Measuring carbon dioxide in the soft drinks industry - from a discovery made on the Internet
February 2001Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Carbon dioxide is used to carbonate the beverages in the production of soft drinks. In the US, OSHA requires that the CO2 level remains at, or below, 5000 ppm in the atmosphere of any filler room area. Big Springs is a major soft drink manufacturer and a large local Coca-Cola franchise distributor located in Huntsville, Alabama. The company has successfully used Vaisala's Carbocap transmitters for more than a year in their bottling plant.
Mr Wilkinson, the company's Administrative Manager, had been looking at how the lack of reliable and inexpensive instruments in the past had made CO2 measurement difficult and costly. Cooperation between Big Springs and Vaisala began when the manager found Vaisala's CO2 products through the Internet.
Safe levels of CO2 in the workplace
Carbon dioxide is used to carbonate beverages in the production of soft drinks. While the containers are being filled during the bottling process, large volumes of carbon dioxide are emitted from the fillers into the filler room atmosphere.
As high concentrations of CO2 are clearly hazardous, most countries, including the USA, have set workplace exposure limits. In the US, the exposure limit is 5000 parts per million (ppm). Occupations where carbon dioxide can rise to dangerous levels include brewing and carbonated drink industries.
In the US, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration, US Department of Labour) requires the average exposure limit of CO2 in weight to remain at, or below, 5000 ppm during an eight hour working shift. In the Coca-Cola bottling plant, Vaisala's Carbocap transmitters monitor the levels of CO2 in the filler room. The information from transmitters is transmitted to ABB Chart Recorders. The chart recorders monitor and log these levels. When they sense levels over 4900 ppm, an exhaust fan system is activated to remove the CO2 from the filler room. The fans turn off once the level returns to 1000 ppm.
Co-operation began through the Internet
Big Springs worked together with Vaisala for more than a year after research on the Internet led the manager to Vaisala's Boston Office. Wilkinson was impressed with the company's history of quality products and the fact that the transmitters did not require calibration either. (The products of most other companies required constant calibration.) Another reason for choosing the products was that staff from Vaisala worked with the Coca-Cola manager to create the system that it is currently using.
Benefits of reliable CO2 measurement
Wilkinson says that they have generally been satisfied with the CO2 transmitters. "The fact that we do not have to calibrate the Carbocap transmitters saves time. The system simply runs by itself and requires little or no maintenance. I do not believe that there is another company that could match the efficiency and reliability of Vaisala's products, sales and services."
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