Industrial consumers have more access to data than ever before, but what to do with it? Can advancements in technology really make us better tomorrow than today? This thought-provoking article will introduce a concept to building context into data to ultimately achieve intelligent actions or recommendations from computing systems. While our example will hit home for water treaters, the concept behind this process and [...]
Design build projects are not a new concept in the construction industry but is new to the water treatment industry. In recent years, an inflation of design build work has emerged within the marketplace and it’s expected to continue to gain momentum. So, what is a design build project? Design build projects often require bidding into a design build proposal rather than bidding directly to a contractor. This [...]
When operating cooling towers, solids build up in the recirculated water. Cooling towers effectively scrub large volumes of air, which adds solids consisting of dust, microbiological organisms, and various airborne debris. Tower water can also have suspended solids from the make-up water source (e.g., turbidity), chemical treatment products, microbiological growth, and even wood fibers from the tower itself. As they [...]
Maintenance is vital to the success of treatment plants across all industries. External filter inspection on a regular basis will keep your plant running optimally and promote system longevity. Consistent inspections will catch minor repairs that when fixed in a timely manner, do not become bigger, more expensive repairs and also prevents a full plant shutdown. When inspecting filter exteriors, there a few things you [...]
Corrosion in industrial and commercial water treatment continues to be a major concern as companies strive to reduce costs while maintaining their assets. The need to protect heat exchange equipment and associated piping is vital in minimizing operational costs and preventing downtime. Traditionally, copper and carbon steel have been the metallurgies of choice for comfort heating and cooling heat exchange equipment. [...]
As industrial facilities continually look for ways to reduce capital costs and decrease installation timelines associated with water treatment and other systems, the practice of containerizing equipment has become more prevalent. A containerized system offers many benefits of lower costs than comparable field erected buildings, faster timelines and lower field installation requirements. However, once site building [...]
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a plant’s water supply and the technology’s capabilities. The final article of this three-part series will address RO system operation and maintenance best practices. Section one and two [...]
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a plant’s water supply and the technology’s capabilities. The information presented here could help plant engineers design and optimize an RO system to match their needs. The success of a new RO [...]
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems offer power plant owners and operators a reliable and well-proven water treatment solution. However, designing and caring for an RO system requires a thorough understanding of a plant’s water supply and the technology’s capabilities. Part one of this series will review the importance of water samples and pilot studies as plant engineers begin to design an RO system to match [...]
Expansion of the volume of ethanol exported to the rest of the world is critical to profitability and expansion of the industry. Exports continue to set records (927 million gallons in the first seven months of 2018) but can be limited by challenges created by inconsistency in quality specifications and the methods used to guarantee them. U.S. Water has stepped forward in the last two years to help our [...]
Boiler feedwater is comprised of two very important, and increasingly expensive resources, steam condensate return and city (or well) makeup water. The condensate is valuable due to low electrical conductance, purity and high temperature. The makeup water is valuable because it is being overused and under conserved in many parts of the country, making the cost of water rise in almost all parts of the United States. [...]
In the Power industry, every minute is critical. A smooth plant start-up is vital to operations, and directly linked to lay-up procedures. A thorough understanding of critical lay-up and start-up strategies & procedures, paired with a proper corrosion control protection program can prevent unscheduled downtime, reduce operating costs and increase plant reliability. In the gas fired combined cycle market, [...]