TOC Analysers for IECEx and ATEX zones

Total Organic Carbon analysers are commonly used to measure the level of organic contamination in water. Online TOC analysers installed in refineries and petrochemical plants are located right in the middle of the process facilities. Here explosive gasses, vapours or mist can be present. It is a high risk situation, as any spark or any heat source may cause an explosion. Hence, explosive areas necessitate safety protection measures in order to ensure high labor safety as well as operational safety.

LAR Process Analysers, Germany, offers with its online TOC analysers QuickTOC_ultra and QuickTOC_purity stand-alone measuring equipment with explosion-proof housings certified according to the latest ATEX and IECEx standards (EN 60079-2:2011-11 and IEC 60079-14:2007). LAR's custom-fit analysers come with stainless steel housings with over pressure encapsulation and purging system (Ex p) that do not require air-conditioned shelters, providing an easier way to maintain and operate the measurement systems. LAR’s stand-alone TOC analysers correspond to requirements of ATEX Zone 1 and Zone 2 (T3/T4) as well as in IECEx Zone 1 T4.

Application-specific injection systems

Depending on the water to be tested, LAR offers custom-fit analysers for every measurement task. The QuickTOC_purity is especially designed for pure water applications (steam/ condensate return, boiler feed water, cooling water). The analyser is equipped with a closed injection loop where a subset of a water sample is injected into the furnace. Thus, contamination of the sample by substances in the ambient air is avoided. In addition, VOC and POC (volatile/purgeable organic carbon) are not released and hence, are included in the measurement. The process control of the TOC system is an advantage, especially in chemical and petrochemical plants, in which various substances can be present in the air.

LAR’s QuickTOC_ultra is designed for complex water compositions. The measurement system is equipped with a robotic, horizontally and vertically moving injection needle that imitates the laboratory injection process. The injection system is capable of transporting and measuring a high content of solid matter without any filtration of the sample. The QuickTOC_ultra easily handles sticky, fatty, salty, and high-particle samples unlike other TOC analysers.

Ultra high temperature combustion

The furnace is the centerpiece of LAR’s TOC analysers. They use the patented high-temperature combustion method at 1200°C guaranteeing the complete digestion of all carbon compounds in the sample to CO₂. Oxidation promoting catalysts, such as those used in other measuring methods, are unnecessary. As a consequence, the operating costs of the measurement system are minimized. Downstream of the furnace, the formed CO₂ will be measured by a NDIR detector resulting in the exact determination of TOC. LAR's analysers determine the TOC in less than three minutes and thus, allows the operators to take fast countermeasures in case of water pollution.

Both TOC analysers are designed for the measurement of up to six sample streams in one device. Each sample stream can have different combinations of parameter such as TOC, TC, TIC, COD and/or TN_b. Various process streams can so easily be monitored in a single analyser. The TOC analysers are controlled via a 10.4“ touchscreen display. Access to the measuring system can even be done via internet protocol for example from a control room.

LAR’s custom-fitted TOC analysers take care of the concrete challenges of pure water and waste water applications minimizing maintenance efforts and making the optimization and control of complex processes possible.