Three Models to Choose From:
Cerex Micro Hound, Mini Hound, and Hound Analysers utilise the same core technology, differing in physical size and minimum detection limits. All are portable, capable of continuous air monitoring, and designed for years of service.
Micro Hound‐FR: Our smallest and most portable model. Is equipped with a sealed external USB (1) Port as well as two internal USB ports. Despite the small size, the Micro Hound’s 2 metre sample path allows PPB level detections of many gases. Weight is 12.47 kilograms.
Mini Hound‐FR: Our midsize model balances low detection limits with excellent portability. This analyser is equipped with sealed external LAN (1), WAN (1) and USB (1) ports as well as two internal USB ports. This unit has an 8.5-metre sample path and weighs less than 14.96 kilograms.
Hound‐FR: Our largest and most sensitive model. This analyser is equipped with sealed external LAN (1), WAN (1) and USB (1) ports as well as two internal USB ports for simple installation of USB peripheral devices such as cellular modem, GPS or streaming web camera. This unit offers excellent detection limits with a 17 metre sample path and is equipped with wheels for rolling transport: 17.23 kilograms.
All Hound Series Analysers Feature:
Many of the features of the Hound analyser series came as suggestions by the fire fighters and hazmat first responders who spent over a year and half testing the Cerex Mini Hound in real world structure fires and hazmat first response applications.
Hound Series
Analysers are equipped with an integrated touch screen interface and computer running user familiar Windows® operating system. With simple, intuitive controls and large buttons, Hound analysers are as easy to use as a PC or smartphone. Integrated WiFi makes remote access and control easy. Simply use a common VNC utility for full remote access.
• Integrated Computer with Windows(r)
• Touch screen interface
• Integrated WiFi
• .CSV data file output
• Simultaneous multi-gas detection capabilities
• Part per billion minimum detection limited
• Inherent calibration: No Bump Calibration, Ever!
• User configurable, multiple, staged alarms
• Audible, Visual and Email alarm functionality
• User Configurable acquisition cycles
• Unaffected by humidity
• Cannot be Poisoned
Cerex CMS Software:
All Cerex analysers use Continuous Monitoring Software. CMS provides user interface, data logging and analytic gas detection and quantification functionality. CMS puts control where it belongs, in your hands. Target gas concentrations and alarm parameters are reported each user configured acquisition cycle. Alarms, acquisition time, background acquisition, detectable gases, and detection limits are all user configurable.
Deploying a Hound analyser with internet access, or adding an optional cellular USB modem adds powerful real-time remote control and data access functionality. Alarms may be automatically emailed to any email address when gas concentrations exceed user-configurable alarm thresholds, and data may be automatically emailed daily. The analyser may be controlled and monitored from any pc or smartphone with Internet access.
* The CMS Data tab displays per acquisition gas concentration, data validity and visual alarms.
* Single beam and absorption plots are readily viewed in real time. Raw single beam data is always saved.
* Trended concentration data is available at a glance on the CMS Data Summary tab.
Detection Capabilities
Cerex UVDOAS Delivers what other technologies cannot
Unlike IR, NDIR, Electrochemical, PID, FID and GC/MS based detection methods, Cerex UVDOAS delivers simultaneous monitoring of ppb levels of individual VOC species like Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene in near real-time. The method is unaffected by ambient humidity, requires no sample conditioning filter change prior to monitoring, requires no carrier gas, requires no wet chemistry, and incurs no analytic costs or sample handling costs. Results are immediate, and the raw data containing all the information necessary for gas identification and quantification is always saved.
UVDOAS Principle of Operation
Cerex Hound analysers operate by sending a beam of UV light through the sample gas within the instrument. The UV beam is directed by a series of optics to a high-resolution miniature spectrometer where the absorption due to target gases is measured and recorded. A classical least squares regression analysis compares the measured absorption spectrum to calibrated reference absorption spectra files. Beer’s law is then used to determine gas concentrations per USEPA TO‐16 Methodology. Hound series analysers will detect many gases simultaneously at ppb concentrations within complex mixtures. Some gases however, like hydrogen sulphide must be monitored individually. The presence of high concentration interference species may obscure some gases or cause false positives under certain circumstances
Hound analysers are designed to minimise operational costs and maximise uptime. Only two consumable items: The UV source and air intake filter. Both are field replaceable in under fifteen minutes.
