401704-6 17-07-31
FCX-TR: Zirconia oxygen transmitter for process
control applications
Pewatron has developed an oxygen transmitter that can be screw mounted in process
chambers and process installations. The ease of mounting, together with an industrial
standard output signal, make the transmitter a preferred solution for process control of
oxygen levels in ppm or in % concentration levels. The heart of the FCX-TR oxygen
transmitter is the well-known and high quality FCX-U series (FCX-UL, FCX-UC or FCX-UWC)
of oxygen sensors.
The FCX-TR transmitter is a fully integrated solution with a low-noise amplification
circuit that translates the µA signal from the sensor into a 4…20 mA standard output
signal. The transmitter has a high-precision heater controller built-in for an accurate
control of the sensor heater voltage and current. The accuracy of the transmitter follows
the accuracy of the sensor element itself. The resolution is determined by the sensor
element or the amplification dependent on the application. The 4-pole connector on the
transmitter can easily be connected to a central power supply and the 4…20 mA output
signal can easily be fed into a central PLC unit or a display.
Process control or controlled atmosphere applications are growing in importance. Two
examples are oxygen control in cell growth studies using incubators and oxygen control in
additive manufacturing of metal 3D structures. In both cases the process is running for
many hours or even days. Therefore the reliability and accuracy of the oxygen sensors
during the process time is very important, as they are used as quality monitoring
parameter. The FCX-TR transmitter is very well suited for both applications, because of
the rugged design and the superior performance of the integrated oxygen sensors. Although
the basic sensor element is very hot (~450°C) the transmitter casing remains cold and
maximum 10°C higher than the surrounding temperature in the application. The sensor and
the transmitter construction can also withstand high pressures – the transmitter has been
tested up to 20 bar, making it also attractive for pressurized oxygen tanks and chambers.