Continuous, Real-Time TSS Monitoring Verifies Effluent Quality and Coal Ash Management Performance While Reducing Compliance Costs

摘要

Reducing the cost and compliance burden associated with meeting final remediation effluent requirements continues to be a key driver to technical innovation. As many power plants continue to struggle with the critical last step in their coal ash remediation processes – the final testing phase – some plants have successfully adopted the use of recently advanced sensor technology to measure real-time total suspended solids (TSS) to verify their discharge water is meeting specified requirements. Accurate on-line TSS monitoring helps ensure and verify the remediation process is performing as intended at all times, regardless of variability in upstream influent. The sensing probe uses optical methods that detect the intensity of scattered light and digitally reports TSS concentrations in mg/L, which is effective and useful for calculating mass balances, a critical component of upstream treatment process control. Power plants traditionally rely on laboratories (including mobile labs) for TSS analysis, and testing often requires extensive manpower for attaining samples in remote locations, sometimes multiple times a day. On-line TSS monitoring significantly reduces this effort. The sensor’s two measurement methods provide TSS readings that are accurate at extremely low concentrations (0.1 mg/L), with repeatability of <0.015% or >0.0006 FNU. Having the ability to monitor TSS real time, and obtain accurate results that are repeatable and verifiable with random lab tests, allows for users to automate functions such as controlling pumps transporting effluent, or start and stop pretreatment processes designed to keep effluent within permit guidelines.