf or small shoot Most of the leaf is inside the chamber but the cut end of the stem the petiole is exposed outside the chamber see illustration at left The amount of pressure it takes to cause water to appear at the cut surface of the petiole tells you how much tension the leaf is experiencing on its water supply A high value of pressure means a high value of tension and a high degree of water stress These stress levels vary within different species The unit of pressure most commonly used is Bar 1 Bar 14 5 PSI What is Plant Moisture Stress The water status of plants and how to measure it has received much attention in recent years and for good reason Plant moisture stress PMS or plant water potential indicates the demand for water within a plant A PMS measurement indicates the water status of a plant from the plant s point of view PMS also tells how the environment affects the plant
5. High PMS levels cause many physiological processes such as slowing or stopping photosynthesis Conditions producing high PMS reduce plant growth and may eventually result in the death of the plant PMS information can be used to evaluate the plants need for water or how well it is adapted to its environment Why Measure Plant Moisture Stress Measuring PMS gives an indication of a plants ability to grow and function and can be used as a guide for managing the plants moisture environment so as to improve growth and crop yield Air temperature wind speed humidity and soil moisture are all integrated by the plant into one single value PMS A measure of PMS thus gives an evaluation of the moisture status of a plant from the plants point of view It is an excellent tool for aiding in irrigation scheduling for crop plants such as almond walnut prunes cotton and wine grapes or for any application where plant growth is managed such as in nurseries greenhouses seedlings or reforestation Principle of Operation The pressure chamber can be thought of as measuring the blood pressure of the plant except that for plants it is water rather than blood And the water is not pumped by a heart using pressure but rather pulled with a suction force as water evaporates from the leaves Water within the plant mainly moves through very small inter connected cells collectively called xylem which are essentially a network of pipes carrying water fr
6. Model 1505D EXP Pressure Chamber Instrument PMS Instrument Company 1725 Geary Street SE Albany OR 97322 USA Phone 541 704 2299 FAX 541 704 2388 info pmsinstrument com WWw pmsinstrument com OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PICTURE TUTORIALS AND VIDEOS WWW PMSINSTRUMENT COM Tank Hose Connection External Port dip Connection j 3 Foot Hose 100 Bar Digital Gauge Cavitation Chamber Pressure Chamber External Port Selector Valve r i Safety Valve Pressure Chamber Fa Pressure Chamber Lid Rate Valve Control Valve Instrument Specifications Maximum Instrument Operating Pressure 100 BAR 1500 PSI Chambers Construction Solid Stock Stainless Steel Maximum Supply Tank Pressure 200 BAR 3000 PSI Weight 25 Pounds 11 Kg d Compression Gland Screw 1 A lower canopy shaded leaf is covered with foil laminate bag 2 The water in the stem is te under tension 3 The stem is cut and the leaf with bag is sealed inside chamber 4 Pressure is applied to the leaf until water appears at the cut surface Atmospheric Demands The atmosphere of the plant puts four different demands on the plant wind humidity air temperature and radiation Plant Regulation The plant regulates water stress by opening and closing the stomata small holes on the backside of the leaf Other regulators used are leaf flagging rolling and leaf loss
7. X Pressing the button again will display the minimum pressure the gauge has sensed since being turned on and show MIN Pressing a third time will revert the gauge back to the current pressure The MAX or MIN values will be cleared by depressing the ZERO CLEAR button with value displayed Both values will be cleared when the gauge is turned off manually or automatically 8 viv 4 LIGHT CX This button toggles the display backlight on and off However if this button is held for 3 seconds a menu will appear which can be scrolled through by pressing the LIGHT button The menu will offer the following selections which will be blinking to indicate a selectable option 1 IMMED the backlight will only be on while the LIGHT button is being pressed 2 30 SEC the backlight will turn off 30 seconds after the LIGHT button is no longer being pressed 3 1 MIN the backlight will turn off 1 minute after the LIGHT button is no longer being pressed 4 5 MIN the backlight will turn off 5 minutes after the LIGHT button is no longer being pressed 5 NEVER default the backlight will stay on until the LIGHT button is pressed again Note If while in the menu the LIGHT button is not pressed for 3 seconds to either scroll or select the gauge will revert back to the current pressure While in this menu pressing the ZERO CLEAR button will also bring the gaug
8. al firmware rev number b Bottom line VER 2 Pressure range a Top line Full Scale pressure range b Bottom line units of measure to which y Max the unit was calibrated PSI 3 Current pressure a Top line pressure currently being 1500 pal sensed by the gauge b Bottom line selected unit of measure If the ON OFF button is pressed and held for three seconds a menu will appear which can be scrolled through by pressing the ON OFF button The menu will offer the following selections which will be blinking to indicate a selectable option 4 NEVER default the gauge will stay on until the ON OFF button is pushed again 5 5 MIN the gauge will turn off 5 minutes after it is turned on 6 10 MIN the gauge will turn off 10 minutes after it is turned on 7 20 MIN the gauge will turn off 20 minutes after it is turned on A selection is made by pressing the ON OFF button for 3 seconds while an option is blinking Once a selection is made or scrolled past 20 MIN the gauge will return to current pressure 2 ZERO CLEAR With the gauge reading the current pressure this button will zero the display provided the reading is below the lesser of 50 psi or 5 of the pressure range e g between 50 and 50 psi on a 1000 psi gauge 3 MIN MAX Pressing this button will display the maximum pressure the gauge has sensed since being turned on in the top line of the display The bottom line will read MA
9. amber Cavitation Chamber Lid 2 Turn Control Valve on the instrument to the OFF position 3 Select the Cavitation Chamber External Port option using the selector valve This valve will direct direct the pressure to either the Pressure Chamber or Cavitation Chamber External Port 4 Slowly open the valve on the nitrogen tank One half to one turn is normally sufficient 5 Turn on the digital gauge Press ON OFF button N CAUTION Do not uncouple the quick disconnect fittings when hose is under pressure Always check to see that gauge on tank and instrument read zero pressure before operating quick disconnect fitting The pressure relief valve on the 6 foot hose is used to bleed pressure from the hoses 6 SELECTING A SAMPLE FOR THE CAVITATION CHAMBER 1 Cut a sample from a plant to be tested Use a sharp blade and avoid breaking the sample When searching for a sample be sure it is long enough to properly extend through the Cavitation Chamber so as to be easy to work with 2 As there are many ways of connecting samples to a head of water and measuring water conductivity it has been left up to the user to supply tubing connections head of water and measuring devices for testing conductivity in the sample Laboratory amp Medical supply stores will have a vast amount of tubing connections flow gates syringes and other supplies that will be useful in this area 3 When connecting samples be careful wit
10. as travel in vehicle or all terrain vehicles Excessive shaking and vibration can cause damage If the instrument has received a hard blow or hit it should be evaluated prior to further use The instrument is not vulnerable to humidity but should never be submersed in water If the instrument becomes submersed allow it to dry and evaluate the instrument prior to further use Transporting Instrument Transporting the instrument by any mode should be done with care as not to strike the instrument against anything hard as this might damage the instrument If transporting by vehicle such as truck car or all terrain vehicle the instrument should be securely fastened in order to avoid any damage to the instrument Maintenance Most maintenance issues can be done without much training Consult the maintenance pages in this manual However any adjustments to piping or high pressure connectors should only be performed by factory or authorized personnel Consult us directly for more information Disposal or Decommission of the Instrument While the instrument should provide years of use it is possible that sometime it will be disposed of Local recycling guidelines should be followed for disposal
11. d from the chamber by turning the lid counter clockwise and lifting Place a solid rubber stopper inside the recessed area under the lid as shown Put the lid back on the chamber by pushing down and turning clock wise to the stop Lid must be turned completely to the stop to close the brass Safety Valve If stainless steel piston is not depressed chamber will not pressurize This is a safety feature of the instrument to ensure lid is properly seated Turn control valve to CHAMBER position and pressurize the chamber Adjust Rate Valve until pressure in the chamber increases at the desired rate Bar per second is a recommended rate of increase Rate may be changed at any time even while pressurizing a sample CAUTION Do not close Rate Valve completely or use as a Shut Off valve Valve may be damaged as a result 6 Turn the control valve to EXHAUST position to release pressure from the chamber Remove the lid and solid rubber stopper from the inside of lid You are now ready to take readings 7 You can now select a leaf to test To seal the sample insert the cut end of the petiole stem through the hole from the bottom side of the chamber lid Twist the Compression Screw clockwise to seal the sample in the lid For more detailed information about sampling consult our website USING THE CAVITATION CHAMBER 1 Attach the 3 foot hose to the External Port and to the Cavitation Chamber EXTERNAL Cavitation Ch
