Power station installs almost zero-maintenance boiler water monitors.

Staff at Connah’s Quay Power Station (GB) have installed the latest luminescent optical dissolved oxygen (LDO) monitoring technology to minimise operational requirements whilst protecting the plant’s high value assets. An Orbisphere K1100 sensor from HACH now monitors DO continuously in the boiler water feed, requiring almost no maintenance or calibration.

Background
Commissioned in 1996, Connah's Quay is a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station. It has four single shaft units, each with a capacity of 330MW giving Connah's Quay an overall generation capacity of 1420MW - enough to power half of Wales. Gas from Liverpool Bay is delivered straight to the site through a 27km pipeline from the Point of Ayr gas terminal. Cooling water is only abstracted and returned to the River Dee at specific times around full tide. Water for use in the plant’s turbines is supplied by Welsh Water.

Connah's Quay was originally constructed for base load generation. However, in recent years, changes in Britain's energy sector have led to a significant change in the way the plant is managed. Power generation now changes on a daily basis in response to the needs of the network. “In the morning shift it may be necessary to operate one, two, three or all four of the units, but in the afternoon a different number maybe required,” explains Plant Chemist Bill Smith. “One of the consequences of this is a requirement for instrumentation with a faster response time, higher levels of reliability and lower controllable costs.”

DO monitoring
Each of the plant’s four boilers is fed with water from an exchange water treatment plant. However, it is necessary for this water to be de-aerated along with pH control to prevent corrosion in the boilers and steam turbine. Following de-aeration continuous DO monitoring ensures that levels remain below a target of 10 ppb. Automatic alarms are generated in the control room if levels reach a limit of 20ppb.

Traditionally, online DO monitors have employed electrochemical sensors, and whilst these monitors are capable of providing accurate reliable data, they have a number of limitations in the current status due to long periods with no sample. These instruments employed membranes, anodes, cathodes, and electrolyte solutions that generally required a high degree of maintenance. These sensors actually consumed oxygen as part of the measurement process, so could not be left in stationary water. They can also suffer from drift, and as a result may have to be recalibrated more frequently. As a consequence of new operating periods and the problems associated with traditional sensors, the HACH optical DO monitoring systems have been an enormous success; becoming the technology of choice in a wide range of industries including Power, Water, Wastewater, Food and Beverage.

Conscious of the potential advantages of optical DO monitoring, Bill first tried a portable instrument from HACH; the Orbisphere 3100, which employs exactly the same luminescent dissolved oxygen measurement principle, and offers the same high resolution, stable, accurate measurements with a very low service requirement. “This enabled us to assess the performance of the technology, so that when the time came to replace one of the continuous monitors, we chose the Orbisphere 410 controller with a K1100 optical dissolved oxygen sensor, both from HACH.”

HACH optical DO technology
The sensor’s tip or ‘spot’ is coated with a luminescent material, called luminophore, which is excited by blue light from an internal LED. As the luminescent material relaxes it emits red light, and this luminescence is proportional to the dissolved oxygen present. The luminescence is measured both in terms of its maximum intensity and its decay time. An internal red LED provides a reference measurement before every reading to ensure that the sensor’s accuracy is maintained.

This technology does not consume oxygen; it does not suffer from drift; it does not require a membrane or electrolyte, and no chemicals are necessary for calibration. Instead, the spot is changed quickly and easily every year, and the sensor simply requires a quick zero point calibration once per year with an oxygen-free gas such as nitrogen.

Conclusion
In common with all power stations, Connah’s Quay Power Station continually searches for ways to improve efficiency, and Bill says: “The HACH optical DO monitoring system is a good example of how new technology is helping to meet the demands of a changing energy sector by lowering operational costs and improving response time, accuracy and reliability.” Looking forward, he adds: “As a result of these advantages, we plan to replace all of our DO monitors with the optical technology from HACH.”

@HLService #PAuto #Britain #Power

Portable water analysis!

Portable parameter diversity and spectral accuracy

Hach Lange has developed a new generation device for portable water analysis – the DR 1900 Spectrophotometer.

The robust and waterproof entry level model in the tried and tested cuvette test system  delivers officially recognised results in just a few work steps and is ideal for use anywhere thanks to its lightweight design and its battery operation.

The DR 1900 offers the full spectrum of methods in the 340–800nm wavelength range and can be used with all common cuvette sizes, making it suitable for all waste water, drinking water, surface water and industrial water measurements.
Users can access over 200 predefined methods and up to 50 self-programmable applications.

Further highlights of the DR 1900 include its simple and intuitive operation, compact dimensions and lightweight design. Optional accessories such as a power supply, mini USB module and an outdoor rucksack make the DR 1900 the ideal solution for routine analysis tasks both on site and in the laboratory

Treatment plant protected by effluent monitor at major drinks factory!

The installation of a Hach Lange BioTector continuous TOC (Total Organic Carbon) monitor to police the front end of Cobevco’s wastewater treatment plant has enabled tight control of the treatment process. Delivering results 20 times faster than laboratory techniques, the monitor at the Elton facility in Cheshire (GB) provides advance notice of organic overload so that the plant is able to instantly divert carbon-rich waste and protect the treatment process.

