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User Manual SONO-MIX

1. J 30 5 1 Assembly Dimensions NNNM 31 5 2 Mounting in curved SUMACES vccis 2ccesecesecnasecdeavingedecesckibensasackecsscbsbeepaeqasennsakeeauaseateaeeoke anida 32 5 3 Protection of the Probe s MIL Connector against Abrasion 32 94 PDSA USINE MET LT mmm 33 5 5 Exchange of the Probe Head ooccccccccocncncccccconcnncoccnononncnononcnnnnonnnncnnnnnnnnnrnnnnnnnnnrnnnnnnannennnnnnnas 34 5 5 1 Basic Balancing of a new Probe Head 34 6 Connection of the Probe to the SM USB Module from IMKO 36 7 Quick Guide for the Commissioning Software SONO CONFIG 38 7 1 1 Scan of connected SONO probes on the serial interface 38 7 1 2 Configuration of Measure Mode and serial SONO interface 39 7 1 3 Set analogue outputs of the SONO probe 39 7 1 4 Selection of the individual Calibration Curves 40 71 5 Test run in the respective Measurement Mode 41 7 1 6 Measure Run in Datalogging Operation
2. 41 7 1 7 Basic Balancing in Air and Water 42 7 1 8 Offsetting the material temperature sensor 43 7 1 9 Compensation of the electronic temperature 43 9 TECHNICAL DATA SONO MIX u L u uuu ussuuusssssss 44 IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 4 48 f 1 Instrument Description SONO MIX 1 1 1 The patented TRIME TDR Measuring Method The TDR technology Time Domain Reflectometry is a radar based dielectric measuring procedure at which the transit times of electromagnetic pulses for the measurement of dielectricity constants respectively the moisture content are determined The SONO MIX Mixer Probe consists of a high grade steel casing with a removable wear resistant sensor head made of hardened steel and ceramic An integrated TRIME TDR measuring transducer is installed into the casing A high frequency TDR pulse 1GHz passes along wave guides and generates an electro magnetic field around these guides and herewith also in the material surrounding the probe Using a new patented measuring method IMKO has achieved to measure the transit time of this pulse with a resolution of 1 picosecond 1x10 consequently determine the moisture and to provide information in regard to the concrete composition The established moist
3. 14 2 2 Overview of single modes for different applications 15 3 Calibration Curves EE mme 16 3 1 Calibration of SONO MIX in a mixing plant 19 3 1 1 Shortest expecting mixing times and density effects at partial loads 22 3 1 2 SONO MIX to control the water cement ratio 22 3 2 A concept to measure the water demand of earth moist concrete despite strongly fluctuations in high fines content 23 3 3 Creating a linear Calibration Curve for a specific Material 25 3 3 1 Nonlinear calibration CUIVES cccoocccccoccnoccccnccconnnocononononnnnononononnnonannnonanononarnnnnarnnnnncnnnnans 26 4 Connectivity to SONO PIODCS sii a ae ne 27 4 1 Connection Plug and Plug Pinning sees 28 4 2 Analogue Output 0 10V with a Shunt Resistor 28 4 3 Connection diagram with SONO VIEW sssseeeeeeeneneennnnnenn nennen nnne 29 IMKO 3 48 jiii 5 Assembly Instructions
4. After changing the COMx port settings SONO CONFIG must be restarted IMKO y 38 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 7 Quick Guide for the Commissioning Software SONO CONFIG With SONO CONFIG it is possible to make process related adjustments of individual parameters of the SONO probe Furthermore the measurement values of the SONO probe can be read from the probe via the serial interface and displayed on the screen In the menu Bus and the window Configuration the PC can be configured to an available COMx port with the Baudrate of 9600 Baud SonoConfig le ls 1 Bus Configuration Configuration Scan Probes Serial Port ESIH C Use the selected port Automatically search the port 7 1 1 Scan of connected SONO probes on the serial interface In the menu Bus and the window Scan Probes the serial bus can be scanned for attached SONO probes takes max 30 seconds SONO CONFIG reports one or more connected and founded SONO probes with its serial number in the window Probe List One SONO probe can be selected by klicking Probe List Ext Config Calibration Test Measure No SeriaINo ResetBaudrate ProbeName HwVersion FwYersion SONO VARIO 2 06 2 200603 IMKO y 39 48 MICROMODULTECHN 7 1 2 Configuration of Measure Mode and serial SONO interface In Probe List with Config and Measure Mode amp Parameters the SONO probe can be adjusted to the desired measure mode CA CF CS CK CC or
5. N HN N AM SNA x RIN ANA erat Hu IHE GEHE HERE HE o qnis C LO IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 19 48 3 1 Calibration of SONO MIX in a mixing plant SONO MIX is delivered with a raw calibration function which is far higher than the real moisture values kiln dried values of a sand gravel or fresh concrete mixture The reason is that SONO MIX use a powerful modified Kalman filter algorithm which would work incorrect at NULL values division by zero results in infinite Therefore it is necessary with SONO MIX as well as with all other moisture probes to make a recipe specific calibration with the PLC in the mixing plant Another reason for this calibration is that every mixer type has another behaviour concerning the raw density of the mixed material Determination of water content in a PC or in a PLC Measurement values in a PC without unit A D Converter PLC Measurement values without SONO MIX unit e g from 0 Measurement values to 32768 without unit in the range of Oto 25 or 0 4 20mA current output signal In practice a mixer moisture probe has to be calibrated with two points in the mixing plant The first calibration point should be relatively dry e g at 2 to 3 gravimetric moisture The
6. SONO MIX Measurement Digit Value of Measurement value ina PC A D Converter values without unit PLC current signal without unit from O from 4 20mA to max 32768 digits Measurement 7 968 mA 6 2 8126 values of dry This is the mixture Dry value A D Measurement 7 232mA 4 396 10811 This is the values of This is the more PLC value more wet wet value A D where the mixture concrete mixture has exactly 20 0 liter more water inside Note For prefab concrete with higher flow spread it is recommended to record the wet measurement values without concrete plasticizer in the mixture The reason is that the plasticizer modifies the density of the fresh concrete considerably which leads to deviations in the measurement values 3 Determination of the Sensitivity of the SONO MIX for this recipe For calibration and calculation of the mixing water for further mixtures the coefficient c1 Sensitivity of the SONO MIX can be calculated easily in the following way c1 Sensitivity 10811 8126 20 0 liter 2 134 25 digits PLC per liter water Attention This sensitivity is a value for the concrete volume which is used in this procedure for e g 1 0 cubic meter concrete For higher or partial volumes it is necessary to calculate the added water content up or down dependent on the volume Because the SONO MIX measures moisture precise also with different grain size distribution it is possible to calculate with a standard
7. 5 Unit Absolut Weight Standard Setting 5 values Setting Range 0 50 Unit Measurement Values IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK Function CA CF Time in seconds for the generation of the average value can be set with this parameter CC CH CK Setting of the time for calculation of the trend or expectation value for the Boost amp Offset function CA CC CF CH CK Too high measurement values generated due to metal wipers or blades are filtered out The offset value in is added to the dynamically calculated upper limit CA CC CF CH CK Too low measurement values generated due to insufficient material at the probe head are filtered out The offset value in is subtracted from the dynamically calculated lower limit with the negative sign CA CC CF CH CK The maximum duration in seconds of the filter function for Upper Limit failures too high measurement values can be set with this parameter CA CC CF CH CK The maximum duration in seconds of the filter function for Lower Limit failures too low measurement values for longer lasting material gaps le the time where no material is located on the probe s surface can be bridged CA CF CK inactive CC CH The accumulation of moisture values starts above the Moisture Threshold and from here the analogue signal is outputted The accumulation pauses and will be frozen if the moisture level is below the threshold value The No Material Delay time starts and
8. swillepey SAY OSE O O co C LO N O O N O LO veo O O ve HES h Tue V N N NN IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 17 48 LC in ff Lu LE O LO N o de iio SN Dem LI A SY a Y le n T T N J lt gt ll EQ t lt EA 9 L LL I 1 1 jJ Jj Jj Jj Jj J Jj j o 1 os I j J Jj Jj J S A _ 11 4 1 4 L 4 4 4 t t 1 4 4 4 4 4 1 1 L 4 1 T T T Ul ln SIOIN ARA d ell DX DN N N SIR d POO E LINA ri dg amp LO N SPUOI9SOJId ul swiyepey AV 3 O O N O cO O O LO O e st O O mM O O N 7 ve N ds O N MICROMODULTECHNIK GMBH RUNE I N EUN N X rue NEUE EE te EHE LE uH HE HE VA O co a L le o N o D W gt K AS 18 48 O st UI 3INISIO A ABI AS AA Ba oO CASONA
9. Lower Limit 100 Offset Upper o inactiv Limit Keep Time Lower bru inactiv Limit Keep Time Moisture Threshold No Material Delay te inactiv 100 inactiv 100 inactiv inactiv inactiv inactiv inactiv inactiv O N N O O N N O e e O O Offset Weight Invalid Measure Count C1 al inactiv inactiv O o O IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 16 48 f 3 Calibration Curves SONO MIX can measure very different materials For applications in construction industry the SONO MIX is supplied with the calibration curve Cal9 MIX for the mixer operation with sand and gravel Cal9 MIX is slightly increased in the dry measurement range to ensure that in dry sand and gravel the readings do not move to 0 values because values around 0 can be disadvantageous for the filter arithmetic So in dry sand gravel the readings of the SONO MIX show higher measurement values For an absolute value calculation for the water addition into the mixer it is important to take this into account In general the calibration of the probe for the water addition by a PLC has to be determined with laboratory measurement methods oven drying A maximum of 15 different calibration curves Cal1 Cal15 are stored inside the SONO probe and can optionally be activated via the program SONO CONFIG If SONO MIX is used without mixer operation only for measuring the moistur
10. Set 0 29 C 0 50 Max 20 Set Min 0 Set Min fo Set Moisture Range Max 20 Set 0 Set Min Simulate Close 7 1 4 Selection of the individual Calibration Curves 40 48 IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK GMBH In the menu Calibration and the window Material Property Calibration the calibration curves CAL1 to Cal15 which are stored in the SONO probe are loaded and displayed on the screen takes max 1 minute With the mouse pointer individual calibration curves can be activated and tested with the SONO probe by activating the button Set Active Calib Furthermore the individual calibration curves CAL1 to Cal15 can be adapted or modified with the calibration coefficients see Chapter Creating a linear calibration curve Material Property Calibration Cal CO CO J MA A Co n2 Please select one calibration from Call to Call5 to operate At CalbP 0 CalName in Probe MatD P TemiD P DeniD P No Calibration Universal S and Mix Sand bulk density 1 6 Sand bulk density 1 7 Sand bulk density 1 8 Sand bulk density 1 9 Gravel Grit Wood Shavings Brown coal granulate SDONO MIX Salz Lightly sand Sewage sludge Gw Linear Air to Water 1 10tp Calibration Item Set Active Calib Default Calibration Item 1 Set Default Calib m Calibration Name Universal and Mix Set Material Coeffs Temp Coeffs 6 6 20 0 06 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 Set Save Read The des