12. e back to the current pressure The backlight option selected will be saved when the gauge is turned off 5 UNITS This button accesses a scrollable menu of pressure measurement unit options psi Bar kg cm kPa mPa ftH20 in Hg mmHg cmHg For most water potential readings Bar or mPa scale is used Pressing the UNITS button once will show the first selection blinking Pressing the button again will show the next blinking entry and so on until the menu is completed Upon completion of the menu pressing the button again will exit the menu and use the last selected units Selection of a units option is made by pressing the UNITS button for 3 seconds while the option is being displayed If while in the menu the UNITS button is not depressed in 3 seconds to either scroll or select the unit will revert back to the current pressure While in this menu pressing the ZERO CLEAR button will also bring the unit back to the current pressure The units option selected will be saved when the gauge is turned off BATTERY Gauge powered by two AAA batteries The battery icon located in the lower right hand corner of the display indicates the power level with three segments 1 No segments filled Less than 10 battery life remaining 2 One segment filled 10 to 25 battery life remaining 3 Two segments filled 25 to 50 battery life remaining 4 Three segments filled 50 to 100 battery life remaining
13. f the soil is uniformly irrigated Midday PMS values reflect the tension experienced by the plant as it pulls water from the soil to satisfy the water demand of the atmosphere GETTING STARTED 1 Attach the 6 foot hose to a nitrogen cylinder Connect the other end of the hose to the instrument by retracting the quick connect and insert the hose end Ensure this is properly in place by tugging on the hose lightly Maximum pressure in the cylinder should not exceed 200 Bar or 3000 PSI The hose provided is US Standard CGA 580 Check your local gas supply store for the proper sized connection if your local standards are not CGA 580 A e ll a USING THE PRESSURE CHAMBER 1 Turn Control Valve on the instrument to the OFF position 2 Select the Pressure Chamber option using the selector valve This valve will direct the pressure to either the Pressure Chamber or Cavitation Chamber External Port 3 Slowly open the valve on the nitrogen tank One half to one turn is normally sufficient CAUTION Do not uncouple the quick disconnect fittings when hose is under pressure Always check to see that the hose and instrument gauges indicate no pressure before operating quick connect fitting The purge valve on the 6 foot hose is used to release pressure from the hose 4 Turn on the digital gauge Press ON OFF button 5 Check the Safety Valve and Rate Valve using the following procedure Remove the li
14. h air bubbles inside tubing or connectors as this can affect results Cutting samples and attaching connections underwater will help keep samples from cavitating before testing 4 Once the sample is ready remove both lids of the Cavitation Chamber and insert the sample into a proper sized gasket Next fix the sample into place in the gasket seat of the chamber Slide the appropriate sized insert over the sample and behind the gasket Finish by threading on the lid Repeat this process on the other side 5 The Cavitation Chamber is now ready for testing the sample Some testing of conductivity before cavitation may be necessary depending upon desired results Next turn the control valve to CHAMBER position and pressurize the Cavitation Chamber to the desired pressure After pressure level is attained and maintained for desired timing turn control valve to EXHAUST position Again conductivity testing will take place at this time Repeat procedure at higher incremental levels with conductivity testing in between until finished DIGITAL GAUGE OPERATION KEYPAD OPERATION There are five buttons on the keypad which function as follows 1 ON OFF This button manually turns the unit on or off without regard to mode of operation When the unit is turned on the gauge will display in m 1 second intervals the following start up sequence sasHcrorT p l WWww ashecrofLcom 1 Firmware version z a Top line numeric
