Titrando Detects Water In Liquids, Solids Or Gases

Metrohm has introduced the 851 Titrando titrator for low-level water detection in liquid, solid or gaseous samples. The 851 Titrando offers the possibility to determine the Bromine index coulometrically. The conventional titration cell, as well as the generator electrode with diaphragm, can also be used for this application. Only the anolyte and the catholyte need to be changed.

The instrument recognises the addition of a sample and starts the determination automatically. Up to four dosinos and dosing units can be attached to the MSB ports of the coulometer. In combination with the 851 Titrando, these can be used for the addition of sample, water-standard or auxiliary solutions, such as solubilisers. The reagent exchange can be automated, which means that the titration cell does not need to be opened and, subsequently, no humidity can enter the cell. Long conditioning times after a reagent exchange can thus be avoided.

Flo-Eco Water Heater Delivers High Efficiency

Armstrong International has launched the Flo-Eco high-efficiency water heater, a compact, condensing, storage-type heater said to delivers 95 per cent efficiency in most operational modes. When equipped with the Armstrong Brain digital re-circulating valve (DRV), the Flo-Eco delivers precise temperature control for a variety of environments including long-term healthcare facilities, hotels, schools, office buildings and apartments.

Flo-Eco offers what Armstrong International claims to be the industry's only replaceable tank liner. The Tuff-Tank liner is constructed of an industrial material rated for continuous use at temperatures up to 185F. It is said to be so effective in protecting the underlying tank substrate that sacrificial anodes rods are not required. System connectivity via Armstrong Brainscan, a digital hot water management system console optionally supplied with the Brain, offers hot water monitoring and control linked with resident BAS (Bacnet, Lonworks, Modbus), and can be web enabled.

Flo-Eco can be pre-piped and stacked horizontally on a small single footprint to save floor space, piping, venting, labour and expense. In fact, a Flo-Eco Triple can be moved through a 28 x 80in doorway. Flo-Eco water heaters carry a 10-year tank warranty and a five-year heat exchanger warranty. The Brain (DRV80) also comes with a complete five-year warranty on all component parts.

Reservoir Mixing System Improves Water Quality

The Resmix reservoir mixing system installed in a Scottish reservoir earlier in 2009 has completed its first summer with encouraging results, according to Gurney Environmental. The Resmix technology, developed by Water Engineering and Research Solutions, uses a slowly rotating impeller to skim a layer of water from the surface of the reservoir and then 'push' it down to the bottom. The advantage of top-to-bottom exchange is that dissolved oxygen (DO), which is plentiful at the surface, can be made available where it is required at the bottom.

As a result the quality of water is improved and maintained. The Resmix system is claimed to have proven its effectiveness in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. In its first UK application, a Resmix 3000 was installed to reduce the levels of manganese and other metals arriving at the reservoir's treatment works. Using approximately 1kW of energy the Resmix system has been designed to maintain uniform conditions in the 3,700 mega litre reservoir reducing summer peaks of manganese to levels treatable by the existing treatment works and therefore negating the need for an expensive upgrade.

David Orme of Gurney Environmental said: 'Manganese release occurs in reservoirs and water impoundments due to the natural process of stratification occurring during the summer months. 'The surface layer of the reservoir is warmed by sunlight and becomes more buoyant than the water below, preventing the underlying water from reaching the surface. 'Trapped beneath the warm surface layer, the main body of water becomes depleted of DO. 'The resulting low concentration of DO causes iron, manganese and other metal salts to leach from sediments leading to discolouration, odour and bad taste. 'Stagnation of the water also encourages the growth of algae in the surface layer.

Traditional methods of mixing reservoirs, typically either compressed air diffuser systems or mechanical mixers, bring poor quality water from the bottom, and mix it into the entire water column. This requires large amounts of electrical energy and can in some cases even exacerbate water quality problems. Andy Muir from Scottish Water Solutions added: 'We have had the Resmix unit in service now for the best part of a year. 'During this time we have monitored both the manganese levels in the raw water and the reservoir oxygen levels and temperature. 'Owing to some technical difficulties with, among other things our temporary power supply, the Resmix unit was not operating for an extended period at the hottest part of the year.

'During this period our monitors showed that reservoir stratification occurred and with it an increase in soluble manganese levels in the raw water. 'Stratification was evident from temperature and oxygen differentials from top to bottom of the water column. 'With the Resmix system back in service there was a marked drop in soluble manganese and the reservoir temperature and oxygen differentials decreased. 'This is a favourable outcome as the cost of running this unit is a fraction of the cost of running a filtration removal plant.

BNZ Oil-Water Cooler Has Extended Cooling Surface

The BNZ series oil-water cooler from JBJ Techniques features aluminium fins and a rigid tube stack. The company said advantages include an extended cooling surface, compact design, low pressure loss, integrated test ports, cooling capacity up to 500kW flow rate up to 850l/min.

The standard BNZ series offers four shells with available lengths of up to 2,200mm. Newcool also offers tailor-made solutions to the most arduous applications and according to customer specification. BNZ coolers are suitable for all industrial and marine environments.

Flowmeters Monitor Waste Water

The Wells Sanitary District waste water treatment facility has installed four Optiflux electromagnetic flowmeters to monitor the flow of sludge at the treatment plant. The newly refurbished plant on the southern coast of Maine, USA treats up to 7.5 million litres of waste water per day. Engineering consultants redesigned many of the systems and processes at the facility and replaced all the existing electromagnetic flowmeters with Krohne's Optiflux instruments.

The Optiflux incorporates advanced measurement technology, which is highly accurate even when measuring substances with a high bubble or solid content or where there is turbulent flow. The flowmeters installed at Wells Sanitary District are being used to measure sludge recirculation and monitor the amount of effluent that is treated.

In the sludge recirculation area, which forms part of the of the facility's in-line waste activated sludge process, two Optiflux flowmeters are being used to measure the throughput of sludge, which is calculated per minute and per day. Another flowmeter is installed to measure the flow of sludge being removed from the system. The fourth Optiflux is used in the treated effluent area to measure the flow of treated water that flows through the facility.

Dennis Thayler, Superintendent at Wells Sanitary District, said: 'Many people don't realise that these meters operate 24/7, under demanding conditions, so they need to offer superior performance and reliability'. 'The use of accurate and reliable meters in this environment cannot be overstated'. 'Flowmeters are essential to the overall process here - and at any treatment facility, for that matter'.

The Wells Sanitary District now meets all safety standards required by the US environmental protection Agency (EPA) and Maine's Department of Environmental Protection. The Optiflux magmeter provides precise measurement across a wide and demanding range of applications. It can achieve an industry-leading accuracy of 0.15% and reproducibility of 0.06%, even when measuring materials with high solid content or that have turbulent flow.