Humidity Monitoring in Hazardous Area

Looking for a way to monitor humidity in a Class 1 Div 2 area using wireless, battery powered, and a laptop to log data. Any recommendations? I rather not use a PLC becuase they want to be able to move the transmitter around to different areas.

Dave,

I don't know if has Class 1 Div 2 approvals yet, but here is an example of how to do that remotely with Banner Engineering's SureCross solution. Couple this with a Red Lion DataStation Plus and you have a complete datalogger system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZfhgPYrAmc

Joe_WaZoo

Joe, thanks for that video. How are to talking to the Red Lion? Does the wireless need line of sight?

DaveW,

No it is does not have to be Line of Sight. It can penetrate walls pretty good. Pine trees seem to be it's Cryptonite. So is a mound of dirt.

Back at the Red Lion unit we have the Banner Engineering SureCross that talks Modbus485 directly to the Red Lion unit. If you really wanted to use a PC to do the logging, you use Banner's GatewayPRO model which is a node on ModbusTCP. Then have some software running in the PC that would talk to the GatewayPRO. This route may not be as easy to accomplish as the other idea.

Here are some other examples of the wireless being used in plants where it clearly is not Line of Sight.

In this video and about 2minutes into it we are temporarly mounting the RH node. It also reads Temp as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nGGkLFZPFs

In this video we are conducting a Site Survey at another plant location.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D13_Gil90AE

Both of the installations take the data and import it into Pi Historian directly.

Joe_WaZoo

Joe,
ModubusTCP will probably work for me. I can get Wonderware to poll for the data. Thanks again.

DaveW said:

Looking for a way to monitor humidity in a Class 1 Div 2 area using wireless, battery powered, and a laptop to log data. Any recommendations? I rather not use a PLC becuase they want to be able to move the transmitter around to different areas.

Click to expand...

Getting intrinsically safe or rated for Cl 1 Div 2 equipment may be difficult and expensive.

It may be easier and less expensive to have all monitor equipment outside of Cl 1 Div 2 area and run a tygon tube into the area to get your reading. If you are looking for a real short term spike transit time of the "spike" may be a problem. If conditions are fairly steady state transit time in teh tubing may not be a problem.

Depending on length you may need a pump with high dP to get your sample and then tee the discharge to tap into line for instrument. Many of the pumps used in industrial hygiene are rated for use in combustible atmospheres but they are not cheap either. Battery powered units will run for 4 to 5 hours reliably.

Why are you doing this?

Dan Bentler

Yep, that would be easy. Have the boys at Western Automation give you a Live Demo.

Joe_WaZoo

leitmotif said:

Why are you doing this?

Click to expand...

Dan, I like the Tygon tube idea. QC wants to monitor some of the rooms and dryers where we are making our product. The want to be able to move the transmitter around so anything fixed or bulky won't work.
Thanks,
Dave

Dave,

I googled "class 1 div 2 humidity sensor wireless"

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=class+1+div+2+humidity+sensor+wireless

And found this.

http://embedded-system.net/xbee-sensors-connectport-x-nema-xbee-adapters-for-zigbee-networks.html

DaveW said:

Dan, I like the Tygon tube idea. QC wants to monitor some of the rooms and dryers where we are making our product. The want to be able to move the transmitter around so anything fixed or bulky won't work.
Thanks, Dave

Click to expand...

Dave
Sounds like workroom air monitoring for employee protection.
Direct colorometric tubes may be an option for quick spot checks. Pump alone 3 t0 500 tubes 5 to 15 each, have limited storage life.

Right up my alley and expertise area ie industrial hygiene and electrical.

IH for rent -- have pump will travel.

Dan Bentler