11. The installation conditions are strongly influenced by the constructional circumstances of the respective mixer types The ideal installation location must be established individually The following guidelines should hereby be observed The following instructions should be followed when installing the probe e The installation locations may not be situated beneath the inlets for additives water and cement e Incase of an uneven base the probe must be installed at the highest point of the base No water may accumulate at the probe head as this could falsify the measurement e Areas with strong turbulences are not ideal for the installation There should be a continuous material flow above the probe head e The stirring movement of the mixer blades should be conducted without gap above the probe head e The probe should not be installed in the direct vicinity of electrical disturbing sources such as motors e The probe may not project into the mixer The installation height of the probe may possibly have to re adjusted due to wear of the mixer blades arms and the mixer base No material may deposit on the probe head as this could falsify the measurement e Incase of curved installation surfaces in the mixer the centre of the probe head should be flush with the radius of the mixer wall without disturbing the radial material flow in the mixer The probe may not project and come in contact with blades or wipers Attention Risk of Breakage
12. Tme Date Moistave MatTemp EC Trime TDRAve DeltaCnt tpave Moisti Moist2 Moist3 Moist TpR1 TpR2 TpR3 TDRA 10 34 41 25 06 2015 84 5 3845 10 845 10 34 40 10 34 39 10 34 38 10 34 37 10 34 36 10 34 35 10 34 34 10 34 33 10 34 32 10 34 31 10 34 30 10 34 29 10 34 28 10 34 27 10 34 26 10 34 25 10 34 24 10 34 23 won C un b CJ hJ A 10 34 22 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 25 06 2015 10 PJ CJ GJ Pd GJ CJ hJ GJ GJ NJ Ly Ly 52 Ly Ly Pd GJ Ly PJ 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 5 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 5 84 5 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 6 84 5 84 6 84 5 1 0 84 6 84 5 1 0 84 5 84 5 1 0 84 5 84 5 1 0 84 6 84 5 1 0 84 6 84 5 1 0 84 6 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 84 5 Max Graph Time s 240 Measure List Graph nterval s 0 Following measurement values are displayed on the screen MoistAve MatTemp EC TRIME TDRAve Moisture Value in Average Temperature Radar based Conductivity EC TRIME in dS m or mS cm TDR Signal Level for special applications Del
13. longer cables A special shielded cable is not necessary and also stub lines are no problem 1 2 3 Error Reports and Error Messages SONO probes are very fault tolerant This enables failure free operation Error messages can be recalled via the serial interface IMKO y 9 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK 2 Configuration of the Measure Mode The configuration of SONO probe is preset in the factory before delivery A process related later optimisation of this device internal setting is possible with the help of the service program SONO CONFIG For all activities regarding parameter setting and calibration the probe can be directly connected via the serial interface to the PC with SM USB Module or the SONO VIEW display module which are available from IMKO The following settings of SONO probes can be amended with the service program SONO CONFIG Measurement Mode and Parameters e Measurement Mode A On Request only in network operation for the retrieval of measurement values via the serial interface e Measurement Mode C Cyclic SONO VARIO is supplied ex factory with suited parameters in Mode CH for measuring moisture of sand and gravel For other applications mode CA could be usable Up to 6 different modes can be adjusted Mode CS Cyclic Successive For very short measuring processes e g 2 10 seconds without floating average and without filter functions with internal up to 100 measurements per second and a cycle time of 250 milliseco
14. material gaps disturbance can be eliminated CA CF CK inactive CC CH The accumulation stopps if the moisture value is below the Moisture Threshold The accumulation pauses for the period of the setted delay time and will be frozen if the moisture level is below the threshold value The SONO probes starts again ina new batch with a new accumulation after the setted time span of the No Material Delay is completely exceeded CA CF inactive CC CH CK Defines how strong single measurement values are weighted dependent on deviation to the current expected average value With e g Boost 35 a single measurement value is weighted with only 6596 100 35 for a new average value CA CF inactive CC CH CK Non linearities in the process can be compensated by higher weighting of higher values Can be used e g in fluid bed dryers or under silo flaps where non linearities can occur due to changes in the material density during process Offset works together with the parameter Average time CA CF CK inactive CH Smoothing factor for analog output setting This parameter influences the reaction response time with factor 3 E g 15 values responds to a reaction time of 15 3 5 seconds 11 48 Invalid Measure Count Standard Setting 2 values Setting Range 0 10 Unit Measurement Values with 3 single values per second Moisture Std Deviation Count Standard Setting 5 values Setting Range 0 20 Unit Measu
15. second point should be in a range which matches the maximum moisture value in practice e g 5 The closely together these both moisture values1 and 2 are the higher could be the measurement error due to the reference measurement especially at moisture values which are beyond of these two points or not between these two points Following process can be recommended 1 Record measurement values in the PLC for a dry mixture of one cubic meter i e the mixture has a relative low water content It is recommended to average the values of the PLC over the last 5 seconds of the dry mixing time In this example a measurement value of 8126 has been recorded with the PLC SONO MIX Measurement Digit Value of Water Measurement value in a PC A D Converter content values PLC current signal in moisture without unit from from 4 20mA 0 to max 32768 digits Measurement 5 968 mA 8126 values with dry This is the mixture Dry value A D IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 20 48 i 2 Add water manually into the dryer mixture e g 20 0 liter water The added and measured water content is later used for the calculation of the c1 Sensitivity of the SONO MIX for this recipe When the mixture has a stable consistency than record the measurement values with the PLC in the more wet mixture It is recommended to average the values over the last 5 seconds of the mixing time In this example a measurement value of 10811 has been recorded with the PLC
16. A the radar time tp of the SONO probe should be now 60ps in air and 1000ps in water Basic Balancing RefValuesitp ps MoistValues MeasValues t ps 1 0 0 2 100 0 Coefficients lt Calculated gt lt in File gt lt in Probe gt b 1883 74 b1 1 24275 Do Measurement Calculate Coeffs Coeffs gt Probe Close IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 43 48 7 1 8 Offsetting the material temperature sensor Material Temo Ote In the menu Calibration and the window Material Temp Offset a zero point offset can be adjusted for the material temperatur sensor which is installed inside the SONO probe In this example a temperature deviation of 5 C is produced by inside self warming of the SONO probe The correction value 5 can be setted in the Coeff0 window Temp CoeffixMeasured Temp Coeff0 Coeffi Coeffo Material Temp Offset e The example shows the parameters for displaying the temperature in the unit Degree Fahrenheit Temp CoeffixMeasured Temp Coeff0 Coeff1 Coeff Now 1 0 im 1 8 32 EE 7 1 9 Compensation of the electronic temperature With this method of temperature compensation a possible Temperature Compensation temperature drift of the SONO electronic can be compensated Now TempComp Because the SONO electronic shows a generally low temperature n2 drift SONO probes are presetted at delivery for standard ambient conditions with the parameter TempComp 0 2 Dep
17. CH see Chapter Configuration Measure Mode Furthermore the serial interface inside the SONO probe can be selected to IMP Bus RS485 or both interfaces Due to very robust behavior it is recommended to select the IMP Bus Measure Mode amp Parameters Default Cycle Mode C Cycli Set Default maa _ Set Defaut sitial N Select Bus Measure Mode amp Parameters Actual Cycle Mode Ic Cyclic Average Mode of Mode C CH Cyclic amp verageHc Kalman with Boost EN G Offset with Moist4ve 10 6 RS485 Average Parameters Average Time s 2 Set Filter Upper Limit Offset abs 25 Filter Lower Limit Offset abs 25 Upper Limit Keep Time s f 0 Lower Limit Keep Timels f Moisture Threshold Z abs 10 1 No Material Delay s 10 Boost nn 35 Offset abs 10 5 Weight no values Invalid Measure Count no values 12 Moist Std Deviation Count no values 5 Algorithmus Parameters C Quick Quick Precision Meas Times no values E Set Close 7 1 3 Set analogue outputs of the SONO probe In the menu Config and the window Analog Output the two analogue outputs of the SONO probe can be configured see Chapter Analogue outputs Analog Output Dutput Current C 0 20mA4 20 0m C 20 4m Dutput Channels Moist Temp C Moist Conduct C Moist Temp Conduct C Moist MoistStdDev Temperature Range r EC Trime mS cm Moist Std Deviation Max 100
18. Set Value Water e g 120 Liter pro m Dig3 12055 Water Content in Liter m Time Initial calibration in a mixer plant for getting a target water demand value A concrete mixer is filled with recipe relevant set values of aggregates like sand gravel and cement After a defined dry mixing time the PLC shows a digit value at point P1 with Dig1 6124 After that water is added little by little until the point is reached where the concrete shows the correct and desired consistency In this example for one cubic meter concrete 80 liters are added measured by the water meter With the desired consistency the PLC shows a stable must be stable digit value of 12055 This PLC digit value of 12055 measured with the SONO MIX is the future target value of the water demand for this concrete recipe l e with a digit value of 12055 the consistency of the conrete has the desired target value In the later process flow this value of 12055 should be not significantly exceeded Please consider Dependend on different concrete recipes other target values are possible Calculation of the sensitivity of the SONO MIX 12055 6124 5931 Digit i e this corresponds with a water addition of exactly 80 Liter per m The sensitivity is arrived from 5931 80 74 14 Digit per 1 Liter Water m Attention with 1 5 cubic meter the calculation should be done with 80 1 5 120 Liter water Water demand controlling in the running process An example I
