Thermal-Lube : Analytical Equipment

ANALYTICAL EQUIPMENT

Since first branching out into the field of analytical equipment, Thermal-Lube has come a long way; yet the origins of each one of our analytical products can be traced back to our roots in the lubrication industry.
	Our first projects involved the monitoring and analysis of lubricants, and that was the advent of our patented COAT® system. This, in turn, led to using similar technology in developing the SPIRIT®, which uses the same methods (FT-IR spectroscopy) to analyse wines and other liquors. The U.M.P.I.R.E.® analytical software package used to run these systems was also developed by Thermal-Lube.
	Our Diesel Emission Detector came about as a result of customers in the transportation industry inquiring about ways to monitor the condition of their vehicles' engines. This particular product brings our process full circle in that the use of high quality automotive lubricants such as our own motor oils will show clean exhaust.
	Finally, our Quali-T-AIR® system was originally designed for use in underground mines - again stemming from discussions with customers. The system has evolved so that it can now be used to analyse the air quality in any type of environment.
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*COAT®

Thermal-Lube's COAT® - Continuous Oil Analysis and Treatment - System is an analytical tool used for quality control, condition monitoring, and lubricant life extension that has revolutionised the way lubricating oils are monitored and maintained.
The COAT® System uses advanced technology, namely Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, integrated with a flow-through optical cell and product sampling system. All this is coupled with a PC type Pentium™ computer.
The COAT® system operates by identifying the base oil chemistry (e.g. petroleum, PAO, PAG, or Esters), as well as any additives (e.g. performance enhancing additives such as anti-oxidant, anti-wear, or pour-point depressants) and/or contaminants (e.g. water, soot, or fuel), and keeping track of any changes in the composition of the fluid. The COAT® system can automatically replenish performance-enhancing additives in the oil when necessary, and if contamination were found in the fluid, the system can alert an operator to such a condition and offer the opportunity for various corrective procedures.
The COAT® System is offered in three custom-made models:
Model C-1 Portable: - on wheels. This rugged version allows you to carry out continuous automated lubricant monitoring of the machinery and processing equipment in your plant. This model can be manufactured to meet any NEMA specification.
Model C-2 Desktop: This economic table-top version of the C-1 COAT® System is used mainly for intermittent monitoring of fluid samples and production quality control. Note that for both these systems, oil sampling will be manually "fed" into the COAT® System by plant personnel. When the eventual depletion of targeted additives falls below a predetermined limit, the COAT® System will simply indicate that the oil must be changed or a specific additive must be replenished (calibration data may be purchased directly from Thermal-Lube Inc.). The maintenance of additive levels would be done manually.
Model C-3 Online: The "on-line" COAT® System is "hard-wired" into the equipment, and is capable of monitoring multiple "sample-stations" simultaneously. Such systems can be used two ways. The COAT® System can simply be employed as a tool that is easily operated by plant personnel, with maintenance done manually as outlined above. Alternatively, a fully integrated "on-line" version of the COAT® System will automatically sample at predetermined intervals and compare the real-time spectra to the initial pre-established 'fingerprinted' spectra. When the pre-selected contaminant levels are reached, the COAT® System can automatically alert the operator or divert the flow of lubricant to another vessel or piece of equipment for "handling". COAT Demo: JOAP

*U.M.P.I.R.E.

Click the image for a larger view.	Thermal-Lube's development of the U.M.P.I.R.E.® (Universal-Method Platform for Infra-Red Evaluation) analytical software system has catapulted us to the forefront of FT-IR analytical research.
	Although the program was designed to run specifica lly with our COAT® system (i.e. oil analysis), continued research has enabled us to expand the parameters, allowing for analysis of various other types of fluids, including some gasses. U.M.P.I.R.E.® is now used with all of our infrared-based analytical equipment including the three models of COAT® (portable, bench top, and online), the Quali-T-AIR® , the EXL Diesel Emission Detector® , and the SPIRIT® .
	Given the flexibility of the software, any type of fluid can be analyzed with only minor adjustments. Recent applications of the U.M.P.I.R.E.® Technology include new and accurate test methods for TAN, TBN, and moisture detection in lubricating oils; alcohol,
sugar, acid and base levels in wines and spirits; detection of soot, CO, CO2, and SO2 , in diesel engine exhaust; and analysis of the instantaneous effects of fluids exposed to intense microwaves.

The U.M.P.I.R.E.® software includes a library containing the spectra of numerous oils. With the library, one can search for the spectrum of a specific oil; identify a sample; or correctly classify a product. QC Compare™ is another useful tool the U.M.P.I.R.E.® software offers. If the user has an enquiry pertaining to the nature of a sample, the sample can be run and compared to the oil library database. The system will then process the information and indicate if the level of similarity between the two oils.
With this system, the user can track and monitor changes such as the depletion of additives, increase of contaminants, rise of combustion by-products, oxidation and nitration. Despite its many tools, features, and options, U.M.P.I.R.E.® is very easy to operate, and the display of the results is straightforward and well-organised

This software allows you to perform trending analysis and view the spectra of samples. In addition, U.M.P.I.R.E.® can be quite useful when applying the Joint Oil Analysis Protocol (JOAP) standardized trending method on used mineral oils, synthetic oils, and polyols . U.M.P.I.R.E.® will accommodate the direct trending method and the subtraction trending method.

