Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, May 27, 2010 @ 01:59 PM
Selecting the best tool and technique for a job is often a simple task. No one wants to waste time or be forced to "fix" something once it's been fixed already. As carpenters like to say "Measure twice, cut once." We always want to DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
However, when it comes to filtering solids from water or other liquids, the wisest and most efficient method is sometimes a 2-step approach in which:
- Large particles or debris are removed in the "first pass" by one method or tool (the pre-filtration step)
- Smaller particles are removed in a "2nd pass"
For small particle removal (Step 2), some type of barrier filter that catches tiny particles is often the tool of choice, such as bag filters and 
cartridge filters. But barrier filters get clogged and fill quickly when too many large particles are present -- thus the need for a pre-filter.
The pre-filter will:
(a) extend the life of the barrier filter, reducing usage and overall costs of purchasing filters and
(b) minimize labor time spent changing bags and cartridges
This is true in a wide variety of situations and applications, from turf and agriculture, to industry and more.
Example: Source Water From A River
Take, for example, a situation in which river water or sea water is used as the main source for an industrial water process. Quite often, debris of many shapes and sizes are present in the water, and no single type of filtration would remove large AND small solids very efficiently. Using a two or three-step process by taking out the larger debris and solids first with a low-maintenance solution is often used. This Step 1 can be some sort of large strainer or screen to keep large debris from entering the system, followed in Step 2 by a centrifugal separator to remove the other solids. If additional particle removal is required, some type of barrier filter could be used.
Agricultural and Irrigation Uses
There are similar applications in agricultural settings. Centrifugal separators can be used as pre-filtration to a drip irrigation system. In this situation the primary filtration concern is to keep the drip emitters from getting plugged, and sand media tank filters are most commonly used. However, a pre-filter can be used before the source water reaches the media tanks, reducing the number of backwash cycles the tanks must go through to keep operating efficiently. This backwash reduction system saves energy, water, and equipment.
Getting Tired Changing Barrier Filters?
Sometimes the original design of a filtration system consists solely of barrier filters, but maintenance staff grow tired of the constant bag and cartridge changes. When barrier filters are not changed as needed, pressure drops and other negative effects occur, and the system no longer operates within design parameters. Adding a centrifugal separator upstream of the bag filters is a perfect solution.
Want To Read More Details? Download Our Pre-Filtration Case Studies: Read a couple of detailed Case Studies that explain pre-filtration in practice. Read how pre-filtration in a sugar mill reduced water waste and improved process efficiencies. And read how pre-filtration of river water prevents clogging of barrier filters at an oil production plant.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 02:05 PM
The search for alternative sources of energy continues in earnest around the world, so that dependence on petroleum and other fossil fuels can be reduced. In the meantime, however, the abundance of coal and the ongoing development of “clean coal” technologies and other innovative processing techniques make coal a viable energy source for many years to come. Ensuring those processes are operating as efficiently and environmentally friendly as possible is a goal we can all embrace.
There are four main types of coal (anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite) and it is mined around the world in slightly different ways. China is the world’s top coal producing country, followed by the U.S. and Australia. The world’s first "clean coal" power plant went online in Germany in 2008.
But no matter which type or the location, there are 3 basic steps in the coal mining process:
- Mining, crushing, and separation/filtration
- Transportation and storage
- Processing and converting
It doesn't matter if the removal is accomplished through surface mining or deep mining, but the separation and filtration can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Innovative techniques like those being developed in Australia and Japan as well as other coal producing countries often involve more efficient handling and disposition of coal slurry. Avoiding events like the Kingston Fossil Plant disaster of 2008 and making the most efficient use of energy and water is the ultimate goal. Slurry is often transported outside a facility through pumps that must remain free of clogging to operate at maximum efficiency. Effective industrial water filtration to provide pump protection in these cases is critical.
The coal processing plant in one Northern Appalachian (USA) coal field uses high pressure piston pumps to pump gland water into centrifugal slurry pumps and out of the system. The local lake water is used as the source, but the water has to be cleaned of dirt and other solids before entering the piston pumps or premature pump failure would result. Industrial water filters are designed with this type of application in mind. Different solutions hab been tried, but none worked very well until a LAKOS Centrifugal Separator was installed. The results was an annual savings of $32,000 in preventative pump repairs. The LAKOS Separator paid for itself in 4 months!
Want to learn more?
Download the Coal Plant Case Study and read the details.
Posted by William Vander Plaats on Tue, Nov 24, 2009 @ 12:05 PM
Sugar cane and sugar beets are the world’s two primary sources of sugar. Sugar cane is grown in over 100 countries around the world, with the top producers being Brazil and India. Sugar beets are primarily grown in the European Union, United States, and Russia. Both go through a multi-step production process of cutting, cleaning, screening and separating which is becoming increasingly more sophisticated in some countries. The Sugar Association has an informative Consumer Fact Sheet on the basic processes. Some of the same production processes are used in the production of ethanol and other biofuels as well. And the importance of effective filtration cannot be overstated, especially as these mills and refineries continue to search for ways to become more friendly to the environment and more sustainable.
And increasingly, centrifugal separators like LAKOS Separators are the perfect solution to handle some of these tasks. The main reasons include:
- Little or no water loss
- No moving parts to wear out or replace, keeping them virtually maintenance-free
- Low and steady system pressure drop
At the the Pujiltic Sugar Mill in Chiapas, Mexico, plant engineers worked with LAKOS to design a solid handling system that limits the eventual liquid loss to .08% in the pre-filtration process. 
Similar results have been experienced by many other sugar mills. With proper filtration, the main by-product of the milling process -- a fibrous material known as bagasse -- may be used for livestock feed, burned to provide heat, and is sometimes used in sugar mills to provide energy in such large amounts it can be sold to others. Bagasse may also serve as raw material for paper, cardboard, and other biodegradeable products.
By using centrifugal separators instead of some other forms of filtration, the sustainability and environmentally-friendliness of sugar mills is increased to its fullest potential. And isn’t that a goal we all want them to achieve?
Read more about recent LAKOS Filtration installations in sugar mills around the world in a NEW Application Bulletin. Download it today and see the many ways effective filtration can lead to "greener" sugar production.