humidity news 2001/1 en

❏ Yes,I want to win!

Serial number of my GT Instrument:

History of my GT Instrument:

INTERNATIONAL ROTRONIC REPRESENTATIVES

al Fea

ROBOLO

BigHygroPalmCompetition!

ROTRONICTransmitters for theMuseumquarter in Vienna

Mini–ProbeOne more step inMiniaturization

Win a HygroPalm with 4 mm probe!

issue 1/2001

HygroClip in

ColognesCathedral

FAX TO: +41- 1 - 837 00 73Sender:

Company:

Address:

Country:

Phone:

E-Mail:

Grindelstrasse 6CH-8303 Bassersdorf

Phone +41–1–838 11 11Fax +41–1–837 00 73

www.rotronic-humidity.com

Einsteinstrasse 17 – 23D-76275 Ettlingen

Phone +49-7243-383 250Fax +49-7243-383 260

www.rotronic.de

56, Bld. de CourcerinF-77183 Croissy Beaubourg

Phone +33-1-60 95 07 10Fax +33-1-60 17 12 56

www.rotronic-humiditiy.com

Vector Point, Newton RoadCrawley, West Sussex RH10 2TU

Phone +44-1293-57 10 00Fax +44-1293-57 10 08www.rotronic.co.uk

160, East Main StreetHuntington N.Y. 11743

Phone +1–631–427 38 98Fax +1–631–427 39 02www.rotronic-usa.com

Simply fill in and fax to:

Fax +41- 1- 837 00 73

Win aHygroPalm with 4 mm

❏ Please send me

the new Focus-Catalogue:

Delivery address see above.

On page 4 and 5 we focus on ourbrand new portable humidity

instrument, the HygroPalm.

To mark this occasion, we are run-ning a competition to find the oldestsurviving GT series instrument.

If you are still using one of our origi-nal products, please fax to +41 1 83700 73 your name, address, telephonenumber and the instrument's serialnumber and history.

The user of the oldest instrument willwin a brand new HygroPalm hand-held unit including docking stationand software! See the back page ofthis Humidity News for the competi-tion entry form.

Competition

– 3 –

HOW OLD IS YOUR ROTRONIC HANDHELD?

Overview

Preface 2

News, competition winners,

„Meteorex” Beijing 3

Focus on HygroPalm 4/5

RoboLog 6

New 4mm Probe 7

„Millennium seed bank” 8

Dome of Cologne 9

Museum Quarter Vienna 10/11

Distributor list, competition 12

Welcome to the3rd issue of

our Humidity News!In our last issue, weintroduced our newdigital range of pro-ducts, the Hygro-

Palm, HygroLab and HygroFlex. TheROTRONIC Sales and Marketingteam have been travelling the worldintroducing the new products at exhibitions and conferences, and weare pleased to say that the responsefrom both old and new customers hasbeen really positive, and demand isalready way ahead of our expectations!In this and future issues of HumidityNews, we plan to focus on some of

the excellent innovations our R&Dand Marketing team has integratedinto the new products. We start withthe HygroPalm on page 4, wheresome of the most interesting featuresare described.

We also continue to present many of the diverse applications whereROTRONIC products are used. TheROTRONIC Sales team has alwaysbeen focused on providing solutionsto our customers, rather than justselling products. If you would likeyour own application to be featuredin Humidity News, please let us know or contact your local distributor.We are particularly interested in

applications where energy efficiencyor product quality benefits are gained.

Humidity News cannot go by withoutat least one new product announce-ment! On page 7 we introduce yetanother unique instrument; our newHygroClip based 4mm diameter cableprobe, developed for applications in the building materials, electronictesting and conservation markets.

Thank you for your continued interestin our company and products.

Susanne SchroffVice President

Preface

– 2 –

PREFACE

METEOREX BEIJINGROTRONIC have recently launcheda new 'Focus' catalogue contai-

ning the latest and best sellinginstrument range.

An 'e-shop' where you can buy thisproduct selection on-line will beavailable from October 2001.

ROTRONIC recently attended the In-ternational weather monitoring con-ference and exhibition, METEOREX,held in Beijing. Many of the worldsleading Meteorological experts werepresent, sharing ideas and knowled-ge, as well as viewing the latestproducts for the measurement of

atmospheric data such humidity,temperature, pressure, wind speed,radiation, pollution and precipitation.

Our marketing team were able to discuss many aspects and problemsassociated specifically with the mea-surement of humidity and tempera-

ture. All the feedback we receivedfrom around the world will be consi-dered during the development of ourmeteorological product range.

The next METEOREX will be held inBratislava and we look forward toparticipating again.

