Advanced Sensors - Produced Water Analysers

UK based Advanced Sensors Ltd have developed a range of maintenance-free oil in water monitors that can be connected via the Internet. The OIW EX 1000 series of oil-in-water analysers offer a number of market firsts including;

• Maintenance free self-cleaning
• Remote connectivity
• Enhanced measuring range from ppb up to 10,000ppm
• Online UV full scan spectrometer

The OSPAR 40mg/l discharge limit in place in the North Sea requires online produced water analysers to correlate with the defined reference method of GC-FID. To date, a number of technologies have been used to correlate an online analyser method with the defined lab method. Advanced Sensors Ltd's results prove a consistent correlation over a rolling period of +/-1ppm.

OIW EX 1000 SERIES OF OIL-IN-WATER ANALYSERS

The OIW EX analyser uses patented ultrasonic self-cleaning technology. This removes the need for maintenance, and provides a consistent, reliable measurement with ±1% accuracy. The large robust measuring chamber removes the need for any flow control, mechanical mixers, chemical additives or human intervention.

Advanced Sensors managing director, Khalid Thabeth, is proud that a major advancement in the EX1000 is that it is maintenance free. "Oil in water monitors have historically been plagued with faulting and contamination of the measuring sensors, the OIW EX1000 incorporates an ultrasonic cleaning technique that ensures the sensors remain clean and measurement accuracy does not deteriorate," said Thabeth.

REMOTE OIL IN WATER MONITORING

When OIW-EX 1000 units are networked to the Internet or intranet, remote monitoring, control and diagnostics are possible from anywhere in the world. The remote access to OIW-EX 1000 systems gives significant mobilization savings and ease of ownership. Combined with 24hour support from Advanced Sensors, all clients benefit from a 100% success rate.

"The unit is based on the Windows XP operating system and is supplied ready to connect to a companied network, this level of network connectivity allows the remote monitoring of the instrument and the remote diagnostics of the instrument by Advanced Sensors," said Thabeth.

The OIW-EX 1000 has an extremely dynamic operating range, detecting oil concentrations from lowppb to 10,000ppm. Instruments can be placed at multiple points through the process and monitored from one location. Thus enabling proactive intervention and process optimisation.

ONLINE SPECTROMETER

The OIW EX 1000 has an inbuilt optical spectrum analyser that allows for enhanced analysis of produced water. The online spectrometer offers a new standard of analysis in produced water monitoring.

The OIW EX1000 is also able to detect other abnormalities in the water. "We can see if there's an anomaly in what the unit is measuring by looking at the UV spectrum," said Thabeth, "this allows the instrument to detect chemical additives present in the process."

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF PRODUCED WATER

This market first offers information that was previously thought unattainable, empowering process engineers with a far greater insight of process dynamics resulting in even greater process management. Where detailed analysis of boiler feed water or heat exchanger mediums are necessary for process efficiency, the on-line spectrometer can detect chemical anomalies in the sample stream. Conversely, it is also possible to differentiate between normally present process chemicals and hydrocarbons in the produced water discharge.

The operating system is built on the globally recognised Windows operating system, offering a familiar environment and making operation of the instrument self-intuitive. The flexibility of Windows XP gives the analyser more software intelligence for calibration, diagnostics, detailed analysis and communications.

Data logging is fitted as standard in all OIW EX 100/1000 series analysers with a ten-year storage capacity. Software included helps users interrogate the detailed data, remotely or at the point of installation.