Bohlin DSR2 user manual english MAN0337 2 0

3Hardware features Introduction This chapter describes the hardware components of the instrument.. Hardware features Chapter 3Temperature Control Units TCUs This section describes the TC

Printed in England MRK1364-01

Malvern Instruments Limited

Enigma Business Park

Grovewood Road, Malvern

DSR II User Manual

MAN0337 Issue 2.0 February 2010

© Malvern Instruments Ltd 2010

Malvern Instruments makes every effort to ensure that this document is correct However, due to Malvern Instruments’ policy of continual product development we are unable to guarantee the accuracy of this, or any other document after the date of publication We therefore disclaim all liability for any changes, errors or omissions after the date of publication No reproduction or transmission of any part of this publication is allowed without the express written permission of Malvern Instruments Ltd.

Part 1 - Operator’s Guide

Introduction to this manual

Introduction 1-1

How to use this manual 1-1

Access to the instrument 1-2

Assumed information 1-3

Where to get help 1-4

What is the DSR II?

Introduction 2-1

How the DSR II works 2-1

Temperature Control Units (TCUs) 2-2

Temperature Control Units (TCUs) 3-7

Software features and tests

Table of Contents DSR II Rheometer

Levelling the instrument 5-3

Setting the gap 5-4

Installing the measuring systems 5-5

Checking the fluid level 5-7

Checking the flow rate 5-7

Powering on the components 5-7

Making a measurement

Introduction 6-1

The Asphalt wizard 6-2

Loading the sample 6-9

Making a manual measurement 6-12

Interpreting the results 6-14

Closing down the system 6-17

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

The User Configuration dialog 8-1

Setting up a user group 8-2

Creating users 8-3

DSR II Rheometer Table of Contents

Part 3 - Appendices

Health and Safety

General warnings and regulations A-1

Electrical warnings and regulations A-1

Crush hazard .A-2

Hot components A-2

Fluids circulator A-2

Power cords and Power safety A-3

Sample handling warnings A-5

Moving the system E-1

Upgrading the computer E-3

Changing the computer E-3

Table of Contents DSR II Rheometer

Part 1 -

Operator’s Guide

rheome-The aims of this manual are to:

„ Explain what the DSR II is and how it works

„ Describe the DSR II hardware components

„ Describe the software and the tests it can run

„ Explain how to set up the instrument before making a measurement

„ Explain how to use the instrument to make a measurement, and how to pret the results

inter-„ Identify the user maintenance and troubleshooting procedures

„ Show a supervisor how to set up users

„ Explain all Health and Safety issues

How to use this manual

Users must read the Health and Safety information in Appendix A before

operat-ing the instrument The information given in that appendix applies to the DSR II instrument itself If using a circulator, users must also read the Health and Safety information in the manual supplied by its manufacturer

We recommend reading this manual fully before starting the first measurement

Chapter 1 Introduction to this manual

1

Part 1 – Operator’s guide

The Operator’s guide contains all the information required by an operator using the DSR II Topics covered are:

„ What the DSR II does

„ The hardware components of the DSR II

„ The software and the available tests

„ Initial procedures – what needs to be done at the start of the day before the rheometer can be used This includes pre-start checks and setting up the instrument

„ A tutorial on making a measurement

„ Basic maintenance procedures and troubleshooting information

Part 2 – Supervisor’s guide

The Supervisor’s guide describes the security system; how to set up users and user groups, giving these permissions as necessary

Part 3 - Appendices

Appendix A contains essential Health and Safety information which all users must

read Appendices B and C give the specification and site requirements Other

appendices contain supplementary information not necessary for the general tion of the system

opera-Access to the instrument

This manual refers to the various people who will have access to the instrument, as follows

Malvern personnel

Malvern personnel (service engineers, representatives, etc.) have full access to the instrument and are the only people authorised to perform service procedures that may require the removal of the covers

Warning!

Removal of the covers by unauthorised personnel will invalidate the ranty of the instrument

war-Introduction to this manual Chapter 1

Supervisor

The supervisor is the person responsible for the management and safety of the instrument and its operation The supervisor is responsible for training the opera-tors The supervisor can perform all user maintenance routines identified in Chap- ter 7.

