Metropolitan St.

Louis Sewer District | Pre-Design Report

49.1 D.O. PROBE AND SUSPENDED SOLIDS PROBE TECHNOLOGIES

49.1.1 D.O. Probe Technology
There are two types of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) probe technologies, membrane sensor and luminescent sensors. Membrane sensors use an electrode system where the anode and cathode are immersed in an electrolyte and oxygen diffuses into the solution. The sensor converts oxygen into a voltage that is proportional to the amount of DO. The electrodes are made of lead. The membrane sensors have a response time of 5 minutes and can read low levels of DO. The electrolyte must be changed every few months and the calibration is time consuming. There are membrane sensors that have end caps with electrolyte in them that can be changed quickly. This technology was not chosen due to the slow response time, calibration difficulties and the amount of maintenance. Luminescent DO probes are the most popular technology in the industry. Luminescent sensors use a blue LED that excites luminescent material in the probe. The luminescent material then emits red light. A photo detector measures this emitted light, which is proportional to the amount of DO in the water. MSD has these sensors installed in six of the eight tanks in the aeration system. The sensors are not affected by the flow velocity, pressure changes or electrical interference. They do not require calibration and have a response time of 90 seconds. The end cap on these sensors may need replacement every 1-3 years, but most sensor caps exceed that time frame. MSD has been pleased with the performance of the current sensors. District Operations staff clean the sensors daily to keep the readings accurate.

49.1.2 Suspended Solids Probe Technology

Suspended Solids (SS) Probes are proposed for installation in the last pass of each aeration basin for measuring the amount of solids in the mixed liquor channels to assist in balancing solids concentrations and achieving an equal food to mass (F/M) ratio in all aeration tanks. The SS probes use infrared LEDs emitting light that is scattered by suspended solids. Photo detectors receive the scattered light which has a proportional response to the amount of suspended solids in a liquid. This technology can provide accurate results and the sensors are factory calibrated for replacement. The SS probe connects to a transmitter, which takes the signal from the probe and converts it to a 4-20mA signal. Most manufacturers have transmitters which can accept two(2) probes. The SS probes can be installed near the DO probe in the last pass and can be connected to the same transmitter The challenge with SS probes is keeping the optical sensors clean. MSD has tested SS probes with automated air cleaning systems with poor results. The other options for cleaning the SS sensors are ultrasonic and mechanical wiper systems. The options for sensor cleaning systems will be investigated during detailed design to determine the cleaning system that best fits the maintenance needs of MSD. The Secondary Improvements project will include installation of the SS probe and cleaning system that best meets the Districts operation and maintenance criteria.

BLACK & VEATCH | Process Evaluation 2 November 2012

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