Maintaining static pH measurements tends to drain resources, so when employing automatic cleaning and calibration systems, you can expect to see huge returns. Online static systems require maintenance to constantly pull sensors for cleaning and repeatedly do calibrations (often only to find out the sensor needs to be replaced again). An automated pH cleaning and calibration system can improve your personnel’s maintenance time, cost, and safety in critical pH loops.

When a Static Loop Won’t Do

Static online pH measurements are used extensively in industrial environments. The technology is adequate to handle many of these measurements. However, some applications exceed the technology’s ability to reliably and safely operate due to more extreme process conditions.

The cost of maintaining these more difficult measurements can consume a large amount of a plant’s maintenance budget. If used for compliance, failure to accurately measure pH can expose the facility to environmental permit violations. This cost is magnified further when hazardous process conditions require personnel to use personal protective equipment or take extreme precautions to protect themselves while working with the pH loop.

Switching to an Automated pH Loop

Once the decision is made to implement an automated system, there are a number of benefits that users will see having a positive impact on the maintenance budget and plant safety.

Hands-off Cleaning and Calibration

Frequent sensor calibrations or cleanings lead to downtime and require multiple trips to the measurement point to correct the problem.

An automatic system handles the calibration and cleaning functions with a predetermined schedule, and, if needed, maintenance can manually activate a cycle.

An automated solution eliminates the technician from physically entering the process unit to calibrate or clean the sensor. This increases the measurement uptime and significantly decreases the maintenance time needed to support the measurement.

Reduce your Sensor Replacements

A primary reason for implementing an automated system is to reduce pH sensor usage and lessen the strain on maintenance budgets. In applications with harsh process conditions such as extreme pH swings, elevated temperature, or abrasive slurry, you can see a very short sensor life requiring monthly, weekly, or even daily sensor replacement. In addition, the manual cleaning and handling of pH probes often leads to damage and process upsets due to a lack of spare sensors and poor maintenance practices.

Automatic systems have customizable sensor maintenance schedules that do the retraction, cleaning, calibration, and insertion of sensors.

The automated system will significantly reduce the impact of the extreme process conditions and extend the life of a pH electrode. Also, the program will clean the pH probe more frequently, extending the probe’s life and reducing the chance of damage to the sensor.

Keep Your Employees Out of Harm’s Way

Hazardous pH applications require special PPE for PM procedures such as calibration, cleaning, or replacing sensors. Technicians might have to “suit up” in specific acid resistance PPE, wear systems that provide air or follow a shutdown process that extends the maintenance time to make the measurement point safe.

Automated systems perform many of the maintenance tasks that a technician usually would, thus reducing the risk of exposure or injury. For example, the job of replacing the pH sensor still requires the presence of a person. Still, the automated retractable system removes and isolates the pH sensor and then performs a cleaning function to make the sensor safe to remove and replace with no exposure to the process and significantly reduced time in the process unit.

An automated solution eliminates the problem of a technician having to physically enter the process unit to calibrate and clean or replace the sensor. The automation creates a much safer environment and significantly decreases the need for a person to be in the process unit in a potentially unsafe situation.

Ensure Compliance

Industrial facilities must meet the requirements of their environmental permits. Whether for effluent or scrubbers, noncompliance can result in a permit violation. These violations are very costly to the company due to fines and the possibility of a complete shutdown until the issue is resolved.

Operators can monitor the diagnostics of the system remotely to know the condition of the measurement. The calibration reports can also be stored remotely to satisfy permit reporting requirements. The automated cleaning and calibration functions ensure the pH measurement is accurate.

An automated system increases visibility through remote diagnostics, accurate and continuous recording of calibrations to meet water permit reporting requirements, and a much lower chance of noncompliance, which could lead to fines and unscheduled shutdowns.

Industries and Applications for Automated Systems

Online automated liquid analytical systems benefit all industrial environments and almost any type of application. Some industries perfect for automated systems are refining, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, petrochemical, and agriculture.

Possible applications are varied and can include:

• Outfall/Effluent
• Wastewater Clarifiers
• Neutralization Skid
• Wet Gas Scrubber
• Flotation Cell
• Sugar Carbonation
• Ethanol Corn Mash Slurry
• Flu Gas Desulfurization

You typically find redundant pH measurements monitoring wastewater effluent for compliance. The sticky wastewater causes pH probes to suffer from inaccurate readings and requires frequent cleaning to maintain responsiveness.

Due to the frequent handling of pH probes, they often are damaged and can lead to system shutdowns due to a lack of spare sensors and poor maintenance practices. As a result, accurate readings are a must. Automatic cleaning and calibration systems increase accuracy with proper maintenance practices and avoid measurement errors and gaps in reporting.

Summary

In summary, an automated pH cleaning and calibration system can help whatever the challenge you face with online pH measurements. For example, suppose the issue is frequent sensor replacement, technicians spending too much time manually cleaning to prevent drift, or hazardous process conditions causing a safety concern. In that case, the automatic cleaning and calibration systems can address the specific issue.