Abstract: During the production of consumable liquids such as milk, soup, and juice, the liquid consumable may be transferred from one location to another location through a fluid conduit. For example, a consumable liquid may be transferred from a storage tank to another destination through piping. At the end of the process, the piping may be purged with a flushing fluid to push the liquid consumable remaining in the piping to the end destination, thus preventing the volume of liquid remaining in the piping from being wasted. To control the flushing processing, fluid flowing through the piping may be fluorometrically analyzed to determine a concentration of product in the fluid. The flushing liquid can then be controlled based on the determined concentration. For example, the supply of flushing liquid may be terminated when the concentration of product falls below a threshold, indicating the flushing liquid is diluting the liquid consumable.

Abstract: Methods for analyzing a fluid sample can include providing a sensor comprising a non-conductive housing and having a first face and an electrode array mounted in the first face. The method can include disposing the first face of the housing into a fluid sample to be analyzed, selecting a mode of operation, and initiating sensor operation. Modes of operation can include electrochemical operation and conductivity analysis, and can be selected via positioning a switch. The method can include receiving information from the sensor regarding at least one parameter of the fluid. Such parameters can include a concentration of a target constituent in the fluid sample, combined concentrations of different species within the fluid sample, and/or information indicative of the conductivity of the fluid sample.

Abstract: During the production of consumable liquids such as milk, soup, and juice, the liquid consumable may be transferred from one location to another location through a fluid conduit. For example, a consumable liquid may be transferred from a storage tank to another destination through piping. At the end of the process, the piping may be purged with a flushing fluid to push the liquid consumable remaining in the piping to the end destination, thus preventing the volume of liquid remaining in the piping from being wasted. To control the flushing processing, fluid flowing through the piping may be fluorometrically analyzed to determine a concentration of product in the fluid. The flushing liquid can then be controlled based on the determined concentration. For example, the supply of flushing liquid may be terminated when the concentration of product falls below a threshold, indicating the flushing liquid is diluting the liquid consumable.

Abstract: Methods for analyzing a fluid sample can include providing a sensor comprising a non-conductive housing and having a first face and an electrode array mounted in the first face. The method can include disposing the first face of the housing into a fluid sample to be analyzed, selecting a mode of operation, and initiating sensor operation. Modes of operation can include electrochemical operation and conductivity analysis, and can be selected via positioning a switch. The method can include receiving information from the sensor regarding at least one parameter of the fluid. Such parameters can include a concentration of a target constituent in the fluid sample, combined concentrations of different species within the fluid sample, and/or information indicative of the conductivity of the fluid sample.

Abstract: During the production of consumable liquids such as milk, soup, and juice, the liquid consumable may be transferred from one location to another location through a fluid conduit. For example, a consumable liquid may be transferred from a storage tank to another destination through piping. At the end of the process, the piping may be purged with a flushing fluid to push the liquid consumable remaining in the piping to the end destination, thus preventing the volume of liquid remaining in the piping from being wasted. To control the flushing processing, fluid flowing through the piping may be fluorometrically analyzed to determine a concentration of product in the fluid. The flushing liquid can then be controlled based on the determined concentration. For example, the supply of flushing liquid may be terminated when the concentration of product falls below a threshold, indicating the flushing liquid is diluting the liquid consumable.

Abstract: In situ optical analysis of bacterial endospores can be inhibited when the endospores are present within an optically active carrier medium. To help isolate the endospores from the carrier medium, in some examples, the carrier medium is passed through a hydrophobic material that captures the endospores via hydrophobic attraction. Subsequently, a germination fluid and lanthanide source, such as terbium, can be added to the bacterial endospores captured on the hydrophobic material to form a lanthanide-dipicolinic acid complex in the germination fluid. The germination fluid can then be optically analyzed by measuring the fluorometric response of the lanthanide-dipicolinic acid complex to determine a concentration of the bacterial endospores in the carrier medium.

Abstract: Methods for analyzing a fluid sample can include providing a sensor comprising a non-conductive housing and having a first face and an electrode array mounted in the first face. The method can include disposing the first face of the housing into a fluid sample to be analyzed, selecting a mode of operation, and initiating sensor operation. Modes of operation can include electrochemical operation and conductivity analysis, and can be selected via positioning a switch. The method can include receiving information from the sensor regarding at least one parameter of the fluid. Such parameters can include a concentration of a target constituent in the fluid sample, combined concentrations of different species within the fluid sample, and/or information indicative of the conductivity of the fluid sample.

Abstract: Methods for analyzing a fluid sample can include providing a sensor comprising a non-conductive housing and having a first face and an electrode array mounted in the first face. The method can include disposing the first face of the housing into a fluid sample to be analyzed, selecting a mode of operation, and initiating sensor operation. Modes of operation can include electrochemical operation and conductivity analysis, and can be selected via positioning a switch. The method can include receiving information from the sensor regarding at least one parameter of the fluid. Such parameters can include a concentration of a target constituent in the fluid sample, combined concentrations of different species within the fluid sample, and/or information indicative of the conductivity of the fluid sample.

Abstract: A chemical sensor may include an electrode array for electrically interfacing with a fluid sample. The sensor can apply an electrical potential to the sample in order to effect a current flow within the sample. The sensor can measure the resulting current through the sample and determine characteristics about the fluid sample from the current measurement. In one mode of operation of the sensor, the applied electrical potential can be controlled to cause desired electrochemical reactions, such as oxidation or reduction, to occur within the sample to determine the concentration of the oxidized or reduced sample constituent. In another mode of operation, the applied electrical potential causes a current to flow simply due to the conductivity of the sample. In various embodiments, the sensor comprises a controller and a switch for switching between various modes of operation and applying appropriate electric potentials to the sample.

