Stack Acid Sensing

Project Details

Currently, the concentration of excess sulfuric acid mist is measured by inserting an eight foot long wooden stick across the diameter of the sulfuric acid production tower. The stick is removed from the tower after a brief period of time. The stick is visually inspected for the presence of sulfuric acid burns in order to determine the approximate amount of excess sulfuric acid present in the tower. The stick is also checked for marks caused by the presence of sulfur trioxide gas. Our device automates this visual inspection process.

Technical Details

• The acid-stained wooden stick is fed through guides at the front of the device.
• The stick is gripped by two roller wheels mounted to a spring loaded jaw (to maintain firm contact). These rollers are coupled to optical encoders to measure the distance the stick has traveled into the device.
• The stick then passes by two cameras: one facing the side and the other facing the bottom of the stick. At predefined distance intervals the cameras capture an image of the stick. The bottom camera is looking at sulfuric acid mist concentrations while the side camera is looking for the presence of sulfur trioxide gas.
• The camera images are sent to an Udoo Quad Board for analysis.
• Analysis statistics as well as the original pictures are sent to via email to Mosaic engineers.
• The operator inputs test parameters on a small keypad and can see basic feedback on an OLED screen