Starwood innoCon 6800T Online Turbidity and Suspended Solids Analyzer

Overview

The Starwood innoCon 6800T is a CE-marked, industrial-grade online turbidity and suspended solids (SS) analyzer engineered for continuous, real-time monitoring in municipal and industrial water treatment applications. It operates on the standardized 90° light scattering principle defined in EN ISO 7027, ensuring metrological traceability and regulatory alignment with European and international water quality standards. Unlike nephelometric systems relying on broad-angle detection or transmission-based methods, the innoCon 6800T employs a precisely collimated LED light source and a photodetector positioned at a fixed 90° geometry—minimizing interference from color absorption, dissolved organics, or bubble-induced noise. This optical architecture delivers high reproducibility across varying particle size distributions (0.1–100 µm), enabling reliable quantification of both low-level turbidity (e.g., post-filtration effluent) and high-concentration sludge layers (up to 2000 mg/L or 30 g/L with optional innoSens 810S probe). The system comprises two modular components: the innoCon 6800T controller and the submersible innoSens 810T (or 810S) sensor, designed for seamless integration into existing SCADA or DCS infrastructures via industry-standard analog and digital protocols.

Key Features

• Optically calibrated 90° light scattering detection compliant with EN ISO 7027 for turbidity and suspended solids measurement
• Dual-range capability: configurable measurement spans (0–4/40/400/1000 NTU and 0–10/100/1000/2000 mg/L) optimized for process control across clarifiers, thickeners, and filtration units
• ARM-based embedded controller architecture ensures deterministic response time, firmware stability, and immunity to electromagnetic interference in electrically noisy plant environments
• Bilingual dot-matrix display (English/Chinese) with intuitive menu navigation—designed for multi-lingual operator teams without requiring external documentation
• Two isolated 4–20 mA outputs: one for primary measurement (turbidity or SS), second for temperature compensation signal—each with full-scale calibration and load capability up to 600 Ω
• RS485 Modbus RTU interface supporting read/write register access for configuration, diagnostics, and historical data retrieval
• IP65-rated wall-mount controller (160 × 166 × 73 mm, 1 kg) and IP68-rated submersible sensor (Ø42 × 210 mm, 316L stainless steel body, custom optical quartz window)
• User-configurable cleaning interval (1–999 hours) for automated maintenance scheduling in high-fouling installations

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The innoCon 6800T is validated for use in raw influent, secondary clarifier underflow, digester supernatant, membrane bioreactor (MBR) permeate, and industrial cooling water circuits. Its optical design mitigates drift caused by biofilm formation or mineral scaling through periodic ultrasonic or mechanical cleaning—though no internal wiper mechanism is integrated. Sensor wetted parts (316L stainless steel, optical-grade fused silica) comply with ASTM F838-20 for bacterial retention testing and meet FDA CFR 21 Part 177.2420 requirements for food-contact surfaces where applicable. While not certified to IEC 61508 SIL or ATEX, the system supports integration into safety-instrumented systems (SIS) via its programmable relay outputs (5 A / 250 VAC, SPDT). Data integrity adheres to GLP/GMP-aligned practices: all configuration changes, alarm events, and calibration logs are timestamped and retained locally for ≥30 days.

Software & Data Management

The innoCon 6800T does not include proprietary PC software but exposes all operational parameters—including zero/span calibration coefficients, alarm thresholds, hysteresis values, and sensor diagnostic flags—via standard Modbus function codes (03h, 06h, 10h). This enables direct integration with third-party historian platforms (e.g., Ignition, Siemens Desigo CC, Honeywell Experion) without middleware licensing. Each 4–20 mA output includes hardware-level loop-powered isolation, eliminating ground-loop errors in distributed I/O cabinets. Temperature compensation is applied internally using an integrated Pt1000 RTD within the sensor head, with linearization algorithms conforming to DIN EN 60751. All configuration changes are non-volatile and survive power interruption. Firmware updates are performed via USB-to-RS232 adapter (not included), following a signed binary verification protocol to prevent unauthorized modification.

Applications

• Municipal wastewater treatment: real-time monitoring of secondary clarifier effluent turbidity for regulatory compliance (EU Urban Wastewater Directive, US EPA NPDES permits)
• Sludge blanket level control in gravity thickeners and lamella settlers—using SS concentration gradients to optimize polymer dosing and sludge withdrawal cycles
• Industrial pretreatment systems: detecting upstream process upsets (e.g., filter breakthrough, coagulant overdose) in pharmaceutical, beverage, and semiconductor facilities
• Cooling tower make-up water assessment to prevent fouling and microbiological proliferation
• Membrane integrity testing in ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) plants—correlating sudden turbidity spikes with fiber breakage events

FAQ

Is the innoCon 6800T suitable for drinking water applications?
Yes—it meets EN ISO 7027 requirements for turbidity measurement in potable water, though validation per local regulatory protocols (e.g., US EPA Method 180.1, UK DWI guidance) must be performed onsite.
Can the system measure particles smaller than 1 µm?
The 90° scattering geometry provides optimal sensitivity for particles >0.5 µm; submicron colloids contribute weakly to signal and require complementary techniques (e.g., dynamic light scattering) for quantitative analysis.
Does the sensor require annual factory recalibration?
No—field zero and span calibration using traceable standards (e.g., AMCO AEPA-1, StablCal) is sufficient; certificate-of-conformance documentation is provided with each sensor shipment.
What is the maximum cable length between controller and sensor?
Standard delivery includes 10 m shielded twisted-pair cable rated for underwater use; extension beyond 20 m requires impedance matching and may degrade signal-to-noise ratio.
How is temperature compensation implemented?
An integrated Pt1000 RTD measures sensor tip temperature continuously; compensation coefficients are applied per ISO 7027 Annex B to correct for refractive index variation in water.