At the end of July 2022, Germany based emissions testing equipment manufacturer MRU Instruments discontinued its industry-leading Optima 7 line of handheld landfill gas analyzers to promote its brand new Optimax brand.
The new device retains all the advantages of the Optima 7 with several new additions. Among these is the capacity to save 32,000 different data sets.
"We have a new board that's made it possible to double the internal memory and give users far more options," said MRU Industrial Consultant Markus Wende.
Another major improvement over the Optima 7 line is the inclusion of a wireless LAN interface which comes standard on every model of MRU's new line.
"I was really excited when I saw the first (Optimax)," said Wende, "utilizing the Optima 7's bluetooth capabilities wasn't as good as it could be and it was something we really wanted to address. With the Optimax you just open it, connect it, and go. It's really that simple."
Speaking of addressing issues, one of the most common problems technicians at Diamond Scientific saw when servicing the instruments was water damage to internal components from condensation which accidentally made it into the instrument through sample lines. In addition to the risk of returning incorrect data, this caused the devices to work harder than necessary which in many cases required more frequent maintenance on the machines. In some instances the water damage was so severe replacement was the only option.
To help mitigate this issue with the Optimax line, two new features were added. The device comes with internal flow monitoring which will sound an alarm when it notices an issue with the gas sample's migration through the machine. On top of that, the OptiMax now comes with a water stop filter to the condensate tube which has the ability to automatically shut off the device if it senses damaging water flowing through it in an effort to prevent long-term negative effects.
"We noticed that not everybody could tell when the Optima 7 was working harder than it should have been. These features are going to help a lot and prevent a lot of damage," said Wende.
The Optimax also has a new, larger, backlit display screen with a zoom feature.
Finally, just like its predecessor, the new line will still have:
- Readings for CO2, O2, CH4, H2S, CO, NO, NO2, and more
- Reinforced fiberglass housing
- Internal lithium ion battery with a 20hr + charge
- USB connection
- SD card reader
- Pressure, flow and temperature Measurements
- A wide variety of additional accessories
With all its improvements, the Optimax looks be the new must-own handheld gas analyzer for landfills and Biogas plants moving forward.
