​​InstaTrans ​FAQ

Failure to Calibrate Troubleshooting Guidelines

Can the B-3 cell be used with the Instatrans?

InstaTrans (Model 3001) Repair Manual

How do I adjust the Insta Trans to reach the calibration gas cylinder value?

Who is the manufacturer of the connector on the Insta Trans?

What are the types and grades of the various materials that are exposed in the Insta Trans Transmitter?

What is the failure mode of the Instatrans? For other Teledyne oxygen analyzers, when the cell fails, it will go to 4 ma output. However, for the transmitter, will it go to 0 ma, or could it fail mid range?

At one third of a psi above atmosphere inlet pressure, what is the flow rate through the InstaTrans unit?

What type power supply should I use with this instrument? Can I get it from Teledyne?

Can you provide information on pressure and flow rate variation?

I try to calibrate the analyzers with 87ppm O2 bal N2 and 74ppm O2 bal N2. Both of them shows 91.2ppm and 81.2ppm. There are no leakage and vent directly to atmosphere and no overpressurized. The analyzers was purge with N2 overnight and the reading before calibration are 1.2ppm The flow is 1SCFH and when we increase to 2SCFH, it increase 0.2ppm only. The reading maintain at 81.2ppm for 6 hours and very stable. How can we calibrate it?

We have InstraTrans- 252256 in our new plant & looking for a calibration procedure to Calibrate. What is the calibration procedure?

I am going to install Insta Trans (right angle: C72103B) O2 analyzer. It uses B2C sensor. I couldn't understand the sensor montage. There are two sides of sensor (sensing surface and concentric foil contact rings surface)

One surface of the cell will touch to the cell holder. 

My question is: which surface of the cell touches to the cell holder and which surface touches inside of the analyzer?

How do you determine the need to replace the micro-fuel cell in Teledyne trace oxygen analyzers?

We are about to install an Insta Trace - CO2 analyzer. This is to be used to measure trace amounts of O2 in Natural gas with typically 1% CO2. Does the calibration mixture need to have a similar amount of CO2 in it to operate correctly? The calibration gas that we have has trace amount of Nitrogen e.g 90ppm in a methane balance but with no C02 content.

On the Insta Trans, as there is no alarm output on the instrument, will the analog output generate an alarm in case of malfunction? This is not mentioned in the manual. How does the customer see if anything goes wrong with the device? Will it generate 22 mA at the 4-20mA output?

The Teledyne InstaTrans 3001 oxygen analyzer data sheet and manual state that: 

"The Insta Trans is self-certified by Teledyne as suitable for Class I, Division 2 areas without the use of I/S barriers utilizing specific installation guidelines." 

As we have to install the instrument in Zone 2 which is equivalent to Class 1, Division 2, we are very interested in the specific installation guidelines mentioned. However, these cannot be found on your website. Can we access these guidelines so that we can judge whether or not this can be applicable in our application?

Please advise if following contaminants in a N2 stream may damage the cell of an InstaTrans: 1.5 % acetic acid, trace heptane and trace phosphoric acid. Cell will be maintained to 40°C (104 F) in order to prevent acetic acid deposition. Acetone is used for piping cleaning.

What is the maximum pressure the Insta Trans can support in case of pressure regulation breakdown, not considering sensor damage?

We currently have two Insta Trans Oxygen Analyzers measuring 0-10ppm Oxygen in Ethylene. I have specified a calibration bottle of 9ppm balance Ethylene for calibration purposes, the problem I'm having is the calibration gas bottle manufacturer cannot meet the required specification. Can we replace the current request specification with 9ppm Oxygen balance Nitrogen?

What is recommended flow rate for this unit?

Can I make my own cable for the Instatrans?

What is recommended flow rate for this unit?

What fuel cells conform to the hazardous area approvals of the InstaTrans?

What barriers can we use with this product?​​

For additional questions, please contact Technical Support​​.


Q: ​Failure to Calibrate Troubleshooting Guidelines

A: Please find the troubleshooting guidelines here.​

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Q: ​Can the B-3 cell be used with the Instatrans? 

A: Not as a standard. The B-3 has a different output profile than the other standard cells. ​

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Q: ​InstaTrans (Model 3001) Repair Manual

A: Please find the InstaTrans Repair Manual here.​

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Q: ​How do I adjust the Insta Trans to reach the calibration gas cylinder value? 

A: Example : Let's say you cannot adjust the unit to match the gas cylinder you have which is 90 ppm O2. The unit reads 97 ppm and cannot be adjusted.

Factors which can affect this are:

1) It is possible there is a leak in the system or the system is overpressurized. The Insta Trans should be vented to atmosphere and should have a flow of about 1 SCFH. The reading is insensitive to flow variations as long as there is no leak. If the flow is raised to 2 SCFH and the unit reads lower in O2 as a result, in most cases this indicates a leak.

2) The cylinder itself may be misanalyzed (the supplier of the cylinder may have incorrectly measured the concentration of gas). We have adjustment ranges in our product to cover the full range of the sensors' output variation at a specific O2 level.

