Apparatus for, System for and Methods of Maintaining Sensor Accuracy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016202155-A1
Application number	US-201514594589-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of maintaining accuracy in the measurement of one or more parameters of industrial water in industrial water systems is disclosed. The methods comprise the use of physical and chemical means to prevent and/or remove deposition from one or more surfaces utilized in measurement of the one or more parameters. The deposition may be caused by, for example, corrosion, fouling, or microbiological growth.

First claim

1 . A method of maintaining accuracy in the measurement of a parameter of industrial water utilized in an industrial water system, the method comprising:
contacting a liquid stream at a liquid stream pressure with a surface utilized in measurement of a parameter of the industrial water in the industrial water system; and introducing a gaseous stream into the liquid stream at a gaseous stream pressure of from about 10 psi to about 100 psi greater than the liquid stream pressure, thereby causing the combined gaseous and liquid stream to contact the surface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid stream comprises water.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the liquid stream is an industrial water stream of the industrial water system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous stream is introduced into the liquid stream at a gaseous stream pressure of from 20 to 50 psi greater than the liquid stream pressure.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is located in a narrowed portion of the liquid stream.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous stream is introduced in a direction perpendicular from the liquid stream.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous stream comprises a gaseous substance selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen, oxygen, an acid gas, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous stream comprises an acid gas selected from the group consisting of: a carbon-containing acid gas, a sulfur-containing acid gas, a nitrogen-containing acid gas, a chlorine-containing acid gas, and combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein pellets of carbon dioxide are introduced with the gaseous stream into the liquid stream.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is selected from the group consisting of: a wetted surface of a temperature sensor, a wetted surface of a pH sensor, a wetted surface of an oxidation-reduction potential sensor, a wetted surface of a corrosion detection sensor, a wetted surface of a light transference medium, a wetted surface of a flow meter, and combinations thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is measured using a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a pH sensor, an oxidation-reduction potential sensor, a corrosion detection sensor, an optical sensor, weight-measuring sensor, and combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a wetted surface of a light transference medium.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising fanning the combined gaseous and liquid stream as it flows toward the wetted surface of the light transference medium.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the combined gaseous and liquid stream flows past a quill configured to provide the fanning of the combined gaseous and liquid stream.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the quill is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel, an alloy comprising stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaseous stream is introduced intermittently into the liquid stream.

17 . A method of maintaining accuracy in the measurement of a plurality of parameters of industrial water in an industrial water system, the method comprising:
contacting an industrial water stream at an industrial water stream pressure with a plurality of surfaces utilized for measuring a plurality of parameters of the industrial water in the industrial water system; isolating a first subset of the surfaces from the industrial water stream while a second subset of the surfaces maintains contact with the industrial water stream; cleaning at least one surface of the first subset while the second subset maintains contact with the industrial water stream; restoring contact of the industrial water stream with the first subset of surfaces; wherein the first subset of the surfaces comprises at least one of a wetted surface of a pH sensor, a wetted surface of an oxidation-reduction potential sensor, and a wetted surface of a light transference medium; and wherein the second subset of the surfaces comprises at least one of a wetted surface of a corrosion detection sensor and a wetted surface of a conductivity sensor.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the cleaning comprises contacting a combined gaseous and liquid stream with the at least one surface of the first subset.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the cleaning comprises contacting a cleaning solution with the at least one surface of the first subset.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the cleaning solution comprises aqueous urea hydrogen chloride.

21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the combined gaseous and liquid stream comprises a cleaning solution.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the cleaning solution comprises aqueous urea hydrogen chloride.

23 . A method of maintaining accuracy in the measurement of a parameter of industrial water utilized in an industrial water system, the method comprising:
(a) contacting an industrial water stream at an industrial water stream pressure with at least one of a wetted surface of a pH sensor and a wetted surface of an oxidation-reduction potential sensor; (b) measuring pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential of the industrial water stream; (c) contacting at least one of the wetted surfaces with a cleaning solution comprising urea hydrogen chloride for a first period of time and at a concentration sufficient to clean the at least one of the wetted surfaces; (d) re-contacting the industrial water stream at the industrial water stream pressure with the cleaned at least one of the wetted surfaces for a second period of time, thereby measuring pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential of the industrial water stream using cleaned pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential sensors; (e) creating a recovery curve related to the measured pH sensor and/or the measured oxidation-reduction potential using the cleaned pH and/or oxidation reduction potential sensors; (f) repeating steps a) through e); (g) comparing the respective recovery curves created via step d); (h) if the comparison of the respective recovery curves demonstrates acceptable sensor degradation, continuing to measure pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential of the industrial water stream with the pH sensor and/or the oxidation-reduction potential sensor; and (i) if the comparison of the recovery curves demonstrates unacceptable sensor degradation, removing from service the pH sensor and/or the oxidation-reduction potential sensor that demonstrates the unacceptable sensor degradation.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein unacceptable sensor degradation is determined by a deviation in measured pH and/or oxidation-reduction potential of at least about 5% at an equivalent point in time subsequent the re-contacting of the industrial water stream.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the equivalent point in time subsequent the re-contacting of the industrial water stream is a point in time from about 1 minute to about 120 minutes subsequent the re-contacting of the industrial water stream.

26 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the equivalent point in time subsequent the re-contacting of the industrial water stream is a point in time from about 10 minutes to about 60 minutes subsequent the re-contacting o

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Xiong Kun
• Davis Brandon M
• Von Drasek William A

Classifications

• G01N33/18 Primary

  Water · CPC title

• G01N17/02

  Electrochemical measuring systems for weathering, corrosion or corrosion-protection measurement · CPC title

• G01N27/4167

  pH (electrodes therefor G01N27/302, G01N27/36) · CPC title

• Y10T436/12

  Condition responsive control · CPC title

• G01N1/34 Primary

  Purifying; Cleaning {(processes or apparatus for extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003)} · CPC title