HB Products HBIB Ice Bank Sensor Installation Guide

HB Products HBIB Ice Bank Sensor

Introduction

The HBIB sensor measures the ice thickness in an ice bank. The output is an analog signal 4-20 mA which falls linear to the ice thickness up to 30 mm and then in a nonlinear curve to appx. 100 mm which is the limit.
The sensor has a standard M12 interface like other HB-product sensors and is configured by the HB tool.
The product consists of a box and two steel wires which can be adjusted in length by cutting. The sensor is based on the capacitive measurement principle and reacts on ice and water between two wires or between cooling pipes and a wire. The sensor is based on the existing defrost sensor where the wire is mounted between the fins in an
evaporator. The HB tool is not adjusted to Ice Bank application yet, so there are parameters which are irrelevant and can be ignored. Feedback and ideas are welcome

Safety Instructions

CAUTION! Always read the operational guidelines before commencing work! Read all warnings Installation of HBIB requires technical knowledge of both refrigeration and electronics. Only qualified
personnel should work with the product. The technician must be aware of the consequences of an improperly installed sensor and must be committed to adhering to the applicable local legislation.
If changes are made to type-approved equipment, this type approval becomes void. The product’s input and output, as well as its accessories, may only be connected as shown in this guide. HB Products assumes no responsibility for damages resulting from not adhering to the above.
Explanation of the symbol for safety instructions. In this guide, the symbol below is used to point out important safety instructions for the user. It will always be found in places in the chapters where the information is relevant. The safety instructions and the warnings in particular, must always be read and adhered to.

CAUTION! Refers to a possible limitation of functionality or risk in usage.
NOTE! Contains important additional information about the product and provides further tips.
The person responsible for operation must commit to adhering to all the legislative requirements, preventing accidents, and doing everything so as to avoid damage to people and materials.
Intended use, terms of use. The HBIB ice bank sensor is designed for measuring ice formation on evaporators, brine tubes and similar in water. If the HBIB is to be used in a different way and if the operation of the product in this function is determined to be problematic, prior approval must be obtained from HB Products.
Preventing collateral damage: Make sure that qualified personnel assess any faults and take necessary precautions before attempting to make replacements or repairs, to avoid collateral damage. Disposal instructions: HBIB is constructed so that the modules can easily be removed and sorted for disposal.

Installation

Two different ways of installation are used depending on the system

For systems where the cooling pipes are connected to ground

For these systems a single measuring wire is used like in a defrost sensor. The wire must be installed between two cooling pipes which are grounded. The wire can be mounted on to a pipe or rod made from a nonconducting material or a metallic material insulated from ground

The following applies to system design:

1. The box is mounted on the ice bank with the ground wire connected to a pipe. The other named “wire” is connected to the wire mounted between the cooling pipes. A plastic pipe can be used to support it, or a metallic rod/pipe can be used. If a metal rod/pipe is used it must be insulated from ground.
2. The active length must be at least 1 m long. The accuracy is increased with longer wires. The signal will be an average over the total length.
3. The wire can be fixed using cable ties or similar all the way from the box to the end of the wire. Loose wires will impact stability
4. The free end of the wires must be placed above water level to avoid short circuiting by the water. Likewise, it is important that the insulation is unbroken on the wires in the water. The connection between the box and a PLC can normally be installed with a standard unshielded cable. If the EMC is higher than described in EN 61326, a shielded cable must be used.

