Water Management
Energising Industries with Smart Water Management
When we think about energy today, many of us will automatically think about electricity and how it is being used in so many inventive ways to help us to operate in cheaper, greener, more efficient ways. Electric vehicles are a great example of this, given the significant leap towards their mass market availability in the last couple of years, providing huge savings in terms of running costs and environmental impact. What many don’t realise is that water is the true unsung hero of cost and energy saving. In certain parts of the UK, the electricity supply utilised to charge electric vehicles is in fact generated by hydroelectric dams. Water is so much more than a viable
source of energy and cost savings for end consumers powering their products in a greener fashion – it’s also an incredibly worthy source of energy and cost reduction in both industrial and commercial markets. When effective water management solutions are put into place, the advantages on both environmental and commercial levels can be staggering. Yet the lack of awareness around these benefits from businesses in both industrial and commercial markets is also staggering in itself. This acute awareness is perhaps down
to the lack of exposure that businesses in these markets have had to the benefits of smart water management. In an age where an electric car orbiting Mars is the new normal, it’s easy to overlook developments in the use of traditional resources such as water in terms of the cost and energy savings it can provide.
Lean Green Cooling Machines
Process water is instrumental to manufacturing activity in industrial and commercial markets. When smart water management solutions are applied to process water, businesses can benefit from the reduction of costly internal damage to machinery and equipment as well as a
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consistent guarantee in water quality, helping to ensure safety for both workforces and end products. Many manufacturing processes rely heavily
on water to provide cooling for products and components that have been heated during the process. The cooling towers where process water is cooled are a major source of efficiency gains. The water circulating the cooling tower will either be scale-forming or corrosive, depending on the geographical location of the source of influent water. An effective cooling water treatment
programme ensures safety and efficiency in cooling system operations, reducing running costs and maintaining production uptime while also minimising waste and environmental impact. Keeping the water in cooling systems in good condition, free of bacteria and in a state where the risk of corrosion or scale forming is minimal is essential to the quality of the water and in turn the efficiency of the water system. Combining the quality of water with efficiency gains within cooling towers is entirely possible thanks to the development of innovative methods that recover and reuse a portion of the cooling tower’s bleed water for re-use as make up water. This recycled water can be recirculated through the cooling tower numerous times, providing further operational savings.
Cleaner Steam
Boilers are another integral area where water is relied upon in manufacturing, chemical processing, electrical power generation, food and beverage manufacturing and for general heating. However, within steam boilers, dissolved solids become concentrated as steam is produced and form deposits inside the boiler, affecting performance and longevity. This results in poor heat transfer and reduces the efficiency of the boiler as well as potentially forming dangerous gases and liquids that can both
Andy Smith
Major industries lack a basic awareness of water management benefits, but it’s not too late to turn the tide says Andy Smith, Business Development Manager, Clearwater
corrode the boiler and cause harm to individuals. Optimal treatment of boiler feed water is an essential part of the preventative maintenance program. Within steam boilers the cycle of concentration can be optimised to reduce the volume of water required to maintain a constant steam load. Turn-key pre-treatment plants enable businesses to reduce the need to replace the water that has been blown down the drain, saving upwards from five percent of energy expenditure. This will also reduce the amount of waste water, allowing the business to achieve a direct reduction in energy usage and a reduction in the total cost of operation. When various factors including continuous
heat exchange, corrosion protection and production of high quality steam are properly managed, businesses will find it easier to meet compliances and will begin to see significant reductions in energy bills, disruption to operations and associated monetary losses as well as reduced fuel costs and emission outputs.
Businesses must recognise the obvious
advantages of ensuring the water treatment process is right and doing what it should do against what the affects might be if the water treatment process is not being managed effectively. Without effective water management, businesses are leaking money because their systems are not running efficiently and can be subject to bacterial infections through scale and corrosion, requiring continuous system cleans that have wider cost implications through downtime. Businesses that recognise the benefits
of water management and work towards getting their water treatment processes right will ultimately increase their appeal to their customers through their ability to drive down costs through reduced cost of operation and the greener standards by which consumers and businesses are beginning to hold brands and suppliers accountable for.
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