The recently rebranded Cobevco filling division operates a state of the art bottle filling and wastewater treatment plant at their manufacturing site at Elton in Cheshire, which includes a large biological wastewater treatment facility, operating 24/7 between 3 staggered Sequential Batch Reactors (SBR). This process relies on the activity of bacteria which break down the organic content in the waste stream. However, if the organic load is too strong or too weak, the bacteria are unable to function efficiently, so monitoring is necessary.

Historically, laboratory analysis has taken too long to allow proactive intervention and the ability to measure organic load continuously has not been possible because instruments have been unable to cope with the strength of the effluent without filtration. However, the patented two-stage chemical oxidation process employed by the BioTector completely resolves this problem and has enabled Cobevco to protect the treatment plant and dramatically improve efficiency.

Certification improves efficiency of water monitoring

Hach Lange has achieved FDT certification for its sc200 Universal Controller and associated sensors, which means that process managers will find it simpler and quicker to integrate the company’s broad range of water and wastewater analytical instruments.

The sc200 successfully completed tests for Device Type Managers (DTM) and is available with 43 sensors and analysers covering 20 different parameters. As a result, this multi-sensor DTM represents the world’s broadest certified portfolio of water and wastewater analytical devices.

FDT/DTM is an open standardised technology providing a communication and configuration interface between field devices and host systems. Under FDT/DTM, any device can be configured, operated and maintained through the standardised user interface – regardless of supplier, type or communication protocol.

Employing this technology (free software download from HACH-LANGE.com) the sc200 provides users with the ability to configure device parameters, operate devices via a standardised graphical user interface, and access advanced diagnostic information from any location.

Configurable to operate either one or two digital or analogue sensor inputs, the sc200 replaces the sc100 Controller with advanced features for easier operation. All logged measurement and diagnostic data can be easily extracted in XML format from the controller via an SD Card slot, which also provides a simple means for firmware updates.

Communication options include MODBUS 232/485 and Profibus DP V1.0, so the controller can be easily integrated into digital networks.

Summarising, Hach Lange’s Martin Small says: “This announcement is great news for industrial process managers because it will now be even simpler to integrate any of our leading sensors into their monitoring and control systems.”

Ye olde photometer in Ireland!

Winner Michael Whelan of Wicklow County Council & Niall O’Brien of  Hach Lange

To celebrate the launch of the new spectrophotometers; DR 3900 and DR 6000, instrumentation specialist HACH LANGE launched a competition to find the oldest operational HACH or LANGE photometer in Ireland. Extensive research revealed that the contestant with the oldest instrument, and winner of a brand new DR 3900, is Michael Whelan of Wicklow County Council with his DR3 spectrophotometer purchased in 1985.

Mr Whelan previously used the DR3 at a water treatment plant for testing colour, turbidity, pH, residual aluminium, and residual fluoride. Mr Whelan said, “Amazingly, we have only ever had to replace the bulb, such is the quality of the Hach instruments. I am looking forward to using the DR3900 with barcode identification because water quality testing will be easier and quicker.”

The DR 3900 employs barcode recognition to ensure that every sample is tested for the correct parameter. The instrument will also read the sample barcode to determine the batch number and expiry date, and this data will also be assigned to the analytical result. In addition, the latest RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is enabled to ensure that an accurate, reliable, traceable record is created for every sample. In addition, users are able to define their own 'set points' for specific sampling locations, so that any results falling outside of these points will be flagged immediately. The DR3900 can also be used to automatically calibrate online instruments. It can detect expired cuvettes and can even update its internal methodology from the RFID label on the cuvette boxes.

Advanced oil in water detection prevents plant failure

The installation of a continuous oil-in-water monitor in coolant water at a steel re-processing plant has prevented downtime and avoided costly and time-consuming laboratory analysis.

The steel manufacturing industry relies on closed loop generation and recycling of steam as an energy efficient means of process control. Generated steam is used to raise the temperature of mineral oil based heat transfer fluids and later condensed back into water for use as a coolant fluid. However, any cracks on the heat exchanger surface cause leakage of mineral oil into the condensate, which could result in a discharge consent failure and cause plant shut-down during remedial work.

A large steel re-processing group has traditionally relied on daily physical checks to identify hairline cracks in the metalwork, in conjunction with analysis of effluent water for trace oil loading. Previously, water samples had to be manually collected and transported to the laboratory which incurred ongoing extra costs and delays in test results that could prevent timely action in the event of a leak.

Following consultation with Hach Lange, an FP360sc dissolved oil in water probe was installed in a flow-cell assembly on the outlet of the coolant water feed line. With instant warning of line leakages, extensive downtime and the associated costs of late intervention are now avoided. Additional benefits include: reduced operational costs associated with sample collection and transport, avoidance of health & safety issues related to reagent handling in the laboratory, significant improvements in uptime, and closer control of discharge to the environment (current consent limit at 10ppm).

Summarising the advantages of continuous measurement, Hach Lange’s Dr Patsy Rigby says: “Even the smallest traces of oil can pollute large volumes of water, so online monitoring ensures that alarms can be raised to enable prompt remedial action.”

“The FP 360 sc is designed to monitor surface water, process water and industrial water and is available in stainless steel or titanium. It can detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from 1.2 ppb up to 5000 ppb (μg/L) or mineral oils from 0.1 to 150 ppm (mg/L) and with no calibration necessary and maintenance limited to a 2 yearly lamp calibration and a 4 yearly lamp replacement, this instrument is extremely easy to operate.”

Multible awards at water event

During a glittering MCERTS awards ceremony at WWEM 2012, HACH LANGE was presented with no less than four certificates, demonstrating a massive commitment to the scheme which evaluates the performance of monitoring instruments against stringent MCERTS specifications. Key to HACH LANGE’s success was the effort from their teams across UK, Germany and America.

Dr Andrew Thornton, Matthew Dillon,  Darin Stell,  Dr Patsy Rigby, Dr Geoff King, Tristan Mann

MCERTS is the Environment Agency’s monitoring certification scheme and the certificates were presented by the Agency’s Head of Monitoring and Analytical Services, Malcolm Lythgo, who congratulated HACH LANGE on this achievement adding: “We appreciate that submitting instruments for MCERTS evaluation is a significant investment in both time and money. But customers do appreciate the additional reassurance of the quality of data from products having MCERTS, as well as meeting the Agency’s permit requirement for all new and replacement equipment to have MCERTS, where available.”

Following receipt of these certificates HACH LANGE now possesses a comprehensive suite of MCERTS certificates covering: automatic samplers; online process monitoring sensors and controllers including pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen; the BioTector online TOC analyser; and portable water quality monitoring instruments for conductivity and pH.

In the past, the Environment Agency conducted a large amount of industrial environmental monitoring, but in recent years this responsibility has shifted to the process operators themselves and the MCERTS scheme is helping to ensure that the quality of monitoring remains high. Nevertheless, Matthew Dillon, UK & Ireland Sales Director at HACH LANGE, says “As a manufacturer we invest heavily in the development of instruments and analysers that are robust, reliable, accurate and simple to use. However, it is extremely important that the recommended maintenance and calibration procedures are followed assiduously (our service team can help with that, if necessary) because failure to do so would threaten the quality of data and would not be acceptable to the Agency.”

To further support the quality of monitoring, HACH LANGE regularly runs training workshops and can provide personal competence training for key staff so that users are able to obtain optimal performance from their HACH LANGE instruments.

From a strategic perspective Matthew Dillon says “One of our key goals is to ensure that customers are able to generate the highest quality data and we see the MCERTS scheme as an important contributor to that goal. More HACH LANGE products will receive MCERTS in the near future and I would like to acknowledge the work of Dr Patsy Rigby from our technical team in helping to make this process such a success.”

Affirmed under monitoring certification scheme (MCERTS)

Following a rigorous testing programme, Hach Lange’s Biotector B7000 Online TOC Analyser has been awarded the 200th product conformity MCERTS certificate by SIRA, the body that manages the MCERTS scheme on behalf of the Environment Agency.

The Biotector B7000 is the latest Hach Lange product to achieve MCERTS in a line that began with the company’s portable and online samplers, which were awarded a certificate at WWEM 2008. This latest certificate confirms that the B7000 complies with stringent MCERTS performance specifications across three ranges (0–20 mg/l, 0-1,000 mg/l and 0-10,000 mg/l) and is considered suitable for use on treated wastewater, untreated wastewater, surface water, estuarine and coastal water applications.

Presenting the certificate on behalf of the Environment Agency, Paul Wiggins said: “The purpose of the MCERTS scheme is to assure the quality of environmental monitoring, by providing instrument users with confidence that certified equipment is capable of producing the quality of data that we require. However, the success of the MCERTS scheme could not have been achieved without the support of manufacturers such as Hach Lange.

“We recognise that certification represents an investment in time and resources which can sometimes be hard to justify when an instrument is already a market leader, but we believe that the attainment of a certificate will provide marketing advantage and demonstrate that a manufacturer is committed to quality. I congratulate Hach Lange on the achievement of this milestone certificate and thank them for their continued commitment to MCERTS.”

In the past, the Environment Agency conducted a large amount of industrial environmental monitoring, but in recent years this responsibility has shifted to the process operators themselves, and the MCERTS scheme is helping to ensure that the quality of monitoring remains high. Nevertheless, Matthew Dillon, UK & Ireland Sales Director at Hach Lange, says “As a manufacturer we invest heavily in the development of instruments and analysers that are robust, reliable, accurate and simple to use. However, it is extremely important that the recommended maintenance and calibration procedures are followed assiduously (and our service team can help with that, if necessary) because failure to do so would threaten the quality of data and would not be acceptable to the Agency.”

To further support the quality of monitoring, Hach Lange regularly runs training workshops and can provide personal competence training for key staff so that users are able to obtain optimal performance from their Hach Lange instruments.

From a strategic perspective Matthew Dillon says “One of our key goals is to ensure that our customers are able to generate the highest quality data and we see the MCERTS scheme as an important contributor to that goal. At Hach Lange we aim to offer the widest range of MCERTS products on the market; we already have a good number of certificates and we currently have a variety of products undergoing MCERTS evaluation. These include the SC1000 Digital Controller with sensors for pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonium and turbidity, and portable devices such as the HQD range of electrochemical instruments for pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen.”

• All the products mentioned above will be on display at WWEM 2012 (Nov'12 Telford GB - stands 94,95 & 96) along with W.T.O.S. - Hach Lange’s highly successful wastewater treatment optimisation solution.

Saved silver!

Hach Lange has presented the British National Laboratory Service (NLS) with a silver bar made from recycled chemical reagents, in recognition of the organisation’s achievements in waste minimisation. Accepting the ingot on behalf of the NLS laboratory in Nottingham, inorganics team leader Richard Yates said “Tiny quantities of silver are employed in the tests that we conduct for COD - chemical oxygen demand – which is one of the most important tests of wastewater strength, so it is gratifying to be provided with physical proof that our recycling strategy is effective.”

Stuart Dalrymple, Hach Lange
with Richard Yates, NLS

The ingot was forged from silver that has been reclaimed from the spent chemical reagents of approximately 10,000 COD tests that were collected by the company's dedicated recycling centre. In addition to waste reagents; bottles, cuvettes and packaging are also recycled and the facility now recycles over 75% of returned materials.

The NLS, through a national network of laboratories, has undertaken vitally important analytical work on behalf of the Environment Agency since 1996, providing test and measurement services for air, water and soil, applying the very latest techniques and ensuring the best possible levels of accuracy and data reliability.

In the past, the majority of tests at the NLS lab in Nottingham were conducted on behalf of the Agency, but Richard says “In recent years we have taken on a much greater proportion of external commercial work, providing the water industry, waste management businesses and commercial companies with regulatory monitoring services for a wide range of parameters. In addition to COD, inorganic determinands also include BOD, nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates, phenols, suspended solids and many others.”

Presenting the silver ingot, hach Lange’s Stuart Dalrymple said “The accuracy and reliability of environmental analysis is greatly enhanced when reagent quantities are controlled as tightly as possible, so the pre-filled tubes or cuvettes that we supply are ideal because they are manufactured to extremely tight specifications, bar-coded and delivered ready-for-use. This substantially removes the opportunity for human error, because each tube contains precise amounts of reagent chemicals and the bar-code on each tube is recognised by the spectrophotometer. Importantly, whilst the cuvette tests closely follow the reference methods, such as ISO 15705, the COD cuvette test uses 90% less chemical reagents.”

To conduct a COD test, samples of water, wastewater or leachate are added to the pre-filled tubes which are then heated to form a coloured solution which is analysed by a HACH LANGE photometer. The NLS lab in Nottingham employs a HACH LANGE DR3800 spectrophotometer to perform daily COD tests ranging from 30 to 120 tests per day. However, a new DR 3900 instrument with RFID technology has recently been on trial to study the potential advantages in traceability.

Summarising, Mark Gale, NLS Nottingham Laboratory Manager said “The cuvette test for COD provides the level of accuracy and reliability that customers expect from the NLS, and our longstanding commitment to the reagent recycling service exemplifies our determination to provide a leading example of the ways in which laboratories can minimise the effects of their activities on the environment.”

Water industry embraces process optimisation

Tighter discharge consents are forcing the water industry to make further investments in wastewater treatment and this will increase costs and CO2 emissions. One of the main tools with which the industry can offset this effect is process optimisation, and Andy Thornton, a wastewater treatment specialist at Hach Lange, reports outstanding levels of success from plants across Britain that have implemented the company’s real-time monitoring and control system; W.T.O.S. (Wastewater Treatment Optimisation Solution).

Under the W.T.O.S. umbrella, the company has developed a range of Real Time Control (RTC) modules that can be applied to many of the most common treatment techniques. These currently include nitrification control in activated sludge, denitrification control, BAFF process control and cell management, sludge age control, chemical dosing control for phosphate removal, sludge thickening/polymer dosing control and dewatering control.

Each RTC is implemented on an industrial PC which communicates with a controller (sc1000) network and the local PLC. The W.T.O.S. RTC modules continuously deliver set points to the PLC, which applies them to the process and ensures that response to changing conditions is immediate.

Several of the initial W.T.O.S. systems have been operational for over two years and Andrew Thornton says “All of them are reporting very significant savings – 25% reduction in energy (electricity) consumption is not uncommon. This represents an enormous cost saving, whilst also helping to meet tighter consents and lower the plants’ carbon footprint.”

New interactive website!

Regular visitors and readers here know that we are suckers for the unusual or otherwise introduction to a press release. Anything to relieve the (let's face it!) sometimes very boring stream of press releases that fill the Read-out mailbox each morning. Today we have one such, not for the first time, from Graham Meller of Buttonwood.

"You probably receive plenty of emails announcing new websites and a lot of them, let’s face it, are simply a re-design to make it look better and possibly easier to navigate. This announcement is not one of those – sure, the new web site looks better and is probably easier to navigate but it now offers a great deal more and I hope that you will be able to publish this news," he says. So what else could we do!

Hach Lange launches new interactive website

Hach Lange, the leading global provider of water testing and monitoring equipment and reagents, has launched a completely new web site that, in addition to a new online shopping facility, now enables visitors to access a vast database of information on water quality testing in the laboratory, in the field and within industrial and municipal processes.

Marketing Manager Sarah Blayds says “The new site represents a knowledge hub for anyone with a professional interest in the quality of water and wastewater. However, a great deal of time and effort has gone into the development of ways for users to find the information they need. For example, an intuitive search function provides access by industry, parameter, application or product group, which makes it fast and easy to find prices, technical data, safety data sheets, calibration certificates, product brochures, product updates and application reports.


“In addition to the facility to place orders online, users will be able to create wish lists, view previous purchases and track current orders.”

Primary wastewater/sewage sampler that works!

New sewage sampler enables real-time control

An innovative new wastewater sampling system, which will open up a new world of opportunity by enabling water companies to continuously monitor sewage at the plant inlet has been put on the market by Hach Lange.

In the past, it has been almost impossible to monitor influent because of the physical and biological challenges that sewage presents – ragging, biofouling etc. However, following trials at a number of British wastewater treatment plants, engineers at Hach Lange have developed a new sample preparation system that works extremely well in these difficult conditions.

The new sampling system employs an innovative design that overcomes the problems of continuous sampling from primary sewage. This includes a number of novel design features including bespoke filter cartridges, which are cleaned by backflushing and air scouring.

The ability to monitor influent has been a major objective for many years; previous attempts have involved capital work to divert flow through a semi-protected channel. However, this can involve tens of thousands of pounds so Hach Lange believes that the development of an effective sampling system is great news for the industry.

One of the influent parameters of most interest is phosphate. This is because there are tight discharge consents to prevent the build-up of nutrient levels in rivers, streams and groundwater. It is common practise therefore to remove phosphate by chemical precipitation with ferric sulphate to form ferric phosphate which can be removed as sludge. Traditionally, this has been achieved by dosing the ferric solution at a constant or flow proportional rate. However, phosphate levels in the influent can vary considerably, particularly when there is a significant contribution from trade discharges, so dose rates are generally set to accommodate the higher levels of influent phosphate to minimise compliance risk.

Now that it is possible to obtain a continuous representative sample of the influent, live phosphate data can be derived from a Phosphax sc orthophosphate analyser, which, in conjunction with a phosphate removal real-time control module (P-RTC) utilises influent monitoring data to determine the phosphate load and thereby to calculate the dose rate to achieve the required removal percentage. It is also possible to monitor phosphate after dosing in order to establish feedback control in a closed loop system.

The P-RTC ensures that chemical dosing is as efficient as possible, and that the plant is able to respond quickly to influent phosphate spikes whilst maintaining consent compliance for both phosphorus and iron. Experience has also shown that influent-P data has provided much greater insight into trade discharges.

Explaining the importance of this new sampling technology, Andy Thornton, an optimisation specialist at the company says, “The most exciting aspect of this development is the fact that the sampler enables the implementation of real-time control, which is improving compliance, reducing waste and bringing substantial cost savings to many treatment plants across Europe and beyond.”

Real-time TOC tightens effluent control at Greencore

Author: Dr Patsy Rigby, Hach Lange, UK

A food manufacturing facility in Selby (GB) has installed a new continuous TOC (Total Organic Carbon) monitor, ‘the BioTector’ which has dramatically improved the site’s capability to refine and improve the plant’s wastewater treatment process. As a result the plant is better able to quickly respond to changes in the influent.

Greencore Foods is a leading player in the food processing industry and the group’s Grocery division is one of Britain's leading manufacturers of bottled recipe products (including cooking sauces, pickles, dips and soft drinks, producing 200 million jars per annum across 800 product lines). Operating from a site at Selby near York, it produces a wide range of both branded and retailer branded products across key market sectors. The facility has received considerable investment in the last 10 years and now boasts some of the most modern, hygienic and efficient production facilities in the country, achieving the prestigious AIB accreditation and being placed in the 'superior' category.

The Selby site is operated on a continuous improvement basis with its own dedicated wastewater treatment plant to monitor and control effluent quality and minimise costly discharge fees.  Effluent from the food manufacturing industry contains an array of inorganic salts and organic components which enter the waste stream in part from the intense wash down of processing tanks and lines during clean in place procedures for product changeover. Overload of organics on the effluent treatment plant adversely affects the efficiency of the treatment process. If the waste is not treated to the required standard, then the site will be unable to achieve the river discharge parameters that have been set by the Environment Agency.

The effluent treatment plant at the Selby facility is managed by a specialist team from Veolia Water IndustrialOutsourcing Ltd. Raw feed water entering the facility, is analysed for TOC  to control the strength of the feed transferred to the site effluent treatment plant.