3) Consider the calibration gas type. We recommend for best results calibrating with O2 in a CO2 mixture if you are analyzing a CO2 mixture. The background gas should remain constant for best results.

4) Time of sensor installation. If the sensor was just installed, it can take up to a day to stabilize on gas. 

5) The other possibility is a defective unit or sensor, but consider the above possibilities first.​

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Q: ​Who is the manufacturer of the connector on the Insta Trans? 

A: Turck. Our interconnection drawing is B-71625. The Mating connector is Turck part number B8141-0.​​ 

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Q: ​What are the types and grades of the various materials that are exposed in the Insta Trans Transmitter? 

A: 

  • B72986 CELL HOLDER (CAP) -- 316 SS

  • ​B72087 CELL HOLDER CAP IS (CAP) B72986 -- 316SS

  • B73997 C70987 CELL HOLDER BODY -- 316SS

  • C74302 COVER 2024T-4 -- CHEM FILM & ANODIZE

  • C74303 COVER ADAPTER 2024T-4 -- CHEM FILM & ANODIZE

  • B74301 A B C MOUNTING BKT. 60601T-6 -- ANODIZED

  • B71942 GND STRAP -- 306SS / 304SS

  • B72126 GND STRAP RT. ANGLE -- 306SS / 304SS

  • C71123 MEMBRANE SWITCH -- 0.01" POLYESTER UV PROTECTED

  • B71164 GASKET LARGE -- NEOPRENE

  • B70990 GASKET SMALL -- NEOPRENE

  • A71477 MEMBRANE SWITCH GASKET -- NEOPRENE

  • O-290 O-RING -- VITON​


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Q: ​What is the failure mode of the Instatrans? For other Teledyne oxygen analyzers, when the cell fails, it will go to 4 ma output. However, for the transmitter, will it go to 0 ma, or could it fail mid range? 

A: The most common form of failure of the sensor in the monitoring of Trace O2 in Pure Inert Gas Service such as N2 or Argon, is an elevation of the offset level from near zero to one to a few ppm. The sensor in the mode will continue to respond to O2 changes upscale. 

In petrochemical applications where there may be trace amounts of chemicals that can attack the chemistry or metals in this device, it is not so simple. 

The sensor can fail in a myriad of ways, high, or low, or midscale. Please contact the factory with details about your process for a clearer response.​

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Q: ​At one third of a psi above atmosphere inlet pressure, what is the flow rate through the InstaTrans unit? 

A: About 1.5 scfh. ​

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Q: ​What type power supply should I use with this instrument? Can I get it from Teledyne? 

A: TAI does not sell power supplies for this product. Any 24V DC power supply that can source at least 30mA should be sufficient. 

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Q: ​Can you provide information on pressure and flow rate variation?

A: This instrument is designed to be operated only at an inlet pressure slightly over atmospheric pressure. (These are "blow through" cells.)



Pressure (PSIG)

Flow (SLPM)

7

>10

5

>10

4.6

10

4

9

3

7

2

5


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Q: ​I try to calibrate the analyzers with 87ppm O2 bal N2 and 74ppm O2 bal N2. Both of them shows 91.2ppm and 81.2ppm. There are no leakage and vent directly to atmosphere and no overpressurized. The analyzers was purge with N2 overnight and the reading before calibration are 1.2ppm. The flow is 1SCFH and when we increase to 2SCFH, it increase 0.2ppm only. The reading maintain at 81.2ppm for 6 hours and very stable. How can we calibrate it? 

A: It is appears that the sensor was calibrated after overnight installation and after N2 purging. 

Try the calibration procedure in section 4.2.1 of the manual (refer to Section 6 of this document, increasing & decreasing coarse & fine, it should display the required cylinder concentration). If you are still not able to calibrate it then let the analyzer run on N2 for one complete day & then calibrate. 

After doing that and it is still not getting calibrated then cylinder concentration may be the problem. The sensor output variation is specific at O2 concentration level when calibration is done at factory. ​

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Q: ​We have InstraTrans- 252256 in our new plant & looking for a calibration procedure to Calibrate. What is the calibration procedure? 

A: Please follow the calibration procedure as per manual. (For your ready reference refer the attachment)

Please note that if the analyzer is used in the sampling system then ensure that vent is free flowing & not obstructed. If any bypass path is used for fast loop in the sampling system then route this individually to safe vent (please do not use the single vent line for both analyzer vent & by-pass vent). After installation of sensor in the analyzer purge the analyzer with sample or N2 gas with sufficient time before performing span calibration. 

During span calibration wait for stable value on the display then perform calibration. 

Maintain the same flow rate during calibration & sampling.​

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Q: ​I am going to install Insta Trans (right angle: C72103B) O2 analyzer. It uses B2C sensor. I couldn't understand the sensor montage. There are two sides of sensor (sensing surface and concentric foil contact rings surface) 

One surface of the cell will touch to the cell holder. 

My question is: which surface of the cell touches to the cell holder and which surface touches inside of the analyzer?
 

