- Home
- Know How
- Emission Measuring Instrument
- Emission measuring instruments – device categories & product selection | Testo
Selecting emission measuring instruments –
Device categories & application areas
Emission measuring instruments can be broadly divided into mobile devices for service and campaign measurements and stationary systems for continuous emission monitoring. In addition, there are probes, gas conditioning units and accessories that complete the measurement system. The right combination of device category and equipment determines whether measurement tasks are solved efficiently, in compliance with standards and cost-effectively in everyday use.
Mobile emission measuring instruments for service & campaign measurements
Mobile emission measuring instruments are designed for flexible use at changing measurement points. They combine sensors, conditioning and evaluation in one portable device and are used primarily by service technicians, commissioning teams and measurement service providers.
Typical tasks include:
adjustment and optimisation of boiler and burner systems,
recurring checks to monitor limit values,
campaign measurements at different plant locations,
comparative measurements during fuel changes or plant conversions.
Mobile devices frequently combine electrochemical sensors for O2, CO, NO, NO2, SO2 with compact NDIR measurement cells for CO2 or other components. They are ready for use quickly, have integrated logging functions and enable measurement series to be documented in a structured manner. Users often ask: what is the difference between mobile and stationary emission measuring instruments? Mobile systems are ideal when several plants need to be checked within one maintenance cycle or when measurement tasks are time-limited.
A service technician checks several gas- and oil-fired boilers as part of a maintenance appointment. Using a mobile emission measuring instrument, he records O2, CO and NOx values at each boiler, documents the results in an inspection report and, if necessary, adjusts burner settings to optimise efficiency and compliance with limit values.
Probes, gas conditioning and accessories
Alongside the analyser itself, probes, gas conditioning and accessories play a central role in measurement quality. They ensure that the measurement gas reaches the analyser under reproducible conditions and that sensors are protected against contamination, condensation and corrosion.
Key components include:
heated sampling probes in various lengths and material versions,
heated hose lines for different temperature ranges,
pre-filters and fine filters for dust separation,
gas coolers, condensate drains and drying modules,
bypass and reference gas lines for zero and span checks.
The selection of suitable components depends on the flue gas temperature, dust content, humidity and aggressive constituents in the flue gas. In applications with high dust or SO2 loads, particularly robust materials and well-thought-out maintenance concepts are required to maximise service life and minimise downtime.
Step by step to the right emission measuring instrument
Selecting the right emission measuring instrument always begins with a clear definition of the measurement task. The following questions help with orientation:
Is it a one-off, recurring or continuous measurement?
Which components need to be measured (e.g. O2, CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, dust)?
What measuring ranges and accuracies are required?
Under what boundary conditions is the measurement taken (flue gas temperature, dust, humidity)?
What documentation and reporting obligations exist?
Decision questions for device selection
For recurring service measurements at several small and medium-sized plants, a mobile emission measuring instrument is usually the most cost-effective solution. For large combustion plants or waste incineration plants with strict reporting obligations, stationary systems with automatic monitoring and data archiving are indispensable. In many cases, mobile and stationary technology complement each other: mobile devices then serve for plausibility checks or for additional checks at locations that are not permanently monitored.
Do you have questions or would you like personal advice? Contact us!
We look forward to supporting you with our expertise and individual solutions.