19. TRIME measurement range of the SONO MIX is 0 50dS m 1 2 4 Material Temperature Measurement A temperature sensor is installed into the SONO probe which establishes the casing temperature 3mm beneath the sensor surface The temperature can optionally be issued at the analogue output2 As the TRIME electronics operates with a power of approximately 1 5 W the probe casing does slightly heat up A measurement of the material temperature is therefore only possible to a certain degree The material temperature can be determined after an external calibration and compensation of the sensor self heating The offset of the measured temperature value can be adjusted with help of the program SONO CONFIG Despite SONO probes show a generally low temperature drift it could be necessary to compensate a temperature drift in special applications SONO probes offer two possibilities for temperature compensation Temperature compensation for the measured material Water and special materials like oil fruits and others can show a dependency of the dielectric permittivity when using SONO probes at high temperature ranges The dielectric permittivity is the raw parameter for measuring water content with SONO probes If special materials show a very special temperature drift e g in lower temperatures a higher drift than in higher temperatures than it could be necessary to make a more elaborate temperature compensation Therefore it is necessary to measure in parall
20. The probe head is made of hardened special steel and a very wear resistant ceramic in order to warrant for a long life span of the probe In spite of the robust and wear resistant construction the ceramic plate may not be exposed to any blows as ceramic is prone to breakage Attention Risk of Overvoltage In case of welding work at the plant all probes must be completely electrically disconnected SONO probes need a stabilized power supply with 7V DC to max 24 V DC With unstabilzed power supply there is the risk of overvoltage We strongly suggest not to use unstabilized power supplies Attention Risk of Malfunction In larger concrete plants it could be possible that there are used different mass potentials for different power lines especially if the PLC is installed in larger distance to the moisture probe Here it could come to problems that the analogue moisture signal 0 4 20mA could not be measured correctly in the PLC With such a problem we recommend to use an isolated powerbox for the SONO probe Available upon request by IMKO Any damage caused by faulty installation is not covered by the warranty Abrasive wear of sensor parts is not covered by the warranty IMKO y 31 48 MICROMODULTECHNI 5 1 Assembly Dimensions SONO MIX can either be installed at the base or the side wall of a mixer One fact to consider is that the installation into the mixer base also enables the measurement of smaller material quantities A p
21. Y e y l e I gt ho A _ A bM bd AH 2 xb S z ae e F a VN e Rt e AN IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH Telefon 49 0 7243 5921 0 Im Stock 2 Fax 49 0 7243 90856 D 76275 Ettlingen e mail info imko de http www imko de publik TECH_MAN TRIME SONO ENGLISH SONO MIX SONO MIX MAN Vers2_5 english docx IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 2 48 f User Manual for SONO MIX As of 03 July 2015 Thank you for buying an IMKO moisture probe Please carefully read these instructions in order to achieve best possible results with your mixer probe SONO MIX for the in line moisture measurement in sand gravel fresh concrete or any other material Should you have any questions or suggestions regarding your new mixer probe after reading please do not hesitate to contact our authorised dealers or IMKO directly We will gladly help you List of Content 1 Instrument Description SONO MIX nenne nnn nana nnn nhan nnns 4 1 1 1 The patented TRIME TDR Measuring Method enne 4 1 1 2 TRIME compared to other Measuring Methods I I aaa 4 1129 Areas ol Application m E EE 4 1 2 Mode of OperatiON occccccccccccoconnccnnnccccononnnnnnnnnnnonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 5 1 2 1 Measurement Values with physically Pre check Average Value and Filtering 5 1 2 2 Aut
22. applications The setting options and special functions of SONO probes depicted in this chapter are only rarely required It is necessary to take into consideration that the modification of the settings or the realisation of these special functions may lead to faulty operation of the probe For applications with non continuous material flow there is the option to optimise the control of the measurement process via the adjustable filter values Filter Lower Limit Filter Upper Limit and the time constant No Material Keep Time The continual floating averaging can be set with the parameter Average Time 10 48 Parameters in the Measurement Mode CA CF CC CH and CK Average Time Standard Setting 2s Setting Range 1 20 Unit Seconds Filter Upper Limit Offset Standard Setting 25 Setting Range 1 20 Unit Absolut Filter Lower Limit Offset Standard Setting 25 Setting Range 1 20 Unit Absolut Upper Limit Keep Time Standard Setting 10 Setting Range 1 100 Unit Absolut Lower Limit Keep Time Standard Setting 10 Setting Range 1 100s Unit Seconds Moisture Threshold start threshold in moisture Standard Setting 0 1 Setting Range 0 100 Unit Absolut No Material Delay period time Standard Setting 10s Setting Range 1 100s Unit Seconds Boost Standard Setting 35nn Setting Range 1 100nn Unit without unit Offset Standard Setting 0 5 Setting Range 0
23. arket show two disadvantages 1 Such microwave probes need a switching signal from a PLC for starting the averaging of the probe This increases the cabling effort 2 Material gaps during one batch process will lead to zero measurement values which falsify the accumulated measurement value considerably recipe errors can occur Unlike current microwave probes SONO probes work in mode CC with automatic summation where it Is really ensured that the measured material has contact with the probe This increases the reliability for the moisture measurement during one complete batch process The summation is only working if material fits at the probe Due to precise moisture measurement also in the lower moisture range SONO probes can record accumulate and store moisture values during a complete batch process without an external switching or trigger signal The SONO probe freezes the analogue signal as long as a new batch process starts So the PLC has time enough to read in the freezed moisture value of the batch For applications without a PLC the freezed signal of the SONO probe can be used for displaying the moisture value to a simple 7 segment unit as long as a new batch process will start With the parameter Moisture Threshold the SONO probe can be configured to the start moisture level where the summation starts automatically Due to an automatic recalibration of SONO probes it is ensured that the zero point will be precisely
24. ate too low measurement values Furthermore the passing or wiping of the probe head with metal blades or wipers can lead to the establishment of too high measurement values Filter Upper Limit The Upper Limit Keep Time sets the maximum possible time where the probe would determine inaccurate too high measurement values Using a complex algorithm SONO probes are able to filter out such faulty individual measurement values The standard settings in the Measurement Mode CA and CF for the filter functions depicted in the following have proven themselves to be useful for many applications and should only be altered for special applications IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 12 48 It is appropriate to bridge material gaps in mode CA with Upper and Lower Limit Offsets and Keep Time For example the Lower Limit Offset could be adjusted with 2 with a Lower Limit Keep Time of 5 seconds If the SONO probe determines a moisture value which is 2 below the average moisture value with e g 8 than the average moisture value will be frozen at this value during the Lower Limit Keep Time of 5 seconds In this way the material gap can be bridged This powerful function inside the SONO probe works here as a highpass filter where the higher moisture values are used for building an average value and the lower or zero values are filtered out In the following this function is described with SONO parameters Sufficient material for an accurately moisture measure
25. c1 Sensitivity for similar recipes For very different recipes e g recipes with coloring agents or other added special materials it is recommended to check the c1 Sensitivity and if necessary determine a new c1 Sensitivity IMKO y 21 A8 MICROMODULTECHNI Following draft shows the parameters at different mixer volumes with 0 8 cubic meter and 1 0 cubic meter Moisture 4 0 96 Moisture 4 0 96 Digit WK A Digit Digit 7 Digit 4000 5000 4000 5000 Delta u Delta 64 Liter 1000 Digit g0Liter 80 Liter 1000 Digit 100 Liter Water 16 Liter Water Water 20 Liter Water To come to the standard parameter liter per one cubic meter the result with liter per 0 8 cubic meter can be calculated to one cubic meter l e 64 Liter 0 8 80 Liter m If a volume of e g 1 5 cubic meter was used following calculation will result 120 Liter 1 5 80 Liter m To come and compare the exact water content values per cubic meter inside the mixture it is possible to take a representative sample out of the mixer for kiln drying weight of water The moisture is calculated by Moisture in 96 10096 weight complete Whereby the weight of water results in the difference of the weight complete before and after the kiln drying The exact water content in liter per cubic meter of the mixture can be calculated with the moisture value and the raw density of the mixture This results with e g 3 moisture an
26. calibrations on request Attention Before performing a Basic Balancing it must be ensured that the SONO probe was set to Measure Mode A If this is not assured the probe returns zero values After a Basic Balancing the SONO probe has to be set to Measure Mode C again because otherwise the probe would not measure continuously In the menu Calibration and the window Basic Balancing the two set point values of the radar time tp are displayed with 60ps and 1000ps 1 Reference set point A tp 60ps in air the surface of the probe head must be dry The first set point can be activated with the mouse pointer by clicking to No 1 By activating the button Do Measurement the SONO probe determines the first reference set point in air In the column MeasValues the measured raw value of the radar time t is displayed e g 1532 05 picoseconds 2 Reference set point B tp 1000ps in water The SONO probe head has to be covered with water in a height of about 50mm The second set point can be activated with the mouse pointer by clicking to No 2 By activating the button Do Measurement the SONO probe determines the second reference set point in water In the column MeasValues the measured raw value of the radar time t is displayed 3 By activating the button Calculate Coeffs and Coeffs gt Probe the alignment data is calculated automatically and is stored in the SONO probe non volatile With a Test run in Mode
