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ABS (Automated BOCLE System)
/ Operation
Standalone operation (Control panel)
On this page: Description | Maintenance
Description
The instrument is pre-configured to carry out the ASTM D5001 test method. An optional PC based data logging application will allow all test parameters (motor speed, test duration, fuel temperature, air temperature and humidity) to be recorded during the test and provide a summary confirming that all parameters were within the specified limits.
Below is an example of a typical test procedure from the ABS intergrated display and control panel.
This what the display will show at the beginning of a test:
Press the START button. At any point during the test cycle the user can stop the test by pressing STOP. The motor will start and the display will change to show the current fuel temperature and motor speed:
Note that the temperature shown above is a typical value for illustration only - the actual value shown will be different. The instrument will then heat or cool the fuel to the required temperature. Once the temperature has been stable in the required range for 1 minute, the display changes to show:
Again note that the relative humidity and temperature values shown are for illustration only. The actual values will be different. The instrument will turn on the air and adjust the flow rates to give the correct flow of air at the correct humidity over and through the fuel sample. Once the humidity is within tolerance the instrument will start timing the 15 minute conditioning period. After this period has elapsed, the airflow through the fuel is automatically shut off and the test ball is lowered onto the rotating test ring. The airflow over the fuel is continued. The display will show:
After the 30 minute test period has elapsed the test ball is automatically raised from the test ring and the air flow stopped. The motor is stopped and the temperature controller turned off. The display will change to show:
Press OK to return the display to the ready screen. At any time during the test sequence the user can press the STOP button to stop the test immediately. Take care to only press the STOP button if you are sure you want to stop the test as no confirmation is requested and the test is terminated immediately. If the test is stopped for any reason, it can be re-started (from the beginning) as long as the terminated test had not advanced to the RUNNING phase i.e. that the test ball has not been lowered onto the test ring. If the test had reached the RUNNING phase then the surfaces of the test ball and test ring will have been modified and if stopped the test must be abandoned and re-started with a new cleaned test ball, a new track on the cleaned test ring, cleaned hardware and new fuel.
The software constantly monitors the system and displays a message if user intervention is required. An alarm message will tell the user for signs of MAINTENANCE or if a FAULT has arisen.
Maintenance
Water fill
The instrument has an internal water reservoir that is used to humidify the conditioning air. The instrument is shipped with this reservoir empty and it must be filled before using the instrument for the first time. The contents of the reservoir are slowly used up when the instrument is operating. Each test will use approximately 0.5ml of water from the reservoir so that eventually (after a minimum of 1000 tests) the reservoir will need to be topped up.
When either of situations arises the READY display will change to show:
