Environmental Safety through Critical pH Control
Wet gas scrubber systems, also known as chemical scrubbers or gas scrubbers, are a type of air pollution control system. They remove particles and hazardous gases from industrial exhaust streams.
The scrubber uses caustic liquids and injects them into the ventilation stack. This traps particulates and neutralizes the acid in the gas stream which then falls down to the bottom of the stack. The liquid that is collected is then sent to the wastewater treatment plant. Because wet scrubbers are a critical piece of environmental control equipment, they must operate correctly to prevent permit violations and ensure safe operation of the plant.
The Solution
Inside of a wet gas scrubber, high pH liquids and high temperatures are typical. This environment frequently causes short pH sensor life. The SE 555 digital pH sensor is specially designed to withstand both the high pH environment and elevated temperatures found in these types of systems. The combination of the ceramic diaphragm and the Silimid reference system allow the SE 555 to perform for a longer period of time than other sensors. These two elements slow down the high pH liquid from leaching into the sensor and damaging the reference system.
During periodic maintenance checks, technicians commonly dispose of the traditional analog pH probes — whether they are working or not. The reason for this is that troubleshooting an analog pH probe is time-consuming and difficult. Its easier to install a new sensor and move on.
When using Memosens, a technician takes a pre-calibrated sensor into the field and does a quick swap by disconnecting the inductive Memosens cable and connecting the new sensor. Memosens is a smart digital technology, that allows calibrations to be done in the shop or lab. The sensor stores calibration information in the sensor head and automatically shared with the transmitter. The system is ready to measure without additional steps.
Instead of disposing of the old sensor, the technician has the ability to quickly diagnose and correct the problem likely by cleaning and then re-calibrating using a Portavo portable meter. In many cases, technicians can put the sensor back into circulation and reuse.
Stratos Pro transmitters offer intuitive operation with color-coded user guidance for digital Memosens sensors. The sealed transmitter design allows the system to operate in very wet locations without worrying about corrosion and damage to exposed circuit boards.
Longer sensor life and reuse significantly reduced maintenance costs.
What was this Customer’s Return on Investment?
- Reduced maintenance costs:
The design of the SE 555 significantly lowered maintenance costs. In addition, it has the ability to collect sensor diagnostics through Memosens. Memosens also enables the ability to perform off-line calibrations which is not possible with analog sensors.
- Reduced downtime and prevention of permit violations:
Technicians can hot-swap pre-calibrate the sensors in the field. Pre-calibration reduces downtime of the system, which helps avoid possible permit violation.
