POLYMER CONCENTRATION MONITORING SYSTEM AND USE THEREOF

• US 20090060783A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Barrett, Kenneth Charles, Xiao, Caibin
• Application Number:
  US11/849,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20090060783A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/62
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0033 Optimalisation processes, i.e. processes with adaptive control systems adaptive control systems per se G05B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00184 controlling the weight of reactants in the reactor vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00186 controlling the composition of the reactive mixture
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/023 Water in cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/00 Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents softening using ion-exchange C02F1/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2035 by deviating part of a fluid stream, e.g. by drawing-off or tapping
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/38 Diluting, dispersing or mixing samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3148 using three or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3181 using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0627 Use of several LED's for spectral resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1893 using flow cells

Abstract

A system has been found which monitors and measures the concentration of polymer dispersant in industrial water systems, such as open recirculating, cooling tower water. The system comprises a polymer concentration monitor which is an in-line analyzer, and which has the ability to measure more than one characteristic or component at a time. The polymer concentration monitor is comprised of a filter module and a detection module. The incoming water first passes through the filter module and then on to the detection module and then out of the system.

According to one embodiment, the detection unit comprises a sample preparation unit, pumps, an optical measurement unit, a temperature measurement and control unit and an electronics unit. The optical measurement unit is comprised of a single or multiple photo optical components. The presence of more than one photo optical component provides the ability to perform more than one measurement at one time.

Claims

1. An online polymer concentration monitoring system comprising:

a filter module; and

a detection module, wherein the detection module comprises a sample preparation unit, pumps, an optical measurement unit, a temperature measurement and control unit and an electronics unit.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the optical measurement unit comprises one photo optical unit.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the optical measurement unit comprises multiple photo optical units.

4. An online polymer concentration monitoring system comprising:

a filter module comprising a combination of filters;

a sample preparation unit comprising a sample pump, a level-switch sample cup, and a solenoid valve;

an optical measurement unit comprising at least one pair of light-emitting diodes and photodiodes, an optical detection zone and a light-emitting diode/photodiode holder;

a temperature measurement and control unit comprising a thermocouple, a heater and a control unit; and

an electronics unit.

5. The monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the electronics unit controls the functions of the other units and additionally calculates polymer concentration.

6. The monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the light-emitting diode/photodiode holder comprises tubing traversing a central through-hole in the holder.

7. The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the tubing is ⅛

″

tubing.

8. The monitoring system of claim 4 which further comprises pumps responsible to deliver three water based streams, one containing a water sample from the sample preparation unit, one containing buffer reagent and one containing dye reagent.

9. The monitoring system of claim 8 wherein the electronics unit comprises a programmable logic control that defines stroke frequency and volume for pumps that deliver the three water based streams.

10. An industrial water cooling tower system comprising the online polymer concentration monitor system of claim 4.

11. The water cooling tower system of claim 10 wherein the polymer concentration monitor system is installed in the chemical treatment loop.