FEATURE SENSORS & SENSING SYSTEMS What’s next for water treatment?
Neil Saunders, general manager and water industry specialist at Bürkert Fluid Control Systems UK, assesses the requirements for process control and how best to meet current and future requirements
P
rocess control is vital to ensure the integrity of the water supply chain
and as the technology in this area advances so it is important that you are fully aware of the latest developments if you are involved in the design, installation and operation of the process control equipment. Water is a finite resource and so the
efficient management of this resource is crucial to maintaining supplies and a key driving factor behind industry investment. Much of the water that we all use every day is on a continuous loop, constantly being processed after use so that it can be returned to the environment before it is extracted again, treated and reused. This process is heavily dependent upon precise process control, monitoring and data recording to ensure that all the regulatory standards are maintained as well as ensuring that the environment and the general population is protected. The process of chemical dosing has to
be very carefully controlled and monitored with records being kept to ensure compliance with local water quality standards. Water required for public consumption is
extracted from the local water course, before undergoing further purification. The water is very carefully dosed with aluminium sulphate - a coagulant, which helps to bind the impurities together to form particles. This process requires careful monitoring of the pH levels as well as effective mixing in order to be efficient. In general, the water treatment
industry prefers to operate a centralised control system for each site, making it quicker and easier for operators to assess the equipment and processes on the site. With such a wide array of sensors, valves and pumps installed around the site, the most efficient controller will be one that is capable of multiple tasks while still being simple to operate.
VERSATILITY One example would be Bürkert’s type 8619 multiCELL transmitter/controller, which is well suited for a wide range of applications in water treatment using pH, conductivity and flow sensors, ORP and
16 APRIL 2014 | AUTOMATION
temperature measurements. A key advantage of this controller is its versatility - being compatible with most common sensors as well as its modular design allowing additional hardware and software to be added easily. Each controller can be configured for a
range of sensors as well as having up to six pre-configured I/O boards to accommodate any signal requirements. In addition, the multiCELL can be configured as a datalogger, using the built-in SD card slot for data storage. This SD card slot can also be used to save sensor parameters and control application settings to allow the same settings to be replicated in another multiCELL controller - ensuring accurate transfer of control parameters between sites. The advantage of this modular
expansion facility is that multiCELL users only pay for the features that they actually require and since the multiCELL provides a single controller/transmitter across a wide range of applications, inventory and training costs are also both minimised. In the long term, the total
Above: Bürkert’s type 8619 multiCELL transmitter/controller, which is well suited for a wide range of
applications in water treatment using pH, conductivity and flow sensors, ORP and temperature measurements
Below: the waste water treatment process uses mechanical, biological and chemical actions to remove the various pollutants, all of which use sensor feedback to manage the
process efficiently
cost of ownership is greatly reduced when compared to those systems currently in use. The multi-function controller has been designed with both the installer and the operator in mind. The huge range of features and the modular design allows the system to be customised to the clients’ exact requirements, while the easy, intuitive user interface can be configured in four different views to display the most relevant information to a particular application. Different users can configure different views, depending on the area of control they are interested in. Similar principles have also been used
in the design of the mxCONTROL multi-function controller, type 8620, which has the additional benefits of Ethernet or modem communication as well as the ability to control digital dosing pumps. The programming capabilities enable integrators and end users to make fast program modifications during commissioning, future upgrades and maintenance. Again, there is an SD card slot for data
logging and saving parameter settings to save time when installing a number of units across different sites. By using a simple user interface, easily configured control programs and common sensors, the whole process from design to implementation is streamlined for efficiency, reducing training time, parts inventory and overall cost of ownership.
CONCLUSION Both solutions allow direct connection to existing SCADA systems and other methods of site-wide monitoring and supervisory control, so adding connectivity to PH sensors and flow meters for example, can add to the automation efficiency of a plant.
Bürkert Fluid Control System
www.burkert.co.uk T: 01285 648 720
Enter 205 /AUTOMATION
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