Why does silicate need to be monitored?

Silicate (SiO₂) is a natural component of many bodies of water and enters industrial processes via the raw water. In low concentrations, silicate is inconspicuous – but at just a few ppm, glass-like, extremely hard deposits can form on turbine blades, membranes and heat exchangers. These deposits are very difficult to remove and lead to a loss of performance, increased energy consumption and costly downtime.

Silicate monitoring is particularly critical in power plants, ultrapure water systems and wherever mixed-bed filters or reverse osmosis membranes are used. Continuous online monitoring detects the depletion of the filter media at an early stage and protects downstream system components.

What is the SYCON SiO2?

The SYCON SiO2 from RLS Wacon is a fully automatic online analyzer for the quantitative determination of the silicate or silica concentration in process water. It works according to the colorimetric method and covers a broad spectrum with two measuring ranges: from ultra-pure water monitoring in the lower ppb range to highly contaminated process water with up to 150 ppm SiO₂.

The device offers the full range of functions of the SYCON platform: four relay outputs, Modbus RTU, analog output 4-20 mA, two digital inputs and a 9-language graphical display.

How does the SYCON SiO2 work?

The SYCON SiO2 works according to the colorimetric method. A water sample is automatically fed into the measuring chamber. The reagents are then added: Three reagents (Silicate-A, -B and -C) are used in the LR measuring range (Low Range) and two (Silicate-B and -C) in the HR measuring range (High Range). The reagents generate a color reaction whose intensity is proportional to the silicate concentration. An optical sensor evaluates the color intensity and calculates the measured value.

Before each measurement, the device automatically performs a zero point adjustment to compensate for disturbance variables such as turbidity or contamination. The analysis time is approx. 15 minutes. The measured values are shown on the display and automatically logged on the SD card.

Two measuring ranges for different requirements

The measured value can be displayed either as silicate (Si) or silicic acid (SiO₂) in the units mg/l, ppm, µg/l or ppb.

Advantages of the SYCON SiO2

• Wide measuring range from 0.02 to 150 ppm SiO₂

  Two measuring ranges (LR and HR) cover ultrapure water to highly contaminated process water

• Automatic zero point adjustment before each measurement

  Compensates for turbidity, contamination and extraneous light – reliable results even under difficult conditions

• Early detection of filter exhaustion

  Ideal for monitoring mixed bed filters – recommended between main filter and police filter

• RS485 interface with Modbus RTU

  Seamless integration into PLC and SCADA systems for central process monitoring

• 4 potential-free relay outputs

  Limit value 1, limit value 2, device fault, analysis active / cooling water valve / reagent message

• Compact, corrosion-free plastic housing

  All components easily accessible – maintenance of the measuring chamber possible without tools

• Self-calibrating sensor

  No manual calibration required during regular operation

• 9-language graphic display with SD card

  Complete logging, installation wizard, software updates via SD card

Der Beitrag SYCON SiO2 erschien zuerst auf RLS Wacon analytics.