Accurately measuring material flow within wastewater treatment facilities is critical for meeting safety and regulatory standards; ensuring the use of the correct combination of chemical cleaning additives is equally important.
Currently, a wide variety of flow meters and solutions are available for this purpose. This article will explore the advantages and capabilities of magnetic flow meters in these applications.
How to Purchase a Magnetic Flow Meter
Magnetic flow meters (also known as electromagnetic flow meters) operate based on Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.
The higher the fluid's conductivity-impurities make water conductive-the more accurate the reading; consequently, magnetic flow meters are ideally suited for wastewater measurement.
Wastewater treatment facilities generally fall into two major categories: industrial wastewater treatment facilities and municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Both similarly treat wastewater. In both scenarios, the following processes are observed:
Primary treatment involves temporarily storing sewage in settling tanks, allowing heavier solids to settle to the bottom while grease and lighter solids float to the surface to be skimmed off.
Secondary treatment removes dissolved and suspended biological matter. This is typically accomplished by aquatic microorganisms within a controlled aquatic environment.
This stage may require additional separation processes to remove the microorganisms before the water is discharged or subjected to tertiary treatment.
Tertiary treatment constitutes the final stage, during which disinfectants may be added to the water before it is discharged into streams, rivers, bays, lagoons, or wetlands. The treated water may even be utilized for irrigation purposes on golf courses or in parks.
Throughout this entire treatment process, measurements are taken at every step to determine the content of solids, fine particles, and gases within the fluid.
These readings dictate the specific treatment protocols-such as the retention time of the water in settling tanks, the potential grease content within the mixture, and the presence of other substances that may necessitate additional water sampling or further treatment measures.
Electromagnetic flow meters possess a proven track record of reliability within the water and wastewater treatment industry.
Supported by numerous case studies demonstrating their long-term efficacy, electromagnetic flow meters have been shown to deliver exceptional accuracy and highly repeatable results when operating within their specified parameters.
They are capable of functioning effectively in both above-ground and underground installations.
When equipped with appropriate accessories-such as electrode coating diagnostic tools-magnetic flow meters can provide plant managers with timely warnings regarding coating failures, thereby enabling intervention before a malfunction actually occurs.
Similarly, if instrumentation can issue alerts regarding potential or emerging issues, maintenance plans can adopt a proactive rather than reactive approach, thereby ensuring that personnel and resources are deployed most cost-effectively.