Development and evaluation of particle analysis system for the process water of the petrochemical industry using hyperspectral imaging, white-light imaging, and fluorescence imaging

The process water from petrochemical industries contains particles and oil droplets that must be removed before discharge into the environment. To detect and analyze these contaminants, a particle analysis system utilizing hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence imaging, and white-light imaging has been developed. This system targets particles and droplets ranging from 5 µm to 150 µm in size and utilizes an ultrasound particle manipulation system to guide particles and droplets into the focal plane of the imaging systems. Traditional analyzers rely on monochrome cameras with backlight illumination, producing monochrome images that provide only size and shape data. While this allows differentiation between solid particles (which appear black) and oil droplets, detailed material analysis of the solid particles remains limited. The hyperspectral imaging system offers spectral resolution, enabling material identification of the particles. The fluorescence imaging ensures reliable oil droplet detection, while the white-light imaging captures high-quality color images for both particles and droplets. This comprehensive data is essential for optimizing water treatment processes in oil production. The results of the field tests are presented, and the strengths and limitations of each subsystem are discussed providing valuable insights for end-users, researchers, and engineers seeking to select the most suitable sensor for their specific application.