The winner of the first Humidity

Contest is Walter Schulz, Knoll

AG Ludwigshafen, Germany

Further winners are:

• Siegfried Schmid, Vaisala GmbH, Stuttgart, G

• Andrew C. Hurley, Clive Hurley EnvironmentalEng, Blackburn, UK

• Liam Gallagher, DairygoldFoods, Mitchelstown, IR

• Dave Gordon, Agilent Technolo-gies Ltd, Workingham, UK

• Herr Sokollek, SeitenbacherGmbH & Co, Buchen, G

• Herr Sägesser, Ceeresola Tunnelbautentechnik AG, Magden, CH

Congratulations

to all the winners!

WINNER OF THE90 CM ROLINA(HUMIDITY NEWS 1)

Exhibition Schedule,

Meet ROTRONIC at:

MessComp04. – 06.09.2001

Wiesbaden, Germany

Ineltec04. – 07.09.2001

Basel, Switzerland

ISA10. – 13.09.2001

Houston, Texas, USA

Interkama24. – 28.09.2001

Düsseldorf, Germany

LOOK OUT, THERE’S A NEW CATALOGUE ABOUT

On page 4 and 5 we focus on ourbrand new portable humidity

instrument, the HygroPalm.

To mark this occasion, we are run-ning a competition to find the oldestsurviving GT series instrument.

If you are still using one of our origi-nal products, please fax to +41 1 83700 73 your name, address, telephonenumber and the instrument's serialnumber and history.

The user of the oldest instrument willwin a brand new HygroPalm hand-held unit including docking stationand software! See the back page ofthis Humidity News for the competi-tion entry form.

Competition

– 3 –

HOW OLD IS YOUR ROTRONIC HANDHELD?

Overview

Preface 2

News, competition winners,

„Meteorex” Beijing 3

Focus on HygroPalm 4/5

RoboLog 6

New 4mm Probe 7

„Millennium seed bank” 8

Dome of Cologne 9

Museum Quarter Vienna 10/11

Distributor list, competition 12

Welcome to the3rd issue of

our Humidity News!In our last issue, weintroduced our newdigital range of pro-ducts, the Hygro-

Palm, HygroLab and HygroFlex. TheROTRONIC Sales and Marketingteam have been travelling the worldintroducing the new products at exhibitions and conferences, and weare pleased to say that the responsefrom both old and new customers hasbeen really positive, and demand isalready way ahead of our expectations!In this and future issues of HumidityNews, we plan to focus on some of

the excellent innovations our R&Dand Marketing team has integratedinto the new products. We start withthe HygroPalm on page 4, wheresome of the most interesting featuresare described.

We also continue to present many of the diverse applications whereROTRONIC products are used. TheROTRONIC Sales team has alwaysbeen focused on providing solutionsto our customers, rather than justselling products. If you would likeyour own application to be featuredin Humidity News, please let us know or contact your local distributor.We are particularly interested in

applications where energy efficiencyor product quality benefits are gained.

Humidity News cannot go by withoutat least one new product announce-ment! On page 7 we introduce yetanother unique instrument; our newHygroClip based 4mm diameter cableprobe, developed for applications in the building materials, electronictesting and conservation markets.

Thank you for your continued interestin our company and products.

Susanne SchroffVice President

Preface

– 2 –

PREFACE

METEOREX BEIJINGROTRONIC have recently launcheda new 'Focus' catalogue contai-

ning the latest and best sellinginstrument range.

An 'e-shop' where you can buy thisproduct selection on-line will beavailable from October 2001.

ROTRONIC recently attended the In-ternational weather monitoring con-ference and exhibition, METEOREX,held in Beijing. Many of the worldsleading Meteorological experts werepresent, sharing ideas and knowled-ge, as well as viewing the latestproducts for the measurement of

atmospheric data such humidity,temperature, pressure, wind speed,radiation, pollution and precipitation.

Our marketing team were able to discuss many aspects and problemsassociated specifically with the mea-surement of humidity and tempera-

ture. All the feedback we receivedfrom around the world will be consi-dered during the development of ourmeteorological product range.

The next METEOREX will be held inBratislava and we look forward toparticipating again.

The winner of the first Humidity

Contest is Walter Schulz, Knoll

AG Ludwigshafen, Germany

Further winners are:

• Siegfried Schmid, Vaisala GmbH, Stuttgart, G

• Andrew C. Hurley, Clive Hurley EnvironmentalEng, Blackburn, UK

• Liam Gallagher, DairygoldFoods, Mitchelstown, IR

• Dave Gordon, Agilent Technolo-gies Ltd, Workingham, UK

• Herr Sokollek, SeitenbacherGmbH & Co, Buchen, G

• Herr Sägesser, Ceeresola Tunnelbautentechnik AG, Magden, CH

Congratulations

to all the winners!

