Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring


Nutrient meters for wastewater applications

April 2006 Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring

To obtain full control of the operation of any wastewater treatment plant there is no way of getting round the process tank. It is a vital link in the chain towards an acceptable effluent, but difficulties connected to measurement directly in the tank have so far limited the exploitation of this possibility.

Hach believes that it has now overcome all obstacles to proper information from the process tank with its EVITA@INS1TUsensor programme. InSitu is Latin for 'the right place', and the sensor lives up to this ideal. It is placed on the spot - directly in the wastewater of the process tank where the user needs to know the concentration of nutrients. No external factors influence the measurements, as is the case with traditional analysers where ultrafilters, pumps, long pipes or sedimentation equipment may cause significant measuring errors. This sensor programme covers measurement of three different substances: ammonium, nitrate and orthophosphate.

The three sensors look alike, have identical user interface and they share the same internationally recognised colorimetric measuring principle. With the new sensors Hach believes that it is now the only supplier offering direct process measurement of all three substances.

An anti-fouling ion filter ensures correct measurements, thanks to limited bacterial growth. The unique filter surface and the flow underneath the sensor make the filter self-cleaning. The ion concentration within the sensor is always equal to the concentration in the wastewater.

The second version of the EVITA@INS1TU nutrient meter has reduced maintenance time further with a reagent which only needs to be changed every three months. 95% of all components in the INSITU 4100 have been designed for improved performance, longer lifetime and user friendliness.

Improvements include:

* A new ceramic pump, resistant to chemicals and with a long life. It requires no replacement of tubes, and its chemical consumption is low.

* A new and improved photometer provides an accurate measurement with low long term drift.

* A new enhanced self diagnostics which monitors electronic circuits, pumps, reagents and calibration standards. The automatic calibration can be delayed from high to low load periods.

* A new type of mounting bracket also suitable for installation in round basins with travelling bridges.

The signal handling of the meter is flexible, based on three different versions of the USC signal converter. They are all based on HART communication; what differentiates them is mainly the number of outputs and transmitters connected. The 'top model', USC 7000, is a multidrop signal converter, able to communicate with up to 15 transmitters on the same two-wire bus. This is a cost-saving solution for applications with many transmitters that only require one signal converter.

For more information contact Steve Herbst, PREI Instrumentation, 011 448 2172, [email protected], www.prei.co.za



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