Protecting RO Membranes at Supercritical Scale: SILTON SDI Analysers for NTPC Lara Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-II

A large thermal power station runs on water as much as on coal. Boiler make-up, cooling and process streams all depend on a water treatment plant that has to run reliably, year after year. In plants that use reverse osmosis (RO), the most important number upstream of the membranes is often the Silt Density Index (SDI): a measure of how quickly the feed water will foul them.

Tech Inc. is proud to supply its SILTON SDI analysers for the water treatment system of NTPC Lara Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-II (2 x 800 MW) in Chhattisgarh, India. The order came through the project's water-treatment contractor.

Why SDI Matters in a Power Plant

RO membranes are expensive, and they fail slowly and then suddenly. Colloidal and particulate matter that gets past pre-treatment builds up on the membrane surface. That raises feed pressure, lowers output and shortens membrane life.

Plant operators use SDI to answer one practical question: is the pre-treatment doing its job? Measuring SDI accurately and regularly lets the plant catch a problem in the filters or clarifiers before it reaches the membranes.

The Supply: Online Monitoring Plus Manual Verification

The scope combines two complementary ways of measuring:

• SILTON 4750 online SDI analyser. Automated, unattended SDI measurement on the RO feed line, logging results continuously for trend analysis.

• Simple SDI 100 manual SDI kits. Robust manual instruments for spot checks, cross-verification of the online reading, and measurements at other sampling points in the plant.

Each consignment also includes a stock of 100 membrane filter discs (0.45 µm), so the plant can begin testing as soon as the equipment is installed.

Built for the Plant Environment

The SILTON online analyser is designed for real utility conditions:

• IP54-rated enclosure: protection against dust and splashing water in a plant environment

• LCD display: clear local readout of measurements and status

• 220 V supply, below 150 W consumption: easy integration with standard plant power and modest energy use

• Data logging of more than 1,000 records: a history of SDI results on board for trend review and reporting

A Rigorous Path from Evaluation to Despatch

Supplying instruments to a utility project of this scale means meeting the standards of the owner, the main plant contractor and the water-treatment contractor. For this order:

• A technical evaluation of the offered instruments came before the order was placed.

• Model approval was sought within the project's owner/OEM approval framework.

• Separate test reports were issued for the online analyser and for the manual kits.

• Dispatch clearance (MDCC) was received after documents were reviewed under the purchase order amendments.

What This Order Represents

India's new supercritical units are being built to high standards of reliability and water efficiency. Protecting RO membranes through dependable SDI monitoring is a small but essential part of that effort. Tech Inc.'s SILTON range is now part of that effort at one of the country's major power projects.

What We Supplied

• SILTON 4750: online SDI analyser, IP54, LCD, 220 V / <150 W, 1,000+ record log

• Simple SDI 100: manual SDI test kits

• 0.45 µm membrane filter discs: 100 per supply

• Documentation: individual test reports for each instrument type

Monitor Your RO Feed with Confidence

Tech Inc. manufactures online and manual SDI analysers, membrane test skids and membrane research equipment for power plants, refineries, water utilities and laboratories.

Visit techincresearch.com or write to mail@techincresearch.com to discuss SDI monitoring for your plant.