27. cessive an average value is not accumulated and the cycle time here is 280 milliseconds In the Measurement Mode CA CF or CK not the momentarily measured individual values are directly issued but the average value is accumulated via a variable number of measurements Average in order to filter out temporary variations These variations can be caused by inhomogeneous moisture distribution in the material surrounding the sensor head The delivery scope of the SONO MIX includes suited parameters for the averaging period and a universally applicable filter function deployable for currently usual applications The time for the average value accumulation as well as various filter functions can be adjusted for special applications 1 2 2 Auto Correction at Abrasion Even in the event of abrasion at the probe head of a SONO probe the automatic measurement compensation enables significantly longer operating periods without the necessity of recalibration Many other probes deployed for the material moisture measurement are equipped with a dielectric screen ceramic or plastic plate If this screen is exposed to wear and a regular recalibration is not conducted these probes will provide faulty measurement values as the intensity of the measuring field subsequently increases due to the wear At the SONO series with the TRIME TDR radar based method the innovative probe design ensures for the automatic correction of the sensor in case of changes to the diel
28. controlled The start level could be variably set dependent to the plant Recommended is a level with e g 0 5 to 1 With the parameter No Material Delay a time range can be set where the SONO probe is again ready to start a new batch process Are there short material gaps during a batch process which are shorter than the No Material Delay with no material at the probes surface then the SONO probe pauses shortly with the summation Is the pause greater as the No Material Delay then the probe is ready to start a new batch process Please note If the PLC already accumulates single moisture values in higher cycle rates than an additional automatic summation of a moisture quantity inside the SONO probe during one batch process will produce errors Here mode CS is recommended How can the mode CC be used if the SONO probe cannot detect the moisture threshold by itself e g above a conveyor belt if there is constant material covering above the probe head over a longer time In this case a short interrupt of the probe s power supply e g for about 0 5 seconds with the help of a relay contact of the PLC can restart the SONO probe at the beginning of the material transport After this short interrupt the SONO probe starts immediately with the summarizing and averaging Please note lt should be noted that no material sticks on the probes surface Otherwise the moisture zero point detection of the probe will be shifted up and the
29. d 1700kg m raw density in Water content in liter m moisture in 96 raw density 100 3 0 1700 100 51 Liter m Typical raw densities for sand gravel and concrete mixtures are Pure sand approx 1500 kg m Sand gravel mixture approx 1700 kg m Sand gravel cement mixture dependent on water content between 2000kg m und 2400kg m A precise measurement of the raw density of the sand gravel mixture can be done with standard sample cubes IMKO 22 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK 3 1 1 Shortest expecting mixing times and density effects at partial loads Time to evaluate signal at dry mix stage The sensor can be configured depending on the requirements of the applications but in the pre setting it requires 15 20s till the value is stable after filling the mixer with aggregates and cement Time to evaluate signal at wet mix stage The sensor will immediately detect the incoming water but commonly it lasts a little till the water is distributed homogeneous thus we suggest not to have shorter wet mixing time than 45s Does density have an effect on accuracy If the mixer load varies from 20 to 100 of total mixer capacity it needs to calibrate for different loads At 20 load the sensor could experience no material or less material Different density does always have an effect and on any sensor operating with an electrical field but how strong this effect is depends on the installation place in the mixer as closer to the wall o
30. e RS485 inside the SONO probe it is necessary to switch and activate the RS485 interface with help of the modul SM USB or SONO VIEW In the Support area of IMKO s homepage www imko de we publish the transmission protocol of the SONO probes 1 2 2 The IMP Bus as a user friendly network system With external power supply on site for the SONO probes a simple 2 wire cable can be used for the networking By use of 4 wire cables several probes can be also supplied with power Standard RS485 interfaces cause very often problems The RS485 is usually not galvanically isolated and therefore raises the danger of mass grindings or interferences which can lead to considerably security problems An RS485 network needs shielded and twisted pair cables especially for long distances Depending on the topology of the network it is necessary to place 1000hm termination resistors at sensitive locations In practice this means considerable specialist effort and insurmountable problems The robust IMP Bus ensures security SONO probes have in parallel to the standard RS485 interface the robust galvanically isolated IMP Bus which means increased safety The serial data line is isolated from the probe s power supply and the complete sensor network is therefore independent from single ground potentials and different grid phases Furthermore the IMP Bus transmit its data packets not as voltage signals but rather as current signals which also works at already existing
31. e content of aggregates like sand and gravel then the calibration curve Cal 1 Universal Sand Mix must be set If SONO MIX isn t used inside a mixer but e g beneath a flap the operation mode must be changed from CK to CA A preliminary test of an appropriate calibration curve Call 15 can be activated in the menu Calibration and in the window Material Property Calibration by selecting the desired calibration curve Cal1 Cal15 and with using the button Set Active Calib The finally desired and possibly altered calibration curve Call 15 which is activated after switching on the probes power supply will be adjusted with the button Set Default Calib Nonlinear calibrations are possible with polynomials up to 5th grade coefficients mO to m5 IMKO publish on its website more suitable calibration coefficients for different materials These calibration coefficients can be entered and stored in the SONO probe by hand Cal14 and Cal15 with the help of SONO CONFIG The following charts Cal 1 15 show different selectable calibration curves which are stored inside the SONO probe On the y axis the gravimetric moisture MoistAve is shown On the x axis depending on the calibration curve the associated radar time tpAve in picoseconds is shown With the software SONO CONFIG the radar time tpAve is shown on the screen parallel to the moisture value MoistAve see Quick Guide for the Software SONO CONFIG O Spuoo2esooig UI
32. e switched to a free number Eigenschaften von USB Serial Port COM4 Erweiterte Einstellungen fiir COM4 Allgemein Anschlusseinstellungen Treiber Details COM Anschlussnummer COMI bereits belegt COM2 Abbrechen Eres bereits belegt Baudraten zu beheben COMS bereits belegt Standard 6 Erh hen Sie die Werte F r ei COM COM bereits beleqt Empfangen Bytes COMBS bereits belegt COMS bereits belegt Senden Bytes COM10 bereits belegt tes COM11 bereits belegt COM12 bereits belegt COM13 bereits belegt BM Einstellungen COM14 bereits belegt Allgemeine Optionen Reduzieren Sie die Werte un COMI5 bereits belegt huoblaw f r seriei Schn tstel verringern COM16 bereits belegt PlugPlay F r serielle Schnittstelle COM17 bereits belegt COM18 bereits belegt Serieller Drucker COM19 Abbrechen der Kommunikation wenn das Ger t COMZ20 bereits belegt ausgeschaltet wird Timeouts COM21 Event bei unvorhergesehener Entfernung des COM22 Gerats D COM23 Minimale Anzahle der Lese Ticom24 Beim Schlie en der Verbindung RTS aktiv setzen Mes COM2S bereits belegt Abschalten der Modemansteuerung beim Minimale Anzahle der Schreiy COM26 Hochfahren des Ger ts ms COM27 COM28 COM29 USB Packetgr en Reduzieren Sie die Werte u Bits pro Sekunde 9600 Datenbits 8 Paritat Stoppbits 1 Flusssteuerung Keine Wiederherstellen Wartezeit ms
33. e window Probe List after max 30 seconds with its serial number Note 1 In the Device Manager passes it as follows Control Panel gt System gt Hardware gt Device Manager IMKO 37 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH Ger te Manager Seles Datei Aktion Ansicht Hee eth m Under the entry Ports COM amp LPT now the A Y aus BE item USB Serial Port COMx is found 1 ECP Druckeranschluss LPT1 7 Intel R Active Management Technology SOL COMZ20 gt kommunikationsanschluss COMI Y Prolific USB to Serial Bridge COM Prolific USB to Serial Bridge COM3 gt Standardm lgige Seriell ber Bluetooth Yerbindung COIMIT4 Standardm ligige Seriell Ober Bluetooth Werbindung COMIT5 Y Standardma figige Seriell Gber Bluetooth Verbindung COM16 gt Standardm figige Seriell Gber Bluetooth Verbindung COM 7 Standardm igige Seriell ber Bluetooth Verbindung C0M118 E USE Serial Port COM4 8 Audio video und Gamecontroller 8 Bildbearbeitungsger ate Ed Bluetooth Funkger te COMx set must be between COM1 COM9 and it should be ensured that there is no double occupancy of the interfaces If it comes to conflicts among the serial port or the USB SM has been found in a higher COM port the COM port number can be adjusted manually By double clicking on USB Serial Port you can go into the properties menu where you see connection settings with Advanced button the COM port number can b
34. econd and a cycle time of 200 milliseconds at the analogue output Mode CC Cyclic Cumulated with automatic summation of a moisture quantity during one batch process Mode CH Cyclic Hold with filtering functions similar to Mode CC but without summation Mode CK Cyclic Kalman Filter with Boost Standard setting for SONO MIX for use in fresh concrete mixer with continual average value with special dynamic Kalman filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 SIGNAL OUTPUT 2 x Analogue Outputs 0 4 20mA Analogue Output 1 Moisture in 0 20 variably adjustable Analogue Output 2 Conductivity EC TRIME RbC 0 50dS m or optionally the temperature or the standard deviation In addition there is the option to split the analogue output 2 into two ranges into 4 11mA for the temperature and 12 20mA for the conductivity The analogue output 2 hereby changes over in 5 second cycles between these two current measurement windows The two analogue outputs can be variably aligned with the SONO CONFIG software For a 0 10V DC voltage output a 500R resistor can be installed CALIBRATION The sensor is provided with a universal calibration for sand A maximum of 15 different calibrations can be stored For special materials variable calibrations with polynomials up to the 5 order are possible and can be downloaded into the sensor with the SONO CONFIG software Download per Internet A zero point correction can be performed easily wi
