How JEPCO Saved a Client $1.65M
How did JEPCO save a client approximately $1.65M per year on cleaning and chemical treatment costs? Keep reading to find out.
The Problem
The accelators at a Gulf Coast refinery had a cold lime softener hardness reduction that was above the required target of under 80 ppm 89% of the time.
The client used liquid lime and coagulant to treat the accelators, and the coagulant was injected at 12-15 ppm to control effluent turbidity. This treatment resulted in an average effluent calcium hardness of 104 ppm. The accelators’ high calcium hardness reduced cooling water cycles, causing scaling issues within cooling water exchangers operating above an outlet temperature of 130⁰F and, ultimately, increased chemical costs.
The addition of the coagulant compacted the sludge bed, prohibiting the proper sludge conditioning for effective cold lime softening. The dense sludge formed due to the treatment was extremely difficult to remove during normal operation as well as during regular maintenance intervals.
Since the accelators don’t have rakes, the sludge formed rapidly and required frequent manual cleaning, which was not optimal for the client.
The Solution
Our team of chemical engineers added sodium aluminate to the treatment program at an injection rate of 8-15 ppm, adjusted the liquid lime’s pH to 9.6-10 and reduced the coagulant dosage to 4-8 ppm.
This sodium aluminate treatment program reduced calcium hardness from an average of 104 ppm to 71 ppm. Calcium hardness was less than the 80-ppm target 70% of the time compared to only 11% of the time without sodium aluminate.
The treatment program also resulted in a more hydrated sludge, resulting in increased reactions with solids and reduced hardness and outlet turbidites. Accelator cleaning time was reduced and time between accelator cleanings was increased.
The Return on Investment
As a direct result of the sodium aluminate treatment program, JEPCO:
- Reduced cleaning costs by approximately $1,000,000 per year
- Reduced cooling tower chemical treatment costs by approximately $500,000 per year
- Reduced accelator chemical costs by approximately $150,000 per year
Total Annual Cost Savings: ~$1.65 million
How much could JEPCO’s specialty chemical optimization services save you? Our team of true subject matter experts is eager to help turn your challenges into profit.
