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Industry Insights

The Pursuit of a Green Carbon Steel Corrosion Inhibitor: Laying the Groundwork - Part 1

Abstract Corrosion control of carbon steel heat exchange components is becoming more important as energy costs rise and the demand for environmentally friendly chemicals is on the water technology forefront. This article explores the effectiveness of various inhibitors in open system cooling tower water that is both corrosive and scaling. Part 1: Laying the Groundwork gives an overview of the inhibitors tested and [...]

November 8, 2014 By Matthew LaBrosse, PhD & Donovan Erickson, CWT Read more...

Why Should I Lay-Up My Cooling Tower?

Each year we get many of these questions from people, all stemming back to the central question of what is cooling tower lay-up and why do we do it? If any of these sound familiar to you then you may want to read on. “We wait to punch tubes until spring.” “I just drain the tower piping to the roof line.” “We leave the tower filled ‘just in case.'” “I [...]

September 27, 2014 Read more...

Trends in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

U.S. Water’s Technical Manager, Gary Engstrom provided insight into wastewater trends for Flow Control Magazine. The article, written by Matt Migliore, appears below. As the scarcity of water becomes a more pressing issue worldwide, the drive for industry to reclaim and reuse wastewater grows more important. Moreover, industry faces increasingly stringent state and federal requirements regulating [...]

August 20, 2014 By Matt Migliore Read more...

Reduce Operating Costs Using Industrial Cooling Tower Automation

Efficiency, sustainability and conservation are all topics that must be considered in today’s business regardless of the industry. At the core of many businesses utility operations are cooling requirements that call for the use of a cooling tower. If allowed to operate in an uncontrolled environment, the water and energy efficiencies in cooling towers can be costly. Furthermore, an uncontrolled cooling tower [...]

July 30, 2013 Read more...

The Sometimes Maddening Question of Boiler Lay-Up

With more and more steam boilers being asked to provide intermittent service, there is renewed focus on the proper treatment of boiler systems while they are offline. In the Power industry it is not uncommon for a combined cycle plant to operate less than 30% of the time, meaning the vast majority of the time the boiler is idle. The rise of renewable power assets that have intermittent and [...]

November 15, 2012 Read more...

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Membrane Autopsy: What You Need to Know

A membrane autopsy is a good description of the analysis that can be performed on a fouled membrane. It can also be the key to determining how to prevent fouling of new membranes and to maximize the efficiency of this key piece of water treatment equipment. U.S. Water Services performs this analysis in-house at our location in Cambridge, Minnesota, and then issues a comprehensive seven page report of the results. The [...]

August 16, 2012 Read more...

Flow Accelerated Corrosion

Few subjects have captured the attention of boiler cycle chemistry experts and research dollars in the past 10+ years as flow accelerated corrosion (FAC). Having previously been most concerned about failures occurring in higher pressure areas of the cycle, FAC is now a primary concern as over 60% of all utilities have reported finding it in their facilities.  Defined as localized rapid metal loss resulting [...]

July 5, 2012 Read more...

Preventing Scale Formation in Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems behave similar to a boiler or a cooling tower in that they cause the dissolved salts in their make-up water to become more concentrated.  As pure water permeates the RO membrane, the salts are left behind in a concentrated stream. If the solubility of any particular salt is exceeded, the potential exists that the salt will form scale directly on the membrane surface or possibly within [...]

June 18, 2012 By Wes Byrne, Industry Consultant Read more...

Ozone Generators: A New Technology for Biocide Treatment

The use of Ozone has become an optional biocide in smaller cooling towers, evaporative condensers and process applications where low to moderate traditional biocides, such as bleach and bromine,  have been used. Facilities seeking ‘green' solutions are using Ozone to reduce chemical discharge, reduce on-site chemical handling by workers, and provide a hands off treatment approach, especially in hard to [...]

February 6, 2012 Read more...

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Best Practices & Standards

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a proven technology with new applications for various industries. U.S. Water’s representatives pride themselves on having extensive knowledge of RO unit installation, operations, troubleshooting and cleaning procedures. Let’s review the standards and best practices for RO units by first reviewing the process of osmosis. OSMOSIS: A NATURAL OCCURRENCE Osmosis is a natural [...]

April 14, 2011 Read more...

ZLD, A Sustainable Water Treatment Solution

Introduction Water supply issues and sustainability are emerging as a national concern with the energy sector coming under increasing scrutiny. This is certainly the case with the ethanol industry. State discharge regulations have and are dictating that plant designs incorporate technological solutions to minimizing water use. These designs involve utilizing equipment that allows flexibility in reusing water [...]

February 11, 2011 By Charlie Kroeger, U.S. Water and Rick Vondra, Patriot Renewable Fuels Read more...