Assumed information

Naming convention

The DSR II is referred to either in full as the DSR II, or as “the instrument”.The combination of the DSR II instrument, the computer and the software is referred to as “the system”

Menu commands

Menu commands in the software are always shown in bold text in this form: main menu-menu item-submenu item

For example, the command Tools-Options refers to selecting the Options

command from the Tools menu.

Chapter 1 Introduction to this manual

Where to get help

Manual and online help

The primary source of information on the DSR II system is this manual In tion the software has online help which gives detailed information Each dialog within the software has a Help button giving information specific to that dialog.

addi-The fluid circulator has its own manual Read this carefully

Help desk

Direct all queries about the system to the local Malvern representative initially Please quote the following information:

„ Model and serial number of the instrument (given on the back panel)

„ The software version (to find this, select Help-About in the software).

In the USA telephone 508-480-0200 x 350 or email support.us@malvern.com.Contact the United Kingdom help desk if the local Malvern representative is not available Its direct line is +44 (0) 1684 891800 or email helpdesk@malvern.com

con-On-line user training is also available, plus software updates A high speed Internet connection is recommended for making use of this facility

Malvern Website - www.Malvern.com

The Malvern website offers a comprehensive range of materials characterisation resources for use by customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Resources include software downloads, frequently asked questions, a knowledge base and application notes, plus information on other materials characterisation solutions that Malvern can provide

2

What is the DSR II?

Introduction

This chapter describes:

„ How the DSR II works

„ Temperature Control Units (TCUs)

„ Software – the TruGrade and research software packages This includes a description of the TruGrade test setup

How the DSR II works

The Bohlin Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR II) is the industry standard dynamic shear rheometer for SHRP and AASHTO asphalt test It complies with AASHTO T-315 and all ASTM specifications in both the D04 & D08 sections

In normal operation:

1. The sample under test is positioned between the lower and upper measuring systems, normally two plates The top measuring system is a plate attached to the bearing stress-head motor assembly and the lower measuring system is a plate attached to the TCU located in the base housing

2. During typical testing:

„ The bearing applies the appropriate frequency and strain amplitude to the sample

„ Sample temperature is controlled and monitored for conformance to the specification

„ Data is automatically collected and monitored for conformance to the specification

Chapter 2 What is the DSR II?

2

The measurements are read and processed by the computer and the results are displayed by the software

Temperature Control Units (TCUs)

Bituminous materials are very temperature-sensitive, with large variations in their material properties over a fraction of a degree Centigrade Even small temperature gradients in the sample and errors between the sensor temperature and the mean sample temperature can render rheological data unreliable

To overcome this problem, the DSR II is provided with a TCU specifically designed for use with bituminous materials:

„ Total Immersion Cell (Wet System) – commonly called the “water bath”,

this provides the greatest precision, control stability and fewest thermal ents across the sample for asphalt testing This ensures the most accurate results

gradi-The sample is completely submerged in the immersion chamber, which is sealed from the environment by the thermal enclosure, preventing ambient conditions from affecting sample temperature The sample temperature is measured by a PT100 located directly below the lower plate for superior accu-racy and minimal offsets

A digital circulator drives liquid at a precise temperature through the Total Immersion Cell, controlling the sample temperature Easily replaced foam filters minimise asphalt contamination of the circulator lines

What is the DSR II? Chapter 2

„ Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) – this is used for samples which have been

through an RTFO, simulating the aging that occurs during mix production and pavement construction

„ Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) – this is used for samples which have been

through a PAV to simulate real-world aging conditions of the asphalt binder The PAV exposes the binder to the high pressures and temperatures that would occur naturally during a pavement's life Use 8mm plates for this type of test because the aged sample is very stiff

Test modes

There are four test modes:

„ Grade Determination and Pass /Fail – these are the common test modes.

„ Linearity – this is only run for qualifying other results

„ The fourth test mode combines Grade Determination and Linearity.

Chapter 2 What is the DSR II?

Research software

The following tests are available if the research software is used:

„ Oscillation as a function of time, temperature, frequency and shear stress

„ Viscosity as a function of shear rate, shear stress, temperature and time

„ Creep and Creep Recovery (for compliance measurement and analysis)

„ Time Temperature Superposition and Viscoelastic Analysis.

