Projects / Wastewater treatment
Anaerobic zone monitoring at a wastewater plant
Fixed detection in anaerobic tanks and digesters, where methane and hydrogen sulphide accumulate under covers.
The setting
Anaerobic treatment is designed to produce methane. That is the point of the process, and it is also the reason the headspace above the tank is a hazardous area.
Why it is difficult
Covers, gas holders and sludge wells concentrate what the process generates. Access for maintenance is frequent, and each entry starts in an atmosphere the process has been building for hours.
What was deployed
Fixed detectors at the digester headspace, gas holder area and sludge well, with local alarm and relay output to the plant ventilation control.
Outcome
Entry procedures now start from a measured headspace reading. Point count and gas ranges to be confirmed.
More references
Ten delivered projects across wastewater, pharma, semiconductor, nuclear and aviation.