WINNER OF THE90 CM ROLINA(HUMIDITY NEWS 1)

Exhibition Schedule,

Meet ROTRONIC at:

MessComp04. – 06.09.2001

Wiesbaden, Germany

Ineltec04. – 07.09.2001

Basel, Switzerland

ISA10. – 13.09.2001

Houston, Texas, USA

Interkama24. – 28.09.2001

Düsseldorf, Germany

LOOK OUT, THERE’S A NEW CATALOGUE ABOUT

HygroPalm

– 5 –

HygroPalm – The Ultimate Portable

Humidity Instrument?

Evolution:

HygroPalm is our new portable hu-midity instrument. It is the latest in ageneration of products which has ledthe market for over 20 years thanksto high accuracy, excellent long termstability and a wide range of probeoptions. Many of our readers willrecognize our first handheld – the GTseries, launched in 1980, and still inwidespread use today.

HygroPalm is based exclusively ondigital technology. Measurementsare performed with a range ofHygroClip probes with different con-figurations to suit a wide variety ofapplications. Thanks to the digitaltechnology, the probes can be inter-changed by the user with no loss ofaccuracy.

Instrumentation based on digitaltechnology offers many features andbenefits. Digital sensor characterisa-tion and linearisation means impro-ved precision; digital communicationof measured values means no signal

loss; and calibration using softwareinstead of potentiometers meansless adjustment errors.

Some of the more unique features ofthe HygroPalm are worthy of furtherdescription, so we have selectedthree which we feel will provide areal practical benefit to our customers.

Docking Station:

PalmDock is a docking station exclusi-vely designed for use with the Hygro-Palm. It has two main practical func-tions; to hold the HygroPalmwhile recharging batteries andto connect the HygroPalm toyour PC using an RS232 cable.

We all know how frustrating itcan be to try to use any batterypowered product, only to findthe battery is dead! Palm-Dock makes sure that the Hy-groPalm's rechargeable bat-tery is fully charged, and theinstrument is ready to use.Also imagine how many bat-teries areused

throughout the world to power porta-ble instruments; using rechargeablebatteries is not only more cost effec-tive, but also helps to save the envi-ronment.

When fitted into the PalmDock, theHygroPalm is also connected directlyto your PC. With the user friendly HW3software, the user can pre-configurethe instrument for use with simplemenu selections. User options includedifferent measurement units, calcula-ted parameters (dewpoint, wet-bulbetc), and calibration functions.

HygroPalm

Calibration:

Digital measurement probes = digitalcalibration = no screwdrivers! Hygro-Palm includes several calibrationfeatures to suit all types of users:

One point HygroClip adjustment:

If the HygroClip measurement probeis exposed to a stable reference hu-midity environment, it is possible tosingle point adjust (offset) using thekeypad of the HygroPalm.

Multipoint HygroClip adjustment:

The sequential adjustment of humi-dity probes at 2 or 4 points is periodi-cally required to maintain maximumprecision. With the HygroPalm key-pad this process can be controlledand any adjustment be made.

Transmitter Maintenance

and Calibration:

HygroPalm can be used to displaymeasured values and make calibrationadjustments to compatible humiditytransmitters (HygroFlex). Engineerscan check output signals and, if ne-cessary, adjust at single or multiplepoints without the need to open thetransmitter housing (external connec-tion).

The calibration facilities available onthe HygroPalm depend on the versi-on. Please request a datasheet.Further information is available atwww.rotronic-humidity.com.

Third Party Probe Input and Pressure

Compensation:

HygroPalm has the option of a thirdmeasurement input channel whichcan be programmed to accept anymeasurement input such as tempera-ture, pressure, air velocity, light levelor ph, provided the probe has an out-put signal within 0...2.5 VDC.

One practical use of this feature isthe ability to accept a pressure-signal,which can be used to compensatepressure-dependent calculated valuessuch as wet-bulb temperature. Mixingratio or enthalpy.

Other customers have found theinput useful for the measurement ofair velocity, which is often requiredalong with humidity and temperaturewhen air conditioning systems areinstalled.

FOCUS ON HYGROPALM

– 4 –

HygroPalm

– 5 –

HygroPalm – The Ultimate Portable

Humidity Instrument?

Evolution:

HygroPalm is our new portable hu-midity instrument. It is the latest in ageneration of products which has ledthe market for over 20 years thanksto high accuracy, excellent long termstability and a wide range of probeoptions. Many of our readers willrecognize our first handheld – the GTseries, launched in 1980, and still inwidespread use today.

HygroPalm is based exclusively ondigital technology. Measurementsare performed with a range ofHygroClip probes with different con-figurations to suit a wide variety ofapplications. Thanks to the digitaltechnology, the probes can be inter-changed by the user with no loss ofaccuracy.

Instrumentation based on digitaltechnology offers many features andbenefits. Digital sensor characterisa-tion and linearisation means impro-ved precision; digital communicationof measured values means no signal

loss; and calibration using softwareinstead of potentiometers meansless adjustment errors.

