Manual for
TCS-200
Carbon Dioxide Scrubber
Tuff Automation Inc.
2751 Courier Court NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49534
TEL: 616.735.3939
FAX: 616.735.4973
[email protected]
Preface.
Apples that are stored in an airtight room in efforts to delay their ripening, respire the
oxygen in the room and give off carbon dioxide as a byproduct. A carbon dioxide
scrubber is an affordable and effective machine for controlling carbon dioxide levels in
sealed storage rooms. Prior to carbon dioxide scrubbers, hydrated lime was used to
control these levels. Hydrated lime doesn’t make it possible to control the carbon dioxide
level to a specific set point and when the lime becomes saturated the storage operator was
forced to empty the room. It is now possible to control each room’s carbon dioxide level,
without mixing atmospheres, to a set point and hold it there for the entire duration of
storage. In addition to removing carbon dioxide, the scrubber also helps to remove
ethylene.
The TCS-200 uses a PLC and color touch screen to optimize operation of all valves
attached to the machine, blowers, carbon dioxide analyzer, oxygen analyzer, and data
logging. The TCS-200 uses 2 activated carbon beds in order to provide continuous
scrubbing with very low oxygen feed back to the sealed room. While one bed is
absorbing carbon dioxide, the other is purging carbon dioxide and getting ready to scrub.
The scrubber can be programmed to control specific set points for each room or be
remotely controlled by another system. During operation the TCS-200 is continuously
optimizing it’s set points as the atmosphere in the room changes in order to make itself
more efficient.
In addition to controlling your carbon dioxide set points, the TCS-200 is capable of
monitoring and adding oxygen to the sealed room.
Installation.
With proper installation the TCS-200 shouldn’t cause the oxygen level in the sealed
room to rise. It is crucial that all piping to and from the scrubber be air tight and free
from cracks in order to prevent a rise in oxygen levels. Tuff Automation or any preferred
contractor can install the scrubber as long as correct pipe size, wire size, etc. are used.
Included in the price of the scrubber is a professional start up. In efforts to prevent
damage to the machine and/or storage facility, the machine should not be powered up
without a Tuff Automation representative present.
Room Air IN
This is air coming from the sealed room that requires scrubbing to decrease the carbon
dioxide level. (CLOSED LOOP)
Room Air OUT
This is air exiting the scrubber headed back to the room. The carbon dioxide level should
be near zero. (CLOSED LOOP)
Regeneration Air IN
This air is clean, fresh air that is free of ammonia and carbon dioxide. It is used to purge
the carbon dioxide from the activated carbon that is not scrubbing and prepare it for
another scrub cycle. This air needs to be filtered w/ generic filter mat to prevent the
activated carbon from getting dirty.
Regeneration Air OUT
This air contains contaminates that the scrubber removed from the sealed room and
should be vented outside. (A guard should be put in place to prevent anything from
infiltrating the pipe)
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Machine Overview.
Touch Screen Interface.
Main Screen
System: Enable/Disable
This button turns the scrubber “on” and “off”.
Local/Remote: Mode
In “Local Mode” the scrubber will function on it’s own control CO2 and O2 levels.
With “Remote Mode” selected the scrubber relies on input from a separate
controller to let it know what room to scrub and when.
Configuration Button (hidden)
This button can be found in the lower right of the touch screen. When pressed it
will prompt for a password.
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Configuration Screen
Configuration Button (hidden)
When this button is pressed (can be found in the lower right of the Main Touch
Screen), the blow page will be displayed.
End Regen %
An authorized TAI representative should only use this set point, as this is unique
value for each machine.
Restore Bed Sec.
An authorized TAI representative should only use this set point, as this is unique
value for each machine.
CO2 Sample Sec.
This is the amount of time that the scrubber samples the room air before making a
decision to scrub and for how long. If there are rooms that are a long distance
from the scrubber this value may need to be increased.
Enable O2
Press this button to enable/disable the O2 feature of your carbon scrubber if it is so
equipped.
Regen Fault Sec.
