Mystery Odor

A Lake Dallas, Texas town is being plagued by odors coming from a water treatment plant just outside the city limits. The odor is being carried by the wind, and swept as far as all the way into the center of town. Locals have complained about the odor which the mayor says can be smelled on a daily basis. Officials are unsure if the smell is from chemicals used in the treatment process, or if it is from organic matter being treated. However, the mayor states “I think it’s just going to be boiled down to using the right technology and probably the economics,” Marino said. “How much is it going to cost you to improve the technology and eliminate the smell?” Locals are anxious to get to the bottom of the situation, since the odor seems to be getting worse.

Analytical Technology Inc's Model A23-14 Ozone Generator could be used in this situation as a way to help in the odor control from the water treatment pland. The Model A23-14 Ozone Generator is a portable generator designed to produce an ozone gas concentration below 1 PPM, which can be used for detector calibration at almost any location. The use of ozone gas is increasing rapidly in a wide variety of applications, such as water treatment, odor control, and food processing.

Keywords: Model A23-14, Ozone Generator, Odor Control, Water Treatmenta

Q45H/65 Chlorine Dioxide Monitor

ATI’s Model Q45H/65 Residual Chlorine Dioxide Monitor is designed for on-line monitoring and control of industrial disinfection systems. Chlorine dioxide is a powerful disinfecting agent used for treating potable water, cooling water, and food processing wash water. To ensure proper disinfection while minimizing disinfection by-products, the concentration of chlorine dioxide must be precisely maintained.

Unlike on-line colorimetric and most amperometric monitors, Q45H Chlorine Dioxide systems utilize a membrane-covered polarographic sensor that does not require the addition of chemical reagents.  The Q45H Chlorine Dioxide system has no moving parts, so there are no pumps or motors that burn out or tubing breaks that create maintenance nightmares. All normal maintenance items are included with each system.

 Installation of Q45/65 Residual Chlorine Monitor (Transmitter, Analyzer) is simple and you can be up and running in a few hours.  All that’s needed is a constant flow of water across the face of the sensor, and this is provided by a simple constant-head flowcell. The sample water is unaffected by the measurement and can be safely discharged back into the process.

The ATI Model Q45H/65 Residual Chlorine Dioxide system responds to chlorine dioxide with minimal interference from any residual chlorine that may be present.

Available in loop-powered transmitter, AC operated analyzer, or battery operated portable versions, the Q45H/65 is well suited for almost any chlorine dioxide measurement requirement. Even a portable data-logging version is available for temporary installation or process studies. And for even more flexibility, the instrument is available with an optional pH sensor input that allows a single unit to provide both chlorine dioxide and pH analog outputs.

Q45D Dissolved Oxygen Monitor

ATIs Model Q45D Dissolved Oxygen monitor provides reliable oxygen measurement and reduced maintenance costs. The galvanic dissolved oxygen sensor uses a rugged 5 mil Teflon membrane to resist mechanical abrasions and tears. The membrane serves as a barrier to allow molecular oxygen to diffuse into the reaction cell where it is reduced, producing a small current which is proportional to oxygen concentration. In applications where process constituents adhere to the membrane, frequent membrane cleaning is required. To keep the dissolved oxygen system nearly maintenance free, an optional Auto-Cleaner can be included to remove those materials that build up on the sensor membrane. The cleaning cycle is user selectable to maximize the cleaning effectiveness. When sensor maintenance is required, our cartridge-based sensor makes it fast and easy. Where other manufacturers make you throw away the cartridge, we’ve made our cartridge field repairable. We also include enough replacement parts to rebuild your cartridge ten times. All dissolved oxygen sensors are affected by process coating. Any material that slows the diffusion of oxygen into the reaction cell will cause an error in the oxygen reading. If the system doesn’t have a means to clean itself, the sensor will require frequent manual cleanings, which means higher maintenance costs. Our self contained Auto-Clean system generates a series of high pressure air blasts to remove foulants from the face of the sensor. Each cleaning cycle lasts approximately 3 minutes, during which the monitor outputs are placed in a HOLD condition to prevent false readings or alarms. The user can vary the cleaning cycle frequency from as often as once every two hours, to as little as once a day. ATI was the first to introduce a dissolved oxygen system that cleans itself with air. Others have tried to copy our system, but none are more effective at removing biological growth and other contaminants than the ATI Auto-Clean system. So don’t be fooled by imitation air pump cleaners that are minimally effective at cleaning your sensor. Trust the original Air-Blast system. Trust the best.

