Conductivity Theory

Applied to Proper Hardware

Selection

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductivity Measurement

 Used to Measure and Control the Percent

Concentration of Acids, Bases and Salts in
Solution
 Measures Total Concentration
 Not Ion Specific
• May be Used to Determine the Dominant
Chemical

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Electrolytes
 Acids
• Substances which ionize in solution and produce hydrogen
ions, H+
• Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) dissociates into H+ + Cl-
 Bases
• Substances which ionize in solution and produce hydroxide
ions, OH-
• Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH, dissociates into Na+ + OH-
 Salts
• Substances which ionize in solution and produce neither
hydrogen or hydroxide ions
• Sodium Chloride, NaCl, dissociates into Na+ + Cl-

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Typical Conductivity Values

10% NaOH 355,000

Sea Water 50,000

Mains Water Supply 50

Boiler Feed Water 1

Distilled Water 0.5

Ultra Pure Water 0.055

0 1 100 10,000 1,000,000

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductivity Measurement

 Units of Measurement
• U.S. Units = Micromhos/cm
• International Units = MicroSiemens/cm
• 1.0 S/cm = 1,000 mS/cm = 1,000,000 uS/cm
• umho/cm = uS/cm
 Conductivity is the Reciprocal of Resistance
• 1.0 MicroSiemen/cm = 1,000,000 Ohms/-cm
• 1,000,000 MicroSiemens/cm = 1.0 Ohm/-cm

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductivity Measurement

 High Purity Water Applications

• Power & Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Conductivity Measured as Resistivity in
MegOhms/cm
• Pure Water = 18.18 Meg Ohms/-cm = 0.055 uS/cm
 Water & Water Treatment Applications
• Industrial Boilers & Cooling Towers
• Conductivity Measured in Total Dissolved Solids
(TDS)

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductance of Common Acids, Bases and
Salts @ 25oC

900
800
MilliSiemens/cm

700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

% by Weight
Sodium Chloride Potassium Chloride Sodium Hydroxide
Hydrochloric Sulfuric Acid Nitric Acid

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductivity Measurement

 Each Acid, Base and Salt has Its Own

Temperature Vs. Concentration Curve
 The Temperature Slope Varies for Different
Chemicals
• Acids 1.0% - 1.6% /oC
• Natural Waters 2.0%/oC
• Bases > 1.8 - 2.2%/oC
• High Purity Water 2.3% - 7.3%/ oC

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Specific Conductivity of Sulfuric Acid

1500
mS/cm

1000
500
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

% Concentration

25C 60C

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 5.0% Sulfuric Acid Solution

400.0
350.0
300.0
250.0
mS/cm

200.0
150.0
100.0
50.0
0.0
0 4 10 16 21 27 32 38 43 49 54 60 66 71 77 82 88 93 93

Degrees C

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Change in Temperature Slope/oC

8
Temperature Slope

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 10 20 25 30 40 50 75 100
Temperature

Ultra Pure Water Sodium Chloride

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Conductivity Measurement

 Apply an AC Voltage to Two Electrodes of

Exact Dimensions
 Acids, Bases and Salts (NaCl) Dissolve
in Solution and Act as Current Carriers
 The Current Flow is Directly Proportional
to the Total Dissolved Solids in Solution
 The Physical Dimensions of a
Conductivity Electrode are Referred to as
the Cell Constant
 Cell Constant is Length/Area Relationship
• Distance Between Plates = 1.0 cm
Na+ • Area of Each Plate = 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm
• Cell Constant = 1.0 cm-1
Cl-
 Cell Constant
• Used to Determine the Measuring Range
of the Analyzer
• Acts as Multiplier
• Used to Calibrate Analyzer
• Determined Using NBS Standards
• Can be NIST Traceable

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Four Electrode Conductivity Cells

 Measures Current and

Voltage Drop
V  Current Increases with
an Increase in Voltage
Drop Across Electrodes
 Compensates for Minor
Coatings on
Conductivity Electrodes
 Used for Higher Range
Measurement

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Inductive Conductivity

 Also Known as Toroidal and

Electrodless
 Principle of Measurement
• Two Sealed Wire Wound Coils
Electrically Coupled by Solution
Conductivity
 Advantage
• No Electrodes Exposed to the
Measured Solution
• Not Affected by Coating
 Disadvantage
• +- 10% Accuracy
• High Range Measurement Only
> 100 uS/cm

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Reverse Osmosis Unit

pH Transmitter
Feed Water
Acid Feed

Conductivity Transmitter

Feed
Water
Tank

RO Unit

Waste

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Demineralizer Unit

Caustic Regeneration Acid Regeneration

Conductivity Conductivity
Transmitter Transmitter

Cation Anion Mixed

Conductivity
Bed Bed Bed
Transmitter

To Water Storage

Conductivity Conductivity
Transmitter Transmitter

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Power Utilities
Average Number of Analyzers for Each Demin Unit

Type Number
Conductivity 4
Concentration 2
pH 1
Total 7

 Usually 2 per generation unit (make up & polisher) and

built in pairs
 Total X 4 = 28 Analyzers per Unit
 Two Units Built at a time = 56 Analyzers

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Power Utilities
Average Number of Analyzers Per Generating Unit

Analyzer Type Number

pH 5
Specific Conductivity 6
Cation Conductivity 11
Condensate Analyzer 1
Total 23

Usually Units Built in Pairs = 46 Analyzers

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Boiler Blowdown and
Condensate Return Lines
Conductivity
Transmitter

Feed
Water Heat
Tank Condensate Return Exchanger

Waste
Steam Header
Conductivity
Transmitter

Top Blowdown Line

Steam
Drum

Blowdown Valve

Mud
Drum
Flash
Tank

Manual Blowdown Valve

Do Not Automate !

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

 Clean in Place (CIP)
Conductivity
Transmitter

CIP Return Lines

Caustic

Conductivity
Transmitter

Caustic Process
Water Solution
Dilution Vessels
Recovery
Tank

Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt