Sircal Instruments (UK) Ltd

MP-2000

RARE GAS PURIFIER

OPERATING & SERVICING

MANUAL
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INDEX

SECTION PAGE NO.

INTRODUCTION 3

FRONT PANEL CONTROLS 6

INSTALLATION 7

HEATER BAKE OUT 8

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 9

REGENERATION OF MOLECULAR SIEVE TUBE 10

REPLACEMENT OF TITANIUM AND/OR COPPER

OXIDE TUBES 11

REPLACEMENT OF MOLECULAR SIEVE TUBE 13

GUIDE TO CALCULATING TUBE LIFE 15

FAULT CONDITION 16

IMPURE GAS 16

REPLACEMENT OF FURNACE HEATER 17

ELECTRONIC CONTROL PANEL 20

OPTIONAL FEATURE: Pressure Switch 27

WARRANTY AND SERVICE 28

SPARE PARTS LIST 29

APPENDIX: Side Entry Kits 30

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY FOR EC 31

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Introduction .
The MP-2000 Rare Gas Purifier is designed to purify rare gases. Rare gases include helium,
argon, xenon and krypton. Most users will be using the purifier to purify argon and the purifier
is shipped after being run on argon, so is ready for immediate use with this gas. Users
wishing to run on another rare gas must expect the outlet gas to be contaminated with argon
until all the argon has been purged out.

The purifier is capable of purifying impure argon at a typical impurity level of 10-50 vpm
(volumes per million) down to less than 1 vpm total impurity. The maximum flow rate
recommended is 10 litres/minute. Higher purification efficiency will be achieved at lower flow
rates. The MP-2000 purifier will remove the common impurities found in argon, that is:
oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, moisture, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.

The purifier works by passing the rare gas through a heated bed of titanium granules at
700C which removes oxygen and nitrogen by chemical reaction. The gas then passes
through a heated bed of copper oxide which removes hydrogen and hydrocarbons by
oxidation to carbon dioxide and water. Residual moisture and carbon dioxide is then
removed by passing the gas through a bed of molecular sieve.

The titanium, copper oxide and molecular sieve are contained in stainless steel tubes,
referred to as the titanium tube the copper oxide tube and the molecular sieve tube.
Eventually the titanium and copper oxide material will be consumed and the purification
process will become inefficient. At this stage the user will need to replace these tubes.
Details on how to do this are given later in this manual. The molecular sieve can be
regenerated by heating to around 250C. The molecular sieve tube is equipped with band
heaters to enable the process of regeneration to be carried out. During the regeneration
process impurities held on the molecular sieve will be released. Therefore, during
regeneration, rare gas must be passed through the system to remove these impurities and
the gas outlet from the purifier should be diverted away from the downstream equipment

The molecular sieve can be regenerated many times, but eventually the regeneration
becomes less effective and the user may have to change this tube as well. Spare tubes are
available on an ex-stock basis from Sircal.

Fig 1 overleaf shows the main parts of the purifier. Other features to note in the diagram
include the heat exchanger block and the ready relay contacts. The gas passing out of the
copper oxide tube is hot; if it passes directly to the
molecular sieve tube without cooling, the molecular sieve will heat up causing partial
regeneration to take place and impurities to be given off. For this reason the gas is passed
through a heat exchanger block which cools the gas to near ambient temperature before it
enters the molecular sieve tube.

The gas connections at the rear of the purifier are self-sealing, preventing ingress of air while
the purifier is disconnected from a gas supply.

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 MODEL MP-2000 RARE GAS PURIFIER 4

COPPER OXIDE
E F GETTER TUBE

TUBE FURNACE G
(Cover removed to show
internal details) MOLECULAR SIEVE
DRIER TUBE

THERMOCOUPLES BAND HEATERS

(Mounted on
heatsink)

HEAT EXCHANGER
BLOCK

C
TITANIUM B
GETTER TUBE A D

"READY" RELAY
CONTACTS

Drg P1567-00

GAS INLET EMC FILTER GAS OUTLET

Fig. 1 MP- 2000 Rare Gas Purifier

(Front Cover and Electronics Assembly Removed)

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The ready relay contacts are available at the rear of the purifier and can be used to provide
a remote confirmation that the purifier is switched on and is operating at the correct
temperature for purification.

The hot titanium will be rapidly consumed if exposed to high levels of oxygen or nitrogen. It is
very important that the user never turns the furnace on without the unit being connected to a
supply of rare gas. Never pass air, oxygen or nitrogen through the purifier when the titanium
is hot.

