Galvanized coatings for cooling tower systems (cooling towers, evaporator tube bundles, etc.) have been used in the industry since the 1950s due to their relatively low cost and long service life. The galvanizing process bonds a layer of zinc metal to steel. When properly applied and passivated, the zinc coating works as a non-permeable sacrificial anode to prevent corrosion of the underlying steel structure. White [...]
Growth Energy , the nation’s largest ethanol trade association, held their 12th Annual Executive Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona last week. This conference brings together biofuels industry experts from all over the country to participate in panel discussions, networking and charity events to help promote the environmental and economic benefits of biofuels with others. This year’s theme, [...]
Time spent getting a cooling tower cleaned and prepared in the spring will result in more reliable and efficient operation throughout the summer cooling season. Towers that have been off-line during the winter months can collect dirt, debris, bacteria and other contaminants from the environment, if not laid up correctly. This buildup can produce corrosion, equipment failure, biological fouling and microbiological [...]
As featured in Food Engineering.
Water. We can’t live without it, and you can’t run a food or beverage plant without it. However, having it available for all earth’s inhabitants worldwide in the next 20 to 30 years will be a challenge—as already two-billion of the planet’s population live in areas where water is scarce. Unsurprisingly, the food and beverage industry is one of the largest water users, so it’s well [...]
Each year in April, we come together on Earth Day to demonstrate our support and raise awareness for environmental protection. Conservation topics center around the 2021 Earth Day theme, “Restore Our Earth”. Further explained by earthday.org , this theme promotes the belief that a “healthy Earth [is essential] to support our jobs, livelihoods, health & survival, and happiness. A healthy planet [...]
Kurita Water Industries (Kurita) (Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan), a leading global provider of water treatment solutions, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Keytech Water Management (“Keytech”) through its North American subsidiaries in a stock purchase deal. Keytech, which is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, will operate as a 100% consolidated subsidiary of Kurita Canada Inc. [...]
This past December, Kurita America moved into our new 156,000 square foot headquarters in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Influenced by our parent company, Kurita Water Industries , based in Japan, the new building incorporates an open office concept designed to inspire collaboration and interaction across all departments throughout the organization. The innovative design was recently featured in the Minneapolis – [...]
A biofuels facility in the Midwest United States implemented an integrated Zero Liquid Discharge (iZLD) solution developed by Kurita America that significantly reduced water intake for ethanol production, enabling the facility to expand production while meeting plant integrity and environmental compliance needs. This holistic approach took into consideration all aspects of the facility – chemistry, engineering, [...]
Every year, on March 22nd, the United Nations observes World Water Day ; a day to celebrate water and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. This year’s theme is “valuing water”, focusing on the promotion of water’s multidimensional value. This theme explores how and why water is valued by different people in order to more efficiently manage and conserve [...]
A regional hospital in the Western United States, with over 400 beds, suddenly experienced suspected cases of Legionnaires’ Disease among their patient population. Legionnaires’ Disease is a pneumonia caused by a species of Legionella bacteria. It typically spreads through mists and aerosols created by water-cooled air-conditioning systems, decorative water features or domestic water systems. A water [...]
Multiple Midwestern ethanol facilities within the same organization were experiencing controls failure due to aging PLC and HMI equipment. Current plant control equipment was more than ten years old and had reached end of life. The outdated equipment caused plant shutdowns and a loss in production, which can cost up to $10,000 per hour. Kurita America recommended an integrated controls upgrade solution to prevent [...]
The City of Wausau, Wisconsin was exploring options to address aging infrastructure concerns at their existing drinking water treatment plant. In 2017, they hired a consulting engineer who contacted Kurita America for input on available treatment process and equipment options. The pending capital improvement project was an opportunity to upgrade with new technology, improving water quality and overall efficiency. The [...]