Control of Water Oxygenation Improved

As one of the UK’s specialist manufacturers of process control and measuring equipment, Bürkert Fluid Control Systems (UK) has developed an innovative solution for the oxygenation of raw drinking water. Available in a range of sizes to suit industrial and commercial water improvement schemes, the Oxydatorbox is designed to automatically measure water flow and control oxygen levels accurately and efficiently.

Water purity is a key factor in a number of industrial processes on sites such as breweries, fish farms and drinking water production. Oxygen is, amongst other things, used for oxidation of the dissolved iron in the raw water. The highly dissolved iron Fe2+ is oxidised to produce the much less soluble Fe3+. This leads to auburn deposits in the raw water which can then be easily filtered to fulfil the drinking water requirements.

The Oxydatorbox is designed to control the airflow, independent of pressure, via a Bürkert mass flow controller (MFC), type 8626, which is a compact system consisting of a flow sensor, a controller and an actuator. The MFC is configured using the software supplied, which can also be used for diagnosis and communication with fieldbus systems such as Profibus and Devicenet. This extremely flexible system allows target points to be set as well as read from a remote station.

The incoming air pressure is controlled by a pressure regulating valve, with a secondary valve designed to protect the Oxydatorbox from back pressure in the event of a loss of air pressure. There is also an option to have a solenoid valve, designed with a slow opening characteristic for opening the air inlet safely via an external signal. The control system can be configured for use with air or pure oxygen, depending on the process requirements.

The Oxydatorbox is available in 3 different sizes and can be constructed from GRP, steel or stainless steel, depending on the plant requirements, and is protected to IP56. The air pipe fittings are available in ¼”, ½” and ¾” as standard but other options are available on request. Options such as quick air-vent valves, power supplies and flow rate transmitters are also available.

This packaged problem solving solution from Bürkert is designed to provide flexibility, but essentially to save time and costs compared to a fully bespoke solution, making it compact, cost effective and easy to apply in order to achieve reliable and extremely accurate performance.

All process control solutions, including the Oxydatorbox, are designed in-house by Bürkert using the latest 3D SolidWorks software and electrical design software. Every product is designed to meet the client’s exact requirements and is assembled and fully tested before dispatch. Bürkert service technicians are also available to assist with the installation and commissioning of the system.