A NEW CONTROL/OPTIMIZATION INSTRUMENT FOR COAGULATION MANAGEMENT

SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT REQUIREMENTS WILL SOON MANDATE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE IN DRINKING WATER PURIFICATION PLANTS NATIONALLY FOR BOTH TURBIDITY (POTENTIAL DISEASE TRANSMITTING PARTICLES) AND FOR DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS CONTROL (POTENTIAL CARCINOGENS). IMPROVED CHEMICAL COAGULATION DOSE AND OPTIMIZATION ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR ACHIEVING BOTH OF THESE OBJECTIVES SIMULTANEOUSLY IN EXISTING FILTRATION PLANTS. PRESENT DAY INSTRUMENTATION AND PROCEDURES ARE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE. STREAMING CURRENT DETECTORS CANNOT BE CALIBRATED TO A KNOWN REFERENCE AND REQUIRE HIGHLY SKILLED TECHNICIANS TO SET AND MAINTAIN CONTROL ON COURSE. OPTIMIZATION WITH THE JAR TEST,A TRUSTED STANDARD, IS SKILL AND LABOR INTENSIVE, AND IS TOOINSENSITIVE FOR MANY MODERN WATER TREATMENT PLANTS. A FIBER OPTICAL PARTICLE ANALYZER (FOPA) IS A NEW SENSOR THAT IS USED TO MEASURE TWO INDEPENDENT COAGULATION RESPONSES; COLLOID CHARGE AND FLOC RATE. A DUAL-SENSOR INSTRUMENT, INTERFACED TO A COMPUTER, IS POTENTIALLY CAPABLEOF PERFORMING BOTH THE NEEDED FUNCTIONS OF CONTROL AND OPTIMIZATION IN AN AUTOMATED FASHION. THE DEVICE IS POTENTIALLY RAPID, AND "SMART" BECAUSE IT IS BASED UPON UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF THE COAGULATION PROCESS. CLEAR CORPORATION ENTERPRISES, INC.'S, OBJECTIVE IS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS NEW CONTROL/OPTIMIZATION CONCEPT USING DUAL PROBES. MAJOR QUESTIONS ADDRESSED ARE: (1) HOW IS THE PROBE BEST CONFIGURED TO ACHIEVE AUTOMATED, DEDICATED, CLOSED-LOOP, ON-LINE CONTROL, (2) HOW IS A SECONDVERSION OF THE PROBE BEST CONFIGURED TO ACHIEVE AUTOMATED OPTIMIZATION ANALYSIS, (3) CAN THESE DUAL PROBES TRULY BE USED TO "HELP" EACH OTHER, AND (4) CAN THIS DEVICE ADDRESS THE PRESSING NEW REGULATORY DRINKING WATER REQUIREMENTS TO BOTH REDUCE PARTICLES (TURBIDITY) AND A PORTION OF ORGANIC PRECURSORS LEADING TO DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS. THE PROPOSED NEW INTELLIGENT, CONTROL/OPTIMIZATION INSTRUMENT IS ATTRACTIVE BECAUSE IT COULD POTENTIALLY REDUCEOPERATOR TRAINING DEMANDS AND WORK LOAD FOR THIS UNIQUELY MOST CRITICAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT OPERATING VARIABLE-COAGULATION CHEMISTRY. UNLIKE STREAMING CURRENT, THIS DEVICE IS BASED ON CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS AND AS SUCH SHOULD PROVIDE A COMMON REFERENCE AND THREAD TO GREATLY SIMPLIFY COAGULATION SO THAT IT CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVELY MANIPULATED AT EXISTING AND NEW FACILITIES.