Semiconductor Wastewater Radar Level Measurement

When an Arizona semiconductor fab needed reliable level measurement of their wastewater intake tanks, they turned to Flowline. Fab waste is complex and includes organic solvents, dissolved metals, etching acids, oxidizers and ammonia. The waste stream enters the treatment building where it’s received in two holding tanks that gravity feed through actuated valves into the process. There the treatment operator said that despite installing prior ultrasonic level sensors in standpipes, the sensors became intermittent whenever significant foam developed in the tanks, causing nuisance alarms or shutdowns. For this reason, Flowline suggested our 80-GHz radar sensors that are unaffected by foam and ideal for wastewater. The operator installed them in the same standpipes to eliminate agitation directly under the sensors for smooth level measurement with or without foam. The radar sensors provide reliable level data to the PLC, which monitors the tanks and controls the process. Flowline is reliable level measurement.