Peak Scientific ZA015 Manual

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 1
Directions For Use
Zero Air Gas Generator
ZA015 - ZA180
Peak Scientific Instruments Ltd
Fountain Crescent
Inchinnan Business Park
Inchinnan
Renfrewshire
PA4 9RE
T.(Europe) [phone]
T.(USA) [phone] (sales)
T.(USA) [phone] (tech support)
F.(Europe) [phone]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.peakscientific.com

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 2
Document Change History
Issue No Changed Initials Date
1 Document Created SGM 01/09/98
2 USA Technical support number updated FAD 16/11/04
3 New style front added FAD 30/03/05

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 3
Contents
Page No
Document History 2
Warranty Statement 5
Introduction 6
Unpacking & Installation 6
Electrical Connection 6
Air Connection 7
Principle of Operation 8
Commissioning 9
Routine Maintenance 9
Troubleshooting 10
Technical Specifications 11
System Diagrams 12
Maintenance Log 13
Notes 14

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 4
Safety First
It is important that you thoroughly read and understand this manual before operating or
servicing this Peak Scientific Instruments Gas Generator. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING
CAUTIONS AND WARNINGS FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY.
! Caution –
Only authorized persons should operate or service this equipment.
! Warning –
To avoid risk of electrical shock, personal injury, or death disconnect power before
removing any cover of this equipment.
! Caution –
To avoid risk of personal injury NEVER disconnect any pipe, fitting, or filter bowl while
the system is pressurized. Always allow pressure to dissipate before opening the
system.
! Warning –
The Catalytic Process requires very high temperatures. Internal surfaces and copper
lines are extremely hot and will cause burns. Always allow the generator to cool before
carrying out any servicing.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 5
Warranties and Liabilities
1) The Company warrants that it has title to the Goods.
2) Subject to the provisions of this clause the Company warrants that the Goods shall comply in all material
respects with any specification referred to in the Order Confirmation (as the same may be amended)
and shall, subject thereto, be free from defects in material and workmanship for the lesser of a period of
twelve months from the date of delivery or thirteen months from the date of dispatch from the factory.
3) Save as provided in this clause and except where the Goods are sold to a person dealing as a
consumer (within the meaning of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977) all warranties, conditions or other
terms implied by statute or common law are hereby expressly excluded save to the extent they may not
be lawfully excluded. When the Goods are sold to a consumer within the meaning of the Unfair
Contract Terms Act 1977 their statutory rights are not affected by the provisions of this clause.
4) In the event of the Customer making a claim in respect of any defect in terms of clause 2 hereof the
Customer must:-
4.1) reasonably satisfy the Company that the Goods have been properly installed, commissioned,
stored, serviced and used and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing that any
defect is not the direct or indirect result of lack of repair and/or servicing, incorrect repair and/or
servicing, use of wrong materials and/or incorrect spare parts; and
4.2) allow the company to inspect the Goods and/or any installation and any relevant packaging
as and when reasonably required by the Company.
5) Subject to the Company being notified of any defect as is referred to in sub-clause 2 hereof within a
reasonable time of it becoming apparent and subject always to the terms of sub-clause 4 hereof, the
Company shall, in its option, replace or repair the defective Goods or refund a proportionate part of the
Price. The Company shall have no further liability to the Customer (save as mentioned in sub-clause 6
hereof).
6) The Company shall be liable to indemnify the Customer in respect of any claim for death or personal
injury to any person in so far as such is attributable to the negligence or breach of duty of the Company
or any failure by the Company to comply with the provisions of sub-clause 2 hereof.
7) Save as provided in sub-clause 2 hereof the Company shall not be liable in respect of any claim by the
Customer for costs, damages, loss or expenses (whether direct, indirect, consequential or otherwise) or
indemnity in any respect howsoever arising including, but not by way of limitation, liability arising in
negligence (other than pursuant to clause 6 above) that may be suffered by the Customer or any third
party,
SAFETY NOTICE TO USERS
These instructions must be read thoroughly and understood before installation
and operation of your Peak Gas Generator. Use of the Generator in a manner not
specified by Peak Scientific Inst. MAY impair the SAFETY provided by the
equipment.
When handling, operating or carrying out any maintenance, personnel must
employ safe engineering practices and observe all relevant local health and
safety requirements and regulations. The attention of UK users is drawn to the
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Institute of Electrical Engineers
regulations.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 6
1 Introduction
