What Does a Moisture Analyzer Do?
Leave a CommentSince 1990, MAC Instruments has built high-quality, heavy-duty industrial moisture analyzers. Our instruments help facility managers measure an environment’s absolute humidity in challenging high-temperature conditions.
MAC products use patented, proprietary sensors that consistently provide accurate readings even in highly variable conditions. Clients across the industrial spectrum rely on our moisture analyzers to help them fine tune the efficiency of their processes.
Our clients include those in the following industries:
- Power generation
- Cement mixing
- Oil and gas refining
- Pulp and paper processing
- Food and beverage processing
- Horticulture and agriculture
- Metalworking
How Is Moisture Analyzed?
Water is certainly essential to life, however, too much of it can corrode or short circuit your equipment, and too little of it can negatively affect the quality of perishable items and dried product. Moisture analyzers operate by taking holistic measurements of the following physical or chemical properties:
- water vapor pressure
The moisture analyzer uses data from these readings to calculate the climate’s absolute humidity, or the measure of water vapor in the air regardless of temperature or other conditions. Maintaining a consistent absolute humidity means that you can create an optimal internal environment for whatever process you are conducting, be it drying product, refining oil, or creating sensitive pharmaceutical products.
Moisture content analyzers can be used to take direct measurements of the air, but our products also include features that allow you to analyze fluctuations in absolute humidity over time.
The FDA and other governmental and regulatory bodies stipulate a wide range of humidity standards that facility owners must follow in order to optimize efficiency and maintain customer health. An inconsistently monitored or controlled relative humidity can result in moldy or stale food items as well as corroded equipment.
How Do our Moisture Analyzers Work?
A sampling pump within the analyzer draws a sample of the atmosphere being monitored through the analyzer. The sample first passes through a 10 micron filter to remove any particulates from the sample stream. The sample travels through the barrel of the instrument and past the sensor. The sensor and the barrel are electrically heated to prevent condensation of any moisture in the sample. There are two pressure sensors in the analyzer. An absolute pressure sensor measures the total pressure of the process atmosphere. The partial pressure of the water vapor is measured by a proprietary high temperature capacitive sensor that responds only to water vapor partial pressure. The signals from these sensors are used to compute the % moisture by volume of the sample.
% water vapor by volume = (water vapor pressure / total pressure) X 100
The total pressure varies with altitude above sea level, local barometric pressure, and process induced pressure. In some applications the humidity ratio is preferred instead of % moisture by volume. The humidity ratio is defined as the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air. A jumper in the MAC125 allows the user to select the desired moisture scale.Some industries that require the use of moisture analyzers include:
- Stack emission monitoring
- Product drying
- Metal processing
- Cooking and baking
- General industrial applications
MAC Instruments offers a number of different moisture analyzers intended to perform specific functions within a variety of industries. Our products include:
- MAC 155: This moisture/humidity analyzer operates via user-friendly components that measure humidity in exhaust gases at temperatures of up to 1,200°F (650°C). The MAC 155 helps you to augment your safety process and comply with EPA regulations.
- MAC 125: This high-temperature absolute humidity sensor operates without the use of chemicals, compressed air, wet bulb techniques, optics, or mirrors. Its moisture sensor and humidity meter rely on a patented, proprietary solid-state process for measuring humidity, making this a straightforward system that experiences few breakdowns.
- MAC 116: This analyzer monitors humidity differences in the flow of steam in a cooking atmosphere, which will enable you to cook products as effectively and quickly as possible. It can be used to monitor the drying and pasteurization of food products, and facility owners can install it on continuous conveyor belts used to cook meat and poultry.
Contact MAC Instruments
At MAC Instruments we have been building high-quality moisture analyzers out of our Sandusky, OH, plant since 1990. If you’re looking for an efficient way to monitor your facility’s absolute humidity, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to contact us today to learn more about our moisture analyzers or any other industrial products that we deliver.