A: The mesh side of the sensor is the gas sensing surface and should face down. The foil contact rings should face up since these are the contacts to the analyzer.​

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Q: ​How do you determine the need to replace the micro-fuel cell in Teledyne trace oxygen analyzers? 

A: Please refer to this document: MFC_End_of_Life_Determination.doc

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Q: ​We are about to install an Insta Trace - CO2 analyzer. This is to be used to measure trace amounts of O2 in Natural gas with typically 1% CO2. Does the calibration mixture need to have a similar amount of CO2 in it to operate correctly? The calibration gas that we have has trace amount of Nitrogen e.g 90ppm in a methane balance but with no C02 content. 

A: Generally speaking, yes we do suggest you have a similar amount of CO2 in your calibration gas as compared to your sample. We have seen in some cases strange behavior (spikes, etc.) from cells switched between CO2 bearing gas and non CO2 bearing gas. The mechanism for this is not precisely understood, and not all cells demonstrate this. 

Many of our customers successfully to use O2 in N2 only and get good results, however. ​

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Q: ​On the Insta Trans, as there is no alarm output on the instrument, will the analog output generate an alarm in case of malfunction? This is not mentioned in the manual. How does the customer see if anything goes wrong with the device? Will it generate 22 mA at the 4-20mA output? 

A: No it will not do this. This is not a smart transmitter. It is a analog product, and has no microprocessor.​

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Q: ​The Teledyne InstaTrans 3001 oxygen analyzer data sheet and manual state that: 

"The Insta Trans is self-certified by Teledyne as suitable for Class I, Division 2 areas without the use of I/S barriers utilizing specific installation guidelines." 

As we have to install the instrument in Zone 2 which is equivalent to Class 1, Division 2, we are very interested in the specific installation guidelines mentioned. However, these cannot be found on your website. Can we access these guidelines so that we can judge whether or not this can be applicable in our application?
 

A: To be suitable for installation in a Class 1, Division 2 area the device must be in normal operation without the presence of any source of ignition. Sources of ignition are typically elevated surface temperatures, and/or arcing and sparking circuits. Since the Insta Trans operates from a low voltage power supply (24V or less) and the unit is a low power device and has no possibility of arcing and or sparking in normal operation, we have advised customers that it is suitable for installation in a C1, D2 environment. We have no particular installation guidelines other than to limit to the power supply voltage to the maximum as stipulated by the device specifications which is 30VDC.​

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Q: ​Please advise if following contaminants in a N2 stream may damage the cell of an InstaTrans: 1.5 % acetic acid, trace heptane and trace phosphoric acid. Cell will be maintained to 40°C (104 F) in order to prevent acetic acid deposition. Acetone is used for piping cleaning. 

A: 1. 40°C is the maximum temperature for our cell. Cell life may be short. We normally quote cell life at room temperature, which should be about 25°C.
2. If the cell is B1, B3, and B2C, L2C, this sample gas will affect our cell and significantly reduce the cell life.
3. If the cell is A5, A2C, this sample gas will not damage the cell. 

So, in this application, use A2C for trace and A5 for %. ​

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Q: ​What is the maximum pressure the Insta Trans can support in case of pressure regulation breakdown, not considering sensor damage? 

A: We did a test using an Insta Trans and pressurized the cell holder using water. At about 200 psi, the device will start to leak water as the holding ring becomes deformed under the stress. So the most we would safely rate the device to hold based on this test is 150 psi.​

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Q: ​We currently have two Insta Trans Oxygen Analyzers measuring 0-10ppm Oxygen in Ethylene. I have specified​ a calibration bottle of 9ppm balance Ethylene for calibration purposes, the problem I'm having is the calibration gas bottle manufacturer cannot meet the required specification. Can we replace the current request specification with 9ppm Oxygen balance Nitrogen? 

A: Yes, it is ok to use the span gas 9ppm O2 in nitrogen background.​

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Q: ​What is recommended flow rate for this unit?

A: The recommend flow rate for this unit is from 0.1 SLPM to 2 SLPM (0.2 to 4 SCFH). The unit should always be vented to atmosphere. Since there is no restriction in the unit, a flow restricting device such as needle valve or flow controller should be used upstream​

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Q: ​Can I make my own cable for the Instatrans? 

A: Yes, this could be done. A 2-conductor cable is recommended with 20 or 22 AWG conductors. Shielding is optional. If a shielded cable is used, the shield should only be terminated at one end of the cable. ​

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Q: ​What is recommended flow rate for this unit?

A: The recommend flow rate for this unit is from 0.1 SLPM to 2 SLPM (0.2 to 4 SCFH). The unit should always be vented to atmosphere. Since there is no restriction in the unit, a flow restricting device such as needle valve or flow controller should be used upstream. ​

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Q: ​What fuel cells conform to the hazardous area approvals of the InstaTrans?

A: Approving bodies do not control the fuel cell that may be used with the InstaTrans. ​

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Q: ​What barriers can we use with this product?

A: We have updated the control drawing for safety barriers of Insta Trans and added alternates such as MTL5541 and MTL4541:

(click to view PDF)

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