Some of the more unique features ofthe HygroPalm are worthy of furtherdescription, so we have selectedthree which we feel will provide areal practical benefit to our customers.

Docking Station:

PalmDock is a docking station exclusi-vely designed for use with the Hygro-Palm. It has two main practical func-tions; to hold the HygroPalmwhile recharging batteries andto connect the HygroPalm toyour PC using an RS232 cable.

We all know how frustrating itcan be to try to use any batterypowered product, only to findthe battery is dead! Palm-Dock makes sure that the Hy-groPalm's rechargeable bat-tery is fully charged, and theinstrument is ready to use.Also imagine how many bat-teries areused

throughout the world to power porta-ble instruments; using rechargeablebatteries is not only more cost effec-tive, but also helps to save the envi-ronment.

When fitted into the PalmDock, theHygroPalm is also connected directlyto your PC. With the user friendly HW3software, the user can pre-configurethe instrument for use with simplemenu selections. User options includedifferent measurement units, calcula-ted parameters (dewpoint, wet-bulbetc), and calibration functions.

HygroPalm

Calibration:

Digital measurement probes = digitalcalibration = no screwdrivers! Hygro-Palm includes several calibrationfeatures to suit all types of users:

One point HygroClip adjustment:

If the HygroClip measurement probeis exposed to a stable reference hu-midity environment, it is possible tosingle point adjust (offset) using thekeypad of the HygroPalm.

Multipoint HygroClip adjustment:

The sequential adjustment of humi-dity probes at 2 or 4 points is periodi-cally required to maintain maximumprecision. With the HygroPalm key-pad this process can be controlledand any adjustment be made.

Transmitter Maintenance

and Calibration:

HygroPalm can be used to displaymeasured values and make calibrationadjustments to compatible humiditytransmitters (HygroFlex). Engineerscan check output signals and, if ne-cessary, adjust at single or multiplepoints without the need to open thetransmitter housing (external connec-tion).

The calibration facilities available onthe HygroPalm depend on the versi-on. Please request a datasheet.Further information is available atwww.rotronic-humidity.com.

Third Party Probe Input and Pressure

Compensation:

HygroPalm has the option of a thirdmeasurement input channel whichcan be programmed to accept anymeasurement input such as tempera-ture, pressure, air velocity, light levelor ph, provided the probe has an out-put signal within 0...2.5 VDC.

One practical use of this feature isthe ability to accept a pressure-signal,which can be used to compensatepressure-dependent calculated valuessuch as wet-bulb temperature. Mixingratio or enthalpy.

Other customers have found theinput useful for the measurement ofair velocity, which is often requiredalong with humidity and temperaturewhen air conditioning systems areinstalled.

FOCUS ON HYGROPALM

– 4 –

Worldwide

– 6 –

Back in 1995,ROTRONIC in-

troduced the 5mmdiameter 'Mini' pro-be for measure-ment of humidityand temperature. Itwas originally desi-

gned for the measurement of theERH (Equilibrium Relative Humidity)of artefacts in conservation applicati-ons such as statues and carvings.Naturally, these ancient works needto be carefully preserved, so havingto drill the smallest hole possible toenable measurement of materialmoisture levels was quite important!

Another important application of themini probe was the measurement ofERH in concrete. It is a well esta-blished procedure to checkconcrete ERH before floor

or wall coverings are applied, to ma-ke sure that they fix properly. Onemethod to measure concrete ERH isto drill a hole and insert a %rh probe,in order to create the minimum damage and save costs of drill bits,the smaller the hole the better!

Now ROTRONIC have taken anotherstep forward in the miniaturisation ofthe Mini probe by introducing a newversion which is 20% smaller, its nowonly 4mm diameter. The HygroClipSCO4 is available with a 2 metercable between the tiny sensor headand the electronics, so even morespaces which are difficult toaccess

can now be reached. Hence the MiniProbe can be used in a wider rangeof applications, such as relativehumidity and temperature in smallcontainers, packaging tests, miniducts or climate chambers.

THE NEW MINI PROBEWITH 4 MM DIAMETERFor safe and effi-

cient climate con-trol, maintenance ofair-distribution duc-ting is essential.Dirty ducts not onlyreduce efficiency,but can also be a

potential health hazard. Finnish com-pany Oy Lifa Air Ltd has found an excellent way to investigate the condi-tion of ducts using remote controlledvideo equipment, ROTRONIC Hygro-Log data-loggers and a miniaturetruck.

Inspection of ducting is carried outusing a high-resolutioncolour videocamera mo-unted ontoa miniature 'truck',remote-controlledby two joysticks. Thisidentifies areas of dirtbuild up and contamination, aswell as deterioration of fire dam-pers, blocked airflow valves etc.