The rate at which the titanium and copper oxide are used up will depend on impurity level and
flow rate. Further information about this is given later in the manual. As an aid to the user a
digital display on the front panel indicates the number of hours the furnace has run. This time,
in conjunction with a knowledge of the impurity level and flow rate can be used to estimate
the number of hours remaining before the tubes should be changed.

The furnace heater is rated for continuous operation at 700C. The heater element is
contained within an aluminium oxide powder contained within an outer metal tube, If the
purifier has been left in storage for many months, or if a replacement furnace heater is
installed at a later date, the aluminium oxide powder may have absorbed some moisture.
This trapped moisture is released suddenly when the heater is turned on and can cause
heater failure. To prevent this the switches on the front panel can be set to gently bake out
the heater before full power is applied, (heater bake-out function).

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Front Panel Controls

Fig. 2 below shows the location and function of the front panel controls and indicators.

COOL: LIGHTS GREEN WHEN POWER: LIGHTS GREEN TOINDICATE

FURNACE BELOW 250 C MAINS POWER TURNED ON

WAIT: LIGHTS AMBER WHILE REGEN: FLASHES AMBER WHEN

FURNACE HEATING UP DRIER TUBE BEING
OR COOLING DOWN REGENERATED

HOT: LIGHTS GREEN WHEN

FURNACE AT OPERATING
TEMPERATURE PURE REGEN
FAULT: LIGHTS RED AND
COOL POWER
AUDIBLE ALARM UNDER
WAIT REGEN FAULT CONDITION
HOT FAULT

FURNACE
HOURS

PURE: TURN ON TO HEAT FURNACE UP FURNACE HOURS: INDICATES NO. OF

HOURS FURNACE HAS RUN

REGEN: TURN ON TO START

DRIER REGENERATION

Fig. 2

Note that the main power switch is located at the rear of the purifier. When the main power
switch is turned on the power led will glow green. If neither the PURE switch nor the REGEN
switch is turned on the purifier is in a stand-by state. To bake out the heater prior to applying
full power turn on both the REGEN and PURE switches (only necessary after long-term
storage or after replacing a heater element).

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Installation
The following accessories are provided:

2 plug-in gas connectors for or 6mm tube (1/4 is standard, 6mm is an alternative
available at time of ordering)

1 mains lead

1 alternative fuse draw with neutral shorted

1 Ready socket connector

2 spare fuses

In addition, the following parts may be supplied with the purifier if ordered when
purchased:

Wall mounting brackets

2 6mm-1/4 adapters for use with 6mm tubing

Spare titanium tube and/or copper oxide tube and/or molecular sieve drier
tube

Gas Side Entry Kit. See APPENDIX at rear of this manual for more
information on this option.

The tubes do not need to be fitted now as the purifier is supplied with these tubes
already fitted. The spare tubes should be kept safely for future use.

Wire up the mains lead to a suitable mains plug (Brown Live, Blue Neutral,
Green/Yellow Earth)

If local electrical requirements stipulate that only the live line should be fused, remove the
existing fuse draw and fuse and replace with the alternative single-pole fuse draw. The fuse
draw is located below the mains switch at the rear of the purifier. It may be removed by
inserting a thin-bladed electrical screwdriver into the horizontal slot on the fuse draw and
levering slightly to release it, as indicated in the diagram below. Due to the restricted access,
a blade bent as shown below will most effective.

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Verify that the electrical supply matches the voltage requirement of the purifier. Refer to the
serial number label or the rear panel label to confirm the operating voltage of the purifier.

Connect gas inlet and outlet lines to the purifier using metallic tubing (e.g. copper or stainless
steel). Do not use plastic tubing as air can diffuse through the plastic wall and contaminate the
gas. The tubing should be inserted fully into the gas fittings and held securely while the nut is
tightened up to swage the ferrules on to the wall of the tube. The nut should be turned 1
turns from hand tight to ensure the correct degree of ferrule compression. Ensure that the
tube wall is free from surface scratches to ensure no leak path can exist between the ferrule
and tube.

If the Ready contacts are required for remote indication of purifier status, wire up the plug
with 2-core screened lead and ensure that the screen is connected to the plug shroud. Note
that the Ready relay contacts are rated at 50V dc 100mA max. The relay contacts close
when the purifier is at the correct temperature for purification.

Before connecting the rare gas supply to the purifier allow some rare gas to flow to sweep out
any air in the tubing.

Ensure that the main power switch is turned off. Plug the mains lead and gas lines into the
purifier. The power switch can now be turned on, but ensure that both the PURE and
REGEN switches are in the off position. Regulate the gas supply pressure to a maximum of
17 Bar (250 psig) and regulate the flow to the required level, either with a down-stream valve
or by adjusting the inlet pressure.