These are described in detail in the online help, not in this manual

3

Hardware features

Introduction

This chapter describes the hardware components of the instrument It covers:

„ Main components – describes the main parts of the rheometer

„ Connections, which are on the rear and base of the instrument

„ Temperature Control Units (TCUs) – the Total Immersion Cell

Chapter 3 Hardware features

3

Main components

This diagram shows the main parts of the DSR II:

ill 8477

The components are:

 Gap adjustment collar – allows precision setting of the gap using a vernier

scale - see Chapter 5 for information on how to set the gap.

 Vertical position knob – this is used to adjust the vertical position of the

bearing assembly in order to set the gap and load the sample

 Bearing – air or mechanical bearing.

 Chuck lock – the upper measuring system shaft has two flats which this chuck

lock, fitted to the lower end plate of the bearing tube, slides into This locks the spindle in place

Fully Open Fully Closed

10 11

3

4 5

Hardware features Chapter 3

Caution!

Do not handle the chuck or rotate the motor without the air pressure applied (in systems with an air bearing); it may damage the bearing

 Chuck – the end of the spindle is a high precision collet which is tightened and

loosened by hand The chuck holds the upper measuring device (plate, cone, etc.) It is used on all units and is backwards-compatible

Caution!

During transport, even over short distances, the chuck must be secured to prevent damage to the bearing from vibration For details on how to secure the chuck, consult the Malvern Help Desk

 Upper measuring system – for asphalt testing this is normally an 8mm or

25mm Parallel Plate (denoted by the text PP in dialogs).

 TCU cover (or “crown”) – allows water to cover both the upper and lower

plates

 TCU – a Total Immersion Cell is fitted here - this is described in detail below.

 Lower measuring system – this is where the sample is placed It is also a

par-allel plate This fits in the Total Immersion Cell (water bath) and is secured with a locking ring

 Flow rate selector – when used with a Total Immersion Cell the system

requires fluid input This selector allows the flow rate to be regulated

 Feet – after the instrument is moved, re-adjust the feet to level it.

Base plates

The base plate fits below the lower measuring system The base plates are changeable The lower plates are keyed and set into the Total Immersion Cell where they rest on the base plate’s outer edge and are secured with a locking ring

inter-Chapter 3 Hardware features

The base plates for the 25mm and 8mm lower plates differ as shown below:

25mm PP and base plate 8mm PP and base plate

Hardware features Chapter 3

Set these up as follows:

AIR - 3 BAR – only present on systems containing an air-bearing - this input

pro-vides the air supply for the bearing’s torque motor Connect the blue 4mm air hose

to this inlet and switch the red open/closed valve on the air filter regulator to the open position

Caution!

Air must be 3 bar and must meet the specification given in Appendix B

An alarm will sound if the air pressure falls below 2 bar

PT100 – connector for the PT100 temperature sensor cable (described in the TCU

section below)

TCU – connector for use with TCUs, as described below.

WIN – connect one end of the cable marked computer here and its 9 pin D-type

connector to an available COM port on the computer Note the COM port number, as this will be required by the software later

WIN

FUSE

l 0

PT-100AIR - 3 BAR

TCU

Chapter 3 Hardware features

Power cables

Connect the power cable to the socket on the back of the DSR II and plug it into a power outlet but do not switch it on yet.

Fuse

The fuse provides electrical protection for the rheometer Chapter 7 gives details

of how to change fuses

Hardware features Chapter 3

Temperature Control Units (TCUs)

This section describes the TCU setup, including the recommended way to control temperature and information on the fluids circulator that supplies this cell

Total Immersion Cell

The Total Immersion Cell keeps the sample at a constant pre-set temperature in the range -28 to 100°C It does this by circulating a temperature-controlled fluid (usually water with ethylene glycol for low temperature work) through the cham-ber and in direct contact with the lower measuring system The temperature is con-trolled by a fluids circulator

The cell completely immerses the test sample in the circulating fluid A ture sensor in the base of the chamber monitors the fluid temperature and feeds it back to the circulator, which controls the temperature of the circulating fluid.This graphic shows the Total Immersion Cell ready for measurement:

tempera-ill 7894

The Total Immersion Cell is mounted in the base of the rheometer housing The fluid connections used for the chamber are under the unit (see below) The white plastic cover, when fully seated, allows the water to cover both the upper and lower plates

Chapter 3 Hardware features

This graphic shows the connections where fluid from the circulator enters and leaves the Total Immersion Cell:

ill 8475

The inlet  is in the centre of the cell There are three outlets  The hoses from the three outlets are connected by a 3:1 “banjo” connector to form a single hose inflow to the circulator The connection procedure is described below

Fluids circulator

The digital fluids circulator is from the Julabo F25-HE or FP35-HE series When

configured and operated properly, this holds a temperature accurate to ±0.01°C The circulators supplied by Malvern Instruments are adapted for use with the DSR

II - do not attempt to use those not supplied by Malvern Instruments

Caution!