An authorized TAI representative should only use this set point, as this is unique
value for each machine. This time is a backup timer in the event that the CO2
analyzer fails or if the scrubber cannot clean the CO2 to its calculated set point.
Frequency Set Point
Enter a time in seconds at which you would like the scrubber to prioritized the
order at which it scrubs rooms based on the individual room CO2 levels.
Purge Bed A Sec.
An authorized TAI representative should only use this set point, as this is unique
value for each machine.
Purge Bed B Sec.
An authorized TAI representative should only use this set point, as this is unique
value for each machine.
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CLR Schedule
By pressing this button the operator clears all rooms from the queue assuming
there are rooms in queue.
Disable MTRs
Disables both blowers for testing purposes.
Room Control Screen
System: Enabled/Disabled
This button, located in the uppermost left corner, displays the status of the
scrubber.
Room Identity
In order to program the correct label for the facilities rooms, press this button.
When pressed it will prompt for a password. Enter your password set the desired
room label by touching the appropriate green box. When finish press the Room
Identity button again and enter your password when prompted.
Schedule
On the far right hand side of the screen are the labels #1 - #16. This is the
schedule that has been remotely queued, prioritized, or locally queued into the
machine to run. The label #1 represents the first room in the queue while #16
represents the last.
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Room Set Points Screen
Room Disabled/Enabled
This button, located in the uppermost right corner, enables or disables scrubbing
on that particular room.
O2 Level
If this feature was purchased with the scrubber, this is where the room's current
O2 level is displayed.
CO2 Level
This is where the room's current CO2 level is displayed.
O2 Set Point
If this feature was purchased with the scrubber, this is where the user specifies the
preferred O2 set point for the particular room.
CO2 Set Point
This is where the user specifies the preferred CO2 set point for the particular
room.
Cycle Time
Displays how long the scrubber has been running on the corresponding part of its
cycle.
Re-Cycle Time
Under “Local Mode” the scrubber revisits the corresponding room to run the “# of
Cycles” if the CO2 or O2 level is not met.
# of Cycles
Under “Local Mode” the scrubber runs this number of cycles that the user inputs
before switching to the next room unless the CO2 or O2 levels are met. If the CO2
or O2 levels are met, the scrubber stops scrubbing/adding O2 after 2 minutes.
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Troubleshooting / Testing.
Due to unique and sophisticated nature of Controlled Atmosphere it is imperative
that there be no leaks in the sealed room and that the scrubber not add oxygen by
means of leaky valves, piping to and from the room, or by faulty parts on the
scrubber itself. At time of installation a TAI representative will check to ensure
that the scrubber is not adding oxygen to the room. After installation the
scrubber, if purchased with the O2 option, will constantly monitor the to and from
air and if it determines that there is a difference between the two it will shut the
scrubber down and alarm. If the O2 option isn’t purchased it is up to the operator
to periodically check the to and from scrub pipes for oxygen differences with a
portable gas analyzer.
Fault
Fault Description
Possible Cause of Fault
Either scrub or regeneration overload faulted. Power phase loss, faulty motor, faulty VFD,
Must open enclosure to determine
OVERLOAD FAULTED
faulty overload
Regeneration Blower was unable to clean bed to End Regen % is set incorrectly, inlet filter is
REGEN FAULT
set point
dirty
REGEN PRESSURE
Failed valve (check for blown fuse),
FAULT
Regeneration Blower created too much pressure
obstruction in piping
SCRUB PRESSURE
Failed valve (check for blown fuse),
FAULT
obstruction in piping
Scrub Blower created too much pressure
VFD faulted for either the scrub or regeneration
VFD FAULT
blower
Over current, phase loss, low voltage
CYCLE SETPOINT #1 - Scrubber was unable to reach the CO2 set point The number of programmed cycles is too
#16 FAULT
for the room in the given number of cycles
low for the room/type of apples.
Failed valve (check for blown fuse), crack in
O2% BACK TO ROOM
Scrubber is causing a rise in oxygen on the
piping, leaky scrubber bed, failed seal on
FAULT
room being scrubbed
scrub blower
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