RO Skid to Demonstrate Bürkert components
Bürkert Fluid Control Systems provides custom system solutions based on sensors, valves and controllers for industrial applications. The company’s competence goes far beyond the development and production of high-quality components for the measurement, instrumentation and control of gases and liquids. This will be demonstrated by Bürkert experts at IFAT using a reverse osmosis skid for water desalination that was constructed with Bürkert products.
The system is suitable for desalination of industrial process water and drinking water. The goal of the system was to demonstrate Bürkert’s competence in the development of custom system solutions and automation concepts on the basis of its own products and comprehensive expertise.
“Of course, we are not planning to include reverse osmosis skids in our product spectrum,” explains Cyrus Ardjomandi, segment manager for water at Bürkert. “It is intended as a demo system to display our capabilities and the spectrum of the many single solutions for water treatment in practical use.”
He adds: “Our system competence for all types of applications involving water always generates added value for our customers in the long run.”
Basic Construction
The demo system consists of a water circulation system for desalination of softened water. For the demonstration, permeate and condensate are pumped into a common collecting tank, from which they are later removed as raw water. The water first passes through a fine filter with a 5 μm filter cartridge, after which it is desalinated in three membrane modules.
A centrifugal pump with a frequency converter functions as a high-pressure pump, and an energy-efficient circulating pump with a frequency converter circulates the water. An ultra-quiet compressor provides the control air for the pneumatic valves. To better illustrate the single volume flows, Bürkert chose rotameters, which are standard components in water treatment systems.
Additional paddle wheel flow meters - which are ideal for measuring non-conductive media - also measure the flow rates and send them to the controller. Pressure switches monitor the input pressure and system pressure. The system is designed for a permeate capacity of 300 l/h with a desalination rate of up to 97 % and a yield of 75 %. The operating pressure reaches approximately 9 bar.
Online Monitoring
With the Type 8905 online analysis system Bürkert offers a unique compact and modular complete system for water analysis that can be expanded to include up to 30 analysis sensors (cubes). Five sensors directly mounted on the demo system are connected with the Type 8905 by means of a field bus that has been adapted by Bürkert (büS): the untreated water is measured to determine the pH value, redox potential and conductivity, the pure water to determine the pH value and redox potential. This allows real-time monitoring of the parameters.
Type 8905 provides new process control and quality assurance options especially for waterworks. Since these cubes are connected to a complete Type 8905 measuring system at the other end of the booth, visitors can view the parameters there directly, or even via the app for smartphones and tablet computers.
Although the reverse osmosis skid demonstrated by Bürkert at IFAT may not correspond to actual operating conditions, the system is exemplary for the company’s extensive expertise in this field.
Ardjomandi concludes that the system “demonstrates all the capabilities and functional components that Bürkert can offer its customers in this branch of industry”.
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