UV sources are warranted for 4000 hours of operation. Actual lifetime typically exceeds 5000 hours.
Options that make sense for real world air monitoring
Powerful Communication Features
Internal and external USB ports make the addition of optional USB peripherals such as GPS, Cellular Modem or even a Streaming Webcam possible. This flexibility adds powerful real time monitoring, automated data reporting and automated alarm-reporting functionality. Hound analysers may be deployed and environmental conditions monitored by onsite personnel as well as remote decision makers via any PC or smartphone with an internet connection.
Integrated Meteorological Monitoring
Definitive data support is available by ordering a Hound analyser with integrated temperature and 3‐D ultrasonic wind modelling hardware. All data parameters are integrated into CMS data tables, and the anemometer is tripod mounted for rapid deployment.
External Battery Systems
Hound analysers utilise an internal lithium polymer battery and external smart charger for operation. A variety of optional external batteries are available to extend continuous monitoring capability to 17 hours in the absence of power without recharge.
Additional Sensor Capabilities
Up to five additional sensors may be added to the Hound, three to the Mini Hound and one to the Micro Hound to provide monitoring of gases not sensitive to UVDOAS technology. Data from additional sensors is fully integrated into CMS and displayed per acquisition cycle as well as integrated into CMS .csv data summary tables. Below is a table of commonly requested additional sensors. Additional sensors must be ordered at the time of manufacture, or the analyser returned to Cerex for retrofit.
TO‐16 Methodology
Currently there are a number of definitions of “detection limits” used to characterise the performance of air monitoring systems. A common definition of is the magnitude of the absorbance spectra that is twice the system noise. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air ‐ Second Edition Compendium Method TO‐16 Long‐Path Open‐Path Fourier Transform Infrared Monitoring Of Atmospheric Gases” defines detection limits as the following:
The detection limit of the Hound system is a dynamic quantity that will change as the atmospheric conditions change. The variability of the target gas, and all of the other interfering species concentrations contributes to the variability of this measurement. The detection limit as determined in this procedure is the result of a calculation using a set of 15 individual absorption spectra. The 16 individual single beam spectra used for this determination are acquired in five-minute intervals and no time is allowed to elapse between them. The absorption spectra are then created by using the first and the second single beam spectra, the second and the third, and the third and the fourth, and so on until the 15 absorption spectra are obtained. These absorption spectra are analysed in exactly the same way that all field spectra are to be analysed and over the same wave number region. The analysis should result in a set of numbers that are very close to zero because most of the effects of the gas variability have been removed. The numerical results should be both positive and negative and for a very large set of data should average to zero. Three times the standard deviation of this calculated set of concentrations is defined to be the detection limit.
Although Method TO‐16 was written for open path FTIR, the Cerex Hound system is unique among UV systems in that the raw data is essentially identical to an FTIR “Single beam” file. Hence the direct correlation drawn to TO‐16. Using the detection limit definition described in TO‐ 16, CEREX developed the detection limits that are listed here. It should be noted that the actual detection limits achieved in the field will vary. This is primarily due to the fact that variations in interfering species will result in variability in detection limits. Cerex considers the detection limits listed to be a very conservative estimate. The end user of the equipment will likely achieve much better results in the field. Cerex believes it is a good policy to not oversell a capability to our potential customers.
• Minimal maintenance – The only consumables are the UV source and intake filter.
• Cannot be poisoned
• Individual gas species detection
• Data and alarms can automatically be sent to email addresses, website or control room.
• Inherent calibration – No ongoing calibration required, No Bump Calibration
• User‐configurable auto background functionality
• User‐configurable alarms
• Fail to safe operation