Next generation Spectronus™ greenhouse gas & isotope analyser

ICOS network approved

In 2019, SpectronusTM became the second ever instrument to receive official ICOS network approval as an ICOS compliant greenhouse gas analyser.

While monitoring greenhouse gases may not be a legal requirement in some countries, there is a growing interest in doing so, especially in locations where there is increased awareness of the harmful impact they have on the environment, the health of communities and the potential future of our planet.

Until recently, SpectronusTM was predominantly utilised in research applications, however Acoem recognised that there was a demand by environmental agencies and key industries for an analyser that could be used to measure multiple greenhouse gases and their isotopes together, with one piece of software, one set of calibrations, ease of operation and a competitive total cost of ownership.

To cater for more diverse markets, Acoem has developed a new, more flexible version of the SpectronusTM that puts accurate greenhouse gas and isotope measurement within everyone’s reach. Its user friendliness, rack mountable configuration and language options have been improved to further enhance the already accurate and functional analyser.

Accurate monitoring of greenhouse gases just got easier

The next generation SpectronusTM maintains all of the original unit’s capabilities and functionality – accurately measuring:

• carbon dioxide (CO2)
• methane (CH4)
• nitrous oxide (N2O)
• carbon monoxide (CO)
• CO2 delta carbon 13 isotope (δ13C)
• CO2 delta oxygen 18 isotope (δ18O).

A major difference is that the former large housing unit has been replaced by two smaller and lighter-weight portable boxes that fit onto a standard 19-inch instrument rack. Various rack mount cabinet options can be ordered if you need the instrument to be self-contained or moved around on wheels.

Another significant improvement is lower power consumption. Whereas the previous SpectronusTM had a built-in cooling system, the new model does not require a cooler as a core component.

Removing the cooler means that the Spectronus™ analyser is lighter in weight, quieter and requires less power to run. It can operate easily in a lab that has a stable temperature. If the Spectronus™ needs to run in a very hot, very cold or rapidly fluctuating temperature environment, then an optional heater/cooler module is also available.

“In addition to the reduced weight and 19-inch rack installation, the major benefit of the evolved SpectronusTM is the user-friendly, intuitive interface,” commented Grant Kassell, Acoem Engineering, Research & Development Manager.

“The instrument software has been enhanced, making it even more reliable and fully compatible with Windows 10, plus language support has been integrated, allowing non-English speakers to operate it with confidence,” he added.

Simplified Chinese is currently available with additional languages to come. The new interface retains the full power of the existing research-level operations, with a simplified optional overlay for the less expert user. This means a wider range of organisations can access valuable data without excessive training or upskilling.