Performance Monitoring in Refrigeration Diesel Engines
Grant Squirrel SQ2040-2F16 Handheld Data Logger
CHESTERLAND OH - CAS DataLoggers recently supplied the portable datalogging solution for a leading manufacturer of transportable temperature control systems for use across many different mobile applications, such as in trailers, trucks, buses, shipboard containers and railway cars to provide real life feedback on performance monitoring in refrigeration diesel engines. The manufacturer was conducting ongoing research in alternative diesel fuel mixtures to increase the utilization of clean-burning fuels in their refrigeration diesel units, and needed to provide test results which were applicable to the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) new legislation regulating particulate matter (PM) emissions from the vehicle's exhaust. As a result, an extensive testing program was designed to document the field test conditions during normal customer operations while running various diesel fuel mixtures. Management searched for a cost-effective datalogging solution which could monitor several different parameters including temperature, voltage, and resistance, all at high accuracy. The device also had to be handheld and compact for easy placement and retrieval from dozens of engines as well as feature a flexible communications array for convenient data retrieval.
Computer Aided Solutions supplied a Grant Instruments Squirrel SQ2040-2F16 to the manufacturer as a small portable data acquisition system for testing their refrigeration diesel engine units. The Squirrel datalogger was then connected with various temperature and pressure sensors to monitor critical engine parameters such as exhaust gas temperature, coolant temperature, system voltages, and unit pressures, recording the data at preset regular intervals. This enabled analysts to correlate actual 'real-life' environmental conditions and overall system performance over a year-long period.
The Squirrel SQ2040 datalogger's 32 universal analog inputs recorded temperature, voltage, current and resistance and also featured 8 inputs for digital pulse and event, interfacing with a broad range of analog inputs including thermistors, thermocouples, and RTD temperature sensors. Highly precise measurements at a 0.05% accuracy were possible utilizing the logger's twin processors and multiple 24-bit ADC converters, while 4 alarm outputs provided users with early warning functionality whenever key parameters were exceeded.
Operating as portable, standalone dataloggers or as data acquisition systems linked to a PC, the Squirrel could be battery-operated or mains powered, and were configured easily via integral interface or by PC. An internal memory of 128MB stored approximately 14 million readings, along with a removable Multi
Media (MMC) or SD card memory. Seeing repeated use over the year-long testing program, the SQ2040 provided validation of the diesel engines' field testing conditions without having an impact on engine operation or efficiency due to the logger's small size and unobtrusive operation.
The SQ2040's communications options consisted of built-in Ethernet networking along with USB and RS232 connectivity so that when a performance test was over, users simply downloaded the Squirrel's Windows-based data in graphic form onto a PC for analysis. This performance data was then aggregated and applied to new fuel formulas.
As a result of installing the cost-effective Grant Squirrel SQ2040-2F16 Handheld Data Logger, the manufacturer's emissions testing program achieved all of its stated goals while reduced diesel PM emissions were achieved at the required specifications. The logger's hassle-free configuration and operation got the project off to a quick start, and using its 32 universal inputs, the Squirrel singlehandedly recorded all the test parameters at high accuracy and rugged reliability. The datalogger's compact design made for convenient use and frequent repositioning during the year-long test program, and its communications features allowed operators several quick methods of data transmission and retrieval. The manufacturer has since received CARB Level 2 Plus verification, indicating a greater than or equal to 50% reduction of diesel emissions as part of the California Showcase emissions reduction initiative.
For more information on the Grant Squirrel SQ2040-2F16 Handheld Data Logger, other handheld dataloggers in the renowned Squirrel series, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or visit the website at www.DataLoggerInc.com.
Contact Information:
CAS DataLoggers, Inc.
12628 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, Ohio 44026
(440) 729-2570
(800) 956-4437
sales@dataloggerinc.com
http://www.dataloggerinc.com