If the heater has not been used for a long time, (say more than 3-4 months) we recommend
to bake out the heater element prior to running at normal temperature (see heater bake out
below), otherwise proceed to the operating instructions overleaf.

Heater Bake Out

1. Turn on mains power

2. Set rare gas flow to a low flow rate and divert gas flow away from downstream equipment

3. Set REGEN and PURE switches to on position and leave for 1 hours

4. Switch off REGEN and PURE switches and leave gas flowing for further hour.

5. Place purifier back into service and proceed to operating instructions overleaf

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Operating Instructions
1. Purge gas lines before connection to purifier.

2. Set inlet pressure to a maximum of 17 Bar (250 psig) and the flow rate to no more than 10
litres/minute.

3. Turn on mains power switch at rear of purifier if not already on.

4. Allow rare gas to purge the purifier for 5 minutes and then press the PURE switch to the
on position.

5. While the furnace is heating up the amber WAIT led will illuminate.

6. The HOT led will light green to indicate the purifier is at the correct temperature.

7. Purified rare gas should now be flowing from the outlet.

8. To turn the furnace off, press the PURE switch to the off position.

9. The amber WAIT led will illuminate and will extinguish when the furnace has cooled
down. At this stage the COOL led will illuminate green. At this stage the gas supply can
be shut down.

10. To ensure that the purifier remains filled with argon it is recommended that the gas flow is
stopped by shutting the outlet line while keeping the inlet gas line pressurised.
Alternatively the inlet and outlet gas lines may be disconnected from the purifier by
unplugging the gas connection.

11. To turn the purifier completely off turn the mains switch at the rear of the purifier
to the off position.

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Regeneration of Molecular Sieve Drier Tube

The drier tube can be regenerated many times. The user should expect to be able to carry
this out 500 1000 times before any reduction of drying capacity becomes apparent. Follow
the procedure below to carry this out.

1. Disconnect the outlet gas stream from the downstream equipment if you do not want the
equipment to be exposed to moisture and other impurities released from the molecular
sieve while it is being regenerated.

2. Turn off the furnace heater by pressing the PURE switch to the off position. It is not
necessary to wait for the furnace to cool down before proceeding to the next step.

3. Adjust the rare gas flow rate to about 1 litre/minute.

4. Press the REGEN switch to the on position. The COOL or WAIT led will extinguish and
the REGEN led will start to flash amber

5. Wait a minimum of 3 hours for the impurities to be released

6. Press the REGEN switch to the off position. The REGEN led will extinguish and the
COOL led will light green. Wait a further 30 minutes while the drier tube cools down.

7. Press the PURE switch to the on position and reconnect the outlet gas stream to the
downstream equipment.

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Instructions to Replace Titanium and/or Copper Oxide Tubes

1. Turn off the purifier and wait until it has cooled down as indicated by the COOL led
glowing green. The tubes may still be too hot to handle so wait a little longer for the tubes
to cool.

2. Disconnect the gas and electrical supplies.

3. Remove the top cover by releasing the screws H as indicated in Fig. 1

4. Remove the front cover of the purifier and disconnect the earth lead attached.

5. Refer to Fig. 3 overleaf.

6. Release the gas couplings A and B as indicated in Fig. 3. Use two spanners, one to hold
the lower wrench pad and to prevent any rotational torque being applied to the bodies of
the couplings.

7. Pull the titanium and copper oxide tubes upwards a little until the tubes separate from the
couplings. Place small pieces of adhesive tape over the mouth of the couplings before
pulling the tubes up any further. This is to prevent any debris falling into the couplings
from the furnace. Alternatively operate with the purifier laying on its back so debris cannot
fall into the couplings.

8. Pull the tubes completely out of the purifier and separate them by undoing the top
couplings. Replace the tubes as required and reassemble using the steps as described
in reverse sequence. Do not remove the protective tapes until the tubes are close to the
couplings.

9. Tighten the couplings firmly, but avoid over-tightening.

10. Apply rare gas to the inlet to pressurise the purifier and check for any gas leak using leak
detector fluid. If no proprietary fluid is available, diluted detergent will suffice. Use a
strong light and a magnifying glass to inspect for small bubbles which will indicate a leak.

11. Replace the top and front covers, not forgetting to re-install the earth lead on the front
cover.

12. Reconnect the purifier to the rare gas supply and electrical supply. Allow rare gas to flow
through the purifier for 5 minutes before turning on the power and pressing the PURE
switch.