The ROTRONIC HygroLog is a selfcontained modular datalogger whichuses the interchangeable HygroCliphumidity and temperature module. Itcan store up to 10 000 measurementvalues over time periods between 20hours and 416 days. On the shortesttime period, HygroLog measures%rh and °C every 15 seconds andwhen the data is transferred to thePC using the ROTRONIC HW3 soft-ware, the humidity measurement canbe converted into dewpoint temperature.

When the Lifa remote control truck is fitted with the Hygro-

Log datalogger, itis sent through the

ducting to find areaswhere it is likely

to find con-densation or

other kinds ofmoisture risk.

Moisture in ductingencourages microbi-al activity, typicallyseen as mould gro-wth on duct surfa-ces. This not only affects air flow, butalso creates areaswhere bacteria can reproduce. These areasof contamination act asbreeding grounds for the-se undesirable contaminantswhich carry health risks, and ulti-mately produce a deterioration ofIndoor Air Quality (IAQ).

The HW3 software provides easy-to-use tools for trans-

ferring measurement datafrom the memory of the

HygroLog, and for dis-playing the data in a

user friendly way - in-cluding a tool where a

photograph can be used asbackground. The perfect way for

Lifa to demonstrate the unique abili-ties of their innovative equipment!

Special Feature

Vittorio VitaleOwner

Fattore Vitale & Co.

before

ROBO LOG

– 7 –

Leonhard LöwHead of Production

ROTRONIC AG

Worldwide

– 6 –

Back in 1995,ROTRONIC in-

troduced the 5mmdiameter 'Mini' pro-be for measure-ment of humidityand temperature. Itwas originally desi-

gned for the measurement of theERH (Equilibrium Relative Humidity)of artefacts in conservation applicati-ons such as statues and carvings.Naturally, these ancient works needto be carefully preserved, so havingto drill the smallest hole possible toenable measurement of materialmoisture levels was quite important!

Another important application of themini probe was the measurement ofERH in concrete. It is a well esta-blished procedure to checkconcrete ERH before floor

or wall coverings are applied, to ma-ke sure that they fix properly. Onemethod to measure concrete ERH isto drill a hole and insert a %rh probe,in order to create the minimum damage and save costs of drill bits,the smaller the hole the better!

Now ROTRONIC have taken anotherstep forward in the miniaturisation ofthe Mini probe by introducing a newversion which is 20% smaller, its nowonly 4mm diameter. The HygroClipSCO4 is available with a 2 metercable between the tiny sensor headand the electronics, so even morespaces which are difficult toaccess

can now be reached. Hence the MiniProbe can be used in a wider rangeof applications, such as relativehumidity and temperature in smallcontainers, packaging tests, miniducts or climate chambers.

THE NEW MINI PROBEWITH 4 MM DIAMETERFor safe and effi-

cient climate con-trol, maintenance ofair-distribution duc-ting is essential.Dirty ducts not onlyreduce efficiency,but can also be a

potential health hazard. Finnish com-pany Oy Lifa Air Ltd has found an excellent way to investigate the condi-tion of ducts using remote controlledvideo equipment, ROTRONIC Hygro-Log data-loggers and a miniaturetruck.

Inspection of ducting is carried outusing a high-resolutioncolour videocamera mo-unted ontoa miniature 'truck',remote-controlledby two joysticks. Thisidentifies areas of dirtbuild up and contamination, aswell as deterioration of fire dam-pers, blocked airflow valves etc.

The ROTRONIC HygroLog is a selfcontained modular datalogger whichuses the interchangeable HygroCliphumidity and temperature module. Itcan store up to 10 000 measurementvalues over time periods between 20hours and 416 days. On the shortesttime period, HygroLog measures%rh and °C every 15 seconds andwhen the data is transferred to thePC using the ROTRONIC HW3 soft-ware, the humidity measurement canbe converted into dewpoint temperature.

When the Lifa remote control truck is fitted with the Hygro-

Log datalogger, itis sent through the

ducting to find areaswhere it is likely

to find con-densation or

other kinds ofmoisture risk.

Moisture in ductingencourages microbi-al activity, typicallyseen as mould gro-wth on duct surfa-ces. This not only affects air flow, butalso creates areaswhere bacteria can reproduce. These areasof contamination act asbreeding grounds for the-se undesirable contaminantswhich carry health risks, and ulti-mately produce a deterioration ofIndoor Air Quality (IAQ).

The HW3 software provides easy-to-use tools for trans-

ferring measurement datafrom the memory of the

HygroLog, and for dis-playing the data in a

user friendly way - in-cluding a tool where a

photograph can be used asbackground. The perfect way for

Lifa to demonstrate the unique abili-ties of their innovative equipment!

Special Feature

Vittorio VitaleOwner

Fattore Vitale & Co.

before

ROBO LOG

– 7 –

Leonhard LöwHead of Production

ROTRONIC AG

The Royal Bota-nic Gardens are

using a range ofROTRONIC Instru-ments to monitorthe free or availa-ble moisture (wateractivity) of seeds

stored at the Millennium Seed Bank,Wakehurst Place in the South of Eng-land.

