Conductivity Theory

Applied to Proper Hardware Selection

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductivity Measurement
Used to Measure and Control the Percent Concentration of Acids, Bases and Salts in Solution Measures Total Concentration Not Ion Specific
May be Used to Determine the Dominant Chemical

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Electrolytes
Acids
Substances which ionize in solution and produce hydrogen ions, H+ Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) dissociates into H+ + Cl-

Bases
Substances which ionize in solution and produce hydroxide ions, OH Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH, dissociates into Na+ + OH-

Salts
Substances which ionize in solution and produce neither hydrogen or hydroxide ions Sodium Chloride, NaCl, dissociates into Na+ + ClFeb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Typical Conductivity Values

10% NaOH Sea Water Mains Water Supply Boiler Feed Water Distilled Water Ultra Pure Water
0.055 1 0.5 50 50,000 355,000

100

10,000

1,000,000

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductivity Measurement
Units of Measurement
U.S. Units = Micromhos/cm International Units = MicroSiemens/cm
1.0 S/cm = 1,000 mS/cm = 1,000,000 uS/cm

umho/cm = uS/cm

Conductivity is the Reciprocal of Resistance

1.0 MicroSiemen/cm = 1,000,000 Ohms/-cm 1,000,000 MicroSiemens/cm = 1.0 Ohm/-cm

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductivity Measurement
High Purity Water Applications
Power & Semiconductor Manufacturing Conductivity Measured as Resistivity in MegOhms/cm Pure Water = 18.18 Meg Ohms/-cm = 0.055 uS/cm

Water & Water Treatment Applications

Industrial Boilers & Cooling Towers Conductivity Measured in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Feb 2001 File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductance of Common Acids, Bases and Salts @ 25oC

900

MilliSiemens/cm

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

% by Weight
Sodium Chloride Hydrochloric Potassium Chloride Sulfuric Acid Sodium Hydroxide Nitric Acid

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductivity Measurement
Each Acid, Base and Salt has Its Own Temperature Vs. Concentration Curve The Temperature Slope Varies for Different Chemicals
Acids 1.0% - 1.6% /oC Natural Waters 2.0%/oC Bases > 1.8 - 2.2%/oC High Purity Water 2.3% - 7.3%/ oC

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Specific Conductivity of Sulfuric Acid

1500
mS/cm

1000 500 0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

% Concentration 25C 60C

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

5.0% Sulfuric Acid Solution

400.0 350.0 300.0
mS/cm

250.0 200.0 150.0 100.0 50.0 0.0

0 4 10 16 21 27 32 38 43 49 54 60 66 71 77 82 88 93 93

Degrees C

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Change in Temperature Slope/oC

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 25 30 40 50 75 100 Temperature Ultra Pure Water Sodium Chloride

Feb 2001

Temperature Slope

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Conductivity Measurement

Na+ Cl-

Apply an AC Voltage to Two Electrodes of Exact Dimensions Acids, Bases and Salts (NaCl) Dissolve in Solution and Act as Current Carriers The Current Flow is Directly Proportional to the Total Dissolved Solids in Solution The Physical Dimensions of a Conductivity Electrode are Referred to as the Cell Constant Cell Constant is Length/Area Relationship
Distance Between Plates = 1.0 cm Area of Each Plate = 1.0 cm x 1.0 cm Cell Constant = 1.0 cm-1 Used to Determine the Measuring Range of the Analyzer Acts as Multiplier Used to Calibrate Analyzer Determined Using NBS Standards Can be NIST Traceable

Cell Constant

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Four Electrode Conductivity Cells

Measures Current and Voltage Drop Current Increases with an Increase in Voltage Drop Across Electrodes Compensates for Minor Coatings on Conductivity Electrodes Used for Higher Range Measurement
File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Feb 2001

Inductive Conductivity
Also Known as Toroidal and Electrodless Principle of Measurement
Two Sealed Wire Wound Coils Electrically Coupled by Solution Conductivity No Electrodes Exposed to the Measured Solution Not Affected by Coating +- 10% Accuracy High Range Measurement Only > 100 uS/cm

Advantage

Disadvantage

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Reverse Osmosis Unit

Feed Water Acid Feed Conductivity Transmitter Feed Water Tank pH Transmitter

RO Unit

Waste

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Demineralizer Unit
Caustic Regeneration Acid Regeneration

Conductivity Transmitter

Conductivity Transmitter

Conductivity Transmitter

Cation Bed

Anion Bed

Mixed Bed

To Water Storage
Conductivity Transmitter Conductivity Transmitter

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Power Utilities
Average Number of Analyzers for Each Demin Unit

Type Conductivity Concentration pH Total

Number 4 2 1 7

Usually 2 per generation unit (make up & polisher) and built in pairs Total X 4 = 28 Analyzers per Unit Two Units Built at a time = 56 Analyzers

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Power Utilities
Average Number of Analyzers Per Generating Unit

Analyzer Type pH Specific Conductivity Cation Conductivity Condensate Analyzer Total

Number 5 6 11 1 23

Usually Units Built in Pairs = 46 Analyzers

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Boiler Blowdown and Condensate Return Lines

Conductivity Transmitter Feed Water Tank Waste

Condensate Return

Heat Exchanger

Steam Header

Conductivity Transmitter

Steam Drum

Top Blowdown Line

Blowdown Valve

Mud Drum
Flash Tank

Manual Blowdown Valve Do Not Automate !

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt

Clean in Place (CIP)

Conductivity Transmitter CIP Return Lines Caustic

Conductivity Transmitter Water Caustic Dilution Tank Solution Recovery Process Vessels

Feb 2001

File Name: Conductivity.ppt