Indiana Company Saves
Environment From Chemically Contaminated Water
October 6, 2005
When you think of an environmentally friendly
company, a steel processing plant does not typically come to
mind. However, Stripco Inc. of Mishawaka, Ind., a manufacturer
of production-ready, cold-rolled steel coils, is the exception.
Due to their recent investment in a natural gas powered 60 kW
microturbine, they are now producing some of their own
electricity. The generated heat is then used in their
manufacturing process, saving them money and truck loads of coal
at the power plant.
This significant amount of savings has led to
their selection as one of Indiana's top 25 companies up for the
2005 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence. Although
the 2005 award winners have yet to be announced, Stripco is
already considering applying for a 2006 award - focusing, this
time around, on the savings they have received and the pollution
they have eliminated with their chemical-free water treatment
systems.
In August of 1995, Stripco made another wise
decision that also proved to be cost-effective and
environmentally-friendly when they installed a magnetic water
treatment system in the place of chemicals to control lime/scale
and corrosion on one of their cooling towers. A few months later
they installed another magnetic system on a second cooling
tower.
When calcium, magnesium and other water-borne
minerals are exposed to heat, pressure, friction and other
physical changes within water-using equipment, they precipitate
out of solution and form layers of calcium carbonate (commonly
known as lime/scale) on the heat transfer surfaces. According to
the United States Bureau of Standards, just 1/2-in. of this
mineral scale build-up can increase energy costs by as much as
70%, as it creates a great insulating barrier between the heat
transfer surface and the water. Another common concern in
water-using equipment is corrosion, especially in situations
where the water is aggressive due to low pH and/or excessive
free oxygen content.
For years, chemicals have been the traditional
and conventional method used to control these problems in
heat-transfer equipment. However, magnetic water conditioners
employ a physical approach to fight this battle. The particular
conditioner Stripco chose is specially designed with
alternating, reversing-polarity bar magnets which have multiple
poles and fields. As minerals in water are exposed to these
uniquely arranged magnetic fields, their molecular structure is
re-aligned in such a way that they lose the ability to bond
together and form scale when they are exposed to heat transfer.
Instead, they enter into a state of suspension and can be easily
removed through blow-down or bleed-off. When the magnetic water
conditioner is used in conjunction with centrifugal separation
and filtration equipment, bleed requirements are totally
eliminated.
Prior to Stripco's opening in 1994, Steve
Mihojevich, Director of Engineering, recommended that his
newly-hired Project Engineer, Richard Smith, check into magnetic
water treatment (MWT). Having had prior experience with MWT,
Mihojevich felt confident in choosing this physical treatment
method over chemical treatment. Smith, on the other hand, had
never used anything other than chemicals and was somewhat
apprehensive. However, the thought of the ease and savings this
process might offer them over traditional water treatment helped
him to be more open to trying something new and different.
Smith said his acceptance of MWT was not
easily won, taking him about five years to totally believe in
the treatment. Smith went on to say "Problems don't usually
happen immediately; they show up years down the road. But after
five years without any problems, that's when I was convinced it
was working." It has now been 10 years since Stripco began using
magnetics, and Smith says his favorite part is the low
maintenance and the environmental aspect of them.
Over the past decade, by choosing a
chemical-free treatment, along with ultraviolet equipment for
biological control, Stripco has eliminated hundreds of thousands
of gallons of chemically contaminated water from going to waste
and into the environment. They have also saved tens of thousands
of dollars in the operation and maintenance of their cooling
tower systems by reducing expenses associated with chemical
treatment.
When asked to compare his water treatment
systems to chemical treatment, Smith emphasized the low
maintenance and operating cost of the magnetic water
conditioners. The only work Stripco performs on their
conditioners is monitoring the conductivity of the cooling tower
water in order to determine if they need to adjust the bleed
rate. The bleed rate is up to 25% less than when treating with
chemicals, as the system's unique treatment process effectively
controls mineral scale deposition in cooling systems with cycles
of concentration as much as 5-10 times greater than what is
required for chemically treated systems to effectively do the
same job. "It pretty much runs on its own and we do not have to
worry about it," Smith said.
Even after hundreds of thousands of successful
magnetic water treatment installations worldwide, there is still
some controversy about MWT. Smith feels that any skepticism
comes from the fact that it's a hard concept to understand.
"Chemistry is chemistry, and you can prove how it works.
Magnetic water treatment is hard to get a hold of," said Smith.
However, MWT was recently tested by a Drexel University
professor in a very closely controlled and monitored study
sponsored by ASHRAE Research which showed exceptional results
for lime scale control. As more and more people become aware of
and apply this technology, they will not only save dollars, they
but will also help to save the environment.
Source: Magnatech Corp. October 6,
2005 |