Foaming Agitated Digester Tank Radar Level Measurement

When a Tennessee metropolitan water treatment plant needed reliable level measurement of their digester tanks, they turned to Flowline. Six large digesters separate and consume biosolids from the city’s wastewater stream. These are very dynamic applications, filled with explosive methane gas and thick agitated surface foam. Complicating matters, sensors are installed behind valves to minimize the release of methane during inspection or removal. The plant had 26 GHz radar level sensors with long antennas that inserted through the valves and into the tanks. Nevertheless, operators complained that the sensors measured intermittently as the foam height or density changed. For this reason, Flowline suggested the used of our 6.3 GHz radar sensors that are ideal for difficult applications with significant foam and agitation. To disregard the noise reflections caused by the valve, the installer simply adjusted the sensor’s echo curve. The radar sensors provide continuous level data to the SCADA which monitors the digestor levels and manages the biosolids process. Flowline is reliable level measurement.