As Greencore Environment Manager David Murtagh explains “In the past samples were manually collected from the site drains pit and transported to the laboratory at a second location. Given the geographical distance between sites this led to significant waste, both in terms of time and resources. We had a small team in the laboratory who performed a number of analyses on the delivered samples, which was quite labour intensive and delayed results. Even state of the art laboratory techniques still took too long for pragmatic purposes, preventing prompt feedback on the process.  Overall, this was not 21^st century and provided no direct information to control the effluent plant or provide an early warning of process issues. An alternative needed to be sought.

"A further key driver was the impending tightening of the consent to discharge to river by the Environment Agency. We needed more frequent, more detailed, prompt, accurate and reliable influent TOC data to help manage the effluent treatment plant more efficiently and provide feedback on the process which is the source of the TOC. We were wary of on-line TOC instruments due to poor experiences in the past; while they worked well on cleaner, particulate-free effluent samples, the high solids, fats, oils and greases, and variable TOC loads coming from raw influent was a major issue for delicate fine capillary tubing and valves, which typically caused instrument seizure.”

Historical issues

Traditional methods for analysis of TOC/COD/BOD were developed as laboratory systems based on UV exposure, wet chemistry or more aggressive digestion by catalysed combustion. While these provide an excellent basis for spot sampling within the laboratory where sample pre-treatment (e.g. by filtering) is controllable, the systems do not often translate well in a real process environment.

Raw effluent presents a series of challenges. With UV based systems, high salt loads can cause scaling of the UV light column creating problems or organic recovery. In high temperature combustion systems, salt loads as low as 0.5% can inhibit the persulphate digestion mechanism and deteriorate the lifetime of the catalyst, demanding excessive maintenance by replacement of the column. Sample volume is commonly restricted to less than 10µl and sample pre-filtering is necessary to avoid particulate blockage of tubing and multi-port valves such that particle size is restricted to <200µm. In a process environment, clogging of tubes with crystallised salts and particulates can demand instrument re-calibration every 2-3 days.

New Monitoring Technology

To achieve continuous, function in harsh process environments the BioTector from HACH LANGE uses a patented advanced oxidation process to offer aggressive breakdown of organics without thermal dependence.  This is achieved by exposing high pH reagents to ozone. Highly corrosive unstable hydroxyl radicals are generated and by a Two Stage Advanced Oxidation this enables the system to handle very large sample volumes without the need for syringe controlled dilution mechanisms (an additional route for blockage in traditional techniques). A self cleaning facility with micro-bubbles prevents particles becoming trapped and an inbuilt salt trap allows salt loads as high as 30% and calcium loads of up to 12% without dilution. Without the temperature resistant ceramic components of contemporary systems where salt can easily crystallise and cause blockage, the catalyst within the BioTector is attached to the exterior of the furnace, extending lifetime and facilitating easy replacement.

Unaffected by fats (internal tubing is protected by back wash), greases, salts and particulates up to 2mm diameter, a representative sample is achieved without pre-filtering allowing in excess of 80,000 continuous measurements per year. Maintenance requirements are minimal (6 monthly service is recommended with no calibration demands between service). The overall result is a 99+% uptime for the end user.

Summary

As Veolia’s Continuous Improvement Manager Marcus Hardiker explains “All previous concerns regarding the use of an on-line TOC meter were addressed with practical solutions. The instrument takes samples from the raw effluent that is fed to the site's treatment plant. However, we needed the sample to be as representative as possible and therefore no in-line filters were installed in the sample line. The sampling arrangement was very carefully engineered by the specialist team in order to deal with the site's unique type of effluent containing high sand and silt content.

"The signals from the BioTector unit have been integrated into both Veolia Water's effluent plant control system and Greencore’s own data acquisition system.  Veolia use the analysis to control the strength of feed transferred to the site effluent treatment plant. Any loads that exceed a pre-determined level are diverted to the site calamity tank. This control has enabled the performance of the effluent treatment plant to be greatly improved.

"The signals from the TOC meter are also transmitted to Greencore’s production areas, and the on-line data is visible for process personnel who can now see the effect that their activities are having on the effluent loads being discharged to the site treatment plant. Greencore has also linked the on-line results provided by the BioTector to an alarm system so that production personnel know when the TOC levels have increased - thus enabling them to react much quicker and thereby identify and address any issues as they arise."

With tailored solutions to match client needs, BioTector is simple to use and can reduce operational costs, avoid downtime and provide greater insight into processes for true real time control. 

This QR Code to enable readers with smartphones to click through to Hach Lange!   

Workshop on industrial discharges

'Are you paying too much for your effluent?'

Hach Lange is hosting a free workshop for Great Britain - England, Scotland & Wales - based companies, on wastewater cost minimisation. Taking place in Newcastle Upon Tyne (GB) on Tuesday 4th October, the workshop will provide attendees with an insight into the ways in which self-monitoring can ensure regulatory compliance and help reduce costs.

The workshop will include both practical and classroom sessions, and explain the main factors affecting trade effluent cost. In addition, there will be sessions covering both continuous monitoring and sampling for laboratory analysis.