35. ectric screen caused by abrasion This consequently means continuous reliability and longer maintenance intervals at the SONO probes SONO MIX is signalling the degree of abrasive wear via the blue LED at the probe lid During normal operation the blue LED is on continual A blinking with 1 second signals an abrasion degree of about 75 That means a change of the probe head is necessary in the future A quicker blinking with 0 3 seconds signals an abrasion degree of about 9096 A change of the probe head should be done as quickly as possible Calibration Connector MIL Blue LED Connector IMKO y 6 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK 1 2 3 Determination of the Cement Concentration With the radar based TRIME measurement method it is now possible for the first time not only to measure the moisture but also to provide information regarding the conductivity respectively the cement content the expansion rate or the composition of a special material Hereby the attenuation of the radar pulse in the measured volume fraction of the material e g fresh concrete is determined This novel and innovative technology measures the same amount of material as with the moisture measurement and delivers a radar based conductance value EC TRIME RbC Radar based Conductivity in dS m EC TRIME is a characteristic value which is determined in dependency of the cement concentration respectively the water cement ratio and is issued as an unscaled value The EC
36. efficient m is calculated from the slope of the curve Cal14 Delta y 25 0 Coefficient m 0 0581 Delta x 500 70 The coefficient mg is the offset on the y axis at x 0 Coefficient mg Y2 m4 X2 25 0 0581 500 4 05 IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 2 48 W3 SAS 01300 jo3eA JO seqoid ONOS 19410 eui pe pue Jd peck i i Q1OIHVA ONOS l m i ejdsiq q31 dm Das p m i gt nh 1 YN l welx OIHVA ONOS uoneiqile9 jenpinipui e ue yew 0 10 ejep eunjdeo i A yoinb pue Ajisee 01 ejdurexe 104 qoid eu yM I O epeui eq ueo eqoud ay oj slu uu ojeoiunuiujo9 pue Od e ui I CL 3sn pe D 4NOO ONOS MYOS eqoid ONOS nof joauuoo ueo i 83 y ym uomneutrquioo y ul no ainpow gSN WS ay ui O 7 asn S8vSu O V dud SS 4 ar gt x OIHVA ONOS gt S Eb sj ve S pouu Burjejedo ejeudoudde ue o S a py uijuo seqosd ONOS 2 e1nbiyuoo o jq ssod s Y M3IA ONOS a F 4 Q amp eot ep euoje puels SU uM ie c d O p O1IS ONOS er M3IA ONOS IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 28 48 4 1 Connection Plug and Plug Pinning SONO MIX is supplied with a 10 pole MIL flange plug Assignment of the 10 pole MIL plug and sensor cable connections Sensor Connections Lead Colour Lead Colour A 7V 24V Power Supply edo BOY Powersupply Blue P__ 4 Analogue Posit
37. el the material temperature with the temperature sensor which is placed inside the SONO probe Normally this is related with high efforts in laboratory works SONO probes offer the possibility to set special temperature compensation parameters tO to t5 for every calibration curve Call of Cal15 see chapter Selection of the individual calibration curve Please contact IMKO should you need any assistance in this area 1 2 5 Temperature compensation of the internal SONO electronic With this method of temperature compensation a possible temperature drift of the SONO electronic can be compensated Because the SONO electronic shows a generally low temperature drift SONO probes are presetted at delivery for standard ambient conditions with the parameter TempComp 0 2 Dependent on SONO probe type this parameter TempComp can be adjusted for higher temperature ranges up to 120 C for special version to values up to TempComp 0 75 But it is to consider that it is necessary to make a Basic Balancing of the SONO probe in air and water if the parameter TempComp is changed to another value as TempComp 0 2 The parameter TempComp can be changed with the software tool SONO CONFIG in the menu Calibration and the window Electronic Temperature Compensation Attention When changing the TempComp parameter a new basic balancing of the e SONO probe is necessary IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 7 48 f 1 2 6 Analogue Outputs The measurement values a
38. endent on New TempComp SONO probe type this parameter TempComp can be adjusted for o 7 higher temperature ranges up to 120 C for special high u temperature version to values up to TempComp 0 75 But it is to consider that it is necessary to make a Basic Balancing of the Set TempComp SONO probe in air and water if the parameter TempComp is changed to another value as TempComp 0 2 The parameter TempComp can be changed with the software tool SONO CONFIG in the menu Calibration and the window Electronic Temperature Compensation e Attention When changing the TempComp parameter a new basic balancing of the SONO probe is necessary IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 44 48 8 TECHNICAL DATA SONO MIX SENSOR DESIGN Casing High Grade Steel V2A 1 4301 Exchangeable especially wear resistant sensor head Tungsten carbide plate with highly wear resistant ceramic window MOUNTING sensor Dimensions 108 x 132mm Diameter x Length The mounting and fastening frame can be mounted to the rear side of the mixer base or the outer wall of the mixer For this purpose it is adjusted with the help of the additional welded on mounting frame This enables the easy mounting and dismounting as well as the adjustment of the sensor position in case of wear at the mixer base MEASUREMENT RANGE MOISTURE SONO MIX measures from 0 up to the point of material saturation Measurement ranges up to 9096 moisture are possible with a special ca
39. esh concrete is the decisive factor for the stability and the durability of concrete constructions Hereby the two parameters moisture and cement content assume a central role as these determine the consistency and the desired mechanical stability of concrete The measurement of these two basic parameters therefore warrant for ideal quality and durability SONO MIX accurately measures both in the dry mixture and in the wet mixture A dry mixture can e g be mixed with residual water varying solids content so that the water content to 7096 target is met The remaining 3096 clean water content can then be dosed with SONO MIX precisely 1 1 3 Areas of Application The SONO MIX mixer probe is suited for installation into mixers and chutes and other plant technologies IMKO 5 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK GMBH 1 2 Mode of Operation 1 2 1 Measurement Values with physically Pre check Average Value and Filtering SONO probes measure internally at very high cycle rates of 10 kHz and update the measurement value at a cycle time of 250 milliseconds at the analogue output In these 280 milliseconds a probe internal pre check of the moisture values is already carried out i e only plausible and physically checked and pre averaged single measurement values are be used for the further data processing This increases the reliability for the recording of the measured values to a downstream control system significantly In the Measurement Mode CS Cyclic Suc
40. f the mixer as less this effect is as due to the mixing energy with smaller batches more material is located at the outside of the mixer But it always has to be ensured that at least one mixing tool cleans the sensor per turn to ensure the sensor stays clean Even if close to the wall you will see at least a slight effect of the filling amount 3 1 2 SONO MIX to control the water cement ratio SONO MIX can be also used to control the w c ratio by determination of the moisture respectively the water content at the end of the mixing process Similar as described in the previous chapter a recipe specific calibration with the PLC in the mixing plant can be made at the end of the mixing process with the final fresh concrete Depending to the concrete recipe the probe has to be calibrated with two points in the mixing plant however this two points shall lie in a closer and higher moisture range e g between 7 to 8 due to the concrete type With the determined moisture or water content and the known cement content the w c ratio can be calculated It should be considered that the PLC should calculate the moisture content with several single values over 3 to 5 seconds shortly before the discharge of the mixture IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 23 48 l 3 2 A concept to measure the water demand of earth moist concrete despite strongly fluctuations in high fines content Here it should be previously mentioned that it is critical and not recommended
41. for a serial communication Both connector ports are shown in the drawing below The SM USB is signalling the status of power supply and the transmission signals with 4 LED s When using a dual USB connector on the PC it is possible to use the power supply for the SONO probe directly from the USB port of the PC without the use of the external AC adapter Connection to the Probe RS485 Connector Pin B 0V Power Supply Pin A 12VDC Power Supply lt lt Pin G RS485B Lead Colour brown Pin F RS485A Lead Colour white 12VDC IMP Bus Connector With the option to accomplish a download of the firmware for the SONO probe y ff fas Pin B OV Power Supply Pin A 12VDC Power Supply PinC rt Lead Colour grey pink a P f a Pin J com Lead Colour blue red How to start with the USB Module SM USB from IMKO e Install USB Driver from USB Stick e Connect the SM USB to the USB Port of the PC and the installation will be accomplished automatically e Install Software SONOConfig SetUp msi from USB Stick e Connection of the SONO probe to the SM USB via the serial interface and power supply e Check the setting of the COM Ports in the Device Manager und setup the specific COM Port with the Baudrate of 9600 Baud in SONO CONFIG with the button Bus and Configuration COM1 COM15 is possible e Start Scan probes in SONOConfig e The SONO probe logs in th
42. g the MIL connector and the calibration connector Plug in the blind cap of the calibration connector Plug in the MIL connector again The blue LED should be on continual now SONO MIX is ready to use With strong pressing of a hand to the probe head the analogue moisture output 4 20mA should be respond If necessary the basic balancing procedure could be repeated several times Probe head must LED is LED is out LED is on be completely dry blinking Unplug the continual f Plug in the for 10s LED is blinking calibration SONO MIX is calibration connector Preparation Air quicker 10s Water connector ready to use Plug in the Plunge the i T time for calibration g calibration Unplug MIL Screw blind cap connector wit calibration completed probe head completed connector and of calibration power supply er successfully into water successfully plug it again connector v i J tl 7 ui Em 3seconds 10 seconds 5 seconds 10 seconds 5 seconds Calibration Connector MIL Blue LED Connector IMKO y 36 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 6 Connection of the Probe to the SM USB Module from IMKO The SM USB provides the ability to connect a SONO probe either to the standard RS485 interface or to the IMP Bus from IMKO In fact that the IMP Bus is more robust and enables the download of a new firmware to the SONO probe the SONO probes are presetted ex factory to the IMP Bus So it is recommended to use the IMP Bus
