Contamination monitoring

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Monitoring fine dust

Textile attractions

The RMIO0 e m i s s i o n m o n i t o r from Erwin Sick is said to satisfy t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s of t h e TA-Luft legislation, monitoring e x h a u s t gases w h e r e p&rticulate levels are less t h a n B a c h a r a c h N o • l . It p r o v i d e s continuous measurement of low c o n c e n t r a t i o n s of fine dust. The unit gives c o n t a c t - f r e e • m e a s u r e m e n t d i r e c t l y in exhaust gas s t r e a m s h a v i n g tern- . p e r a t u r e s up t o 280°C. It is a s c a t t e r e d l i g h t d e v i c e , in w h i c h l i g h t f r o m t h e i n t e n s e s o u r c e in t h e s e n d e r u n i t irradiates particles in t h e gas, and the s c a t t e r e d r e f l e c t e d l i g h t is collected by a sensor mounted at a set a n g l e to t h e gas channel• The o u t p u t e l e c t r o n i c s u n i t calculates t h e p a r t i c u l a t e c o n centration and the Bacharach n u m b e r by c o m p a r i n g t h e original light i n t e n s i t y w i t h t h a t of the reflected light. Optics a n d e l e c t r o n i c s are c o n t a i n e d in a h o u s i n g w h i c h is f l a n g e m o u n t e d d i r e c t l y o n

Sir J o h n H a r v e y J o n e s wilt be telling textile executives how t o m a k e t h i n g s h a p p e n at t h e Textile Institute's annual w o r l d c o n f e r e n c e to be h e l d in Dundee, Scotland from N o v e m b e r 19-22. The c o n f e r e n c e is e x p e c t e d

Awards for 'clean technology' Two environmental awards for its l o w w a s t e g a s - p h a s e polyethylene production process (the BP f l u i d bed process) have been w o n by BP C h e m i cals SNC. The prizes, f o r t h e p r o c e s s at its L a v e r a plant, n e a r M a r seilles, France, w e r e e a c h in 'Clean Technology' categories. T h e c o m p a n y w o n t h e first in t h e '1990 E u r o p e a n Better E n v i r o n m e n t A w a r d s for Industry' and s e c o n d prize in the affiliated F r e n c h c o m petition, "Enterprise et Environnement'. P o l y e t h y l e n e w a s first prod u c e d at t h e L a v e r a p l a n t in 1958• S u b s e q u e n t l y a n e w catalyst w a s d e v e l o p e d w h i c h , through catalyst recovery, r e d u c e d d i s c h a r g e s of a l c o h o l resulting f r o m t h e o r i g i n a l p r o d u c t i o n process. T h e catalyst is a t i t a n i u m / m a g n e s i u m salt a c t i v a t e d b y a l u m i n i u m alkyl. The BP C h e m i c a l gas p h a s e t e c h n o l o g y , d e v e l o p e d t o utilise this catalyst, w h i c h w o n the E u r o p e a n prize, is said a l m o s t c o m p l e t e l y to e l i m i nate chemical oxygen d e m a n d (COD) in effluent, reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 96% a n d solid w a s t e by 70%, a n d h a l v e e l e c t r i c i t y consumption. BP Chemicals Ltd, International Information Centre. BP/95, PO Box 6, Cfifton. Nottingham NG116PW. Filtration & Separation

Contamination monitoring

t o the flue. Parts o f t h e instrum e n t f a c i n g t h e gas a r e prot e c t e d f r o m a g g r e s s i v e gases a n d c o n t a m i n a t i o n by a tridirectional air-purging cushion. T h e B a c h a r a c h v a l u e is b a s e d o n a scale of 0-10, f r o m clean exhaust to very high particulate emission• The T A - L u f t l e g i s l a t i o n relates t o e x h a u s t gases f r o m l i g h t oilfired boilers with a capacity b e t w e e n five and 25MW. It r e q u i r e s t h a t 'the m e a s u r e m e n t s y s t e m shall p e r m i t t h e d e t e c t i o n o f a d e g r e e of b l a c k ness e q u a l to B a c h a r a c h No.1 with adequate certainty.' Erwin Sick. Opto-Electronics Ltd, Waidkirch House. 39 Hedley Road. St Albans. Herts AL 15BN.