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Step 3: LIFT TUBES OUT OF PURIFIER
Step 1: REMOVE TOP COVER

E F

C
B
Step 2: RELEASE A D
COUPLINGS A & B

Fig. 3 Replacement of Titanium and/or Copper Oxide Tube

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Instructions to Replace Molecular Sieve Drier Tube.

1. Follow steps 1 to 4 as described above for changing the titanium and copper oxide tubes,
except the top cover need not be removed.

2. Refer to Fig. 4 overleaf.

3. Remove the two split rings retaining the drier tube within the clips by grasping the clip with
pliers and rotating the ring so that the clip goes between the split part of the ring. By
rotating 360 the ring will come free. These rings need not be replaced unless the purifier
is to be transported somewhere. The rings prevent damage that may otherwise occur
while in transit.

4. Unplug the band heaters from the wiring loom.

5. Undo the couplings C and D using two spanners, one to hold the lower wrench pad and
to prevent any rotational torque being applied to the bodies of the couplings.

6. Slide the drier tube up to disengage the tubes from the couplings.

7. Pull the drier tube away from the clips and remove the drier tube assembly from the
purifier.

8. Remove the drier tube from the assembly and replace with a new drier tube. Note the
orientation of the band heaters on the tube and replace in the same fashion.

9. Do not tighten up the coupling G at the other end of the tube until the assembly has been
installed back in the purifier.

10. Tighten the couplings C, D and G firmly, but avoid over-tightening.

11. Reconnect the band heaters to the wiring loom

12. Apply rare gas to the inlet to pressurise the purifier and check for any gas leak using leak
detector fluid. If no proprietary fluid is available, diluted detergent will suffice. Use a
strong light and a magnifying glass to inspect for small bubbles that will indicate a leak.

13. Replace the front cover, not forgetting to re-install the earth lead on the front cover.

14. Reconnect the rare gas and electrical supply. Allow rare gas to flow for 5 minutes before
turning the purifier back on. To accelerate purging of the molecular sieve tube it is
recommended that the REGEN be used for around 30 minutes to accelerate desorption
of air from the molecular sieve.

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E F

REMOVE SPLIT
G RINGS

C RELEASE
COUPLINGS
B
D C AND D
A

Fig. 4 Replacement of Molecular Sieve Drier Tube

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Guide to Calculating Purifier Tube Life

The lifetime of all three purifier tubes can be estimated by the following formula:

T = 100,000
Fx V

Where T = Lifetime in hours

F = Flow rate in litres/minute

For the titanium tube:

V = Oxygen plus nitrogen impurity level in vpm (volumes per million)

For the copper oxide tube

V = Hydrogen plus carbon monoxide plus hydrocarbon impurity

level in vpm

For the molecular sieve drier tube

V = Hydrogen plus hydrocarbon plus moisture level in vpm

Example: F = 2 litres/minute
V = 15 vpm
T = 3333 hours

Assumptions:

Titanium tube:

The formula assumes a 50% consumption of the titanium and a 1:1 ratio for the chemical
reaction (worst case for nitrogen). This is a worst case scenario. In practice the tube life is
likely to be longer by up to 50% of this calculation.

Copper oxide tube:

The formula assumes a 50% consumption of the copper oxide and an average 2:1 ratio
(CuO:impurity) for the chemical reaction. The lifetime of the tube will probably be longer than
the calculation indicates, especially if the hydrocarbon impurity level is low.

Molecular sieve drier tube:

The formula assumes the molecular sieve has undergone a large number of regenerations
and as a result its capacity has reduced by 65%. A 25% safety margin is added also.

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Fault Condition
The front panel FAULT led will light red and the audible alarm will sound to indicate any of the
following problems:-

Furnace temperature has gone above normal operating temperature.

One of the thermocouples has gone short circuit.

The fault detection circuit will shut down power to the furnace and turn off the COOL, WAIT
and HOT leds as these indicators may not be reliable under a fault condition.

The FAULT indicator can be reset by turning the PURE switch off which will put the purifier
into stand-by mode.

First action should be to check the integrity of the thermocouples. If both thermocouples are
OK the fault will be with the power control circuit and the control panel should be replaced or
returned for servicing.

Impure gas
Impure gas is not necessarily a fault condition. It may indicate that one of the purifier tubes
may need changing. Impure gas may arise, however, under one of the conditions listed
below.

The REGEN switch has been pressed in error, causing the furnace to cool down (equivalent
to heater bake-out mode)

The REGEN switch has been pressed instead of the PURE switch. In this case the drier will
be regenerating and giving off impurities and the purifier furnace will be cold.