Be sure to provide at least 20cm of space in front of the vents for air to culate through the circulator The circulator must not be installed inside

cir-an enclosed space or near to a heat source or direct sunlight

The circulator must be installed at a lower height than the DSR II

1 2

2 2

Hardware features Chapter 3

Configuring the circulator

This section describes how to set up the Julabo circulator This is a summary of the

information in the Julabo manuals.

Note:

See Appendix A for information on siting both the Julabo circulator and

the instrument

Making connections

There are three steps:

„ Connect the 9 pin RS232 cable from the control computer to the circulator port marked SERIAL.

„ Connect the PT100 cable from the rheometer’s PT100 port to the circulator

port marked ext Pt100.

„ Connect the supplied power cable to the rear of the circulator and plug it into a power socket An adaptor may be supplied for installation in certain countries - refer to the instructions supplied with the Julabo circulator

Connecting the hoses

The hose outlet and inlet on the circulator are marked as follows:

Connect the 8mm tubing from the instrument ports to these, as follows:

„ For optimal performance, cut the tubing to lengths of no longer than 750mm This ensures that temperature stability is more easily maintained by the system, which in turn provides more accurate measurements

„ Ensure that the outlet from the circulator is connected to the inlet in the centre

of the Total Immersion Cell

„ Connect the three outlets from the Total Immersion Cell to the 3-in-1 “banjo” back to the inflow on the circulator

Chapter 3 Hardware features

Additionally, the following guidelines should be observed:

„ Tubing should not rise up above the level of the base of instrument Instead all tubing should descend directly downwards See illustration for clarification:

ill 8515

NEW IMAGE TO BE INSERTED

Hardware features Chapter 3

„ All tubing connected to the banjo on the rear of the circulator should be tioned upwards See illustration for clarification:

posi-ill 8516

„ After installation, as much tubing as possible should be covered with the lation lagging supplied This ensures that the circulator can more easily main-tain the required temperature

insu-„ The circulator must be positioned below the level of the DSR II Ideally, the top of the reservoir should be positioned about 150mm below the bottom of the DSR II instrument Refer to Appendix A for more information

Supplying the fluid

Fill the circulator tank with water (distilled if possible) If measuring at tures below 10°C, use an Ethylene glycol/water mix Change the fluid periodically

tempera-as needed The recommended maximum filling level is 30mm below the bath rim Keep the level close to this at all times

NEW IMAGE TO BE INSERTED

Chapter 3 Hardware features

Caution!

Make sure no liquid enters the interior of the circulator If the fluid level is not maintained the heating and cooling coils may be exposed and become damaged Keep extra fluid available.

Adjusting the flow rate

To adjust the flow, use the Flow rate selector detailed in the main instrument

illustration Make small adjustments between the “Fully Open” and “Fully Closed” positions Setting the selector to the “Fully Open” position may result in overspill

4

Software

features and tests

Introduction

This chapter describes:

„ The TruGrade software and the main differences between the supervisor and operator levels of access For full details on the TruGrade software, use its online help To open this, select Help-Contents or click the Help button on

Chapter 4 Software features and tests

4

TruGrade software

The TruGrade software is the standard package for SuperPave specification and

grade determination testing It has two access levels:

„ Supervisor – gives access to all facilities This includes setting up operator

users and their permissions, designing tests, modifying the Asphalt wizard,

etc

„ Operator – gives access to a subset of the facilities This allows the user to run

a test from the test list, but not to modify a test Depending on their sions, an operator may be able to run calibration or validation Tailoring the user interface to specific operators makes testing easy for them

permis-Supervisor level

After initial installation only supervisor level access to the TruGrade software is available At this stage the supervisor should create the first user accounts, or just click OK.

