Test and Measurement Feature Library

Operations Engineer's library catalogues editorial features going back five years.

Access to all archive material is free to all, including non-members of IPlantE (the Institution of Operations Engineers) or BES (Bureau of Engineer Surveyors), under the umbrella of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers). However, to discover the many benefits of becoming an SOE member, please click here.

07/12/2011 Pulsar ultrasonics are no slouch to sludge Wessex Water is reporting success with seven new sludge blanket monitors, from Pulsar Process Measurement, at its Christchurch sewage treatment works. » Read More

07/12/2011 Wastewater treatment plant slashes down-time and maintenance Shasun Pharma Solutions is reporting vastly reduced maintenance, zero recalibration, and easier, more accurate and more reliable monitoring since moving to Hach Lange sensor equipment for its wastewater plant. » Read More

07/06/2011 Wired for water Technologies available to cut the cost of treating waste water, by improving efficiency and obviating practical problems, are many and various. Dr Tom Shelley explains » Read More

07/06/2010 Going with the flow Water treatment plants are facing increasing legislative and operational pressures Brian Tinham looks at some of their engineering solutions » Read More

01/03/2010 Pump prediction Modern non-invasive motor condition monitoring equipment is proving its worth at Wessex Water. Brian Tinham talks to operational services manager Dave Durkin » Read More

01/03/2010 Choppers cut Severn Trent costs Vaughan chopper pumps, supplied by P&M Pumps, have cut costs caused by unplanned maintenance at Severn Trent Water's Netheridge, Gloucester treatment works, and are now also achieving significant savings on energy consumption. » Read More

01/10/2009 Babies and bathwater Plant, equipment, instrumentation and the regulatory frameworks have all been evolving to meet the challenges of pollution and climate change. Brian Tinham examines the issues » Read More

01/10/2008 Wet engineering With the likely passing of the European Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/EC into British law in December - extending the existing 'polluter pays' principle to water sources, inhabited land, and protected species and habitats - ... » Read More

01/10/2008 Go easy on energy The oil price might fall below $100 per barrel, taking other energy prices down with it, but it may also climb to $200, according to energy industry insider Mike Brooks of St Omer Consulting. The point: plant managers should be planning ... » Read More

01/06/2008 Waste water wars Waste water treatment may not exactly sound glamorous but, from a plant perspective, it presents some interesting engineering and management challenges. For a start, the far-flung nature of pumping stations, sewage treatment works and the ... » Read More

01/12/2007 Watch your waste According to a report by Research and Markets, 'Global Waste Management Market Assessment', municipal solid waste (MSW) generated worldwide reached 2.02 billion tonnes in 2006 and is expected to increase by 37.3% between 2007 and 2011. ... » Read More

01/10/2007 Testing the waters No one likes being overburdened with regulations, and plant engineers are no exception - fact. However, in a world forced into a rather late, reactionary effort to clean up its act, pollution in the waste water and effluent sector was ... » Read More

01/10/2007 Pumping challenge Engineering invariably involves a balancing act - mostly between, on the one hand, keeping within budget, while, on the other, developing robust, dependable solutions that meet parameters, such as design life and risk mitigation. » Read More

01/10/2006 Waste water gets the treatment Regulations relating to reducing pollution from industrial activities have been around in the UK for more than 150 years, while the present Pollution Prevention and Control regulations came into force in 1999, with a transitional process ... » Read More

01/10/2006 Monitor this situation Yorkshire Water (YW) has 4.7 million customers - a lot of people to let down, if a piece of equipment fails. OFWAT ranks YW as 'the most capital-efficient company'. At YW, therefore, monitoring of the equipment that is used so extensively, ... » Read More

01/10/2005 Water waste batters cashflow Headlines about water shortages in the UK have featured heavily in the media in recent years - with threats of hosepipe bans and other rationing measures a regular occurrence. While businesses are often unaffected in the short term, the ... » Read More

06/12/2004 Water and Effluent Treatment - Where there's sludge, there's money A new sewage treatment works sets new standards for reduction of pollutants in its effluents, its odour-free operation, easy and safe access for maintenance operators, and attentions to the requirements of new regulations such as ATEX. » Read More