PRIMA PRO PROCESS MASS SPECTROMETERSENTINEL PRO ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETERPart of Thermo Fisher ScientificsIntroduction
The Thermo Scientific Prima and Sentinel family of Process mass spectrometers have beensuccessfully deployed worldwide to provide fast, accurate and complete gas composition analysis in awide range of applications for the purpose of process optimization, enhanced safety and regulatorycompliance. Ever-increasing global competition, over-stretched maintenance departments and strict
requirements for carbon emission auditing require continuous improvements in process analyticaltechnologies. Because of its inherent flexibility, mass spectrometry is expected to play a major role in
the next generation of process gas analyzers. The new Prima PRO has been designed to provide true
next-generation performance with significant improvements in accuracy, precision and stability in a
package that is highly reliable and easy to deploy and maintain.

The design team at the Process Systems business unit set out to design a totally new analyzer thatwould offer the following attributes:?
The best available online measurement precision?
The best available measurement stability?
Totally flexible analysis configuration using intuitive software?
Fault-Tolerant design to drive uptime close to 99.9%?
Extended preventative maintenance intervals?
Highly simplified maintenance procedures?
Multi-Language support for all HMI screens?
Excellent analyzer-to-analyzer repeatability?
A design that would support a comprehensive 3-year warranty

We are pleased to announce: they succeeded!

Technology Selection
Thermo Fisher Scientific has a wide-range ofmass spectrometer technologies at its disposal,
more in fact than any other process analyzer
company. The technology selected for thePrima PRO and Sentinel PRO is the scanningmagnetic sector. This provides a flat-topped
peak profile that tolerates mass scale drift withno effect on the measurement results. It is also ahigh-energy device that offers the best
resistance to contamination. Finally, the ability
to measure very small concentrations at masses
immediately adjacent to high concentrations ismade possible by the clean baseline between
peaks.

Prima PRO or Sentinel PRO?
The Prima PRO is intended for use in processdevelopment and online process optimization
where gas component concentrations in the range
20ppm - 100% require precise measurement.
Additional low parts per million (ppm)
concentrations can be added to the analysis by useof the optional multiplier detector.

millimeters

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100

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250

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350

400

400

350

The Sentinel PRO is intended specifically for use
detecting fugitive emissions of toxic volatileorganic compounds (VOC) in the ppm and parts
per billion (ppb) range. The Sentinel is basicallythe same product as the Prima PRO but it uses
membrane inlet technology to lower the detection
limit down to 10 ppb for selected VOCs. This typeof inlet is not appropriate for measurements in the% range. If you are looking for an online process
gas analyzer then the Prima PRO provides the best
available measurement quality. If on the other
hand, you require an analyzer that will monitor as
many as 100 sample points around a process unit
within the 15 minutes that define short-term
exposure limits (STEL) to potentially leaking
VOCs then the Sentinel PRO should fit the bill
perfectly.

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80o
50

50o

Figure 1

Principles of Operation
Magnetic sector mass spectrometers rely on the interaction of ionized sample molecules and magnetic
fields in order to filter and measure individual atomic mass components that collectively contribute to thetotal sample composition. The ions are formed in an ionization chamber by interaction of the neutral gasphase sample molecules with a beam of energetic electrons. The newly formed ions are immediately
accelerated towards the magnetic field. Each charged particle will experience a sideways force that is
proportional to the strength of the magnetic field, the velocity of the particle and its charge. Eachappropriate mass can be selected in turn by setting the magnetic field strength to a value that will direct the
selected ions through a narrow window in front of the detector. The signal measured here is directly
proportional to the molecular concentration of the selected component. By measuring a predetermined
number of ions, a complete compositional analysis can be performed. Figure 2 illustrates the operation of
the analyzer. Figure 3 illustrates the components that are used to implement the analysis and Figure 1
above shows the complete mass spectrometer assembly.