At supervisor level the software has two main modes, selected using the list on the toolbar These are:

„ Test List View – this shows the available tests in its File Name list The

result of a test appears on the right-hand side:

Software features and tests Chapter 4

„ Test Parameter View – in this mode the supervisor can modify the test

parameters, using the parameter area of the window, shown below This replaces the File Name panel shown in the above dialog:

Operator level

The operator only has access to Test List View This allows them to select a test

from the list the supervisor has set up In this example the user has selected

Original Binder:

Chapter 4 Software features and tests

„ Original Binder (OB) – this is used for the binder without any treatment.

„ Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) – this is used for samples which have been

through an RTFO, simulating the aging that occurs during mix production and pavement construction

„ Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) – this is used for samples which have been

through a PAV to simulate real world aging of the asphalt binder The PAV exposes the binder to the high pressures and temperatures that would occur naturally during its life Use 8mm plates for this type of test because the aged sample is very stiff

Test modes

The test modes are summarised here then described in detail below

The Grade Determination and Pass /Fail modes are the common tests

Linear-ity is only run for qualifying other results The fourth test mode combines Grade Determination and Linearity.

Pass/Fail test

This mode runs a single point test at the current set temperature The pass/fail teria shown below are applied to the result For a PAV sample, for example, a point with G*.sin(delta) of 4.8MPa would have a Pass result

cri-„ OB – G*./sin(delta) >= 1kPa

„ RTFO – G*/sin(delta) >= 2.2kPa

„ PAV – G*.sin(delta) <= 5MPa

The default parameters for this test are given in the next section

Sample type Test mode Ancillary test

Software features and tests Chapter 4

The Pass/Fail test generates just one point It shows all the results from that point:

Grade Determination test

This mode is used to find two temperatures, one where the sample passes and one where it fails This shows the nearest standard grade of the sample being tested, displayed in the form PGnn The nn digits give the pass temperature.

The default parameters for this test are given in the next section

In the following example the grade is PG64:

The data can also be displayed as a graph by selecting the Graph tab.

12.0404.40

Chapter 4 Software features and tests

The data are also available in tabular form

Grade Determination/Linearity Combination

This combines Grade Determination and Linearity If the Grade stage fails, the

Linearity test is not run If the Grade stage passes, the Linearity stage is run with the temperature set at the Pass/Fail Temperature result from the Grade Analysis The linearity test validates the grade result

Software features and tests Chapter 4

Test parameters

The default parameters for Grade Determination and Pass /Fail modes for the

three test types are:

The parameters are:

„ Thermal equilibrium time – the length of time (at temperature and within

± bands) to wait to ensure that the sample has reached thermal equilibrium

„ Strain amplitude – used in Pass/Fail, Grade Determination and bined Grade/Linearity test modes when operating the instrument in con-

Com-trolled strain mode It defines the strain to apply during oscillation

Thermal equilibrium time (mins) Strain

Initial stress

Measuring system Gap

Chapter 4 Software features and tests

5

Initial procedures

This chapter describes how to prepare the rheometer for use at the start of the day

It covers the following:

„ Checking the air supply (air bearing systems only)

„ Removing the immobilizer

„ Levelling the instrument

„ Setting the gap

„ Installing the measuring systems

„ Checking the fluid level in the circulator bath

„ Checking the flow rate

„ Powering on the components

Chapter 5 Initial procedures

„ Check at the filter/regulator (normally positioned on the wall; see Appendix C) that the air pressure is at 3 bar The instrument has a low air alarm which

will sound if the pressure falls, as well as a motor power cutoff

„ Check that the air is clean and dry For a quick pre-connection check, blow the air onto a clean piece of white paper for 20-30 seconds at high pressure If any spots of oil or water are seen on the paper, or if the end of the pipe is wet, do not connect the air line to the rheometer

After checking the supply, connect the air supply to the AIR - 3 BAR connector on

the back of the instrument

Removing the immobilizer

The motor shaft is locked with a small piece of plastic pipe to prevent damage ing transportation Once the air supply has been connected to the rheometer (air bearing systems only), the bearing immobilizer tube may be safely removed as shown below:

dur-ill 8474

3

4 1

2

Immobilizer on Immobilizer off – ready for use