The Peak Scientific Instruments range of Zero Air Gas Generators is designed to produce a constant flow of
Zero Grade Air with a Hydrocarbon content (as Methane) of less than 0.1 ppm.
2 Unpacking and Installation
Although Peak Scientific take every precaution with safe transit and packaging, it is advisable to fully
inspect the unit for any sign of transit damage.
ANY DAMAGE SHOULD BE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CARRIER AND
PEAK SCIENTIFIC OR THE DISTRIBUTOR FROM WHERE THE UNIT WAS
PURCHASED.
After unpacking and a visual inspection, the unit should be placed in a ventilated area away from direct
sunlight. Care should be taken not to obstruct the ventilation holes on the sides of the unit nor, on the
ZA180, the fan outlet on the top.
The generator should be placed on a steady and level base. Alternatively, the unit may be wall mounted
using the slots on the rear of the cabinet. These are on 100mm centres.
3 Electrical Connection
Important Electrical Notice
This unit is classified as SAFETY CLASS 1 equipment. THIS UNIT MUST BE EARTHED. Before
connecting the unit to the mains supply, please check the information on the serial plate. The
mains supply must be of the stated AC voltage and frequency.
EARTH/GROUND (E): - Green & Yellow or Green
LIVE (L): - Brown Black
Neutral (N): - Blue White
Fuse
The generator protection fuse in the pull out drawer of the mains inlet IEC euro connector located
on the bottom right hand side of the cabinet adjacent to the off/on switch. The fuse is rated at 6.3
AMP.
Connect the generator to a single-phase supply using the power cord provided.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 7
4 Air Connection
The inlet and outlet connections are 1/4" BSP female.
The Inlet air should conform to the following specifications:
Minimum Pressure 0.69 Barg / 10 psig
Maximum Pressure 8.62 Barg / 125 psig
Maximum Hydrocarbon Content 100 ppm
The inlet air should be oil free and pre-filtered to remove bulk moisture. Although not essential, an air
drier up-stream of the generator will ensure a long and trouble free life.
Note:- The platinum catalyst within the Zero Air Catalytic Chamber will become
poisoned if it comes into contact with any halogenated hydrocarbons, silicone
sprays, silicone greases, phosphorous compounds, lead components, high
sulphur vapours or other catalyst poisons.
The air supply should be connected to the generator inlet on the left side of the cabinet. The user's
application should be connected to the outlet on the right side of the cabinet. To avoid leakage/impurity
ingress, use PTFE tape on all fittings.
Slowly, turn on the air supply until the required pressure is attained. There is no physical method of
restricting the gas output from the generator. The user should therefore ensure that the application only
receives a maximum flow not exceeding the rating for the generator. Demand in excess of the rated
capacity of will result in higher levels of hydrocarbons in the delivered gas.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 8
5 Principle of Operation
The Z015-108 Zero Air generator works on the fundamental principle of Catalytic Oxidation as illustrated
in the following pneumatic diagram.
Heater Rod
Thermocouple
Outlet
ZAxxx Pneumatic Diagram
Inlet Filter /
Regulator
Cat
Chamber
Cooling
Coil
Zero Air Generation
Inlet air is passed into the Generator via a coalescing filter, which removes bulk moisture and particles
down to 0.1 micron. The air is then passed to the 'Zero Air' catalytic combustion chamber. This works on
the principle of catalytic oxidation where hydrocarbons from the incoming compressed air supply are
cracked to carbon dioxide and water. The hydrocarbon level in the form of methane is reduced to
<0.1ppm, for this process to work the catalyst requires to be heated to approximately 400 degrees
Celsius. The free Carbon and Hydrogen atoms then combine with Oxygen in the air to form Carbon
Dioxide and Water.
After the catalytic chamber the air passes through a simple cooling coil to reduce its temperature to a
safe level. In the ZA180 this is assisted by a cooling fan.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 9
6 Commissioning
This should be undertaken by a technically competent person.
With the generator installed as described earlier remove the front cover. Check that all the internal
components are securely located and have not moved during transit.
Open the air supply and turn the unit ON. Set the regulator on the Inlet Filter/Regulator to the desired
pressure.
Check that the cooling fan (ZA180) is operating and exhausting air out of the generator. Check that the
red LED on the temperature control board is lit.
After a period of time (around 40 minutes) the Catalytic Chamber should have reached the required
temperature. When this happens the relay on the Temperature Controller will “click” and the red LED will
go out. The heater will then cycle on & off as required.
Replace the front cover, the generator is now operational.
Do not touch any part of the Catalytic Chamber or Copper Lines as they will be VERY
Hot.
7 Routine Maintenance
Due to the simplicity of design and the small number of parts the Peak Zero Air Generator will have a
long and trouble free life. However as with all scientific and technical equipment it should be regularly
inspected by a competent person and the following points noted.
1. Inlet Filter. Condensed moisture should be periodically drained from the filter.
2. Temperature Control. Check that the red LED cycles On & Off.

