Straining Raw water for the needs of instrumentation

[InstrumentDept]

Hello all,
I am looking for a strainer solution to clean out the majority of the fluffy algae products from a raw water stream into online instrumentation.
This is a drinking water plant so we monitor the raw water for Conductivity, pH, UV254, ORP and of course Turbidity.

I can't filter in front of turbidity for obvious reasons, and the UV254 might also be changed by filtration, jury is still in deliberation on that one, but ahead of the rest I would like to clean out as much of the schmoo as I can as its clogging all the flow controllers. I have a 10 micron yarn filter in place now that needs a change nearly every day. I have toyed with the idea of a cyclone but while I have some of those in a different part of the plant, they are separating sand, not a fluffy material so I've no idea now how effective they would actually be.

The instrument flow is minuscule, maybe 2 GPM at best, the majority of the flow is bypassed to keep the sample fresh so a large surface filter would work against me delaying the speed of response.

I would sure appreciate a fresh perspective.

 

[ashtree]

A cyclone will be ineffective because they rely on significant differences in specific gravity of the particles being sepertaed. Algae is largely water so it will be almost the same mass as the water from which you are trying to seperate.
A 10 micron yarn filter would potentially remove enough particles to alter your turbidity reads particularly when the filters are almost blocked with algae.

No matter what sort of filter you use, if it traps the algae it will block up, so surface area is one solution but you already reject that. Have you looked at a self cleaning type such as those made by Amiad and others?

Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"

 

[InstrumentDept]

ashtree
Thanks for your reply. Sounds like the self cleaning filter is my only option. I had looked at them but other than they appear to be only available in larger sizes, I hoped for a lower maintenance solution like a cyclone, but you have confirmed my thought that it was too good to be true.

I don't have fresh water available to act as flushing water but perhaps I can get by using the same water to flush and then have to clean the entire assembly occasionally.

 

[bimr]

Have you tried increase the micron size to 100 microns. I suspect that you are taking some of the turbidity out with a 10 micron filter.