BIoGEORGE™ Probe and Typical Output Signal
BIoGEORGE™ Probe and Typical Output Signal
The Problem: MIC and biological fouling can severely damage plant components, increasing downtime and operating costs. Current water treatment schemes are usually arbitrary and overly conservative, sometimes approaching non-compliance with discharge regulations.
The Solution: Optimize water treatment concentration and frequency by accurately monitoring biofilm activity on-line in real-time.
The most common approach to MIC mitigation is to chemically treat the water or other fluid. Chemical costs for a large process facility are often on the order of $1,000,000 per year. The toxicity of these chemicals is always a concern for plant personnel and for the environment, resulting in close scrutiny and control of effluents and chemical inventories by regulators, environmental agencies, and plant owners.
Structural Integrity (SI) utilizes the BIoGEORGE system for monitoring biofilm activity on typical metallic surfaces. The system consists of a probe, its controller, an on-line data acquisition and data analysis system, and associated software. The probe is operated such that biofilm formation forms more rapidly on probe surfaces than on plant piping and heat exchanger tubes. As a result, maintaining the probe in a clean condition assures that the pipe work and heat exchangers are clean.
The standard probe is installed into a piping system, heat exchanger water box, cooling tower, or side stream via a 2-inch threaded connection. The probes can also be built to insert into "hot tap" type fittings (slightly larger than 1-inch access port).
SI offers MIC Mitigation Services, which are tailored to specific plant needs, or BIoGEORGE systems for purchase. We also presents workshops on the important concerns of cooling water system corrosion, including MIC. They are practical, down-to-earth and full of helpful suggestions on identifying and controlling all forms of corrosion MIC.
For more information on SI's MIC Mitigation Services or the BIoGEORGE system, please contact SI.