Method of deposition monitoring
AssigneeEcolab USA Inc.
InventorsPrasad Y. Duggirala, Sergey M. Shevchenko, Michael J. Murcia
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and compositions for measuring the formation of scale within a process system. The method involves measuring changes in the cell fouling as reflected on the refraction index measurements of a liquid medium with a refractometer and determining the scale formation from changes in the cell fouling factor. This allows for a refractometer to determine the formation of scale in locations that otherwise would not be measureable.
Claims13
A method of monitoring the accumulation of scale on a surface in contact with a liquid medium, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a refractometer having an photon emission source, a prism which emitted photons pass through, and an optical sensor constructed and arranged to detect photons that are refracted through the prism, the prism having at least one measuring surface,
- positioning the measuring surface relative to the medium such that emitted photons will be refracted as a result of the properties of the medium,
- determining a control critical angle of refraction for the medium for photons emitted by the emission source,
- emitting photons from the emission source,
- measuring the cell fouling factor of the measured critical angle of refraction relative to the control critical angle, and
- calculating the scale formation based on the measured cell fouling factor.
A method of monitoring the accumulation of scale on a surface in contact with a liquid medium, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a refractometer having an photon emission source, a prism which emitted photons pass through, and an optical sensor constructed and arranged to detect photons that are refracted through the prism, the prism having at least one measuring surface,
- positioning the measuring surface relative to the medium such that emitted photons will be refracted as a result of the properties of the medium,
- determining a control critical angle of refraction for the medium for photons emitted by the emission source,
- adding a scale control reagent to the liquid medium,
- emitting photons from the emission source,
- measuring the cell fouling factor of the measured critical angle of refraction relative to the control critical angle, and
- calculating the effectiveness of the scale control reagent based on the measured cell fouling factor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.