Government Facility Achieves Greater Conversion Efficiency with New 300 LB/day ClO₂ Generator
Produces lower chloride levels for closed loop water system serving multiple cooling towers and a thermal storage tank
Situation
ERCOPure™ ClO₂ technology was selected to replace incumbent Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂) technology that was no longer meeting the operational and production needs at a critical government facility.
International Dioxcide Inc., (IDI), an ERCO Worldwide Company, worked closely with a large multinational water treatment service provider that is highly skilled in chlorine dioxide chemistry and technology to select, design, and install a new chlorine dioxide generator that fit the needs of their end customer.
After consulting with the IDI engineering staff, a redundant ADOX™ MGIII Dual Generator design consisting of two equally-sized generators that operate in parallel to fill a day tank from which the ClO₂ disinfectant is pumped to fifteen different locations at the facility. The equipment utilizes the 3‐part chemical reaction to make ClO₂ as shown below:
ERCOPure™ Sodium Chlorite + Bleach + Acid -> ClO₂ + Salt + Water
This equipment design offers redundancy and a wider range of operational flexibility to meet the customer’s future needs. ERCO staff worked jointly with the water service provider to commission the equipment in accordance with our extensive PSSR (Pre‐Startup Safety Review) process in September 2020. IDI was able to safely commission the equipment while adhering to ongoing COVID policies, complying with onsite security clearances, and coordinating action items from various parties involved.
Results
Upon installation, the system only achieved 150 LB/day ClO₂. IDI worked closely with the water treatment service provider and together a list of changes to the chemical lines were implemented to successfully increase the capacity of ClO₂ production to >300 lbs.
After a few months of operation, operators identified a safety concern relating to the integration of the IDI generator equipment with the incumbent day tank and plant SCADA software. A corrective action plan was implemented to improve the integration of the new IDI ClO₂ generation equipment with the facility hardware to achieve a higher level of safety.
Conclusion
To date, the system is attaining the desired production range (>300 LB/day), chemical feed efficiency (>95%), and biocidal performance required for the site is being achieved. As a Responsible Care® member, IDI strives to continuously improve chemical processes to optimize health, safety, and environmental performance wherever our products are utilized. When partnering with us, you can be assured that these principles will be followed at the highest level and all action items will be addressed in a reasonable time frame.
Compared to the incumbent technology, the ERCOPure™ ClO₂ program has demonstrated higher conversion efficiency as well as lower chloride levels in the closed loop water system, which serves multiple cooling towers and a thermal storage tank. The decreased chloride level helps to lower the corrosion potential in the process water supply. The improved chemical efficiency has improved economics while seeing an improvement in asset lifetime, and decreasing site expenditures.