A14/A11 Stationary Gas Monitor

GasSens is a flexible component system providing a variety of options to meet individual gas detection and alarm requirements. From chemical and petrochemical plants to food processors, the GasSens system can be applied to the simplest or most complex gas detection application. Economical and low maintenance, this system is your best choice for reliable leak detection.

GasSens detection systems consist of individual modules that can be located where required. Sensor/transmitters, located in the area where gas leakage or buildup might occur, provide the basic measurement for the system. Sensor transmitters are available in either NEMA 4X or explosion-proof versions and can be supplied with ATI’s exclusive Auto-Test automatic sensor testing system, greatly reducing operator testing requirements.

Receiver modules provide the electronic brains for the detection and alarm system. Each compact module includes a digital display of gas concentration, isolated analog output, and 4 relay outputs. Receivers may be located up to 1000 feet from sensor/transmitters for remote indication, or can provide local control functions such as valve shutoff while transmitting a 4-20 mA signal to remote displays or data loggers.

 Universal power supply modules provide DC power to receivers. The power supply is housed in a compact module similar to the receiver, and will accept inputs from 85 to 265 volts, AC or DC, without adjustment. The power supply also provides a power failure relay and charging for an optional battery back-up unit.

Natural Gas Leak in the British North Sea

Natural gas drilling platforms were evacuated in the British North Sea because of a gas leak that could be easily ignited. Methane as well as hydrogen sulfide gasses are present in the potentially explosive mix, as well as leaking liquid gas into the water. A well that is primarily natural gas would dissipate into the air, however, this well contains what is termed “sour gas” which contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas. The leak is proving to be difficult to cap, because the distance required to keep the crew safe is not conducive for options such as drilling relief wells. Though chemical dispersants have not been deemed necessary for the amount of liquid gas in the sea, every precaution is being taken, as to the safety of all involved. Levels of hydrogen sulfide and methane gasses will have to be measured constantly as the capping and recovery process of this disaster begins.

Keywords: methane gas, hydrogen sulfide gas, gas detection, D12 Gas Transmitter

Ammonia Gas Sickens 300

Ammonia gas is believed to have sickened 300 workers at a Malaysian Hyundai plant at the beginning of April. Maintenance workers arrived and smelled the gas, becoming dizzy, nauseated, and watery-eyed. However, when they tried to get out in order to escape the ammonia gas, they found the gates locked, and were forced to wait for a key to be found. Several plant workers were sent to local hospitals for suspected ammonia gas inhalation. Emergency crews were unable to find the source of the gas leak, though they continued to monitor the plant for ammonia gas.

All of that could have been avoided, if they had simply obtained an ATI SeriesC16 PortaSens II Portable Gas Leak Detector.

ATIs Series C16 PortaSens II Portable Gas Leak Detector is a versatile tool for performing regular leak checks in gas storage areas, around process equipment and piping, or in confined spaces prior to entry. A unique feature of the C16 detector is its ability to measure a variety of different gases by simply inserting the appropriate sensor for that gas. This means that one detector can be used to measure over 30 different gases or vapors, reducing the need to purchase individual detectors for each type of gas.

Keywords: Ammonia Gas, Ammonia Gas Sensor, Ammonia Gas Detector, Ammonia Gas Analyzer, Gas Leak Detector

Natural Gas Drilling and Water Safety

Natural gas drilling and water safety have lately been debated in Dimock, Pennsylvania, and the Environmental Protection Agency has had to step in and test water for contamination. While the EPA says that the water is testing as safe for consumption, residents of the town are claiming that their water is contaminated because of the natural gas drilling process known as “fracking” in which chemicals are injected into the ground to release deposits of natural gas. While regulators determined that the gas company did contaminate an aquifer with explosive methane gas, the water was still safe to drink. The EPA also determined that the drinking water was safe, though residents have a pending lawsuit that says otherwise.

Keywords: methane gas, gas analyzer, gas detector, C12-17 Combustible Gas Transmitter, gas transmitter