The key topics will include the Mogden formula, sampling techniques, TOC, COD, BOD and Operator Self Monitoring (OSM). Speakers will include technical experts from HACH LANGE in addition to staff from Northumbrian Water's Trade Effluent Team.

The practical sessions will include an opportunity to operate best practise in sampling and testing, whilst also providing a chance to see HACH LANGE's latest spectrophotometer the DR 3900, which employs RFID technology to deliver extremely high levels of traceability.

The workshop will run from 10am to 4pm with complimentary lunch and refreshments provided. Places are only available to UK mainland companies and are being allocated on a first-come/first-served basis.

Reagent disposal!

Reagent disposal – choosing the greenest option

Where do we throw our waste?

As one of the world's largest manufacturers of instruments and reagents for water analysis, Hach Lange has a duty to create the most environmentally friendly system possible for the management of chemical waste resulting from the use of its products. Dismissing less sustainable options, the company has invested heavily in a state of the art environment centre that handles waste reagents, bottles, cuvettes and packaging from all over Europe.

Their waste management policy is based on the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. For this reason, the justifications for the investment in the Environment Centre were environmental.

Most laboratory waste is transferred to treatment facilities that handle a wide variety of hazardous materials. As such, it is not possible for such facilities to operate as efficiently as the Hach Lange plant because of the diversity of chemicals in the waste.

Some companies relinquish their responsibility for waste treatment by sending waste reagents to incinerators. Hach Lange does not support this action for environmental reasons.

Incineration generates greenhouse gas emissions and other toxic gases such as dioxins. These emissions are generated by burning materials that could have been recycled. Importantly, incineration does not miraculously remove the toxic heavy metal component of the waste; it simply converts it into liquid or solid toxic waste. A further problem with incineration is that, as a quick and easy solution, it serves as a deterrent to reuse and recycling which are by far the preferred environmental options.

Hach Lange regularly runs free workshops on water analysis, and waste management forms part of these courses. However, the company's experts are available to provide help and advice on how to dispose of waste reagents.

Environmental Centre layout

iPad won!

There are so many companies offering iPads as prizes and we rarely hear if anyone wins. So it is a pleasure to get a report on a winner and on the presentation of the prize!

Following a Europe-wide initiative to reveal the ‘Voice of the Customer’ through an extensive programme of questionnaires, instrumentation specialist HACH LANGE has announced that the winner of the prize draw for respondents is Simon Wright, a System Engineer at EDF Energy in Blackpool. (FB)

The questionnaire was sent to users of Hach Lange's flagship multi-parameter SC1000 Controller and asked for comments on the instrumentation’s ease of use and flexibility.

Simon, who wins an Apple iPad, was randomly chosen from the hundreds of European customers who entered the competition. He said: “I was delighted to discover I was the lucky winner after taking just a few minutes to complete the online questionnaire on the SC1000. I answered questions covering issues such as the controller’s sampling methods, calibration and adaptability.”

The SC 1000 controller offers maximum flexibility for all digital probes and analysers; whether as a conventional controller for up to eight different sensors or as part of an extensive network, the modular upgradable system enables made-to-measure solutions for plants of all types and sizes.

Water & Waste agreement!

Hach Lange has announced a new multi-million pound AMP5 Framework Agreement with Thames Water for a wide range of water and wastewater monitoring instrumentation.

The five-year contract was awarded to Hach Lange following successful bids for 4 out of 5 instrumentation framework ‘lots’ which covered clean water turbidity, wastewater dissolved oxygen, sludge dry solids and influent/effluent quality monitoring.

Commenting on the award, Hach Lange's John Moroney said "We were delighted to win all four lots because we were assessed against our competitors on issues such as quality, reliability, service and cost of ownership. This award reflects our market leading position and further extends the long-standing relationship that we have developed with Thames Water."

Instruments included within the agreement include the 1720e online turbidimeter, the Solitax SC for suspended solids, the LDO™ for dissolved oxygen and the UVAS plus for organic load (BOD and COD) measurements. The Nitratax immersion probe is included for the measurement of Nitrate and the NH4D for Ammonium. The SC1000 Controller, which interfaces with all of these instruments, is also included within the agreement.

As a result of this agreement Hach Lange will continue to supply the majority of Thames Water’s requirements for analytical instruments.

New spectrophotometer to revolutionise water analysis

Hach Lange has launched a major new spectrophotometer, the DR 3900, that Marketing Manager Sarah Blayds says "is light years ahead of anything else in the market."

The DR 3900 employs the latest RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology to ensure that an accurate, reliable, traceable record is created for every sample. However, as Sarah Blayds explains: "Improved traceability is not the only benefit of the technology; users are now able to define their own 'set points' for specific sampling locations, so that any results falling outside of these points will be flagged immediately. This facility will be of great benefit to staff such as application scientists who may wish to be alerted to specific conditions such as deviation from normal C:N:P ratios."

How it works
In order to establish a fully traceable system, users will undertake the following procedure:
1. Place RFID tags in monitoring locations
2. Provide sampling staff with personal RFID keyring fobs
3. Utilise a portable, pocket-sized RFID Locator to assign location and sampler ID data to the sample bottle RFID label
4. Utilise cuvettes with new 2D Barcode

The DR3900 will then read sample RFIDs and assign traceability data to the analytical result – date, time, sampler, location and test method.
It will also read the sample barcode to determine the batch number and expiry date, and this data will also be assigned to the analytical result.