450

500

MAGNET POLE-PIECEHEAVIER IONSION TRAJECTORYRESOLVING SLIT
LIGHTER IONSION SOURCESELECTED IONSMe

= â2 × r2
2V

FARADAY DETECTOR

Where:
r is the radius of orbit (6 cm)
M is the mass of the particle
V is voltage applied to the particle to accelerate it to velocity v (1kV)
â is the magnetic field strengthe is unit charge (the charge of one electron)
Figure 2

Ion
Intensity
39

40

Sample Gas
Inlet (1mbar)

41

42

43

44

m/e

Laminated
Magnet Core
Cold-CathodeVacuum Gauge

Ion Source

S.E.M.
Detector
Quadrupole
Lens
Detector
Deflection

Figure 3
TurboDrag Pump

Faraday
Detector

Design Philosophy
In order to aggressively reduce analyzer downtime, a design philosophy towards fault-tolerance wasadopted at the outset of the project. For example, a thorough review of the predecessor products was used
to identify all the subassemblies that contribute to temperature dependence. The new design of those sub
assemblies ensured that these temperature dependencies were eliminated. With that goal achieved, thedesign team added a cabinet temperature control system just in case any of those temperaturedependencies returned due to a fault condition. The analyzer peak profile was designed to provide a massalignment that could tolerate significant internal temperature changes due to a failure of the cabinet
control system. Just in case the mass scale stability isn't quite good enough under these circumstances, themass scale is realigned automatically once or twice an hour. The time penalty for this isn't noticeable formost applications but this feature can be disabled during fast batch process applications where a samplinginterval of about 1Hz is achievable for up to six components.

Sample Introduction

s

RD
WA
ED

Figure 4S

The most popular device for introducing
sample gas into the analyzer is the Rapid
Multistream Sampler (RMS). This is a highly
reliable device for switching sample streams
without compromising the quality of thesample presented to the analyzer. The RMS has
a long track record of rock-solid reliability with
its proven capability to switch streams six
million times a year (for year after year) withlittle or no maintenance. This allows a single
RMS system to monitor up to 63sample ports
and a dual RMS Sentinel to monitor up to 126
streams. The stepper-motor driven device
diverts one sample stream at a time to the mass
spectrometer and records the flow for eachstream in turn. The device can be heated to 120o
C and has been designed to ensure rapid
response to polar species such as methanol,
ethanol and ammonia.
Figure 4 illustrates the gas connection ports fora typical configuration. Note that since theRMS is not a rotary valve but a sample selector
where all gas streams continually flow, it isnecessary to add control valves for calibration
gases. These are typically located below thesample stream selector. The patented design ofthe calibration manifolds, provides valve
actuation from inside the cabinet, which
permits their use in potentially explosive
atmospheres.

Sample Introduction
Figure 5 shows a popular alternative configuration that provides a remote gas management
module that can be installed on the outside of the analyzer shelter. Since no gases pass into theshelter at a positive pressure, this arrangement is particularly safe and can often lead to a general
purpose classification inside the shelter even when flammable vapors or toxic mixtures arebeing analyzed. This reduces the cost of the installation and simplifies maintenance. The dual
RMS option is a combination of both configurations illustrated in figures 4 and 5.

s

s

RD
WA
ED

S

Figure 5

In situations where the 32-port or 64-port RMS is more than required there are two solenoidbased alternatives. One provides a single heated sample port, the other 6 heated sample ports.
Either of these can be configured with a single 6-port calibration assembly.
Sub-atmospheric gas sampling is possible by use of the variable pressure (VP) inlet. Thispermits sample monitoring from 1,000 mbar down to 0.1 mbar with rapid response to processpressure changes. This type of inlet is typically used on specialty steel conversion and degassing
in an integrated iron and steel works, or in vacuum drying applications in a pharmaceuticalplant.

Analyzer Control Architecture

Figure 6

The analyzer control architecture is shown in figure 6 to consist of highly integrated circuit boardsinterconnected with network cables. Based on the RS-485 communications standard, it provides secure,deterministic control and monitoring of all instrument functions and allows replacement of individual systemmodules without powering-down the whole instrument. VGiNet is the internal communication network,
which coordinates activity of the distributed control engines within the Prima PRO. The internal protocol isenhanced to increase speed and security for internal and external communications.
The combination of state-of-the-art plug and play electronics, the gold-standard analytics and the industry
standard communication tools provide a flexible platform that can be easily adapted to a wide range of gas
analysis applications.

