Less Upkeep with NIR Analyzer

The Beacon 2000-II NIR analyzer from PetroMetriX Ltd. appears more reliable and easier to maintain than commonly used gas chromatography systems.

That conclusion led the judges to pick the device for the 1999 Vaaler Award.

As a near infrared analyzer, the NIR provides plantwide, multistream, multiproperty measurement and analysis, according to the maker.

It measures up to 750 chemical and physical properties of hydrocarbon via  15 online fiber optic probes that can be installed anywhere in the plant.

To improve plant operations, the NIR system identifies in real-time on/off spec, changes manipulative variable to meet quality of streams (feedback control) and feeds forward control to minimize energy and giveaway and to maximize recovery.


Availability, repeatability and frequency allow the user better control, which can improve the performance of processing units, the maker said.

The analyzer itself is installed in the equipment room, in the DCS room - not in the field. That does away with the need for the engineering associated with protective shelters, sample conditioning and other expensive resources.

Other advantages include optical multiplexing capability for multiple process streams for up to 15 probes.

The main analyzer, including the NIR spectrometer, is housed in the general purpose area, far from 

the processing, eliminating the need for an analyzer shelter, explosion-proof housing and air conditioning.

The proprietary optical probes don't need electricity and have no moving parts, thus alleviating the risk of fire and explosion and making the field unit intrinsically safe.

Standard optical telecommunication fibers allow the transmission of data between the main analyzer and field units, which may be up to 3km away, the manufacturer said. That means plantwide coverage from a single control point.

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