APEX Monthly – February 2013

APEX MONTHLY – FEBRUARY 2013 www.apexengineeringproducts.com

RYDALL WO: The multivitamin for bacteria

Whether you’re running around from meeting to meeting or trying to get your kids dressed in

the morning, we all need vitamins and other trace elements in order to function adequately on a daily basis. They aid our bodies in maintaining good health and fighting off illness when we’re under the weather.

Some may need more than others to perform at an optimal level depending on the task at hand. [Hey, pitchers and catchers report to spring training soon!]

The same goes for bacteria. In most people’s minds, bacteria has a negative connotation when it comes to… well, anything. In the realm of wastewater and sludge processing, though, bacteria is the Michael Jordan of waste treatment.

There is a plethora of bacteria in wastewater and sludge, good and bad, which are the driving force in the natural biological process. They work to reduce such things as fats, oil and grease (FOG) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

The effectiveness of the good bacteria is dependent on micronutrients, especially with aerobic (requires oxygen) bacteria that need more trace elements as cofactors than anaerobic (does not require oxygen) bacteria. If the availability of these nutrients is low, bad bacteria that require fewer micronutrients will become dominant.

In certain situations, some bacteria or yeast strains may release sufficient quantities of antibiotics that suppress growth of other microorganisms. Additionally, an increased presence of protozoa may also have an undesirable effect by feeding on bacteria, subsequently reducing the population of good bacteria.

In wastewater and sludge processing, the reduction of FOG, BOD, as well as hydrogen sulfide (H2S); chemical oxygen demand (COD); and total suspended solids (TSS) is necessary due to local and federal regulations and a facility’s bottom line.

Just how effective is  RYDALL WO ?

• Reduce H2S by 95%
Sludge tanks and sewers
• Reduce BOD by 50% & TSS by 30%
Wastewater treatment and pre-treatment facilities/operations
• Reduce COD by 65% & Increase Dissolved O2 by 100%
Wastewater lagoons and ponds

Most manufacturing or processing facilities are required by law to pre-treat its wastewater to meet acceptable levels of contaminants (e.g. BOD, FOG) prior to sending it off to a wastewater treatment plant. Companies can rack

Aside from investing significant capital in equipment and land, such as aeration systems, digesters, dewatering equipment, and retention tanks and ponds, haul-off fees for sludge are also costly.up significant fines for not meeting those requirements.

 

Implementing RYDALL WO Water Optimizer as part of the treatment process can enhance how quickly and efficiently you treat and process wastewater and sludge, in turn, saving you money in maintenance and disposal costs. Unlike other products, RYDALL WO does NOT contain active enzymes or bacteria that could have adverse effects on your wastewater treatment process.

The biodegradable RYDALL WO can be used as a cost-effective pre-treatment additive that can help facilities treat its wastewater more effectively, meeting local and federal wastewater regulations to eliminate costly fines. It can also expedite sludge processing by reducing the amount of sludge produced.

This can save you money by reducing the amount of sludge for disposal or frequency. Also, RYDALL WO will give you added capacity in your retention tanks or ponds, as well as enhance the effectiveness of other treatment equipment and systems.

Just think of RYDALL WO as a multivitamin for bacteria.

 

Starch processor puts RYDALL WO to the test

A specialty starch processor in Maine was intrigued by the capabilities of RYDALL WO in reducing the amount of produced sludge and its effluent BOD levels. Apex provided a small sample of RYDALL WO to the client for testing on a sample of its wastewater obtained from the sludge tank.

Prior to the start of the test, the BOD level in the sample wastewater measured 5,500 mg/l. We recommended applying 200 ppm of RYDALL WO to the sample and measuring the BOD level after a few days. After just six days, the BOD level dropped significantly, measuring only 75 mg/l! RYDALL WO not only reduced the BOD level by nearly 99%, the client observed very healthy “bugs” under a microscope. The dramatic results from the test prompted the client to state, “I’ve been in this field for 10 years now, tried lots of stuff, and this sure is different!”

As a result of this successful lab test, our client decided to take the next step… adding RYDALL WO to its 350,000-gallon sludge tank. The client purchased a 55-gallon drum of RYDALL WO, which arrived at a time when his sludge tank was at maximum capacity and recovering from turning anaerobic due to bad starch the plant had processed. They had been running blowers constantly for two weeks, but were unable to settle the tank during this period.

The client immediately added (2) gallons of RYDALL WO to the sludge tank and after two days, they were amazed at immense growth in bugs and activity. An additional (2) gallons were added to the tank, and after the first week, they were able to shut off the blowers and release 22,000 gallons of supernate (releasable water)!

At this point, the client let the system continue and during the second week, they were able to pump off an additional 100,000 gallons of supernate! After four weeks of RYDALL WO being in the system, the bugs were still big and healthy. This resulted in a cost-savings for the client as no solids needed to be dewatered, pressed or hauled off!

Further enhancing the wastewater treatment process and cost-savings, the exceptional quality of the supernate has allowed it to be pumped back to the beginning of the whole waste system.

