An
oil spill is a critical threat for water treatment
plants utilizing membrane / reverse osmosis technologies.
For example, if oil is introduced
into a desalination process, operational and human
health concerns quickly arise. As a result, the
plant must be scrubbed and flushed, a costly and
time consuming process. The impact of such downtime
is significant, from the perspective of both the
plant operator and the community they serve.
Similar issues arise in cogeneration
plants and wastewater treatment facilities. In
the latter case, treatment downtime stemming from
repairs may allow harmful substances into the
environment. Even the simple costs of repair
or replacement can mount quickly.
Applied Microsystems provides
a hydrocarbon alert system that minimizes the
risk of oil contamination of water treatment processes.
Our system - Spill-Sentry™ - provides 24 hour
real-time detection of minute concentrations of
hydrocarbons. Originally designed for open water,
Spill Sentry is 100% reliable in rough weather
or night conditions, when traditional inspection
techniques are ineffective.
When an oil spill or sheen is
detected, Spill Sentry automatically places telephone
calls to key decision-makers. Alternatively, our
system can be integrated with traditional process
control systems such as SCADA or PLC, to ensure
rapid closure of intakes and safeguarding of process
equipment.
Benefits
of our oil-on-water alert include:
Total confidence that oil
spills of all types are reliably detected in
all conditions
Minimized disruptions to
regular operations
Reduced repair costs
Applied Microsystems' Spill-Sentry™
comprises sensor buoys - where oil is detected
- and a PC base station where data is processed.
The system is extremely sensitive and able to
detect as few as five microns of hydrocarbon-on-water.
The array of detectable hydrocarbons is extensive
and includes crude, gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel,
bilge and bunker. Spill-Sentry™ comes with built-in
intelligence to minimize false-positives or false-negatives
Deployment is easy and maintenance
requirements light. The Spill-Sentry™ system includes
the flexibility to add options like solar power,
radio or satellite communication capabilities.
Moreover, we have the ability to combine our oil-on-water
sensors with robust chemical-in-water detection
systems. The result: total protection.
