ZX-44XL Liquid Fuel Analyzer User s Manual Version 1.2 This manual provides you the information needed to operate the ZX-44XL Liquid Fuel Analyzer. ZELTEX, INC. 130 Western Maryland Parkway Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 USA Phone: 301-791-7080 Fax: 301-733-9398 E-mail: info@zeltex.com Zeltex, Inc. 2017
Table of Contents Table of Contents...2 WARNING...3 Introduction...4 Appearance and Part Names...4 System Setup...5 Printer Paper Installation...6 Sample Holder Procedure...6 Using the ZX-44XL...8 Measuring a Sample...8 Changing Products...9 Adjusting the Calibration...9 Adjusting the Date and Time...10 Resetting Automatic ID Number...10 Adjusting Number of Read Cycles...11 Listing of Products...11 Printing Constituent Data...11 Duplicating a Product...11 Restoring Factory Settings...12 General Specifications...13 Glossary...14 Appendix 1: Analyzed Sample Form...15 Appendix 2: Applying Sample Holder Labels...16 Page 2
WARNING THE ZX-44XL LIQUID FUEL ANALYZERS ARE NOT EXPLOSION-PROOF: REASONABLE CARE MUST BE USED IN HANDLING THESE INSTRUMENTS. ALL SAMPLES SHOULD BE CONTAINED IN SAMPLE HOLDERS FOR SAFETY. Page 3
Introduction Appearance and Part Names Tablet/Display (Front View) Sample Chamber (Back View) Page 4 Tablet/Display Power
Other Parts and Accessories The ZX-44XL is shipped with the following parts and accessories. Contact Zeltex if you would like to purchase additional accessories. ZX-44XL 3 Sample Holders with Lids 6 Extra Sample Holder Labels AC Adapter 2 Rolls of Printer Paper Quick Start Manual User s Manual Calibration Manual System Setup Follow these steps to install the ZX-44XL Liquid Fuel Analyzer: 1) Place the ZX-44XL on a sturdy table. 2) Plug the supplied AC adapter into the back of the ZX-44XL and the other end into an AC socket. 3) Assure that the ZX-44XL is properly grounded. If the AC wall outlet has a true ground terminal then the ZX-44XL will be grounded. If the AC outlet is not firmly traceable to the earth, then a separate ground must be installed in order for the ZX-44XL to perform properly. 4) Avoid Electrical Noise Electrical machinery may cause "noise" on an AC power line. Although the ZX- 44XL has been designed to be relatively immune to such electrical noise, instrumentation or generators being cycled on and off may interfere with the ZX- 44XL performance. In facilities with unusually poor power regulation, an external power supply regulator or line filter should be used. 5) Install the Printer Paper (see Printer Paper Installation) 6) Press on the On/Off Switch. 7) Press the Tablet Power Button until the display turns on. Once the Zeltex software loads, press "Touch Here to Begin". 8) Allow the ZX-44XL to warm up. Page 5
All optical instruments require a warm-up period to insure that the optics and electrical systems have stabilized at operating temperature. Once turned on, the ZX-44XL requires approximately ten minutes to warm-up prior to performing measurements Printer Paper Installation 1) Press the Printer Paper Eject Button to open the paper cover. 2) Set a roll of paper into the printer as shown in the figure below. 3) Close the paper cover by pressing both ends of the cover with the edge of the paper emerging from the printer from the paper cutter. Sample Holder Procedure To ensure accurate readings, follow these procedures when dealing with the sample holders. Clean sample holders inside and out with alcohol or just a clean cloth. Dry thoroughly before use. Note that acetone may be used, but avoid getting acetone on sample holder label. Check to assure sample holder label is not peeling or torn. (Replacement labels are available). Make sure inside of sample chamber is clean. Use a small amount of soapy water on a paper towel or cotton swab. Do not use acetone or alcohol in the chamber. Be sure that the windows in the chamber are clean and free of obstructions. Page 6
CAUTIONS: Never use sample holders without lids. Never pour gasoline into sample holder while sample holder is in sample chamber. Always fill sample holder above the fill line. Page 7
Using the ZX-44XL Measuring a Sample 1) Switch power to ON and allow the instrument at least twenty minutes to warm up. 2) A standard (empty chamber) reading must be done first. Make sure there is no sample holder in the sample chamber. Cover the chamber with the light shield. This shield must always be used when measuring a fuel sample or a standard; otherwise, the results will be incorrect. 3) Follow the prompt video on the screen. Press the yellow Measure Button. The screen will display Reading Standard. 4) When prompted, open the light shield and place the filled sample holder in the sample chamber, being careful to align the alignment stripe on the sample holder with the back alignment stripe on the instrument. 5) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder. 6) Press the Measure Button. The screen will display Reading Sample. 7) Remove the sample holder and rotate the sample to align the stripe on the sample holder with the front alignment stripe on the instrument. 8) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder. 9) Press the Measure Button. The screen will display Reading Sample. 10) When prompted, remove the sample. Replace the light shield and press "Measure". 11) The screen will display Reading Standard, then the results will be displayed. 12) After the measurement is complete, repeat steps 2-11 to measure another fuel sample. Note: The ZX-44XL has warnings for possible bad readings. See Next Page. Page 8
Warning/Error Message 1) Instrument Too Hot or Instrument Too Cold Explanation The ZX-44XL was set up with a temperature check. If the instrument temperature is too cold or too hot, these warnings will appear on the printout. 2) Too High or Too Low This occurs when the reading for a particular constituent is outside the range of the calibration. The results of samples read that lie outside of the calibration range are not as reliable. 3) Bad Curve This occurs when the wrong type of fuel is used or there was an error during the reading (Removing the lid too early for example.) 4) High Variance This occurs when there is a large difference between the two sample readings. Changing Products The ZX-44XL stores multiple products internal memory. In any product, you can have up to four constituents. Use the drop down menu where it says "Active Products" on the top left to select the product you wish to analyze. Adjusting the Calibration The ZX-44XL has been carefully calibrated to measure accurately (the Octane calibration is traceable to Waukesha Knock Engines, ASTM test D2699 and D2700). The equation used is: Results = Bias + (Slope) (X), where X is the summation of the optical data multiplied by the constants. Some users may desire to have the ZX-44XL traceable to their own knock engines or labs. For those users the following adjustment procedures are provided: 1) Bias Adjustment (shifts all readings up or down the same amount) 2) Slope Adjustment (changes the angle of prediction line to agree with the new knock engine) Before making any adjustments, you must first measure at least 5 samples for which you have laboratory analysis. These samples should also cover the range of the calibration. Once the samples have been measured, use the Statistical Analysis portion of the provided Calibration Software to determine if an adjustment is necessary. Print the Statistical Analysis and note the adjustment that the software recommends. If you are Page 9
unable to use the Calibration Software or are simply uncomfortable with determining when an adjustment is necessary, feel free to use the Analyzed Sample Form found in Appendix 1 of this manual and contact Zeltex for assistance. Once you have determined the adjustment to be made, follow these instructions for making an adjustment to the ZX-44XL: 1) Press "Product Information". 2) Select the constituent to adjust. 3) Press "Adjust (CON) Calibration". 4) Press Adjust Slope/Bias When adjusting only the Bias: 5) When the screen displays Slope, DO NOT change slope of 1.00! 6) Press the number next to "Bias Adjustment and enter the number from the prediction printout. Press "Done" when complete. When adjusting the Slope and Bias 5) Press the number next to "Slope adjustment" and enter the Slope number from the prediction printout. Press "Done" when complete. 6) Press the number next to "Bias Adjustment and enter the Slope Bias number from the prediction printout. Press Done when complete. 7) The final adjustments will be shown on the display. Press Done to return to the main screen. Adjusting the Date and Time 1) Press "Instrument Settings" 2) Use the dialog to set the time and date. Resetting Automatic ID Number This will set the automatic consecutive numbering back to 1. 1) Press "Instrument Settings." Page 10
