When ready to use fluid is delivered (typically to low pressure plants) dosing is not a factor in the configuration of a treatment plant. However, when the plant is high pressure careful dosing is a large part of getting a treatment plant right for the customer.
Different fluid providers tend to use different techniques when it comes to dosing their fluid. Spinnaker can work with them all. Specifically dosing can either be level controlled, flow controlled or time controlled.
- Level controlled is where you are monitoring fluid levels or weights automatically. The system works out how much fluid is needed from each tank and works with any tank order given, to successfully pump concentrates and water into the target tank.
- Flow control works the same way as Level control except you measure fluid delivered by a tank rather than fluid taken from a tank.
- Time control assumes that a pre-set rate of flow through a pump never changes. In this case the system works out how long to open a valve for in order to supply the right amount of fluids.
On a final note regarding dosing, a customer may use ‘Dosatrons’ that automatically mix the correct amount of concentrates into the water flow to a tank. All Spinnaker has to do in this case is to stop dosing once the correct fluid level has been achieved in the target tank.