43. hieving the Sand with 1 fines specified consistency of the content lt 0 125mm concrete 130 to 140 Liter m for achieving Sand with 4 fines the specified consistency of the content lt 0 125mm concrete Recognition If it is not possible to ensure a constant grading of fines content in sand than the traditional water dosing method with moisture probes is not possible Therefore it is necessary to use another method with a water demand principle In practice like in arid regions there are frequent concrete applications where unwashed sand with strongly fluctuating fines content must be used during plant operation For such applications the following concept is shown where a SONO MIX moisture probe doesnt measure the moisture content for a following water dosing in a dry mixture but rather measures the water demand for the achievement of a set water value in the wet concrete mixture with the matching consistency By use of the innovative 1GHz TRIME Radar technology inside the SONO MIX mixer probe it is possible for the first time to precisely measure and determine different physical parameters inside a wet concrete cement mixture The SONO MIX mixer probe offers the possibility to measure the water demand wa instead of the water content EA The following diagram describes the procedure for the initial calibration of a concrete mixer with determination of the water demand instead of water dosing IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 24 48
44. ibration curve can also be entered by hand The selected calibration curve e g Cal14 which is activated after switching on the probes power supply will be adjusted with the button Set Default Calib Attention Use dot as separator 0 0581 not comma IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 26 48 3 3 1 Nonlinear calibration curves SONO probes can also work with non linear calibration curves with polynomials up to 5th grade Therefore it is necessary to calibrate with 4 8 different calibration points To calculate nonlinear coefficients for polynomials up to 5th grade an EXCEL software tool from IMKO can be used on request It is also possible to use any mathematical program like MATLAB for finding a best possible nonlinear calibration curve with suitable coefficient parameters m0 to m5 The following diagram shows a sample calculation for a linear calibration curve with the coefficients m0 and m1 for a specific material oft bou Eye gt gt gt gt gt gt gt at gt 50 2 I gt HH L TTTL Coco Cool b 1 90 25 H Fa s s s GE EE 20 pi C zu I Braga 1 rT I MEEEEEEENEEN HERREN n m mu Ent iiie TEENE O e NO e e C2 Q e O e al O e O O tp Ave Radartime in Picoseconds The co
45. in order to take into account possible density fluctuations of the material It is recommended to detect multiple measurement values for finding a best average value for tpAve The result is the first calibration point P1 e g 70 0 l e 70ps picoseconds of the radar pulse time tpAve corresponds to 0 moisture content of the material But it would be also possible to use a higher point P1 e g 190 7 where a tpAve of 190ps corresponds to a moisture content of 7 The gravimetric moisture content of the material e g 7 has to be determined with laboratory measurement methods oven drying Step 2 The radar pulse time tpAve of the probe is measured with moist material Ideally this also takes place during operation of a mixer dryer Again it is recommended to detect multiple measurement values of tpAve for finding a best average value The result is the second calibration point P2 with X2 Y2 e g 500 25 l e tpAve of 500ps corresponds to 25 moisture content The gravimetric moisture content of the material e g 2596 has to be determined with laboratory measurement methods oven drying Step 3 With the two calibration points P1 and P2 the calibration coefficients m0 and m1 can be determined for the specific material see next page Step 4 The coefficients m1 0 0581 and mO 4 05 see next page for the calibration curve Cal14 can be entered directly by hand and are stored in the probe by pressing the button Set The name of the cal
46. ired and possibly altered calibration curve Cal1 15 which is activated after switching on the probes power supply can be adjusted with the button Set Default Calib The calibration name can be entered in the window Calibration Name The coefficients m0 to m1 for linear curves and mO to m5 for non linear curves can be entered and adjusted directly by hand with the buttons Set and Save Possible are non linear calibration curves with polynomials up to fifth order m0 m5 Attention Use dot as separator not comma for coefficients mO to m5 IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 41 48 7 1 5 Test run in the respective Measurement Mode In the menu Test and the window Test in Mode CA to CF the measured moisture values MoistAve Average of the SONO probe are displayed on the screen and can be parallel saved in a file In the menu Test and the window Test in Mode CS the measured single measurement values Moist 5 values per second of the SONO probe are displayed on the screen and parallel stored in a file In Test in Mode A single measurement values without average are displayed on the screen and can also be stored in a file Attention for a test run in mode CA CH CC CF CS or A it must be ensured that the SOI probe was also set to this mode Measure Mode CA CF CS A If this is not assured the probe returns zero values Test in Mode CH Cyclic Average Hold ac No
47. ive Moisture Green E 1 Analogue Return Line Moisture yellow F RA white G RB OT bon pK PE com IMP Bus 2 Analogue Positive blue red blue red 2 Analogue Return Line Screen transparent transparent is grounded at the sensor The plant must be properly grounded rt IMP Bus grey pink grey pink 4 2 Analogue Output 0 10V with a Shunt Resistor There are PLC s which have no current inputs 0 20mA but voltage inputs 0 10V With the help of a shunt resistor with 500 ohm in the delivery included it is possible to generate a 0 10V signal from the IMKO 29 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH current signal 0 20mA The 500 ohm shunt resistor should be placed at the end of the line resp at the input of the PLC Following drawing shows the circuit principle PLC SONO Probe Current signal 0 20mA Analog Positive Analog Return Line 4 3 Connection diagram with SONO VIEW SONO SILO gt uw SONO VARIO 24V DC Power Suppl Connection to further SONO probes Connection to further SONO probes 1 Analog Positiv IT 1 Analog Positiv 1 Analog Positiv 1 Analog Positiv 0 4 20mA 0 4 20mA SONO VIEW Analogue input Analogue input moisture or moisture Installation in the control room or inside the distribution cabinet Distribution Cabinet IMKO 30 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK 5 Assembly Instructions
48. libration MEASUREMENT RANGE CONDUCTIVITY The sensor as a material specific characteristic value delivers the radar based conductance EC TRIME RbC Radar based Conductance in a range of 0 50dS m The conductivity range is reduced in moisture measurement ranges gt 50 MEASUREMENT RANGE TEMPERATURE Measurement Range 0 C 70 C The temperature is measured at the sensor casing beneath the wear resistant sensor head and can optionally be issued at the analogue output 2 The material temperature can be measured with an external calibration and compensation of the sensor intrinsic heating MEASUREMENT FIELD EXPANSION Approximately 50 80 mm depending on material and moisture POWER SUPPLY 7V to 24V DC 1 5 W max Attention Do not use unstabilized power supplies AMBIENT CONDITIONS 0 70 C A higher temperature range is available upon request IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 45 48 f MEASUREMENT MODE WITH DATA PREPROCESSING SONO MIX can be set to different measurement modes MEASUREMENT MODE CA Cyclic Average For relative short measuring processes with continual average value filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 MEASUREMENT CF Cyclic Float Average For very slow measuring processes with floating average value filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 MEASUREMENT MODE CS Cyclic Successive For very short measuring processes without floating average and without filtering with internal up to 100 measurements per s
49. ment value of e g 8 Material gaps over e g 3 seconds which must be bridged for an accurately measurement with a Lower Limit Keep Time of 5 seconds TEX ZAS Ss S as Ba IE IIS lt Q wee Wa N A 4 gt Po SS pa y RSG Ye The following parameter setting in mode CA fits a high pass filtering for bridging material gaps Average Mode under Mode C CA Cuclic Average ki Average Parameters Average Time s Filter Upper Limit Offset 2000 Filter Lower Limit Offset 200 Upper Limit Keep Time mo Lower Limit Keep Time 5 The Filter Upper Limit is here deactivated with a value of 20 the Filter Lower Limit is set to 2 With a Lower Limit Keep Time of 5 seconds the average value will be frozen for 5 seconds if a single measurement value is below the limit of 2 of the average value After 5 seconds the average value is deleted and a new average value building starts The Keep Time function stops if a single measurement value lies within the Limit values IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 13 48 f 2 1 3 Mode CC automatic summation of a moisture quantity during one batch process Simple PLCs are often unable to record moisture measurement values during one longer batch process with averaging and data storage Furthermore there are applications without a PLC where accumulated moisture values of one batch process should be displayed to the operating staff for a longer time Previously available microwave moisture probes on the m
50. move the compressed sand in 1 Remove the compressed sand in the crack the crack 2 Loosen the 3 red nuts 3 Fasten the green screws to the desired position using an Allen key 4 Fasten the red nuts 5 Compress the sand in the crack 2 Screw out the green screws as far as required Tighten the red nuts until the desired position is reached Fasten the three green screws Tighten all nuts Compress the sand in the crack C2 O O It may be necessary to newly position the clamping collar It may be necessary to newly position the clamping collar IMKO y 34 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 5 5 Exchange of the Probe Head At the SONO MIX not only the ceramic plate but the whole metal ceramic wear resistant probe head can be exchanged This is how easy it is to exchange the wear resistant probe head of the SONO MIX Loosen the 4 fastening screws look for the right sequence of washer and gasket rings Lift off the probe head carefully so that the robust spring contacts in the interior are canted as little as possible Clean the surface inside the probe body for the O Ring Place on the probe head so that the two spring contacts are inserted in the contact bushings Screw the 4 fastening screws back on It is to consider that the 4 screws find the 4 holes in the green epoxy plate inside the probe Wear resistant Sensor Head N Hardened Steel Ceramic Window with Compound Pad O Ring Co
