Fors A/S, a utilities company, supplies several municipalities in Zealand, Denmark, with drinking water and district heating. The utility company is also specialized in waste recycling and wastewater treatment. In a partnership with utility provider Kalundborg Forsying A/S and WSP, an engineering professional services firm, Fors A/S operates Denmark’s largest test facility for sludge treatment at the Kalundborg wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
The sludge treatment method that relies on wetlands offers an efficient and sustainable means of reducing wastewater sludge in wastewater treatment processes. This is done by adding sludge to wetlands to test basins planted with certain plant species. Here, the plants improve the dewatering, aeration, and the mineralization of the sludge. Thus, they allow clean water, the filtrate from the sludge dewatering, to be of use without the addition of chemicals. Later, operators can excavate the mineralized sludge from basins and recycle it as a fertilizer in agriculture.
To make use of the full potential of sludge dewatering, mineralization, and reduction, in-depth knowledge about all essential process parameters is necessary. The Kalundborg test facility operates to identify the most favorable parameters for sludge treatment. For example, they study the best temperature conditions for sludge reduction and quality, the optimum sludge loading strategy, and the most suitable plants for sludge treatment.
The test facility is in a large greenhouse, comprising 85 intermediate bulk containers (IBC) with a capacity of 1000 liters each. The IBCs are open on top, being half full with soil as well as different plants. The water that drains from the process collects in plastic barrels and undergoes sampling for further analysis of the chemical extraction yield. The WWTP operator at the facility is considering a cost-effective, light-weight, and compact flow meter to determine the total amount of wastewater running from the plant beds into the barrels.
After considering and evaluating the compact utility flow meters of leading suppliers, the WWTP decides to use KROHNE’s AF-E 400. This magmeter best meets the customer requirements in terms of price/performance ratio as well as service and on-site consulting. This cost-effective magmeter is ultra-compact, lightweight, and offers the highest accuracy in its class along the entire flow range.
These flow meters continuously measure the volume flow rate (l/min), which then transmits to a PLC by a 4-20 mA signal output. The operator uses these values to determine the totalized flow. In this application, total flow is the key value of interest. The actual flow rate, the totalized flow, and the process temperature are always clearly visible on the display of the AF-E 400 magmeter. This onboard display offers easy double verification on-site if necessary.
KROHNE supplies over 90 units of the AF-E 400 to Kalundborg. Most of the devices install with DN15 measuring tube. In addition, a smaller part, in size DN25, is in use. With the plastic IBC drain pipes, all these flow meters use grounding clamps to ensure safe and reliable grounding.
The AF-E 400 helps the utility company determine the yield of sludge dewatering. This magmeter can reliably and accurately measure the total volume flow rate of the draining water. It provides essential readings to assess the dewatering performance. Thereby this magmeter allows operators to improve the output of the sludge treatment.
Given the cost-effective price point of the AF-E 400, the customer is able to remain well within budget. The WWTP operator is able to fit the whole test plant with a considerably larger number of ultra-compact flow meters than would be possible with conventionally available EMFs.
The utility company also benefits from the comprehensive service and support by Fagerberg, KROHNE’s local representative. Through a global network of regional offices and sales representatives, such as Process Solutions Corp in Texas, KROHNE offers technical advice, delivery, and service for the AF-E 400 and many other process instruments worldwide.
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