Case Studies

See how our customers are using Netbiter in everyday applications

Find case stories for your application or country

Filter by
All case studies
Gas-turbines

Netbiter remote communicatons gateway eases field trials of laser gas analysers

Laser gas analysers from ENVEA can be remotely monitored and controlled by using Netbiter EC350 gateways and Netbiter Argos.
In field trials at remote industrial locations, travelling back and forth to monitor the performance of the analysers and download their data is simply impractical, and would severely impact on our productivity.
Robert Holdsworth
ENVEA TDL Sensors

A leader in the field of laser gas analysers, ENVEA has developed solutions for applications as wide ranging as the glass coating industry, ultra-harsh processes, air quality monitoring, environmental pollution analysis, and the oil and gas industries. Using the high-resolution technique of laser absorption spectroscopy with carefully selected laser frequencies, the analysers produce measurements that are highly specific, free from interference from background gases which is often a major limitation of other gas measurement techniques. 

The nature of the applications means that the analysers are frequently installed in remote locations that are either time consuming to reach or difficult to access – and often a combination of the two.

Reducing travelling

This can present challenges not only for end users, but also for ENVEA itself during product development and field trials, as Robert Holdsworth, general manager at ENVEA TDL Sensors, explains: “In field trials at remote industrial locations, travelling back and forth to monitor the performance of the  analysers and download their data is simply impractical, and would severely impact on our productivity.”

Hazardous environments 

“At the same time, many of the gases our analysers are measuring or monitoring for, or the environments they are working in, are hazardous to human health, so we want to be spending as little time in those environments as we can. 

And once we have instruments deployed in the field, our customers face similar challenges of access and productivity.”
 
With its focus initially on its own product development, and specifically in simplifying data access during field trials, ENVEA turned to HMS Industrial Networks for a solution. HMS recommended the Netbiter EC350 remote communication gateway.

Access via 3G and a regular browser

This would enable ENVEA to access each analyser remotely via a standard web browser.
“There are a number of versions of the Netbiter EC, but the EC350 offered us the particular advantage of having 3G among its connectivity options,” says Holdsworth. “That gives us maximum flexibility in different locations, but it’s also something our customers like, as it means they’re not connecting to the analyser over Ethernet via their company network. 
 
Today, regardless of the application, there are always perceived cyber security concerns, and using 3G remote communications eliminates those worries.” 
In the laser gas analyser field trials Holdsworth reports that the Netbiter EC350 reliably provides all the monitoring data that ENVEA needs, and he notes also that data is not lost should the 3G connection ever be lost. “If that happens, the EC350 stores all that data locally, and then transmits it once the connection is restored.
 
He enthuses as well about the Argos IoT cloud platform where all the data from the laser gas analysers is stored and from where it can be securely accessed.

Visualise, monitor and control

“The remote management features enable us to visualise, monitor and control the laser gas analysers at remote sites. As well as looking at the data in real time, we can log data, generate meaningful information and create weekly summary reports. And the Argos interface was quick to set up and easy to use.
 
“The EC350 has also been useful for opening up a connection to transmit data to the laser gas analysers. “We’ve used this in particular for firmware updates to the gas analysers,” says Holdsworth.
 
He adds that a key requirement of the application was that the gateway should be hardened for use in environmental extremes. “Our laser gas analysers are installed in locations that can get very hot, very cold, or where temperatures can swing between the two.” As standard, the Netbiter EC350 offers an operating temperature range from -40°C to +65°C.
 

It just works!

ENVEA TDL Sensors has been using the Netbiter EC350 for around three years as part of its product development and field trials and is increasingly getting requests from customers for the same capability. Summing up his experience with the product, Holdsworth concludes: “It gives us maximum data from the sensor, good connectivity, and is extremely reliable. It’s easy to install and quick to set up. And it just works.
From our own usage in a field trials context, the remote connectivity has meant a big boost for our productivity.”
 

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience

By clicking any link on this page you ar giving your consent for us to set cookies.

I want to find out more Yes, I agree