51. n a running mixing process with a dry mixture the PLC shows a digit value of e g 6020 The difference of 6020 to the target value of 12055 results in 12055 6020 6035 PLC digits This leads to 6035 74 14 81 4 liter water m addition to come to the target value Due to the possible fluctuations concerning the fines content from one to another batch the complete addition of 81 4 liter water in one step could fail Rather it is necessary to add less water as the target of 81 4 liter because it could be possible that dependend on fines content perhaps 20 liter less could be enough Therefore in the first step add only 81 4 20 61 4 liter to the mixture and after a defined mixing time compare the measured value with the target value of 12055 This ensures that the concrete will be mixed not too wet Accordingly add 5 liter water step by step and compare the measured value with the target value of 12055 It is to consider that the target value of 12055 will be not exceeded significantly An idea would be the use of optimized mathematical algorithms to come to the target value in shorter time Final remark Only constant sieve lines in sand together with precise moisture probes can guarantee accuracies up to 1 to 2 liter water per cubic meter So it is to mention that miracles should not be expected from the above described method for mixing earth moist concrete But it is possible to dose water for coming to a relatively constan
52. nds at the analogue output Measurement mode CS can also be used for getting raw data from the SONO probe without averaging and filtering Mode CA Cyclic Average Filter For relative short measuring processes with continual average value filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 Mode CF Cyclic Float Average for continual average value with filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 for very slowly measuring processes e g in fluidized bed dryers conveyor belts etc Mode CK Cyclic Kalman Filter with Boost Standard setting for SONO MIX for use in fresh concrete mixer with continual average value with special dynamic Kalman filtering and an accuracy of up to 0 1 Mode CC Cyclic Cumulated with automatic summation of a moisture quantity during one batch process Mode CH Cyclic Hold similar to Mode CC but without summation Mode CH is recommended for applications in the construction industry If the SONO probe is installed under a silo flap Mode CH can measure moisture when batch cycles are very short down to 2 seconds Mode CH executes an automatic filtering e g if dripping water occurs Each of these settings will be preserved after shut down of the probe and is therefore stored on a permanent basis 2 1 Cyclic operation modes CA CF CH CC and CK For the cyclic modes the SONO probes are supplied ex factory with suited parameters for the averaging time and with a universally deployable filter function suited for most currently
53. ntact Bushing Probe Body 4 x Fastening Screws for Wear resistant Sensor Head 5 5 1 Basic Balancing of a new Probe Head The probe heads are all identical and are manufactured to fit precisely In spite of this fact after an exchange it is necessary to make a basic calibration in air and water that SONO MIX measures precise and accurate with the new probe head Therefore some work steps are required IMKO y 35 48 MICROMODULTECHNI Basic calibration procedure 1 Provide a small container with water in which the probe head can be plunged in For the first calibration point in air the probe head must be completely dry If appropriate dry it with a towel 2 Unplug the blind cap of the calibration connector and plug in the calibration connector 3 Plug in the MIL connector with power supply to the probe The blue LED is on for 3 seconds and start with a slow blinking for the next 10 seconds preparation time for the first point in air Therefore the dry probe head must be free in air When the LED is on continual for 5 seconds the calibration is completed in air 4 Now the blue LED starts with a quicker blinking during 10 seconds preparation time for the second point in water During this 10 seconds the probe head must plunged in water When the LED is on continual for 5 seconds the calibration is completed in water After that the LED Is off 5 If the calibration should be failed the blue LED will be blinking continual 6 Unplu
54. o Correction at Abrasion a a a nane 5 1 2 3 Determination of the Cement Concentration 6 1 2 4 Material Temperature MeasureMent oooncnccconnnnccnncnncononcnnnnonnnnononnnnnonancnnnnnnrnnonnnnnncnnaneness 6 1 2 5 Temperature compensation of the internal SONO electronic 6 120 Analogue OUTS perico oct 7 1 2 1 The serial RS485 and IMP Bus interface 8 1 2 2 The IMP Bus as a user friendly network system 8 1 2 8 Error Reports and Error Messages oocccccconcoccconcnococonnncocnncnnononcnnconannnnononcnnononnnnnnnananess 8 2 Configuration of the Measure Mode J anna J J 9 2 1 Cyclic operation modes CA CF CH CC and CK 9 2 1 1 Average Time in the measurement mode CA and CF 11 2 1 2 Filtering at material gaps in mode CA and CF 11 2 1 3 Mode CC automatic summation of a moisture quantity during one batch process 13 2 1 4 Mode CH Automatic Moisture Measurement in one Batch
55. probe would not be detect a moisture low value below the Moisture Threshold IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 14 48 Time chart for mode CC The first batch process stops The The last freezed summerized and SONO probe recognizes that the averaged moisture value is freezed measurement value is below the at the analogue output until the No summation yellow curve batch process starts o Short interruptions 5 were bridged YN NN w MV L NN C np p 77 IM 2 nn O AL f w utput i 5 Characteristic of d moisture curve I in sand I adjustable No Material Delay e g 5 seconds i Adjustable Moisture 1 i PR Time Start of second batch process After the period of No Material Delay e g 5 seconds the SONO probe recognizes that the threshold of otart of first batch process The SONO probe recognizes that the adjustable moisture threshold of e g 1 has been exceeded and the 196 has been exceeded The previously stored probe starts automatically with the measurement value is cleared and the probe continuous accumulation of starts again automatically with the continuous measurement values yellow curve accumulation of measurement values yellow curve 2 1 4 Mode CH Automatic Moisture Measurement in one Batch Mode CH can be used for applications in the construction industry If the SONO probe is installed unde
56. r a silo flap Mode CH can measure moisture when batch cycles are very short down to 5 seconds and perhaps shorter Mode CH executes an automatic filtering with Invalid Measure Count e g if dripping water occurs or for filtering out the first false measurements after opening the silo flap The measurement cycle starts if the probe detects the Moisture Threshold value and freeze the analogue output value until the next cycle IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 15 48 f 2 2 Overview of single modes for different applications The following table gives an overview about possible parameter settings in different modes Application Sand Above a Inside a Inside a Gene inascrew At the Installation Gravel conveyor mixer fluid bed rally conveyor end ofa and specific under a belt dryer simple with screw Parameters silo flap appli filtering conveyor cations options due to Long metal term p process e g 20 inactiv 100 e g 10 inactiv 100 u Tt inactiv For very difficult applications where it is not certain which mode is the best we recommend to select mode CA with averaging time 1 second With help of the software SONO CONFIG a data record can be stored directly during process conditions After forwarding this data set to IMKO we would be pleased to be at your disposal for finding the best suitable working mode Operating Mode Average Time Filter inactiv inactiv Upper Limit 100 100 Offset Filter inactiv inactiv
57. r to prevent water from accumulating above the sensor head which could falsify the measurement an installation angle of approximately 30 above the base centre is recommended Mixer Base or Vessel Wall Mixer Probe SONO MIX 5 3 Protection of the Probe s MIL Connector against Abrasion If sand and gravel flows above the buffle plate and could touch the probe connector of the SONO probe than it is recommended to mount an extra protection for the probe s connector This is feasible e g with a commercial flexible garden hose with an inner diameter of 27mm The hose can be slotted longitudinally and can be mounted around the connector and the cable It could be fixed with cable ties The following picture shows this solution for protection of the probe s connector Alternatively the included shrink sleeve over the cable can be used After installation of the SONO probe the picture shows a SONO VARIO and connection of the MIL connector the shrink sleeve can be shrinked with a hot air blower aS aan A 4 IMKO 33 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 5 4 Probe Adjustment SONO MIX can either be installed at the base or the side wall of a mixer It may not project into the mixer and should have the same height position as the wear plates in the mixer Welded on Mixer Base Mounting or Frame Vesell Wall Clamping Collar Mixer Probe SONO MIX Moving the Probe out of the Mixer Moving the Probe into the Mixer 1 Re
58. re assembled mounting frame is available for the SONO MIX The frame can both be welded on to the base and the side wall of the mixer The probe can be adjusted to the correct position respectively correct installation height with adjusting screws and nuts at the clamping collar A cut out must be performed in the mixer base before welding on the mounting frame and it is necessary to verify the fit of the frame and the probe at the base respectively the wall Cut Out for Mounting Frame 127mm Fill the crack with sand or silicone sealing compound Probe Diameter 108mm Mixer Base or Vessel Wall D I E Mounting O Frame a ps Clamping N Collar Mixer Probe SONO MIX IMKO 32 48 MICROMODULTECHNIK Y GMBH 5 2 Mounting in curved Surfaces In order to prevent the probe head Tasa of the from projecting and interfering with sete should p the mixer blades the centre of the sh with the radiusof probe head should be flush with the sensor may not project radius of the mixer wall The ceramic Tina ceramic must bs must be laterally aligned to the laterally aligned to the f rotational axis as the gap towards the rotational axis mixer blade is smallest in this Fill the crack with sand or silicone sealing compound position In order to ensure that the probe A 30 head is completely covered with K material the probe is best positioned near the base In orde
59. re issued as a Current signal via the analogue output With the help of the service program SONO CONFIG the SONO probe can be set to the two versions for 0 20mA or 4 20mA Furthermore it is also possible to variably adjust the moisture dynamic range e g to 0 10956 0 20 or 0 30 For a 0 10V DC voltage output a 500R resistor can be installed in order to reach a 0 10V output Analogue Output 1 Moisture in 96 0 2096 variable adjustable Analogue Output 2 Conductivity EC TRIME or optionally the temperature In addition there is also the option to split the analogue output 2 into two ranges into 4 11mA for the temperature and 12 20mA for the conductivity The analogue output two hereby changes over into an adjustable one second cycle between these two current measurement windows For the analogue outputs 1 and 2 there are thus two adjustable options Analog Output two possible selections 0 20mA 4 20mA For very special PLC applications the current output can be also inverted into 20mA 0mA or 20mA 4mA Analogue Output Channel 1 and 2 The two analogue outputs of the SONO probe can be adjusted into one to four possible selections 1 Moist Temp Analogue output 1 for moisture output 2 for material temperature Analogue output 1 for moisture output 2 for Moist Conduct ode o E conductivity in ranges of 0 20dS mS or 50dS m Moist Analogue output 1 for moisture output 2 for both temperature and conduc