Computer Control
At the heart of the control electronics is the Freescale -based controller which runs the ThreadX
industrial real time operating system (RTOS) from Express Logic. With over a billion
deployments, the RTOS is the most reliable available. The controller that runs it is a Thermo
Scientific design with thousands of installations and a solid track record of reliability.
The processor's mother board was designed specifically for the Prima PRO and Sentinel PRO
and provides a flexible range of communication options. One of the five serial ports is reserved
for a remote GasWorks PC that is used for analyzer configuration and data presentation (whennecessary). The stand-alone design ensures that PC lockups or corruptions have no impact on
the performance of the analyzer which communicates data directly to the DCS, SCADA, PLC
Data Highway or Host via the remaining four serial ports. These can be independently
configured for a range of communication protocols. These include Modbus and OPC as
standard. The board is also provided with 13 digital inputs and 13 digital outputs that can be
configured for a wide variety of purposes. The cabinet can accommodate 16 optional analog
inputs or outputs and a virtually unlimited number of external analogs.

Figure 7

Data Historian
The local data historian is used primarily to record instrument diagnostics throughout the life of
the analyzer. The data captured here is designed to provide a comprehensive health profile forthe system giving the maintenance engineers the best possible chance of identifying the rootcause of any failures. The mass storage device is also available to archive analysis data whenrequired.

System Maintenance

Figure 8
Figure 8 illustrates the standard service kit that ships with all Thermo Scientific Prima PRO and
Sentinel PRO systems. The kit includes all the components and tools necessary to complete the routine
maintenance. The kit has been designed to accommodate significantly simplified maintenanceprocedures. For example, rather than changing filaments or cleaning the source, users now simply
change the entire source, replacing it with the fully tested spare. Similarly with the vacuum gauge: noneed to disassemble for cleaning - simply swap the gauge with the spare from the service kit. Once theservice has been completed, simply ship the kit to your nearest service center for refurbishment. By
careful design, the "inside the cabinet" service interval has been extended to three years. The only
preventative maintenance that is required outside the cabinet is the routine maintenance on thesecondary vacuum pump. The service interval for this will vary depending on the applicationdependent model that has been supplied but the procedure generally only takes a few minutes.

World Class Service & Support
Our service and support options are designed toensure instrument optimization and reduce downtime.
Because every customer and every instrument has
different requirements, we offer a variety of services
to meet your unique needs.

?
Service agreements?
Spare parts?
Technical support?
Field installation and service?
Product training

Specifications
Analyzer

High-Energy Scanning Magnetic Sector

Area Classification

General Purpose, or ATEX Zone 1, or Class 1 Div 2 (Z-purged) or Class 1 Div
1 (X-purged)

Dynamic Range

Faraday Detector: 10ppm - 100% (Application Dependent)
Dual Faraday/SEM: 10ppb - 100% (Application Dependent)

Analysis Time

1-30 Seconds (Application Dependent)

Analytical Precision

Typically 0.1% Relative Standard Deviation (24 Hour)for concentrations in the range 1-100%

Calibration Interval

Typically 3-12 Months (Application Dependent)

Service Interval

Analyzer 3 years, External Vacuum Pump 6-12 months(Application Dependent)

Dimensions

0.97m Width x 0.72m Depth x 1.48m Height, 240 kg approximate weightPower

115 VAC (±5VAC) or 230 VAC (±10VAC)
Consumption 2.0-2.5 kVA

Environmental

Ideally 20°-25°C. Allowable Range between 12°C and 40°C

Inlet Options

Hazardous Area:
32-Port RMS (integral to cabinet or remote)
64-Port RMS (integral to cabinet or remote)Dual RMS with 64-Port RMS integral to cabinet + remote 32 or 64 Port RMS
Single-Port Variable Pressure (0.1-1,000 mbar)
6-Port Variable Pressure (0.1-1,000 mbar)
General Purpose - all of the above plus:
Single Sample Port + 6 Calibration Ports
6 Sample Ports + 6 Calibration Ports
Batch Inlet Reservoir System

Calibration Ports

Maximum 24 with single RMS or 48 with Dual RMS

Standard
Communications

4-Ports (Modbus (serial RS232, RS422 or RS485) and/or OPC), 13 Digital
Outputs, 13 Digital Inputs

Additionally Available
Communication
Protocols

Allen-Bradley (Data Highway, DH Plus, DH485, 1771, DF-1, Ethernet)
Daniel Modbus, Echelon Lonworks, GE Fanuc Genius, MicroTrac Arcnet
Modicon (Modbus, Modbus Plus, Remote I/O), Profibus-DP,
Reliance Automate

LITERATURE FLAPPRIMA PRO PROCESS MASS SPECTROMETERSENTINEL PRO ENVIRONMENTAL MASS SPECTROMETER

2011 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. Results may vary under different operating conditions. Specifications, terms and pricing are subject to change.
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