The furnace heater has gone open circuit. In this case the WAIT led will still be on and the
HOT led will have failed to light. Check the furnace heater resistance to confirm this. Note
that the 230V model heater should measure around 65 ohms and the 110V model heater
should be around 14 ohms.

If none of these conditions apply, try using the REGEN facility to regenerate the molecular
sieve drier tube. If this fails to correct the situation, consider replacement of the titanium and
copper oxide tubes. If the molecular sieve drier tube has undergone more than 500
regenerations, consider replacing this tube also.

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Replacement of Furnace Heater

The furnace heater has a finite life and the user can expect to have to change it at some
stage during the operational life of the purifier. The following instructions describe how to do
this. Refer to Fig. 5 overleaf while following these instructions.

1. Turn off the purifier and wait for it to cool down if the furnace is still hot (it probably will be
cold as the heater will probably have failed unless the heater is being replaced as part of
a preventative maintenance program)

2. Disconnect the gas and electrical supply to the purifier.

3. Remove the front cover.

4. Remove the control panel from the purifier by unscrewing the supporting screws at the
base of the purifier and disconnecting the connecting wiring loom and earth wires.

5. Undo the 6 M6 nuts securing the purifier assembly to the enclosure. (Labelled X in Fig
.1)

6. Lift out the assembly.

7. Remove the titanium and copper oxide tubes as described in the procedure for replacing
these tubes (steps 6 &7)

8. Unscrew the front face of the furnace (screws A in Fig. 5) and remove the insulating panel
and metal plate below. Remove several layers of the ceramic fibre to expose the furnace
heater.

9. Note: Use a dust mask and gloves when handling the ceramic fibre.

10. Unscrew the side face of the furnace that supports the heater and pull the panel out from
the body of the furnace.

11. Mount a new furnace heater on the side panel. Adjust the positions of the thermocouples
so they are in contact with the furnace heater, but do not come into contact with the
titanium tube.

12. Re-mount the side panel assembly

13. Re-insert the titanium and copper oxide tubes and tighten up the gas connections

14. Recheck that the thermocouples are in contact with the heater and then replace the
ceramic fibre insulation.

15. Replace the furnace top covers and reinstall the assembly within the enclosure

16. Re-install the control panel assembly and electrical connections.

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17. Apply rare gas to the inlet to pressurise the purifier and check for any gas leak using leak
detector fluid. If no proprietary fluid is available, diluted detergent will suffice. Use a
strong light and a magnifying glass to inspect for small bubbles which will indicate a leak.

18. Replace the enclosure front panel, not forgetting to re-install the earth lead on the front
cover

19. Reconnect the rare gas and electrical supplies.

20. Set rare gas flowing at a slow rate (say 50-100 cc/min), with gas diverted away from
downstream equipment.

21. Press the PURE and the REGEN switches to the on position. This will bake out the
heater and release any moisture that may be trapped. Leave for 1 hours.

22. Switch REGEN and PURE switches to off position and allow gas to flow for a further
hour.

23. Put purifier back into service.

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 REMOVE TITANIUM AND 19
COPPER OXIDE TUBES

UNSCREW 4 SCREWS 'A'

AND REMOVE COVER AND
METAL COVER BELOW

F
A A

E
A A

COPPER OXIDE TUBE SLEEVE

REMOVE LAYERS OF
CERAMIC WOOL
INSULATION TO
EXPOSE FURNACE
HEATER &
THERMOCOUPLES
(N.B. USE FACE MASK & GLOVES !)

REMOVE 4 SCREWS ON SIDE FACE

TO RELEASE SIDE PANEL HOLDING
FURNACE HEATER

REMOVE FURNACE HEATER

ON SIDE PANEL

REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT

OF FURNACE HEATER

FIG. 5

Fig. 5 Replacement of Furnace Heater

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Electronic control panel

The component layout of the printed circuit board is shown in Fig. 6 and a circuit diagram in
Fig. 7. The following description of the circuit will aid troubleshooting.

Connections

All mains supplies and heater connections are made via PCB mounted connector PL1.
Although an earth connection is present on PL1, an additional cable and earth tag soldered to
GP1 is provided to ensure that the PCB ground is connected to the bracket.
Thermocouple connections are made via two screw terminal blocks ST1 and ST2, between
which is situated a thermistor cold junction sensor.
The elapsed timer connections are available on PL2.
The contact closure for remote indication of HOT is available on PL3.