Sponsored by the Millennium Com-mission, Orange PLC and the Wellcometrust, the Millennium Seed Bank is animportant conservation and researchfacility storing live seeds in suspen-ded animation for possibly thou-sands of years, acting as a safe depo-sitory for theworldswild plantspecies.Due to the everincreasingspread ofhumanity, the focus is being directedtowards those wild plants most inneed of conservation, mainly in

tropical dry lands. The seed bank hopes to preserve around 25,000plant species by the year 2010.

Scientific information obtained fromthe many rare seeds will be registeredon a comprehensive data base, whichwill be made available to universi-ties, agricultural bodies and organi-sations in the developing world, thuspublishing the contents of the seedbank.

For this ambitious project to be suc-cessful the seeds have to remainviable; they are required to germinateafter the significant periods of storage

involved. Seeds are collected incollaboration with Kew's over-

seas partners. The seedsare rapidly shipped back

to the Seed Bank, whe-re they are separatedfrom their seed casing

and dried to 15% Equili-brium Relative Humidity

(ERH). They are then frozen and pla-ced in air tight containers for storageat -20°C.

Because of the very low temperatureand moisture contents the seeds abi-lity to germinate is suspended. Toensure that the seeds remain in thisstate, the artificial environment ismonitored very carefully, and a sam-ple of each seed is taken periodicallyand tested for germination, confir-ming they are still alive. By caring forthe seeds in this way, their life span is increased dramatically, they are

expected to survivefor hundreds and

some timesthousands of

years!

ROTRONICInstruments provide

an exact measure ofthe Equilibrium Relative Humidity of the seeds before and during stora-ge, they have a high accuracy of +/-1.5%rh, +/-0.3°C at 23°C. They arespecially designed to be fast andeasy to use, and with a very low driftspecification all ROTRONIC Instru-ments remain accurate over longperiods of time.

Keith Manger, the Laboratory Mana-ger for Kew's Seed ConservationDepartment said, „The seed bank rou-tinely use a range of ROTRONIC Instruments for research and generalseed sample measurement. We haveworked closely with ROTRONIC todevelop our measurement technique”.

Products used include the AWVCmeasurement head with BT-RS andthe new HygroLab display unit.

After six years ofplanning and

construction, a new"treasure chamber"exhibition in Colo-gne cathedral sacri-sty opened in au-tumn 2000. The ex-

hibition area now extends ontothree levels and stretches over 500square metres. Just enteringthis unique historical area witha view of the original Romantown wall is well worth avisit.

The treasures belon-ging to the church inclu-de shrines, relics, and manytypes of accessories used in holy ser-vice such as chalices, monstrances,crosses, censers, bowls for chrismand many more. Examples of thecrosier, chest crosses, and other insi-gnia of the archbishop of Cologne, aswell as chasubles, are also includedin the cathedral's treasures. Disco-veries from the Franconian gravesand examples of the cathedral's highquality sculptures from the middle

ages are shown for the first time inthe new exhibition.

The concept of the exhibition was de-veloped by the directors of the cathe-

dral's building archivesDr. Rolf Lauer and

Dr. Leonie Becks incooperation with the

exhibitions organiserIngrid Bussenius.

In order for the valuable dis-plays to be sufficiently protec-

ted, the Kieler company „Glas +Spiegel Schulz” has been entrustedwith the design and manufacture ofhigh quality and technically complexdisplay cases. For humidity and tem-perature measurement, the Hygro-Clip from ROTRONIC was selected.Its compact construction, interchan-geable service concept, modulardesign, combined with high accuracyand excellent long-term stabilitymade it the natural choice. The reli-gious and historical importance ofthe treasures meant that only highquality products are specified for usein the exhibition.

The objects are superbly presentedthrough non-reflective glass and the display cases feature customlighting by specialist designer DanielZerlang-Roesch. The costs for theconstructing of the treasure chamberamounted to around 15 millionGerman Marks, not including thecosts for building renovations.

Title-Story

– 9 –

Worldwide

– 8 –

MEASURING WATER ACTIVITYAT THE „MILLENIUM SEED BANK”

THE NEW TREASURE CHAMPER IN COLOGNE’S CATHEDRAL

Chris BirchSales Engineer

ROTRONIC instruments

Roland ScheurichSales Manager

ROTRONIC Messgeräte

The Royal Bota-nic Gardens are

using a range ofROTRONIC Instru-ments to monitorthe free or availa-ble moisture (wateractivity) of seeds

stored at the Millennium Seed Bank,Wakehurst Place in the South of Eng-land.