*SPIRIT

Thermal-Lube's SPIRIT® (Spectral Infra-Red Imaging Technology) analyser uses mid Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FT-IR) technology todetermine the chemical composition of wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages. In addition to analysing the alcohol and glycerol levels, SPIRIT® also detects the levels of 9 other constituents including various sugars (e.g. total reducing sugars, fructose) and acids (e.g. tannins, total, and volatile acidity). This analysis assists manufacturers develop the profiles necessary to conform to new stricter labelling and tax requirements.
The SPIRIT® analyser can be used to confirm the authenticity of certain wines by 'fingerprinting' the spectrum directly from the vineyard and comparing that to
the contents of the bottle on the shelf. SPIRIT® can also confirm the veracity of labelling information by confirming that the composition of the contents match the claims on the label.
In the past, these analyses were done through lengthy "wet chemistry", using numerous testing instruments. SPIRIT®'s Mid FT-IR based spectrometer, which uses an ATR cell as its sampling accessory, and its unique auto-sample handling device decreases analysis time and provides for more accurate and efficient sampling than other analysers on the market.
The SPIRIT® is one unit that will quickly and accurately perform all the required analysis with an unusually high degree of reproducibility.

*EXL DIESEL EMISSION DETECTOR

EXL DIESEL EMISSION DETECTOR:
MEETS SAE J1667 GUIDELINES APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
Click the image for a larger view.
Thermal-Lube's EXL Diesel Emission Detector® is a portable optical system that measures the opacity of the smoke emitted from heavy diesel engines, predominantly those found in locomotives and heavy trucks.
With today's significant environmental issues, there is more and more emphasis on keeping our planet clean. Government and Industry are now starting to find and improve on ways to reduce pollution. Excessive malfunctioning of diesel engines is a major contributor to air pollution and global warming, so one industry the Government is targeting is the Transport Industry, in particular, diesel truck fleets.
	In the U.S.A., as well as in some Canadian provinces, it is now mandatory for trucks to pass annual vehicle inspections. One of the tests conducted during these inspections is the smoke opacity test. This test analyses the exhaust emissions from a diesel engine, indicating the
efficiency level at which the engine is operating. Government regulations dictate maximum levels of exhaust opacity, and by using the EXL Diesel Emission Detector®, owners/operators can ensure that they are aware if their unit exceeds these levels.
Maintaining maximum engine operation is also important from a financial point of view. If the engine is not running properly, then its efficiency is down, and costs are up (i.e. increased fuel consumption and maintenance). In addition, substantial fines will be levied on operators whose vehicles do not meet the minimum requirements. The EXL Diesel Emission Detector® makes it easy for owners/operators to monitor the operating level of their engines.
The EXL Diesel Emission Detector® offers several advantages:
completely portable includes a built-in laptop computer and printer made of stainless steel for easy maintenance and durability practical and easy to use immediate response time accurate and dependable results compensates for ambient air conditions (temperature, pressure relative humidity, etc.)
Our U.M.P.I.R.E.® software is also included with this product to provide the user with tools to control and manage the many aspects of the analyses adequately and efficiently. These tools allow the operator to adjust the calibration parameters, perform the Snap-Acceleration Test in three different settings (Custom Mode, Diagnostic Mode, and SAE J1667 Mode), save and retrieve the data and results of the analyses, and export the information to a Microsoft Excel file. The analytical tools offered assure that each sensor and detector component of the optical device performs well. In addition, the software's display of information relating to the analysis is detailed and clear, which facilitates the interpretation of the results. One may also opt to have it equipped with our portable six gas air analyser Quali-T- AIR®.
Click the image for a larger view.

*Quali-T-AIR

Quali -T- AIR : 6-gas emission analyser

• MEETS CALIFORNIA 'S BAR 90 PROTOCOL

Thermal-Lube's Quali-T- AIR® is a portable air analyser that is practical and easy to operate. It was first designed to measure air quality in closed, underground mines, yet it can just as easily be used to analyse the air quality in any workspace. It can also be used to monitor the exhaust from cars and trucks, complementing the EXL Diesel Emission Detector®.

The Quali-T- AIR® system provides instant, precise measurements of air quality, particularly with regard to contaminants commonly referred to as the six gases: CO, CO2, SO2, NO, NO2 and HC. In addition, Quali-T- AIR® compensates for variations in ambient parameters (i.e. temperature, barometric pressure and relative humidity) as these will influence air quality and must therefore be considered in any analysis.

This system comes equipped with a lap top computer programmed with the U.M.P.I.R.E.® software. With this user friendly software, one can run an air analysis, save the results, and retrieve the information in the future.

*CONTINUOUS FUEL DILUTION ANALYZER