Power Supplies

The power supply has a conventional format with a mains transformer, rectification,
smoothing and regulation. A mains selector switch SW3 controls the transformer primary
connections for either 230 Vac or 115 Vac supplies.
An additional selector switch SW4 controls the wiring for the REGEN heaters. When set to
115 they are wired in parallel, when set to 230 they are wired in series..
FS1 protects the low power control circuit. A 100 mA A/S fuse is fitted for 230 Vac, and 160
mA A/S fuse for 115 Vac operation.
U13 provides a regulated +12 Vdc rail. U14 provides a regulated -12 Vdc rail.

Reference

U15 is a precision reference voltage generator. Its wide initial tolerance (for this application)
requires VR2 and R57 for final adjustment.
U12 is used to generate the equivalent negative reference voltage. It is configured as a unity
gain invertor with R48 and R60 controlling the gain. VR1 is set at initial test to give -5.000 V
from this output. Using 0.1% resistors and a precision amplifier keeps the positive reference
voltage at +5.000 V 0.010 V.

Preamplifiers

There are two identical amplifiers, one for each thermocouple. Only one is described. Circuit
references that apply to the second channel are given in [] brackets.
The thermocouple input is filtered by R2 and C1 [R3 and C2] before being applied to the non-
inverting input of U1 [U2]. The amplifier gain is nominally set by R18 and R16 [R19 and R17]
although it is also slightly affected by R8, R9, R12 and R13 [R10, R11, R14 and R15]. The
gain is set for maximum accuracy around the 700 C area giving a +5 mV/C output. A type
K thermocouple has a non-linear output with temperature. In this circuit it will indicate about 6
C low at 300 C

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Fig. 6 Component Layout

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Fig. 7 Circuit Diagram

22 22
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G1 is a precision bead thermistor arranged as a single arm bridge across the two reference
supplies. The output is nominally 0.00 V at 25 C and varies at -0.1 V/C. It also is non-linear
and produces an error of about 1 C over the ambient range -10 to +50 C. This output is
subtracted from the amplified thermocouple signal by R8 and R9 [R10 and R11]. Because
the output is zero at 25 C an additional subtraction is made by R12 and R13 [R14 and R15]
to give a fully corrected output T1 [T2].
R5, R6 and R7 [R4] provide a slight positive bias to ensure that an open circuit thermocouple
input will produce an output equivalent to >1000 C which will trip the alarm circuits.

Proportional controller

Error Amplifier

U3 is an inverting error amplifier designed to amplify the difference between the average of
the two thermocouples and a set point. The set point is chosen by the position of the REGEN
switch to be either 685 C (REGEN off) or 150 C (REGEN on - sets a burn-in temperature
when both REGEN and PURE switches are on at the same time).
The positive inputs via R20 and R21 are combined with the negative reference from R22 (or
R23) and the difference is amplified with a gain of about 66. The output varies by -0.33 V/C
error and limits at the supply rails.
The accuracy of the set point is governed by the value and accuracy of R22 (or R23).
Precision 0.1% resistors are used which allows the set point to be within 7 C of any
required value. The accuracy required for burn-in is not critical and a 1% resistor is used.
R = 50000000
The required resistor value for any set point (C) can be calculated from Setpoint
.
An adjustment facility is provided by VR1, R24 and R25. The approximate change in set
point is 5 C/V allowing a 25 C adjustment. The adjustment voltage is available on SKT1 to
allow determination of the amount of adjustment added. The range of adjustment has been
set to cover the proportional band.

Ramp Generator

U6 is configured as a triangular wave oscillator. R34 and R35 control the amplitude which is
set for a nominal 8.7 Vp level. R34, R35, R36 and C9 all control the oscillator frequency
which is set to a nominal 0.37 Hz (2.7 s Period). The square wave output from U6/7 is gated
with the FAULT and REGEN outputs to create a modulated warning.

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Proportional Band

U4 is a comparator with inputs from the ramp generator and the error amplifier. The output is
high (power off) when the output from the error amplifier is lower than the ramp (temperature
too hot), and low (power on) when the output from the error amplifier is higher than the ramp
(temperature too cold). When the output from the error amplifier is within the 8.7 Vp ramp
level the output will cycle at 0.37 Hz changing its on:off ratio proportionally with the error.
An assumption has been made that the correct power to maintain temperature will occur
when the error amplifier output is zero. As mains, gas flow rate, gas input temperature, and
ambient temperature vary, the actual temperature required to balance heat input against heat
loss will vary. The gain has been set so that the variation from zero to full power requires a
variation of 53 C in the set point (i.e. 21.5 C from nominal). Mains drive U5 and Q1
provide the conversion from the proportional band output (U4) to an isolated mains drive.