A software package from B I R A L f o r u s e w i t h TSI cleanroom monitoring systems, collects, displays and s t o r e s d a t a o n c o n t a m i n a t i o n m o n i t o r i n g f r o m up t o 1,000 sensors. I n f o r m a t i o n is d i s p l a y e d in real t i m e so t h a t c h a n g e s in c o n t a m i n a t i o n levels o r env i r o n m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s can b e detected immediately. Warnings and alarms appear on a customised map of t h e a r e a b e i n g m o n i t o r e d . The s o f t w a r e p r e s e n t s detailed data on particle-count levels at e v e r y m o n i t o r e d location, a n d t h e d a t a can be transferred to database mana g e m e n t p a c k a g e s f o r det a i l e d analysis. T h e s o f t w a r e is c o n t r o l l e d by a series of e a s y - t o - u s e menus, parameters, screens a n d c o m m a n d keys• B u i l t - i n f l e x i b i l i t y is said t o m a k e it s i m p l e to c o n f i g u r e a m o n i toring system that will meet i n d i v i d u a l needs. Bristol Industrial & Research Associates Lid {BIRAL). PO Box 2, Portishead. Bristol BS20 9JB.

t o a t t r a c t o v e r 500 d e l e g a t e s f r o m m o r e t h a n 35 c o u n t r i e s w o r l d w i d e . It w i l l c o n s i d e r t h e t h e m e ' T e x t i l e s at t h e Crossroads' with speakers from many countries including the USA, USSR, J a p a n and t h e UK, a n d e x p l o r e t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s a n d c h a l l e n g e s of t h e c h a n g e s in t h e p o l i t i c a l and technological worlds. T h e c o n f e r e n c e wilt also provide students with the opportunity to meet with w o r l d l e a d e r s in t h e t e x t i l e industry. The Institute, t h r o u g h t h e s u p p o r t of t e x t i l e o r g a n i s a t i o n s w o r l d w i d e , is o f f e r i n g 100 free p l a c e s t o g e t h e r w i t h subsistence and travel exp e n s e s to t e x t i l e s t u d e n t s f r o m all parts of t h e w o r l d . The Conference Dept, The Textile Institute, International Headquarters, 10 Black/fiats Street, Manchester M3 5DR.

Aerosol monitoring The Casella AMS950 aerosol monitoring system from Wessex P o w e r T e c h n o l o g y is a h a n d - h e l d , fully a u t o m a t i c survey instrument to detect •a i r b o r n e p a r t i c l e s in t w o r a n g e s : 0-20 a n d 0 - 2 0 0 m g / m a. A detachable probe allows access t o r e s t r i c t e d spaces. W i t h a l a r g e LCD display, it gives instant warning of d a n g e r levels, and, t o satisfy COSHH requirement, an output socket connects to a logger or chart recorder. Wessex Power Technology Ltd, Wessex House, 189 Ashley Road, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH14 9DL•

Dealing with c e r a m i c dust C e r a m i c dust c r e a t e d in t h e tile p r e s s i n g facility at Pilkington's Tiles in M a n c h e s t e r is n o w b e i n g d e a l t with by a c o l l e c t i o n s y s t e m from Farr. It is a 40,O00ft°/min T e n k e y 1 2 0 L s y s t e m , c o m p l e t e with fan d e v e l o p i n g 14in w a t e r g a u g e . Alt t h e existing duct w o r k e x h a u s t i n g t h e 10 p o w e r p r e s s e s w a s s t r i p p e d out a n d r e p l a c e d , c o n n e c t i n g to a n e w 1 . 3 m d i a m e t e r m a i n duct. Dust l a d e n air from e a c h of the p r e s s e s is e x t r a c t e d f r o m eight s e p a r a t e suction ports, s e r v i n g critical dust p r o d u c i n g a r e a s in t h e p r e s s shop s u c h a s t h e p r e s s h e a d a n d v i b r a t o r y s c r e e n . T h e air velocity in the ducts is 3,50Oft/rain.

Farrr Europe. 272 Kings Road. Tyse/ey. Birmingham B 11 2AB.

July/August 1990

Removing aerosols from FGD systems The products for the separation a n d c o a l e s c i n g s y s t e m s d e s c r i b e d in t h e a r t i c l e b y H C R e i j n e n of S y m a l i t u n d e r t h e a b o v e title in t h e last issue of the j o u r n a l , are B-Gon tm a n d K o n - T a n e tin, t r a d e m a r k s o f K i m r e Inc, USA. 241