2) Press "Reset Auto ID number." Adjusting Number of Read Cycles The ZX-44XL is designed to allow you to use between 1 and 9 repetitions to get the maximum accuracy with the minimum time needed for your samples. Zeltex recommends that you use two repetitions on fuel samples for the best accuracy. 1) Press "Instrument settings." 2) Use the "Number of Cycles per Reading" drop down box to set the number of readings. Listing of Products The ZX-44XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of products available in the instrument. 1) Press "Product information." 2) Press "Print product listing." Printing Constituent Data The ZX-44XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of the constants for each product. 1) Press "Product information." 2) Select the constituent to print out. 3) Press Print Calibration Duplicating a Product The ZX-44XL allows the user to duplicate a product so that adjustments can be made to the duplicated product without affecting the original calibration. 1) Press "Product information." 2) Choose the product to duplicate from the dropdown menu at the top. Page 11
3) Press "Duplicate Product" 4) Select the vacant space to put the duplicated product. Restoring Factory Settings If something should happen to your calibration you can reset the ZX-44XL to the factory settings. 1) Press "Product information." 2) To restore the settings for a particular calibration, choose the constituent of the product you wish to restore and press "Restore Factory Calibration." 3) To all calibrations, press "Restore All Factory Calibration." Page 12
General Specifications 1. MEASUREMENT Measuring Principle: Near-Infrared Transmittance using 16 wavelengths covering the range from 810 nanometers to 1045 nanometers. 2. PRINTER OUTPUT Measured Results with time, date, and identification number 3. AC Power Requirements 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz with autoswitching 4. DIMENSIONS Main Body: 20.5" by 11 3/8" by 5 3/8". (53cm by 30cm by 16cm) 5. WEIGHT 16 lbs. (about 7 kilos) 6. SAMPLE SIZE 200 ml with 75mm wavelength Page 13
Glossary Accuracy Refers to how closely the readings of the known samples match the samples predetermined lab values in a given instrument. Bias The average overall shift of the calculated results from the ideal laboratory values. A Bias Adjustment will compensate for this. Constants (also referred to as K values) Figures determined during calibration of the instrument which are used in the equation: Result = K 0 + (K 1 OD 1 + K 2 OD 2 +... K N OD N ) Constituent One of the properties of the product being measured, such as RON or MON.. IDs The identification numbers of the samples. MON Motor Octane Number Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) The mathematical process to fit the optical data to the lab data. Optical Data (ODs) The data obtained by the instrument from each of its filters which it then applies to the above equation to calculate the results. Precision Refers to how closely the same sample repeats its readings in a given instrument Reduce / Reduction See Multiple Linear Regression Regression See Multiple Linear Regression RON Research Octane Number Slope and Bias More than just an average overall shift of the calculated results from the ideal laboratory values. A Slope and Bias adjustment will compensate for this. Page 14
Appendix 1: Analyzed Sample Form SEND TO: Zeltex, Inc. USA, FAX NO.: 1-301-733-9398 FROM: Company name, Country CONTACT PERSON: (please print) PHONE: Country code Number FAX: Enter in the Analyzed Sample columns, ten (10) samples that have been analyzed by your lab. In the corresponding columns, enter the ZX-44XL readings for the same samples. Fax to Zeltex for advice concerning any needed adjustments. Samp. # LAB CON 1 44XL CON 1 LAB CON 2 44XL CON 2 LAB CON 3 44XL CON 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page 15
Appendix 2: Applying Sample Holder Labels 1) Locate the seam that runs from the top to the bottom of the sample holder. This seam is where you will start the new label. 2) Carefully place lead edge of the label along the seam of the sample holder, making sure the label will be on the flat surface all the way around the sample holder, as close to the bottom as possible. 3) Apply the label to the sample holder, stretching slightly as applied. Do not pull too tightly. 4) Wrap completely around the sample holder, trying to smooth out air bubbles as you go. 5) Once the label has met the other side, press down the end securely. The edges do not need to line up exactly, but they should be close. Page 16