Mains drive

U5 is an opto-isolated triac designed to interface with the power triac U5. Drive to the internal
LED cannot occur until the PURE switch is on when EN1 and EN2 are connected together.
R39 and C10 are suppression components.

Safety

Two relays are used to isolate the mains from the heaters. RLY2 allows mains to go to the
regen heaters when the REGEN switch is set. RLY1 removes mains from both the purifier
heater and the regen heaters if the fault condition exists. The relays are driven between the -
12 V to +12 V rails to balance and minimise the current demand

Threshold1
U7 is a quad comparator used to detect the various threshold levels required for control of the
status indicators and fault conditions. U7a and U7b set /LIMIT if either thermocouple pre-
amplifier registers a temperature over 751 C. The threshold is set by R44 and R45.
U7c uses the mean of the two thermocouple pre-amplifiers to detect the high threshold (/HT)
of 651 C above which the purifier will be working. U7d uses the mean of the two
thermocouple pre-amplifiers to detect the low threshold (LT) of 279C below which the gas
can be disconnected. These two thresholds are set by R47, R48 and R49 and are
interactive.

The forward slash symbol (/) is used to denote the logical NOT function. E.g. /LIMIT means LIMIT is true when its voltage level is low.
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Logic

U8, U9 and U10 are CMOS logic gates running between the -12 V and 0 V rails. The high
voltage increases the noise immunity over 5 V logic and does not require additional supplies.
They provide the combinatorial logic necessary for controlling the status LEDs, relays, buzzer,
and timer.

RELAY

This output controls RLY2, the primary mains switch. It controls the mains supply to both
heaters.
RELAY will be false while /LIMIT is true. It will stay latched false if the pure switch is on
(/PURE true) and /LIMIT goes false. It will change to true if /LIMIT is false and the pure switch
is off (/PURE false).
This ensures that no power can be applied to the heaters while the purifier temperature
exceeds its limit no matter what state the pure switch is in. It also ensures that power will not
be re-applied until the pure switch has been set off after the limit condition has been detected
or if the mains supply has been removed and re-instated.

FAULT

This output controls the FAULT LED and the buzzer. Both are always on or off at the same
time.
FAULT will be false during normal operation. It will go true when /LIMIT is true and the pure
switch is on (/PURE true). It will stay true after /LIMIT goes false provided that /PURE is still
true. It will always return false if /PURE is false.
This ensures that the fault condition can always be turned off by setting the pure switch off.
Note that power to the heaters will not be applied until the /LIMIT condition is false even if the
pure switch is off (see RELAY).

TIMER

This output controls power to the elapsed timer.

TIMER will be true when the pure switch is on (/PURE true) and there is no fault condition
(FAULT false). At all other times TIMER will be false.
The position of the regen switch has no effect. If both regen and pure switches are on (burn-
in) the timer will still be on.

HOT

This output controls the HOT LED.

HOT will be true when the high threshold is reached (/HT true) and FAULT is false and
REGEN is false. It will go false if REGEN or FAULT go true.

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WAIT

This output controls the WAIT LED.

WAIT will be true when HOT is false and COOL is false and FAULT is false and REGEN is
false. It will go false if HOT or COOL or FAULT or REGEN go true.

COOL

This output controls the COOL LED.

COOL will be true when the high threshold is reached (/HT true) and FAULT is false and
REGEN is false. It will go false if REGEN or FAULT go true.

Drivers
All LED, relay and buzzer drivers (Q2-9) are N channel MOSFETs. Q8 is driven directly from
the regen switch. All others are driven from logic gates. Q6 and Q9 are gated with the ramp
square wave output.
They are all referenced to the -12 V rail and the gates are driven to 0 V to turn them on. The
LED, buzzer and elapsed timer returns are 0 V; the relay returns are +12 V.

Test Points

Edge of pcb

+REF 1 2 -REF
CJC 3 4 T1
T2 5 6 AVERAGE
ERROR 7 8 ADJUST
EN2 9 10 TGND

T1 & T2: Output of thermocouple preamplifiers

+REF: Output of voltage ref. I.C. U11

-REF: Output of ref. voltage from U12

ERROR: Amplified voltage difference between thermocouple and set points (set
point is 685 with REGEN off and 150C with REGEN on)

ADJUST: Voltage added to thermocouple signal to bias signal to error amplifier

(gives +/- 25C swing to temperature set point)

AVERAGE: Voltage average of T1 and T2

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EN2: Output of proportional band comparator I.C. U4. Near set point EN2
should ramp up & down about every 2 secs.

