Helping the Environment One Centrifuge at a Time

Recycling industrial used water with Decanter centrifuges

We cannot ignore is the consumption and waste of clean water as well as the pollution of the earth’s There is a lot to think about when being environmentally conscious these days. One environmental issue that water ways. The earth is comprised of 70% water yet only 2.5% of that water is fresh water. The need to be conscious of how we use and monitor our use of water is of the utmost importance. Water is used in a variety of different industrial applications while processing many different types of substances and materials. Processes vary from mixing water with mash ingredients in the food and beverage industry, to mixing it with bitumen and additives in numerous applications in the oil and gas and mining industries as well as using it for waste treatment in cities and municipalities. Here is a snippet from an article from encyclopedia.com talking about the scale of consumption of water in industrial processes:

According to the United Nations World Water Development Report, industry accounts for 22% of all global water withdrawals. This varies from 59% in high-income countries, to 8% in low-income countries. Industry tends to use mainly freshwater, as saltwater is unsuitable for most applications because it corrodes the metal parts used in machinery. By 2025, industry will probably account for 24% of global freshwater withdrawals. Although much industrial water is available for reuse, it is usually degraded by the processes it has been involved in, and this type of wastewater will require treatment before its return to the water supply.

The electric power production industry, comprising hydroelectric, nuclear, and coal and oil-fired power stations, account for 50% to 70% of industrial water use. Paper and pulp production, chemicals, mining and metal processing, and petroleum refining all use substantial amounts of water in their operations. The amount of water used in producing various goods and services is called water intensity. Manufacture of a pound of paper takes about 3,000 gallons (11,400 liters) of water, while producing one car takes, on average, about 65,000 gallons (246,000 liters). A pound of aluminum takes about 200,000 gallons (757,000 liters) of water to produce and a hamburger around 1,300 gallons (4,999 liters).

There are many different ways that one can separate water from other materials allowing for water recycling. Centrifuges have been a key piece of equipment in the pursuit of efficient, cost-effective separation of substances of different densities. One advantage to using centrifuges is the ability to recycle and reclaim water that is being used in industrial processes that can be harmful to the environment. Using a centrifuge allows for the removal of harmful substances from water, which then provides the capability to recycle that water back for reprocessing. It also provides the opportunity to process other solids and prep them for environmentally friendly methods of disposal.

In reusing and reclaiming water from industrial processing, we are able to accomplish many different things such as prevention of contamination of nearby water sources which is crucial in limiting our impact on the environment. When accomplishing this we can also improve the quality of wetlands, provide cleaner future water supplies and create better environments for wildlife. In some applications, the recycled water can contain properties that are beneficial to irrigation and fertilizing.

The awareness for sustainability in freshwater is continually growing globally. With the right mindset and use of technology we can re-use the use of water and increase the reuse of water in industrial applications.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/freshwater-crisis/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/energy-government-and-defense-magazines/industrial-water-use

How Long Should a Centrifuge Last?

Allied millwright Alex takes his first look at the wear on a Tomoe decanter centrifuge that arrived at the Allied Centrifuge Technologies Service Facility

How long should a centrifuge last? Well, there really is no expiry date or life expectancy for separation equipment. Industrial centrifuges are used in a multitude of industries and applications, and a lot of the machines in operation today have been in service for decades. Performing preventative maintenance paired with high quality rebuild services can greatly extend the life expectancy of your rotating equipment. One of Allied’s clients has been running decanter centrifuges in their bitumen processing for over 50 years and they are still running strong. There are however a few factors that should be considered when estimating a life expectancy of your decanter centrifuge.

Environments & processes

A common variable that can result in a change of equipment is process or capacity changes. As capacities increase in any operation, the volume and output expected will increase. Every centrifuge will have a maximum design capacity where the best separation efficiency is achieved, the only way to increase that is by adding more machines or upgrading to larger equipment. It has been common to see an increase in premature wear or loss of separation efficiency in machines due to operators overloading the machine past designed capabilities. Finding the correct running process is ideal for every machine and will not just improve the efficiency of the process but also improve the safety of the operations.

New Technology

New technology may be able to run more efficiently, have lower cost in-terms of energy consumption or reduce maintenance costs and down time. This might be a consideration for operations that are looking to invest in equipment that will reduce future costs. The replacement of existing centrifuges with better designed centrifuges or even the addition of a new process or technology to lessen the work load or improve efficiency of the equipment.

The Fight against corrosion and erosion

One factor that can affects the lifespan of a centrifuge is corrosion. This is the biggest concern for any organization when trying to determine the longevity or servicing of separation equipment. Also under consideration is the industry and the application that the centrifuge is being used for. The corrosiveness of the slurry that is being processed will determine the materials required in the manufacturing of the centrifuge.

In industries such as oil and gas and mining, where the slurries being processed are much more abrasive but not necessarily corrosive, high wear resistant alloys need to be deployed in certain areas to combat abrasion but the overall base metal of the unit can be made from lower grade material such as carbon steel or 300 series stainless steels. In other industries such as chemical processing or wastewater where the slurries being processed may be high in chlorides a higher quality build material like Duplex or Hastelloy would be required. Excessive corrosion and erosion can be protected with the use of specialty wear products such as ceramic, tungsten and silicon carbides, hard surface welding, HVOF or wear polymers. These components can typically be changed out at any time to help increase the operating interval between rebuilds. In spite of these precautions in certain applications there is still always corrosion that will happen to main components resulting in the need for repair or replacement.

Maintenance

Preventative maintenance is #1 key to making sure that you get the most out of your separation equipment. A scheduled preventative maintenance program can be the difference in thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in rebuild costs and downtime. Monitoring the wear of critical areas, Analysis of bearings and regular lubrication intervals will prevent catastrophic failures. The safe operation of rotating equipment is critical and should be a priority for any operation. Following these simple guidelines can ensure reliability and longevity of any rotating equipment.

Are you staying on top of your centrifuge maintenance?

Allied Centrifuge Technologies Centrifuge Maintenance

When sending your rotating equipment for servicing and rebuild your expectations may be pretty simple. Like taking your car in for service, majority of the time you get briefly told what needs to get replaced or repaired, but at the end of it you’re basically going by the word of the people servicing your vehicle. There is not a lot different when it comes to the servicing and rebuilding of separation equipment. Mentality usually stays the same, send it in, and hope that you get it back as soon as possible at the lowest cost, right? Its only when issues start recurring that we start to pay more attention into the issue.

Like vehicles, regularly scheduling centrifuge maintenance is key in lowering the likely hood of operational failure which can in turn create bigger rebuild costs in the future, as well as risk the safety of nearby operators or workers.

Our goal at Allied when rebuilding and repairing separation equipment is not just to get that piece of equipment operational as quickly and efficiently as possible, but to also rectify any potential issues in the future, while also maximizing the capabilities of the current equipment. This all starts and relies on the importance of the inspection process.

At Allied we take pride in our inspection process. By documenting our inspections thoroughly, and aiding them with photos, we are able to communicate with our clients the severity of the wear of their equipment. This in turn helps give insight into better solutions in either process of repair or operating procedures for that specific applications.

With all repairs completed to OEM specifications or better, we can guarantee the success of replacement components and with the implementation of better technology we can increase the longevity of operational time between repairs. With access to a variety of in stock parts we are able to match the highest quality parts and components to your specific piece of separation equipment.

At Allied Centrifuge Technologies we strive to give our clients an open door into what goes into the servicing of their equipment, keeping them involved in the process can help them be assured that their equipment will meet their performance standards. Get your separation equipment up to your performance standards with an Allied Centrifuge Technologies Rebuild.