Sponsored by the Millennium Com-mission, Orange PLC and the Wellcometrust, the Millennium Seed Bank is animportant conservation and researchfacility storing live seeds in suspen-ded animation for possibly thou-sands of years, acting as a safe depo-sitory for theworldswild plantspecies.Due to the everincreasingspread ofhumanity, the focus is being directedtowards those wild plants most inneed of conservation, mainly in

tropical dry lands. The seed bank hopes to preserve around 25,000plant species by the year 2010.

Scientific information obtained fromthe many rare seeds will be registeredon a comprehensive data base, whichwill be made available to universi-ties, agricultural bodies and organi-sations in the developing world, thuspublishing the contents of the seedbank.

For this ambitious project to be suc-cessful the seeds have to remainviable; they are required to germinateafter the significant periods of storage

involved. Seeds are collected incollaboration with Kew's over-

seas partners. The seedsare rapidly shipped back

to the Seed Bank, whe-re they are separatedfrom their seed casing

and dried to 15% Equili-brium Relative Humidity

(ERH). They are then frozen and pla-ced in air tight containers for storageat -20°C.

Because of the very low temperatureand moisture contents the seeds abi-lity to germinate is suspended. Toensure that the seeds remain in thisstate, the artificial environment ismonitored very carefully, and a sam-ple of each seed is taken periodicallyand tested for germination, confir-ming they are still alive. By caring forthe seeds in this way, their life span is increased dramatically, they are

expected to survivefor hundreds and

some timesthousands of

years!

ROTRONICInstruments provide

an exact measure ofthe Equilibrium Relative Humidity of the seeds before and during stora-ge, they have a high accuracy of +/-1.5%rh, +/-0.3°C at 23°C. They arespecially designed to be fast andeasy to use, and with a very low driftspecification all ROTRONIC Instru-ments remain accurate over longperiods of time.

Keith Manger, the Laboratory Mana-ger for Kew's Seed ConservationDepartment said, „The seed bank rou-tinely use a range of ROTRONIC Instruments for research and generalseed sample measurement. We haveworked closely with ROTRONIC todevelop our measurement technique”.

Products used include the AWVCmeasurement head with BT-RS andthe new HygroLab display unit.

After six years ofplanning and

construction, a new"treasure chamber"exhibition in Colo-gne cathedral sacri-sty opened in au-tumn 2000. The ex-

hibition area now extends ontothree levels and stretches over 500square metres. Just enteringthis unique historical area witha view of the original Romantown wall is well worth avisit.

The treasures belon-ging to the church inclu-de shrines, relics, and manytypes of accessories used in holy ser-vice such as chalices, monstrances,crosses, censers, bowls for chrismand many more. Examples of thecrosier, chest crosses, and other insi-gnia of the archbishop of Cologne, aswell as chasubles, are also includedin the cathedral's treasures. Disco-veries from the Franconian gravesand examples of the cathedral's highquality sculptures from the middle

ages are shown for the first time inthe new exhibition.

The concept of the exhibition was de-veloped by the directors of the cathe-

dral's building archivesDr. Rolf Lauer and

Dr. Leonie Becks incooperation with the

exhibitions organiserIngrid Bussenius.

In order for the valuable dis-plays to be sufficiently protec-

ted, the Kieler company „Glas +Spiegel Schulz” has been entrustedwith the design and manufacture ofhigh quality and technically complexdisplay cases. For humidity and tem-perature measurement, the Hygro-Clip from ROTRONIC was selected.Its compact construction, interchan-geable service concept, modulardesign, combined with high accuracyand excellent long-term stabilitymade it the natural choice. The reli-gious and historical importance ofthe treasures meant that only highquality products are specified for usein the exhibition.

The objects are superbly presentedthrough non-reflective glass and the display cases feature customlighting by specialist designer DanielZerlang-Roesch. The costs for theconstructing of the treasure chamberamounted to around 15 millionGerman Marks, not including thecosts for building renovations.

Title-Story

– 9 –

Worldwide

– 8 –

MEASURING WATER ACTIVITYAT THE „MILLENIUM SEED BANK”

THE NEW TREASURE CHAMPER IN COLOGNE’S CATHEDRAL

Chris BirchSales Engineer

ROTRONIC instruments

Roland ScheurichSales Manager

ROTRONIC Messgeräte

WorldwideWorldwide

– 10 –

25 years from con-

cept to reality

The outline of thefantastic new

Museum Quarter inVienna is beco-ming more and

more visible. As this ambitiousproject nears completion, it isworth considering its 25 yearhistory and examining someof the complex and inno-vative features included.

The origins of the Mu-seum Quarter was atthe Imperial courtstables. From 1921, thearea began to be used forexhibitions of art and culture, andbecame known as 'Messepalast' (fairpalace). In 1977 the idea to open a'Museum palace' began with theobjective to expand the capacity ofthe federal museums and create an'island of art' including the Museum

of Historical Art and Museum of Na-tural History.

