CO2 Gas warning systems from MSR-Electronic on duty in the hop refinement

Reliable leakage monitoring in the Hallertau, Germany.

When producing the Germans' favourite drink - beer - hops from the world-famous Hallertau hop-growing region are a must. Along with barley malt, yeast and water, hops are one of the 4 ingredients permitted by the German Purity Law for brewing beer. Hops season and preserve the beer in a natural way. And to ensure that there are no fluctuations in the quality of the beer, the hop refinement process standardises the bitterness of the hops. The hops also keep longer and retain their full, naturally fresh aroma. About 45 kg of hop pellets are produced from 100 kg of raw hops. Hop refinement makes transport much easier and allows better storage and freshness.

Refinement takes place after the hop harvest. During this process, the hop cone is freed from heavy material and metal. The purified mass is pulverized by means of a cutting mill and homogenised again in mixers with a capacity of approx. 3 tons, and afterwards dried in hordes. Finally, the powder reaches the pellet press where it is processed into hop pellets with the help of rollers and matrices and dried again. During the drying process CO2 is added, which is subject to permanent monitoring. This is achieved by using CO2 gas sensors from MSR-Electronic.

The exchangeable sensor (type SC2 and type MC2) with digitised measured value processing, temperature compensation and self-monitoring for continuous monitoring of the ambient air for gases and vapours protects people and plant. In addition to the sensor element with infrared sensing technology and the measuring amplifier, the sensors contain a μController for the processing of measured values. The IR measuring principle ensures highest accuracy, selectivity and reliability despite long calibration intervals. All data and measured values of the sensor element are stored in the μController in a fail-safe way and are transmitted digitally via the local bus to the sensor board SB2 or MSB2. Calibration management is also integrated in the μController of the sensor.

Calibration is done either by simply replacing the sensor cartridge or by using the comfortable, integrated calibration routine directly at the system.

The DGC-06 Digital Gas Controller from MSR-Electronic is the central unit for the entire gas monitoring in the drying process of hop refinement. A measuring, warning and controlling device system for toxic and combustible gases. The DGC-06 Digital Gas Controller has been developed for large systems or even for extensive connections. Everything is possible, from complex garages, breweries, large-capacity laboratories to access functions that are switched by gas alarm. The DGC-06 gas controller series is designed according to EN 50545-1 and can monitor and evaluate up to 128 gas sensors, 96 of which are digital and/or 32 analog sensors (4–20 mA). Each sensor has 4 freely adjustable alarm thresholds. For alarm messages, the controller system has up to 128 relays with potential-free change-over contact and up to 16 analog outputs with 4–20 mA signal.

Information on further MSR products can be found here in the current online catalog or in the web shop: www.msr-24.com.

MSR-Electronic is a manufacturer of fixed gas warning systems with decades of experience in the field of building automation and gas measurement technology. The international company with headquarters in Germany has a wide range of methods for the detection of toxic and combustible gases. On this basis MSR-Electronic develops individual gas sensors, controllers and warning devices for many applications, such as parking garages, tunnels, petrochemical industry or shipping. The products meet more than the general standards and regulations and can therefore guarantee the safety of the plant. www.msr-electronic.de