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 10
8Troubleshooting
Problems with the Zero Air Generator will probably be shown up by increased levels of Hydrocarbons
being detected on the baseline. Reference to the following Fault Finder Chart will identify the source of
the problem.
High CH4 Cat Chamber Hot/
Cold
Control Board
LED LED Off
Voltage
At Heater
Thermocouple
Wiring
Replace
Control Board
Replace
Thermocouple
Replace Heater
Voltage At
Board Output
Check Wiring
Off
On
Open
Circuit
OK
Yes
No
Yes
No
Check
Flow Rate
Hot
Cold

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 11
9 Technical Specifications
General Details
Minimum Operating Ambient Temperature 5 oC (41 oF)
Maximum Operating Ambient Temperature 45 oC (113 oF)
Inlet Conditions (Free of oil and bulk moisture)
Minimum Air Inlet Pressure 0.69 Barg (10 psig)
Maximum Air Inlet Pressure 8.6 Barg (125 psig)
Maximum Hydrocarbon Content 100 ppm (CH4)
Start up time for specified hydrocarbon concentration 40 minutes
Physical Details
Model ZA015 ZA035 ZA070 ZA180
Max Output (Litres/min) 1.5 3.5 7.0 18.0
Heater Watts 250 250 250 450
Fan Watts N/A N/A N/A 9.0
Electrical Requirements (230V
50Hz)
(110V 60Hz)
1.2A
2.3A
1.2A
2.3A
1.2A
2.3A
2.0A
4.5A
Dimensions (H x W x D) cm
Inches
51x25x16
20x10x6.3
51x25x16
20x10x6.3
51x25x16
20x10x6.3
76x25x16
30x10x6.3
Shipping Weight Kg
Lbs
10Kg
22lb
10Kg
22lb
10Kg
22lb
12Kg
26.4lb
Parts List
Model ZA015 ZA035 ZA070 ZA180
Inlet Filter Element (110V) 02-1031 02-1031 02-1031 02-1031
Catalytic chamber 06-1075 06-1075 06-1075 06-1075
Heater Element 04-1059 04-1059 04-1059 04-1059
Thermocouple 04-1051 04-1051 04-1051 04-1051
Temperature Controller 04-1170 04-1170 04-1170 04-1170
Cooling Fan (240V) 04-1021 04-1021 04-1021 04-1021
Cooling Fan (110V) 04-1022 04-1022 04-1022 04-1022
Transformer (230V Only) 04-4356 04-4356 04-4356 04-4356

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 12
10 System Diagrams
Heater Rod
Thermocouple
Outlet
ZAxxx Pneumatic Diagram
Inlet Filter /
Regulator
Cat
Chamber
Cooling
Coil
Thermocouple Heater
Rod
Out
-+
N L
Temperature
Controller
(400 Deg C)
Fan Motor (ZA180 only)
ZAxxx Electrical Diagram
Fuse
Switch
(230V Only)
Transformer
N EL

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 13
Maintenance Log
Model- Serial number
Work Done Remarks Date Name

PEAK Scientific Instruments Ltd Zero Air Gas Generator
Instructions for use Manual 30th March 2005
ZA015 Issue 3 14
Notes