Abstract: An optical sensor may include multiple optical emitters configured to emit light into a fluid sample via an optical pathway. Light from the emitters can cause fluorescence from the sample and/or scatter off of the sample. Scattered and fluoresced light can be received by an optical detector in the sensor via the optical pathway, and used to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample. A second optical detector can provide reference measurements of the amount of light emitted to the sample. In one example, the optical detector can detect scattered and fluoresced light simultaneously. In another example, light is emitted and detected alternatingly. The sensor can be part of a system that includes one or more controllers configured to control the emitting and detecting of light to and from the fluid sample. The controller can use detected light to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the amount of various materials in a liquid sample. Because the apparatus is particularly resilient it can be used repeatedly with very harsh liquid samples such as boot water from an oil refinery. The apparatus uses at least one volume and/or concentration independent optical analysis method to determine at least one of: the pH, amount of chloride, and/or amount of iron in the sample. The optical property can be colorimetric, fluorescent or both and result from adding dyes, complexing agents, turbidity inducing compounds, and other optically effecting reagents to the sample. Because the measurements are concentration and volume independent they can be done continuously, quickly, and avoid the inconvenient start and stop procedures in prior art measurement regimens.

Abstract: A clean-in-place method of maintaining optical transference through a light transference medium operably connected to a boiler system is disclosed. The method comprises inter alia contacting a liquid chemical agent to a wetted surface of a light transference medium. The liquid chemical agent is selected from the group consisting of an acid, a chelant, a reducing agent, and combinations thereof, for a period of time and at a concentration sufficient to clean the wetted surface of the light transference medium.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for monitoring and controlling the thickness of coating on a creping cylinder is disclosed. The methodologies involve a coordinated scheme of apparatuses that function to monitor various aspects of a creping cylinder coating so that the thickness of the coating can be determined.

Abstract: A method of measuring contamination in fluid that is expelled from a food processing system is presented. The method of measuring is carried out with fluorescence. The fluid is typically allowed to enter into an energy transfer system, but if the contamination exceeds a certain level, the fluid should be prevented from entering the energy transfer system. The fluid is generally comprised of water expelled from a sugar processing operation.

Abstract: In situ optical analysis of bacterial endospores can be inhibited when the endospores are present within an optically active carrier medium. To help isolate the endospores from the carrier medium, in some examples, the carrier medium is passed through a hydrophobic material that captures the endospores via hydrophobic attraction. Subsequently, a germination fluid and lanthanide source, such as terbium, can be added to the bacterial endospores captured on the hydrophobic material to form a lanthanide-dipicolinic acid complex in the germination fluid. The germination fluid can then be optically analyzed by measuring the fluorometric response of the lanthanide-dipicolinic acid complex to determine a concentration of the bacterial endospores in the carrier medium.

Abstract: During the production of consumable liquids such as milk, soup, and juice, the liquid consumable may be transferred from one location to another location through a fluid conduit. For example, a consumable liquid may be transferred from a storage tank to another destination through piping. At the end of the process, the piping may be purged with a flushing fluid to push the liquid consumable remaining in the piping to the end destination, thus preventing the volume of liquid remaining in the piping from being wasted. To control the flushing processing, fluid flowing through the piping may be fluorometrically analyzed to determine a concentration of product in the fluid. The flushing liquid can then be controlled based on the determined concentration. For example, the supply of flushing liquid may be terminated when the concentration of product falls below a threshold, indicating the flushing liquid is diluting the liquid consumable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for optimization of dosing in water treatment, a water treatment system and a method therefor. The system for optimization of dosing in water treatment according to the present invention comprises: a chemical reagent addition device, for adding a certain dosage of a chemical reagent into a water sample to be treated at a predetermined interval; an optical detection module, for detecting in real time a change in particle size of particles in the water sample after the addition of the chemical reagent; and a chemical reagent dosage determination device, which determines an optimized dosage of the chemical reagent for coagulating the particles in the water sample, according to the correlation between the change in particle size obtained by the optical detection module and the dosage of the added chemical reagent.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the amount of various materials in a liquid sample. Because the apparatus is particularly resilient it can be used repeatedly with very harsh liquid samples such as boot water from an oil refinery. The apparatus uses at least one volume and/or concentration independent optical analysis method to determine at least one of: the pH, amount of chloride, and/or amount of iron in the sample. The optical property can be colorimetric, fluorescent or both and result from adding dyes, complexing agents, turbidity inducing compounds, and other optically effecting reagents to the sample. Because the measurements are concentration and volume independent they can be done continuously, quickly, and avoid the inconvenient start and stop procedures in prior art measurement regimens.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detection system and method and a water treatment system and method. The detection system according to the present invention is capable of detecting particle state in a medium. Said detection system comprises: an optical probe comprising of at least one transmitting optical fiber for transmitting light to the medium, and at least two receiving optical fibers for receiving light reflected or backscattered from the medium, with at least the end of the optical probe being positioned in the medium when detection is carried out by the detection system; and a signal processing module connected to the optical probe, for converting optical signals from the receiving optical fibers of the optical probe into electrical signals and determining particle state in the medium on the basis of the electrical signals.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring scale deposition in a water-containing industrial process are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the water-containing industrial process is an aqueous cooling system. In certain embodiments, the methods incorporate fluorometric monitoring and control techniques along with a piezoelectric microbalance sensor. A particular embodiment of a piezoelectric microbalance sensor is additionally disclosed, along with at least one method for using the particular embodiment that is independent of whether fluorometric monitoring and control techniques are utilized.