60. rement Values with 3 single values per second IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK CK The reaction response time works nearly 1 1 E g 15 values responds to a reaction time of 15 seconds CA CF CK inactive CC CH Number of discarded poor measurement values after the start of a new batch when No Material Delay has triggered The first measurement values will be rejected e g due to dripping water CA CC CF CH CK If the parameters Temperature or EC TRIME RbC are not needed the analogue output 2 can be setted tot he mode Moist Moist Std Deviation In this mode the standard deviation of all single moisture values can be outputted With this function the homogeneity of the single measurement values can be determined and it is possible to control a regulating process e g pressure regulation CA CC CF CH CK CS Recommended is Quick Precision with Meas Time 2 where the TDR pulse is detected precisely For still a little better accuracies Meas Time can be increased however the single measurement cycle is increased by 60 milliseconds per step e g from 280ms to 340ms Older SONO probe versions do not have this Quick Precision function Quick und Quick Precision With Meas Time no values Unit without unit 2 1 1 Average Time in the measurement mode CA and CF SONO probes establishes every 200 milliseconds a new single measurement value which is incorporated into the continual averaging and issues the respective average
61. t concrete consistency IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 25 48 f 3 3 Creating a linear Calibration Curve for a specific Material With the SONO MIX very different materials can be measured The calibration curves Cali to Cal15 can be easily created or adapted for specific materials with the helo of SONO CONFIG Therefore two measurement points need to be identified with the probe Point P1 at dried material and point P2 at moist material where the points P1 and P2 should be far enough apart to get a best possible calibration curve The moisture content of the material at point P1 and P2 can be determined with laboratory measurement methods oven drying It is to consider that sufficient material is measured to get a representative value Under the menu Calibration and the window Material Property Calibration the calibration curves CAL1 to Cal15 which are stored in the SONO probe are loaded and displayed on the screen takes max 1 minute With the mouse pointer individual calibration curves can be tested with the SONO probe by activating the button Set Active Calib The measurement of the moisture value MoistAve with the associated radar time tpAve at point P1 and P2 is started using the program SONO CONFIG in the sub menu Test and Test in Mode CA see Quick Guide for the Software SONO CONFIG Step 1 The radar pulse time tpAve of the probe is measured with dried material Ideally this takes place during operation of a mixer dryer
62. taCount Number of single measurements which are used for the averaging tpAve Radar time average which corresponds to the respective moisture value By clicking Save the recorded data is saved in a text file in the following path SONO CONFIG exe Pfad MD Dateiname The name of the text file Statis SN yyyymmddHHMMSS sts is assigned automatically with the serial number of the probe SN and date and time The data in the text file can be evaluated with Windows EXCEL 7 1 6 Measure Run in Datalogging Operation In the menu Datalogging it is possible to aquire and store measurement data from several SONO probes with variable and longer cycle rates in a datalogger operation e g to store measurement data during a long term drying cycle IMKO y MICROMODULTECHNIK 42 48 i 7 1 7 Basic Balancing in Air and Water SONO probe heads are identical and manufactured precisely After an exchange of a probe head it is nevertheless advisable to verify the calibration and to check the basic calibration and if necessary to correct it with a Basic Balancing With a Basic Balancing two reference calibration measurements are to be carried out with known set points RefValues For the reference media different calibration materials are used dependent on the SONO probe type For SONO probes with a ceramic measurement window air and water tap water is used For other SONO probes like SONO GS1 glass beads are used for basic
63. th the SONO CONFIG software COMMUNICATION A RS485 interface and the IMP Bus enables network operation of the probe whereby a data bus protocol for the connection of several SONO probes to the serial bus is implemented by default The connection of the probe to industrial busses such as Profibus Ethernet etc is possible via optional external modules available upon request CONNECTOR PLUG The sensor is equipped with a robust 10 pole MIL flange connector Ready made connection cables with MIL connectors are available in the lengths 4m 10m or 25 meter 46 48 IMKO y 47 48 IMKO y IMKO 48 48 Precise Moisture Measurement in hydrology forestry agriculture environmental and earth science civil engineering as well as individual applications
64. tivity EC Temp Conductivity TRIME with an automatic current window change in cycles of 5 seconds Moist Analogue output 1 for moisture output 2 for the standard deviation based on the single MoistSTdDev moisture values This function is useful in e g fluid bed drier for air volume control IMKO MICROMODULTECHNIK 8 48 Adjustment for the Measurement Ranges For analogue output 1 and 2 the moisture dynamic range and temperature dynamic range can be variably adjusted The moisture dynamic range should not exceed 100 Moisture Range Temp Range Maximum e g 20 for sand Set in Maximum 70 C Minimum 0 Minimum 0 C Conductivity Range 0 20dS m or 0 50dS m Dependent on probe type and moisture range SONO probes can measure pore water conductivities EC TRIME in ranges of 5dS m up to 50dS m 1 2 1 The serial RS485 and IMP Bus interface SONO probes are equipped with a standard RS485 as well as the IMP Bus interface to set and readout individual parameters or measurement values An easy to implement data transfer protocol enables the connection of several sensors probes at the RS485 Interface In addition SONO probes can be directly connected via the module SM USB or the display module SONO VIEW to the USB port of a PC in order to adjust individual measuring parameters or conduct calibrations Please consider The initial default setting of the serial interface is pre setted for the IMP Bus To operate with th
65. to produce high quality concrete products if the fines contents show high changing rates during plant operation For producing high quality earth moist concrete the grading or sieve lines of sand should be exactly adhered Sand with very high fine particles shall be washed for ensuring good compliance with recipes At this point it should be clearly that a precise water dosing with moisture probes is properly not possible if the fines content shows high changing rates during plant operation And this problem cannot easily solved despite use of precise SONO aggregate moisture probes Why are there such problems The reason lies in different water demands of a concrete mixture dependent on fines contents in sand The higher the fines content the higher the water demand With fluctuating fines contents of e g 3 from 1 to 4 fines content the water demand can differ with 10 to 20 liter per cubic meter concrete although in both cases a SONO MIX has measured precisely the sand or mixture moisture with exact 5 2 Following table demonstrates with parameters and values why an exactly water dosing with moisture probes is not possible if fines content shows fluctuations during plant operation Earth moist concrete Gravimetric sand for producing moisture content Water demand in Liter concrete stones with a precisely measured with per cubic meter set water value of 120 SONO MIX or SONO Liter VARIO per cubic meter e g 120 Liter m for ac
66. ure content as well as the concrete composition respectively the temperature can either be uploaded directly into a SPC via two analogue outputs 0 4 20mA or recalled via a serial interface 1 1 2 TRIME compared to other Measuring Methods In contrary to conventional capacitive or microwave measuring methods the TRIME technology Time Domain Reflectometry with Intelligent Micromodule Elements does not only enable the measuring of the moisture but also to verify if the cement content specified in a recipe has been complied with This means more reliability at the mixing fresh concrete TRIME TDR technology operates in the ideal frequency range between 600MHz and 1 2 GHz Capacitive measuring methods also referred to as Frequency Domain Technology depending on the device operate within a frequency range between 5MHz and 40MHz and are therefore prone to interference due to disturbance such as the temperature and the mineral contents of the measured material Microwave measuring systems operate with high frequencies gt 2GHz At these frequencies nonlinearities are generated which require very complex compensation For this reason microwave measuring methods are more sensitive in regard to temperature variation SONO probes calibrate themselves in the event of abrasion due to a novel and innovative probe design This consequently means longer maintenance intervals and at the same time more precise measurement values The quality of fr
67. value in this timing cycle at the analogue output The averaging time therefore accords to the memory of the SONO probe The longer this time is selected the more inert is the reaction rate if differently moist material passes the probe A longer averaging time results in a more stable measurement value This should in particular be taken into consideration if the SONO probe is deployed in different applications in order to compensate measurement value variations due to differently moist materials At the point of time of delivery the Average Time is set to 4 seconds This value has proven itself to be useful for many types of applications At applications which require a faster reaction rate a smaller value can be set Should the display be too unstable it is recommended to select a higher value 2 1 2 Filtering at material gaps in mode CA and CF A SONO probe is able to identify if temporarily no or less material is at the probe head and can filter out such inaccurate measurement values Filter Lower Limit Particular attention should be directed at those time periods in which the measurement area of the probe is only partially filled with material for a longer time i e the material sand temporarily no longer completely covers the probe head During these periods Lower Limit Keep Time the probe would establish a value that is too low The Lower Limit Keep Time sets the maximum possible time where the probe could determine inaccur

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