New TOC analyser monitors glycol at airports and industrial plants

Those responsible for managing wastewater run-off treatment from commercial or private airports, aerospace industry facilities, military bases and chemical processing plants will want to learn more about how the advanced Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyser from Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD) helps them manage ethylene glycol and other waste streams to safeguard water resources.

While primarily used for industrial process and manufacturing applications, ethylene glycol is key component in de-icing solutions for aircraft and airport runways during cold winter months. It is also found in automotive anti-freeze, coolant and brake fluids.

With its non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) detection technology, ECD’s TOC analyser helps pollution control engineers know that their wastewater treatment job is complete and that treated water effluent is ready for re-use or release. Installing this analyser helps facilities meet regulatory compliance requirements for treated facility storm or plant water with high confidence.

TOC analysers measure the carbon in the organic matter that is nearly always present in water, whether it is surface water, ground water or treated industrial wastewater. Measuring TOC levels can be an important process variable when monitoring and controlling organic matter in water with residual glycol and other hydrocarbon pollutants.

There are many Industries and applications for ECD’s TOC analyser. They include drinking water, feed and cooling water in manufacturing, facility runoff water and wastewater being discharged to the environment where an accurate and reliable TOC measurement is required to protect the water supply.

ECD’s TOC analyser is a full-featured instrument that utilises the UV persulfate oxidation sensing method, which detects generated carbon dioxide (CO2) using its highly stable NDIR detector for analysis. This method and the analyser conform to: US EPA, DIN, CE, ASTM and NAMUR regulations, as well as ISO.

ECD’s TOC analyser is simple to use: the water sample is first acidified and then sparged to remove inorganic carbon. The remaining liquid is mixed with sodium persulfate and digested by two high-performance reactors. The resulting CO2 is then stripped from the liquid and, after drying, its concentration is measured by the NDIR analyser. The analyser measures TOC’s ranging from 0-5 mg/L to 20,000 mg/L, indicating the presence of glycol.

The advanced design of ECD’s TOC analyser features a valve-free sample line, which largely eliminates blockages. The analyser’s auto clean, auto-calibration and auto-validation functions guarantee correct, reliable values that can be reproduced at any time without the need for manual intervention.

In comparison to conventional analysers where the flow is controlled by a glass tube rotameter, the carrier gas flow with the ECD TOC analyser is controlled digitally. The flow is monitored via built-in smart diagnostics and if an abnormal value is detected, the analyser stops automatically and displays a warning alert.

The rugged ECD TOC analyser is housed in a dual compartment enclosure. The water sample components are in one compartment, and the electronics are located in a second compartment for safety and highly reliable operation. The analyser compartment is rated IP54, NEMA 3, and conforms to EN610004-2, EN610004-4, C46-022, EN 55022 and EN 61326.

The highly intuitive TOC analyser features a user touchscreen display located on the front of the analyser. All output/input data, status information, alarms and fault conditions are shown on the display. Simply pressing the touchscreen buttons provides access to commands and settings. The system is password protected for security.

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