CJC: Output of thermistor. Approx 0.1V/C where output at 25C =0.0V

OPTIONAL FEATURES

Pressure Switch

The purifier may we supplied with a pressure switch which turns off the furnace if the inlet
gas pressure falls below a set value.

The pressure switch supplied has an electronic switch with an NPN output interface. It is
connected to PL5 as follows:

Pin 1: Power

Pin 2: Output 1 Set so output is on (i.e. conducting) when pressure is lower than the
required limit

Pin 3: Ground

Note that neither Pin 1 nor Pin2 are at 0V. A short from either if these pins to ground may
result in power supply failure

When pressure falls below the set limit the purifier is placed in FAULT mode and power to
the furnace heater will be cut. The alarm will sound. The operator must check the pressure
displayed by the pressure switch to see if the fault is a genuine fault condition or due to the
inlet pressure being too low.

Note also that heat sinks are fitted to U13 and U14 if the pressure switch option is present.

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Warranty and Service

Warranty

Electronic control panel 24 months against electrical failure

Band heaters 24 months against electrical failure

Thermocouples 24 months against electrical failure

Furnace heater 12 months against electrical failure

Titanium tube 12 months against leakage only

Copper oxide tube 12 months against leakage only

Molecular sieve tube 12 months against leakage only

The titanium, copper oxide and molecular sieve tube are consumable items. The
warranty on these tubes is restricted to physical integrity, i.e. leak tightness of
welded joints. Tube lifetime is excluded from the terms of the warranty as SIRCAL
has no control over their conditions of use

SIRCAL undertakes to repair and return purifiers free of charge when the failed parts
are within the specified warranty periods listed above.

Service

Sircal Instruments may be contacted at the address below if you have any problems with the
use of this purifier:

SIRCAL INSTRUMENTS (UK) LTD TEL: +44 (0)20 8642 3022

27 CAMBORNE ROAD FAX: +44 (0)20 8770 2045

SUTTON EMAIL: sircaluk@aol.com

SURREY WEB: www.sircal.co.uk

UNITED KINGDOM

SM2 6RJ

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Spare Parts List

Spare Part Part No.

Titanium Tube MP2000/TMT/01

Copper Oxide Tube MP2000/CRT/01

Molecular Sieve Tube MP2000/MST/01

Furnace Heater 230V MP2000/FH/230/01

Furnace Heater 110V MP2000/FH/110/01

Band Heater MP2000/BH/01

Control Panel Assembly MP2000/CPNL/01

Thermocouple MP2000/TC/01

Mains Fuse (230V model) MP2000/FS/230

Mains Fuse (110V model) MP2000/FS/110

PCB Fuse (230v model) MP2000/PCBF/230

PCB Fuse (110V model) MP2000/PCBF/110

Male Quick-Connect Coupling (for tube) MP2000/MQC/1/4

to 6 mm Tube Adapter MP2000/TA

Gas Side Entry Kit Type F MP2000/SEK/F/01 Note 1

Gas Side Entry Kit Type C MP2000/SEK/C/01 Note 2

Wall Mounting Bracket MP2000/WMB/01

Note 1 Factory fitted design not for use in field on standard MP2000 purifier

Note 2 designed for customer fitting to standard MP2000 purifier

Always quote the serial number of the purifier when ordering spares.

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APPENDIX

Accessories

Gas Side Entry Kits

A gas side entry kit is available as an optional extra for users who have restricted
access to the rear of the purifier, or where on old version Sircal Rare Gas Purifier is
being replaced with the new MP2000 model and the user wants to use the gas inlet
and outlet pipes set up without any additional re-piping work.

Two versions of the kit are available. The Type C Side Entry Kit is designed for use
on a standard MP2000 purifier and can be fitted by the user at any time. The Type F
Side Entry Kit is only provided in combination with a special version of the MP2000
purifier (designated MP2000-SE). In the MP2000-SE the rear Quick-Connect gas
connectors are replaced by simple inlet bulkhead connectors. In both types two
Quick-Connect gas connectors are mounted on a bracket on the left hand side of the
purifier.

The Type F kit has a lower profile than the Type C kit. The MP2000 with a Type F kit
can be placed almost flush against a rear wall, whereas the MP2000 fitted with a
type C kit will require an additional 50mm of space to accommodate the bends of the
tubes.

The Type C is also the more expensive option as it entails the use of 4 Quick-
Connect gas bulkhead connectors rather than two in the type F kit. The Type C kit
has the advantage, however, of being adaptable to the standard MP2000 purifier,
whereas the Type F kit can only be used on a specially ordered MP2000-SE purifier.

Side Entry Kit Type F Side Entry Kit Type C

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