In November 1986 competitive entriesfrom architects were invited, and theconcept of the Museum Quarter wastruly born. In 1999 an International

jury awarded the project to theengineering firm Ortner &

Ortner. After long nego-tiations and admini-

strative preparation,the construction work

began on the 60.000 m2

area (culture utilization:53.000 m2). Completion is

fast approaching: This yearthe Museum Quarter should

begin to fulfil its longstandingdestiny as a centre for art and

cultural events. It will now be possi-ble to present a historical represen-tation of the development of modernart, with of course a focus on Austriancontributions. This cultural centre willalso create the perfect forum formany categories of contemporary

art, from graphic art to film and archi-tecture to modern theatre.

What the Museum Quarter

will include:

Architecture Centre Vienna: As museum of the modern age, itsaim is to preserve, represent and toresearch, but on the other hand toshow new developments in architec-ture too.

Art Cultural Centre - Tobacco Museum: This is the planned cultural platformfor Austrian Tabak AG (Austrian Tobacco Company). Examples of 4centuries of tobacco culture arecollected here. By the way, in the Tobacco Museum a ROTRONIC GTLHygroscope has been in use for tenyears.

Hall E + G: Both halls will be main scene for theVienna festival weeks as well as

ROTRONICTRANSMITTER FOR THEMUSEUM QUARTER OF VIENNA

performing locations for other im-portant productions and festivals likethe Viennale and the Internationaldancing weeks.

Art Hall Vienna (Kunsthalle):A gallery dedicated to the contem-porary arts. The former winter ridinghall was complemented by a func-tional new building; historical con-struction engineering meets withmodern architecture!

Leopold Museum: In a new building, the unique collec-tion from Professor Rudolf Leopold,among them the world-famousSchiele-exhibits, will be opened tothe public.

Museum Of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation Vienna:Until now this collection of interna-tional art dating from 1900 till to thepresent day was split between twobuildings – the 20 house and thePalais Liechtenstein. From 2001 every-thing will be located under one roof.

Children's quarter:Dance, Theatre, Opera and Musicalswell suited to children will help futuregenerations appreciate to art and culture.

The various institutions of the Muse-um Quarter will act autonomously indeciding the displays and eventsthey run, but when it comes to buil-ding management issues, they willall work together.

Diagonally through the MuseumQuarter runs an 8m deep, 170 m longtunnel which serves as the main supply line for the whole area. All essential utilities such as heating,cooling, communication and electri-city run through this subterranean'backbone'.

The new buildings with their pre-cious contents are a big challenge inview to infrastructure. The exhibitiongalleries must for example guaranteea temperature of 23°C and a humidi-ty of 55% RH with minimal deviationsto preserve priceless antiquities andart. Fluctuating visitor numbers andcountless external influences, such

as heat produced by numerous spot-lights means this is not exactly an easy task. Here the Museum Quartertrusts in the quality of ROTRONIC.

Exposed ventilation ducting in mu-seums such as the Pompidou Centrein Paris, is a thing of the past.

Today, technology should be as invi-sible as possible to make sure artand antiquities are presented in thebest way. In the Viennese Museumquarter, the prevailing room climateis maintained with cooled ceilings,which counteract the heat generatedby existing lighting and occupancy.The cooling power required is about2000 kW which is generated by threehuge cooling plants in the fourthbasement of the Museum of ModernArt. The maximum ventilation require-ment will amount to over 600 000 m3/h.

There are three con-trol centers; one for each buildingcomplex: Leopold museum, Art-Hall,Museum of Modern Art. The projectfor the whole climate-control en-gineering was awarded to HoneywellAustria GmbH, and is managed by an experienced team from the Linzbranch office in upper Austria. Formany years Honeywell has usedROTRONIC transmitters for all de-

manding projects, and for theVienna Museum Quarter F/H-

Series transmitters incorpora-ting the HygroClip were speci-

fied. A total of 80 wall and ductmount FH Series instruments are

used for the measurement of %rhand °C, as well as, 4 DPT series

units to measure absolute humidity,and 11 F Series wall mount units mo-nitor %rh and °C in public areas. Themajority of the FH transmitters aremounted in the ceiling void wherethe extract air from the exhibitionhalls flows to the ventilation ducting.Regular transmitter maintenance andcalibration is therefore difficult, sothe excellent long term stability ofthe ROTRONIC products, and theconvenience of the HygroClip con-cept, is a significant advantage. Onceper year, a new, or recalibrated Hygro-Clip measurement module is fitted.For anybody interested in art and cul-ture, the Museum Quarter of Viennawill be one of the most important sites in Europe.

Hr. Krieg, Hr. Ing. Durstberger, Hr. HofstadlerHoneywell Austria GmbH, Linz Subsidiary

– 11 –

Ernst AringerAppartement ManagerMEPA Kühnel GmbH