Eliminating potential errors
Small changes are sometimes made to analytical methods and these represent an opportunity for test errors to occur. However, the introduction of the advanced Barcode 2 and RFID can prevent such errors because the DR3900 will issue a warning if a test requires an update. By simply holding the cuvette box RFID label in front of the instrument, the user is then able to update the test methodology in the spectrophotometer. The new barcodes also contribute to accuracy by alerting the user if reagents have expired.

Automatic calibration of online instruments
A further benefit of the DR3900 is made possible when the device is networked via Ethernet to facilitate the automatic calibration of Hach Lange online process monitoring instruments. First, a 'job' is entered on the SC controller of the process instruments and a manual sample is taken. The job (process measurement value, time etc) is sent to the DR 3900 in the laboratory and the sample is analysed using a cuvette test. The result is then compared with the process analyser and the calibration of the process probe is adjusted accordingly (when necessary).

Summarising the advantages of the new spectrophotometer, Sarah Blayds says "When we introduced pre-filled cuvettes, we dramatically reduced the potential for error in the preparation of reagents. The addition of barcodes then helped to reduce error further by making it almost impossible to conduct a test with an incorrect program. However, the addition of RFID technology has effectively closed the loop on traceability and the elimination of error; HACH LANGE customers will now have complete visibility of every aspect of the analytical process."

Airport water management

New self-cleaning analyser improves airport’s water management

A highly advanced, self-calibrating Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyser from instrumentation specialist Hach Lange is helping Manchester Airport (GB) to effectively monitor runoff whilst drastically reducing instrument maintenance requirements.

The Airport is the fourth largest in the UK and handles more than 22 million passengers a year. With flights to 225 destinations worldwide, the airport operates around the clock and Hach Lange's Biotector B7000 analyser is helping to protect the environmental performance of this busy airport.

As a result of extremely low temperatures over Christmas, the airport used more than 600,000 litres of de-icing liquid, such as glycol on aircraft, and acetates on runways, paths and standing areas, which created a challenge for the airport’s Water Services Engineer, Mark Stewart. He explained: “The liquid can be washed away by rain and snow into the airport’s main drainage system so it is paramount that we have the necessary analysis on-site to monitor the situation. This is because high volumes of different contaminants, such as glycol, will have a significant effect on the subsequent wastewater treatment process.


“The B7000 was selected following excellent performance in independent trials and has now been permanently installed to measure the TOC of run-off prior to the treatment process. Previously installed instrumentation required much higher levels of service and calibration so the B7000 represents a more cost-effective solution.


“Very high levels of organic material, such as glycol, can have an adverse effect on water quality monitoring equipment but we have found the B7000 to be extremely resilient in this respect, and overall it has proved very reliable.”

Contaminated water is passed to a local wastewater treatment facility before being discharged into the Manchester Ship Canal.

Explaining the many other applications for the B7000, Hache lange's Ian Smith said: “This analyser is extremely robust and flexible; it can measure TOC, COD, BOD, TC, TIC or VOC in water and waste water (even when oil and grease are present) and can operate with up to 30% chloride and 12% calcium sludge. Consequently, it is ideal for use across many industries where inlet and outlet monitoring of wastewater conditioning is required, for organic and inorganic carbon measurement in process waters and for monitoring cooling water, boiler water or surface water. It is self-cleaning, performs complete oxidation through its Two Stage Advanced Oxidation technology and has an extremely low maintenance requirement; no further calibration is necessary between six-monthly services.”

Laboratory robot

HACH LANGE's new automated laboratory robot, the AP3800, is the ultimate labour-saving laboratory device; enabling the unattended multiple parameter analysis of up to 24 samples, the AP3800 performs the analysis with a DR3800 spectrophotometer.

Click on picture to see in operation on YouTube

Geoff King, Laboratory Manager at HACH LANGE, believes that the AP3800 represents a major step forward in laboratory analysis. He says "Laboratories around the world are under great pressure to reduce costs and lower analysis times, and the AP3800 has been developed to meet both of these needs, whilst also freeing up time for analytical staff to perform other work."

The unit controls the entire analytical process from sample preparation to measurement to reporting of results, even when a digestion step is needed. Supplied with easy-to-use software, the system includes an innovative time management system that calculates the fastest, most efficient sample sequences, even when multiple parameters are being tested and when new samples are introduced after a procedure has commenced.

Capable of bar-code recognition, the DR 3800 sc VIS spectrophotometer automatically conducts the correct tests from a library of around 230 methods. However, whilst the method directory can be extended to meet specific needs, the basic version of the AP3800 is pre-programmed for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Phosphorus, Total Nitrogen, Ammonium, Nitrate and Nitrite.

By automating all labour intensive steps such as dilution, reagent addition, mixing and digestion, coupled with the renowned excellence of the Hach Lange spectrophotometer, the AP3800 is the ultimate