| Utilities
Equipment Package |
Any effective cooling water biocide and corrosion control programme needs
effective monitoring to measure its success. This is essential in demonstrating
progress, system cleanliness and overall programme efficiency.
Many of the Utilities stations in Australia use water sources that are high in
organic loading and suspended solids, and are susceptible to fouling, corrosion,
and microbio problems. Because of these factors, there was a need to demonstrate
the effectiveness of the biocide and corrosion control programmes in place.
Another consideration for Australia, are the long distances and geographic
isolation of many of the power stations, which can greatly influence response
times, and monitoring frequency. In order to combat all these factors, an
equipment package was put together especially for the Utilities industry. This
semi-portable, weather-proof unit consists of a series of monitoring devices,
data logger and modem, all contained within a mounted SS box. Once in place the
unit only requires water (in/out), power, and a phone line to be supplied. (See
Figure 1)
Figure 1. Utilities Equipment Package
The unit can then monitor conductivity, ORP, corrosion rates, bio-fouling rate
and the interaction between electrochemistry & microbiological activity
incorporated into the design of the BiOGEORGE. All of these readings are then
stored via the data logger. The bio-fouling rate is determined via measuring the
pressure drop across a length of pipe. An increase in pressure drop corresponds
to a greater resistance, usually caused by bio-fouling.
The unit also comes with easy to use Microsoft Windows based software to allow
for easy data download and manipulation. The software is capable of displaying
graphs and trends, or the data can be exported into spreadsheet format (such as
Microsoft Excel). (See Figure 2)
The addition of the modem allows for remote access dial-up, to increase
responsiveness and minimise travel time. The reports can be printed, and the
data analysed, without the need to physically visit the plant. The sales
representative can then concentrate on value added work when on site.
Algorithms can also be used to manipulate the data into other useful forms such
as heat transfer co-efficients, fouling factors, etc. The modular nature of the
package allows for easy inclusion of additional equipment such as flow meters.
This kind of unit also allows for various personnel to have access to the same
site data to facilitate auditing and trouble shooting.
Figure 2. Sample output from Data Manipulation Software. Click image for a more
detailed view. |
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