Intek RheoVac DR - Manual (Page 16)

- 14 -
3.6 DATA PROCESSING
A very important part of understanding your vacuum dryer system comes from evaluating the data that
is created and stored by the RheoVac DR instrument. The ability to evaluate data has been greatly
enhanced with the RheoVac DR by providing nearly unlimited data storage capacity. A data file is
created for each calender day that the monitor is operating. The ability to review stored data is
invaluable when troubleshooting vacuum dryer problems. The column headings for each archived data
file is seen in Table IV.
TABLE IV. Column Headings for Data Downloads and Archived Data
Time
Stamp
(Time of
day)
Actual
Volume
Flow
(ACFM)
Total
Mass Flow
(lbs/hr)
Water
Vapor
Mass Flow
(lbs/hr)
RheoVac
Pressure
(Hg abs)
Water
Vapor
Sp. Vol.
(ft³/lb)
Water to
Air Mass
Ratio
(lb/lb)
Relative
Saturation
(%)
H
2
O
Partial
Pressure
(Hg abs)
Air
Mass
Flow
(lb/hr)
Probe
Temp.
(°F)
RS
Temp.
(°F)
Raw Total
Mass Flow
(lbs/hr)
) T
(°F)
RS
Frequency
(Hz)
The importance of reviewing graphed data cannot be overstated. Reviewing data for normal operating
conditions will greatly decrease the time need to troubleshoot problem conditions when they arise. To
simplify the graphing process, an Excel add-in has been created by the technical support team at Intek
This Excel add-in graphing utility, called RheoGraph, is an automated graphing macro that imports and
graphs RheoVac DR data files. It is available on request.
The RheoGraph utility is contained in a self-extracting zip file called "RheoGraph.Rev...exe" on the user
interface software CD. Executing the file will begin the menu driven installation process. The default
installation path is to C:\RheoVac; do not change this path name during installation. The file
RheoGraph.xla will be copied to the installation folder along with help files, sample data, and a readme
text file. Microsoft Excel is required for the add-in to function.
Executing RheoGraph.xla will launch Excel and the graphing menu will appear. Selecting Auto will
prompt the user to enter Company, Plant, and Unit info, which will be placed in the graph titles. Then
the user is prompted to browse to the data file to be graphed. The data will be inserted into a spreadsheet
page and four graph pages will then be automatically added as separate tabs in the workbook. When the
graphs are complete, macro execution terminates.
Several advanced features are available by selecting Advanced on the Auto Start menu. For additional
help, use the keyboard arrow keys to set focus on any button, then press F1. An example is shown of
a graph made by RheoGraph showing air mass flow and water vapor mass flow.