15. k for any foreign debris then reassemble and test the safety valve again The safety valve is an important safety component of the instrument Do not attempt to operate the instrument until the safety valve is operating properly that is until it is releasing the chamber pressure at less than 2 bar pressure As an added safety precaution the cover should be left in only one of two positions 1 On the chamber and completely locked in place or 2 Completely removed from the chamber The lid should never be left in any intermediate position PMS Instrument Company 1725 Geary Street SE Albany OR 97322 Phone 541 704 2299 FAX 541 704 2388 E mail info pmsinstrument com WWww pmsinstrument com U Declaration of Conformity PMS Instrument Company 1725 Geary Street SE Albany OR 97322 USA Declare under our sole responsibility that the following products Pump Up Chamber 600 Pressure Chamber 605 Pressure Chamber 615 Pressure Chamber 615D Pressure Chamber 1000 Pressure Chamber 1005 Pressure Chamber 1000 upgraded to 100 Bar Pressure Chamber 1005 upgraded to 100 Bar Pressure Chamber In addition the following accessories are included Cavitation Chamber To which this declaration relates is in conformity with the following Standards or other normative documents EN ISO 12100 1 2003 EN ISO 12100 2 2003 97 37 EC Annex I SOLS MESURES Following the provisions of Directives 17 rue Jean Monnet BP 44
16. om the roots to the leaves The water in the xylem is under tension As the soil dries or humidity wind or heat load increases it becomes increasingly difficult for the roots to keep pace with evaporation from the leaves This causes the tension to increase Under these conditions you could say that the plant begins to experience high blood pressure Since tension is measured negative values are typically reported An easy way to remember this is to think of water stress as a deficit The more the stress the more the plant is experiencing a deficit of water The scientific name given to this deficit is the water potential of the plant The actual physics of how the water moves from the leaf is more complex than just squeezing water out of a leaf or just bringing water back to where it was when the leaf was cut However in practice the only important factor is for the operator to recognize when water just begins to appear at the cut end of the petiole The Plant Moisture Stress PMS reading at any given time reflects the plant s interaction with the water supply and the demand for water placed upon the plant by its environment see diagram on page 2 Since these factors are almost always changing PMS is nearly always changing The time of measurement therefore requires careful consideration PMS is most at midday and least just before sunrise Pre sunrise PMS values will usually reflect average soil moisture tension i
17. the Compression Gland Base with a rag Lubricate this with Lithium Grease White Grease for optimal performance 3 Compression Gland Gasket can be cleaned with a rubber treatment such as used with automobile detailing Armour All brand for optimal performance When Compression Gland Gasket becomes worn replace with new gasket for optimal performance For a complete list of picture tutorials and videos www pmsinstrument com CONTROL VALVE ADJUSTMENT The control valve will need periodic adjustment depending upon usage Adjustment is required if leakage occurs in the pressurized instrument with the control valve in the OFF position Two tools are needed and have been provided with your instrument A 3 32 inch Allen Key is used to remove the Control Valve Handle A 11 82 inch wrench is used to adjust the packing on the valve 1 Pressurize the instrument with the control valve in the OFF position 2 Loosen the hex screw with the Allen Key It is located on the side of the Control Valve Handle OFF CHAMBER EXHAUST 3 Using the 11 32 wrench slowly tighten the packing gland nut until the leak stops nN CAUTION Do not overtighten the packing gland Permanent damage to the valve will result 4 Replace the handle and tighten the hex screw Maintenance for Compression Gland Lid Maintaining the Compression Gland Lid is quite simple Keep the O ring around the Compression Gland Insert clean and lubricated
18. with petroleum jelly Occasionally unscrew the compression screw and take out the Compression Gland Insert and Compression Gland Gasket inside for cleaning We recommend lubricating the compression screw threads with a Lithium based lubricant such as white grease or other lubricant to maintain the threads and ensure easy operation Keeping these threads clean is important for ensuring operability of the cover Clean the Compression Gland Gasket with ARMOR ALL or other similar cleaner Over time the compression gland gasket will become worn a replacement has been supplied for your convenience If additional gaskets are needed you may purchase them directly from PMS Instrument Company Friction washer gt Is Red To es e c gt om 4 Buna 70 O Rings 006 7 om Compression Gland Insert 2am Compression Gland Gasket 5 gt CT Compression Gland Base TO RE ASSEMBLE THE COMPRESSION GLAND START BY 1 Sliding the Compression Gland into the Chamber Lid 2 Insert the 4 brass screws and screw the insert down tight make sure that the 4 small O rings are in place first 3 Put the Compression Gland Gasket into the Compression Gland Base 4 Put the Compression Gland Insert on top of the gasket and the Friction Washer on top of the Compression Gland Insert 5 Be sure to lubricate the threads and screw the Compression Screw into the Compression Gland Base 6 The Compression Gland Cover is now ready for use
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search