Chapter 1 Introduction; Introduction; Measuring Technique - Hydronix Hydro-Probe SE User Manual

Chapter 1

1 Introduction

The Hydro-Probe SE is a digital microwave moisture / Brix sensor designed for use in higher
temperature environments and pressurised vessels and to have a wear life of many years.
The Hydro-Probe SE measures the material passing in front of the ceramic faceplate. Its on-
board processing provides the options of both an analogue and a digital output which can be
easily connected to any control system. The sensor can easily be calibrated to automatically
calculate the moisture or the Brix content from the value measured and output this to the control
system.
The sensor may be configured remotely when connected to a PC using dedicated Hydronix
software. A large number of parameters are selectable, such as the type of output and the
filtering characteristics.
After installation the sensor is calibrated to the material (see Chapter 5 'Material calibration'). For
this the sensor can be setup in two ways:

Calibration inside sensor: Sensor is calibrated internally and outputs true moisture or
Brix.

Calibration inside control system: Sensor outputs an Unscaled reading which is
proportional to moisture. This can then be used to control to a target figure or by having
calibration data inside the control system convert this to the true Moisture/Brix.
The Hydro-Probe SE should never be subjected to unnecessary impact damage as it
houses sensitive electronics. In particular, the ceramic faceplate, although extremely
hardwearing, is brittle and may crack if subjected to severe impact.

2 Measuring Technique

The Hydro-Probe SE uses the unique Hydronix digital microwave technique that provides a more
sensitive measurement compared to analogue techniques.
Measurements are taken 25 times per second and this enables rapid detection of changes in the
material.
CAUTION – NEVER HIT THE CERAMIC
Introduction
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