TriOS NICO UV Nitrate Sensor
Features
- Internal compensation for temperature, turbidity, and organic substances
- RS-485 Modbus RTU output for integration with data collection platforms
- Optional W55 V2 wiper cleans optics & reduces maintenance intervals
- Expedited repair and warranty service
- Lifetime technical support
- More
Overview
The TriOS NICO is a low-cost UV photometer for online measurement of nitrate in lakes/rivers, drinking water, and wastewater applications. The four detection channels enable a precise optical determination of nitrate by absorption, taking into account turbidity and organic substances that pose a problem for many products currently on the market. An internal temperature correction additionally increases stability of the measured values.
Easy Configuration
The TriOS NICO is compatible with the G2 interface box, allowing fast and easy configuration of the sensors using a web browser. The sensor can be easily integrated into existing process control systems and external data loggers using the native RS-485 Modbus RTU output, and the optional W55 V2 wiper reduces maintenance intervals by cleaning the optics before each measurement.
Light Source
|
Xenon flash lamp
|
|
Detector
|
4 photo diodes + filter
|
|
Measurement principle
|
Attenuation
|
|
Optical path
|
0.3mm, 1mm, 2mm, 5mm, 10mm, 20mm, 50mm
|
|
|
||
Parameter
|
NO3-N, NO3, NOx-N, NOx (calibrated with NO3 standard solution)
|
|
Measurement range at 1mm path
|
0.5...60 mg/L NO3-N
|
|
Measurement range at 10mm path
|
0.05...6 mg/L NO3-N
|
|
Measurement accuracy
|
± (5% + 0.1 mg/L NO3-N) with 10mm path
± (5% + 1 mg/L NO3-N) with 1mm path
|
|
Turbidity compensation
|
Yes
|
|
Data logger
|
~2 GB
|
|
T100 response time
|
20 s
|
|
Measurement interval
|
≥ 10 s
|
|
|
||
Housing material
|
Stainless steel (1.4571/1.4404) or titanium (3.7035)
|
|
Dimensions (L x Ø)
|
~ 470 mm x 48 mm (10mm path)
|
~ 18.5“ x 1.9“ (with 10mm path)
|
Weight stainless steel
|
~ 3 kg
|
~ 6.6 lbs
|
Weight titanium
|
~ 2 kg
|
~ 4.4 lbs
|
|
||
Interface digital
|
Ethernet (TCP/IP), RS-485 (Modbus RTU)
|
|
Power consumption
|
≤ 7 W
|
|
Power supply
|
12...24 VDC (±10%)
|
|
|
||
Maintenance effort
|
≤ 0.5 h/month (typical)
|
|
Calibration/maintenance interval
|
24 months
|
|
System compatibility
|
Modbus RTU
|
|
Warranty
|
1 year (EU: 2 years)
|
US: 2 years
|
|
||
Max. pressure with SubConn
|
30 bar
|
~ 435 psig
|
Max. pressure with fixed cable
|
3 bar
|
~ 43.5 psig
|
Max. pressure in FlowCell
|
1 bar, 2...4 L/min
|
~ 14.5 psig at 0.5 to 1.0 gpm
|
Protection type
|
IP68
|
NEMA 6P
|
|
||
Sample temperature
|
+2...+40 °C
|
~ +36 °F to +104 °F
|
Ambient temperature
|
+2...+40 °C
|
~ +36 °F to +104 °F
|
Storage temperature
|
-20...+80 °C
|
~ -4 °F to +176 °F
|
Inflow velocity
|
0,1...10 m/s
|
~ 0.33 to 33 fps
|
In The News
Data in Action: Heidelberg’s Nutrient Monitoring in Great Lakes Tributaries
In the early hours of the morning, when most people have yet to hit snooze for the first time, water sampling sites across Ohio are awake and actively collecting nutrient data. The samplers are active at noon, eight in the evening and four in the morning, but very few people would know or even think about the equipment. 
 
Included in those few is Jakob Boehler, field manager for the National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR) at Heidelberg University. For Boehler, these systems booting up every day represents valuable data points that will be used to educate the public, influence environmental policies and support future research. 
 
“There are 20 of these samplers going off across the state of Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Read MoreFrom Pans to Buoys: Advancing Reservoir Evaporation Rate Monitoring in Texas
In warmer climates like Texas, high reservoir evaporation rates can lead to declines in water level and water availability during droughts, making monitoring essential in order to ensure water security during times of scarcity. 
 
According to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), evaporation rates in Texas were previously based on data collected from a sparse network of Class A evaporation stations, dating back to the 1960s. These pans were stationed near reservoirs and still remain a widely accepted standardized approach to measuring evaporation rates on land. 
 
Monthly pan-to-lake coefficients were developed in the 1980s to connect the data collected from the pans to known lake conditions, extrapolating evaporation rates of the lakes using the pan data.
Read MoreA Drop in the Ocean: Restoring London’s Tidal Thames
The United Kingdom has grappled with wastewater management problems for decades. Although sewage treatment in the 20th century allowed many rivers, including the tidal Thames, to have healthy fish populations, combined sewer overflows into rivers–most commonly during heavy rainfall–affected water quality and occasionally even killed fish. 
 
Problems reached a head in 2012 when multiple infractions of European urban wastewater treatment laws threatened costly fines, on top of the environmental cost of repeated sewage spills into British rivers. 
 
Fast forward to 2025, and after a decade of construction work, London’s Thames Tideway Tunnel , affectionately dubbed the “super sewer”, is now fully activated and ready for testing.
Read More