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Performance expectations overview.
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Within a range of industries and industrial
processes, conditions occur that promote and exacerbate the
formation and deposition of scale and sludge in the process
piping, valves, pumps, tanks and vessels. These conditions are
usually associated with one of the following factors:-
• Heat transfer
• Evaporation
• Pressure reduction
• Fluid shear
• Chemical reaction
When any one of these conditions exists, scale forming crystals
are generated at that point in the process and scale begins to
deposit on the equipment walls from that point and down stream
from it. The objective of magnetic fluid treatment is to
eliminate the build up of scale and sludge problems in fluid
process systems with the result that production may be increased
and lost time due to maintenance shutdowns to remove scale is
eliminated. The reduction in scale build up and/or the reduction
in the rate of scale build up is dependent on the severity of
the scaling problem. Most scale problems can be eliminated.
Scale-X MFC’s are engineered for installation at each scale generating
site to prevent the build-up of scale and to remove the existing
scale deposits that may have occurred. In general, the expected
outcomes of control of scale and sludge build up due to
Scale-X magnetic fluid treatment is as follows:-
••• Water systems – total elimination of build up and removal of
existing scale and sludge in heat exchanges, condensers and
cooling tower slats. Maintenance shutdowns to remove scale can
be eliminated, however, the basins of cooling towers and
clarifiers should be cleaned regularly as that is the settlement
point for the sludge in the system.
••• Oil and water
separation systems - total elimination of scale build up and
removal of existing scale. Maintenance shutdowns to remove scale
can be eliminated.
••• Crude petroleum
production – control and/or elimination of inorganic mineral
salts scale and organic paraffins and asphaltenes build up.
Maintenance shutdowns to remove scale can be eliminated in many
cases and/or run times between cleans significantly extended.
••• Steel pre-treatment
systems – total elimination of scale build ups and removal of
existing scale. Maintenance shutdowns to remove scale can be
eliminated. However, the clarifiers and/or tanks will need to be
flushed to remove settled sludge on some scheduled basis.
••• Food systems such as
milk processing systems (evaporators and pasteurisers) –
significant reduction in rate of scale formation and organic
build ups and easier cleaning. Run times between cleans for milk
processing systems can be extended by 25 to 85 percent depending
on the severity of the rate of scale formation. For distilleries
the benefits are usually much greater than for milk.
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Example:-
Performance expectations on a major air-conditioning
system with multiple condensers/chillers and
cooling towers servicing a group of multi story
buildings. The system suffers from uncontrollable algae and increased energy costs due to
reduced efficiency. |
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Following installation of the MFCs (and
continuing thereafter), MTA has the following expectations of
the system:-
1. Energy usage is to remain steady per unit of output and not
to ramp up after cleaning as is the case when chemical dosing is
used
2. Energy usage is to drop gradually per unit of output where
the system was not cleaned prior to installation of MFCs. The
degree of drop off is dependent on how dirty the system is
before installation of the MFCs
3. Algae is to die off despite the continuous ingress of algae
through the air and/or make up water, Algal levels to remain
below generally accepted limits
4. There will also be a continuous ingress of Legionella through
the air and/or make up water, however the Legionella bacteria
count is to remain below the generally accepted limit of
100CFU/milliliter (colony forming units per milliliter) where
detectable at all
5. Condenser tubes to be clean and remain clean after any
pre-existing scale has been removed
6. Cooling tower slats to be clean and remain clean after any
pre-existing scale has been softened by the MFCs and removed by
a high pressure hose (after about 60 days)
7. Any pre-existing corrosion to be contained / halted while the
system is operated regularly, that is, while each condenser and
each cooling tower is operated for a minimum of 30 minutes twice
daily. Corrosion inhibition applies only to wetted surfaces
8. Required maintenance (other than equipment failure) to be
limited to draining and flushing the basins of the cooling
towers. (Sludge in the cooling tower basins must not be allowed
to dry.)
Note:-
Scale softened by the magnetic fluid conditioners will harden if
allowed to dry out. The expectation that any remaining scale on
the cooling tower slats can be easily removed relies upon that
particular cooling tower having been run continuously until the
softened scale has been removed by high pressure hose. Once
clean, the cooling tower may be alternated with other towers
without ill effect.
MFCs are effective in controlling corrosion in an active system.
If the cooling system is not run each day, the MFC effects will
die off and corrosion will return. It is anticipated that in a
country where cooling systems are run each day all year that
this should not be an issue.
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