ABB is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the inception of its multi-component turnkey emission monitoring system, which harnesses Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
This technology, utilised to capture an infrared spectrum of gas emissions, enables the gas analyser to simultaneously measure up to 15 components.
Originally manufactured in Frankfurt three decades ago, the system is currently in its fourth iteration.
Operating across diverse sectors including chemical plants, waste incinerators, and cement kilns, the gas analyser plays a key role in monitoring exhaust gases from industrial chimneys.
The latest version, the ACF5000, is designed to expand its functions. According to ABB, mandatory components or changed emission limits can be added using a software upgrade.
©ABB. The ACF5000.
“Because of the growing requirements in environmental monitoring, lower concentrations of an increasing number of pollutants must be measured from combustion processes,” said Ben Goossens, Global Product Line Market Manager at ABB Measurement & Analytics.
“As industrial plants are heavily monitored and have to comply with the most stringent requirements, the ACF5000 is the perfect fit.”
At the heart of the system lies a high-resolution FTIR spectrometer, renowned for its selective measurement of infrared active gas molecules with sensitivity and stability.
Leveraging the FTIR measurement principle, the spectrometer remains immune to drift, eliminating the need for frequent adjustments and the associated costs of maintaining stocks of test gases.
A major milestone was reached in 2002 with the introduction of a fully heated system powered by an innovative air injector, which eliminates moving parts,
The heating mechanism within the gas path prevents condensation, safeguarding the system against corrosion while ensuring accurate measurement of essential gas molecules.
The system’s journey began with the first-generation Cemas FTIR, followed by successive improvements culminating in the AFC5000 launched in 2014.
Last year, ABB received the Frost & Sullivan ‘Company of the Year’ award for vision, innovation and technical expertise in emission monitoring.