Additionally, RYDALL WO effectively controlled the filamentous bacteria within the system, eliminating foaming and other adverse effects that usually occur with an overabundance of the

filamentous bacteria, as well as the need for extensive and costly nutrient replacement to counteract those effects.

 

Write this down, RYDLYME used on

Bi-Carbonate System at Pennsylvania paper plant

A paper plant for a major company in Pennsylvania used RYDLYME to dissolve mineral deposits within its Bi-Carbonate System (Bi-Carb), which controls alkalinity in the plant’s process water system. The Bi-Carb produces scale buildup inside the mix and day tanks, plugging up the system’s pipes, strainers and other components.

Solution

•  125 gallons of RYDLYME

• Circulated via pump inside mix tank for 3 hours; solution then transferred to day tank and circulated throughout the rest of the system (closed-loop) for 6-8 hours

Results

•  After cleaning and water flush, scaling throughout the entire system was eliminated, returning it to peak operating efficiency

• Client plans to continue using RYDLYME in this cleaning application and is evaluating other applications in and around the plant where RYDLYME can be used

 

RYDLYME takes on stripper

An Oklahoma oil refinery experienced heavy fouling on the distribution plates/packing material in its ketone stripper unit. The fouling was a result of caustic solution and water being steam heated. With a deposit buildup, the unit does not effectively remove the ketone from the waste stream. The plant turned to RYDLYME to address the issue.

Solution

•  990 gallons of RYDLYME

•  Circulated via 2-inch diaphragm pump for 8 hours

Results

•  Client was extremely happy with the cleaning as the unit was able to effectively remove the ketone, improving efficiency. Also, RYDLYME is now part of the unit’s normal maintenance procedure

• RYDLYME was also used in a prior job at the plant cleaning out a heat exchanger. The cleaning reduced temperatures from 300o to 150o F on process side and 160o to 125o F on tube side

 

 

Grease is the word for RYDALL MP

A manufacturing facility in Wisconsin used

RYDALL MP Multi Purpose Degreaser to cut through eight months worth of grease, grime and dirt buildup on its Haas ST30 CNC Lathe unit. The unit had never been cleaned.

Solution

•  Spray bottle of RYDALL MP (50% – 50% dilution with water)

•  Sprayed area, let sit for approximately 1 minute and wiped off

Results

•  After just 3 applications, the heavy buildup was gone

• The company is using RYDALL MP on other equipment and areas throughout its facility to safely eliminate grease, grime and other contaminants

 

Reasons why HVAC service professionals turn to RYDLYME

From long-time users who continue to use and recommend the popular descaler, to future users

who witnessed a sea sh

ell dissolve in our hand, RYDLYME was a hit at

the 2013 AHR Expo in Dallas. Here’s why…

Stainless steel condenser at a power plant

Boiler at a university

Cooling tower (hot deck) at an institutional facility

Absorption unit at a university

 

 

Just the facts…

• Safe on metals typically found in water-based equipment/systems, including stainless steel and copper

•  Can be held in open hand

•  Biodegradable; non-toxic; non-hazardous

•  No special disposal measures necessary

•  pH-controllable for stricter local/facility disposal regulations

•  NSF(A3) & NSF/ANSI 60 certified

•  Typical concentration for a job is 50%, with many instances requiring even less

•  Use this single product on a wide array of equipment/systems and applications

•  Product has been in the market for over 70 years with a proven track record of safety & success

 

Whenever there is a deposit of any type of heat transfer surface, it retards heat transfer. This is referred to as “thermal resistance” and requires a corresponding increase in energy to overcome it.

Major manufacturers of air conditioning equipment generally design condensers and chiller heat exchangers to operate at a maximum “thermal resistance” or fouling factor of 0.0005. As a result, a deposit of only .036 inches (about 1/32”) corresponds to an increase in energy costs of over 30%!

This 30% increase in costs relates to a common calcium carbonate deposit. The actual heat transfer coefficient of a deposit depends on what it is. Iron deposits of the same thickness are greater insulators and therefore have lower heat transfer coefficients. Certainly, any deposit contributing a fouling factor (thermal resistance) will increase electrical consumption and decrease efficiency.

The increase in electrical energy takes place in the compressor. Scale deposits will increase the thermal resistance causing higher refrigerant gas temperatures from the condenser. Higher refrigerant gas temperatures mean higher gas pressures, which require greater energy to compress the refrigerant. Therefore, there is an increase in the electrical power required to operate the compressor. Minimizing this potential energy loss requires monitoring of the daily energy consumed per ton of refrigerant/air conditioning being generated. This will allow you to recognize when inefficient operation is increasing due to deposit accumulation within your system.

The cost savings example shows the increased energy costs associated with scale deposits. Utilizing the example in this chart, you can plug in your facility’s equipment, energy cost per kWh and equipment operating hours. This will provide the total energy cost to operate your equipment for one year. Once you have ascertained your annual energy costs, you can apply the fouling factor that correlates to the current deposit thickness that exists within your equipment.

•  Each member of the Apex sales and technical staff has over 10 years of technical experience with numerous

applications and equipment