For systems with nonconducting pipes or cooling pipes not connected to ground

The following applies to system design:

1. The box is mounted on the ice bank with the two wires going into the water and being attached topipes or tubes where the ice is formed. The wires must be mounted with a distance between 30 and 100 mm and the active length must be at least 1 m long. The accuracy is increased with longer wires. The signal will be an average over the total length.
2. Wires must be fixed using cable ties or similar all the way from the box to the end of the wire. Loose wires will impact stability
3. The free end of the wires must be placed above water level to avoid short circuiting by the water. Likewise, it is important that the insulation is unbroken on the wires in the water.
4. The connection between the box and a PLC can normally be installed with a standard unshielded cable. If the EMC is higher than described in EN 61326, a shielded cable must be use

Wiring the sensor

After the wires are mounted in the ice bank they are connected in the box. The picture show the inside of the box and it should be straight forward. Remember to remove the thin insulation from the wire ends before connecting

The connection to the PLC is done according to the diagram above using a cable with a M12 Female connector. Stop start pin3 and Digital input for calibration pin5 is not relevant for the ice bank.

Sensor configuration

All HB-product sensors can be configured using a laptop and a “M12-USB” cable. The software can be downloaded freely on the HB products web page. The configuration data can be stored in the sensor and will be there until erased even without power connection—just like you store data on a memory stick. When you change a value/setting there will be put a check mark next to it and that indicates you have changed something and need to store the data in the sensor.

Initial setting and Calibration of the sensor

The setting of the sensor depends on the cable length and cannot be set from the factory.
To get started you need to adjust two figures the “zero calibration in pF” and “span calibration in pF” and make sure the configuration is right The procedure is the following:

1. Install the sensor as described with the wires in water and the free ends outside the water.
2. Connect the sensor to a laptop where HBtools is installed using the USB cable
3. Click on “start scan” to get into the setup tool
4. Start by setting the configuration like shown on the picture and click on save to sensor
5. Go to the diagnostic tab. Here you can read the actual measurement in red, and the two critical configuration parameters.
6. Click on the small box at the bottom called “Enable Zero and Span configuration”
7. Calculate 0.4*actual measurement and type that in the box called “Zero calibration in pF”
8. Calculate 0.6*actual measurement and type that in the box called “SPAN calibration in pF”
9. Click on the box called “Send Zero/Span values”

Now the sensor will send you a signal from 4 to 20 mA linear to the measurement from Zero to Zero+SPAN in the case shown from 185 to 463.
The ice thickness will now be linear with the reduction in mA signal up to at least 30 mm, but the 4 mA will probably not be reached.

Calibration

To make a more accurate setup you need to do a calibration with maximum ice thickness

1. Follow point 1-5 above
2. Write down the sum Zero+SPAN (equal to the maximum measurement reached without ice)
3. Click on the zero-calibration button when maximum ice level is reached
4. Click on the small box at the bottom called “Enable Zero and Span configuration”
5. Calculate the noted “sum Zero+SPAN” – the new “Zero calibration in pF” and type that number into “SPAN calibration in pF”
6. Click on the box called “Send Zero/Span values” Now the parameters are saved, and the sensor will use the full span from 4 to 20 mA

Technical Data

Supply voltage:| 24 V AC/DC| Certifications:|
---|---|---|---
Electricity consumption:| 250 mA incl. heater| EMC Emission:| EN61000-3-2
Electrical connection:| Wire terminals| EMC Immunity:| EN61000-4-2
Analog output:| 4-20 mA| Mechanical specifications:|
Installation conditions:|  |  |
Ambient temperature:| -30…+50°C| Materials – mechanical parts:| AISI304 wire
Wire temperature| -30…+90°C| Materials – electronic parts:| Nylon insulation
Waterproof rating:| IP65|  |
Vibrations:| IEC 68-2-6 (4g)| Cable entry:| PG9 / M12

Sensor Repair

Complaints are processed by HB Products’ dealers/distributors.
Please consider their complaint procedures before returning the sensor

Note! All terminals are protected against improper termination for a supply voltage up to 40 V. If the supply voltage is higher than 40 V, the electronics will be damaged.

Installation and Configuration
Manual HBIB v6 June – 2022
WWW.HBPRODUCTS.DK 8 / 8

References

• Optimal solutions for level measurement and control of oil and refrigerants
• קובץ:Oxygen480-devices-computer-laptop.svg – ויקיפדיה

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