Industrial

Eliminate Back-ups in your Acid Phase Process – NOH™ Helps Clear the Path

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Terra Boswell -

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) faced continued operational challenges with its traditional/current acid-phase direct steam injectors in its acid digester facility, leading to frequent disruptions, downtime, and high maintenance costs. To address these issues, the MMSD sought an innovative solution to reduce foreign material plugging. This case study highlights how the continued implementation of the Hydro-Thermal™ Non-Obstructing Heater (NOH™) revolutionized the digester and anaerobic process, enhancing performance and reducing operational costs.

The acid-phase direct steam injectors (DSI) in the MMSD’s acid digester building were over 12 years old. They encountered performance challenges because of the increased challenges in the MMSD system. They frequently experienced plugging and fouling issues due to the existing heater’s pipe diameter not being able to pass foreign material up to 2 easily”. These disruptions resulted in emergency work orders and interruptions in acid digestion, resulting in increased expenses in parts and labor.

The MMSD aimed to find a solution to mitigate plugging, enhance the acid digester’s performance, and reduce maintenance costs. Reliability-centered maintenance principles guided their decision-making process. They called in Energenecs (a local engineering firm), which they used in the initial update in 2012, to research and propose solutions.

The Recommendation: Non-Obstructing Heater

Having reaped the benefits of the existing Hydro-Thermal Corporation steam injection units since the 2012 installation, they were excited to consider the new NOH as an upgrade.

Hydro-Thermal (HTC), a manufacturer of direct steam injector heaters, recognized over the years of implementation that there was an opportunity in wastewater treatment and anaerobic digestion processes. Because of its innovative mindset, HTC developed a non-obstructive solution called the NOH Heater that allows larger solids up to 4 inches in diameter to pass through the unit.

Using reliability-centered maintenance principles, district staff decided NOH was the ideal solution to replace the current system. With Hydro-Thermal having designed and supported the existing skid systems, the teams from Energenecs, MMSD, and HTC were able to design the units to fit into the current DSI system skids, which led to minimal piping modifications.

The implementation of Hydro-Thermal’s NOH Heater led to a significant reduction in plugging, fouling acid digestion, and emergency work orders. Erik Rehr, Maintenance, and Reliability Manager at the MMSD, says, “Since installing and commissioning the first of two NOH Heaters in November 2023, the unit has run reliably with no failures. This eliminated emergency work orders, typically 2 or 3 per week for cleaning the previous heaters, allowing operations and maintenance staff to focus on more important corrective and preventative maintenance activities.”

Hydro-Thermal’s NOH Heater solution for the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District significantly improved acid digester performance while reducing operational costs. By upgrading equipment with advanced technology, the district achieved operational reliability and cost-effectiveness.

What you need to know about a Hydro-Thermal NOH heater vs. Traditional Heat Exchanger

Traditional methods like heat exchangers have long been the go-to solution in sludge heating. However, they bring challenges, including energy inefficiencies and maintenance complexities. This has paved the way for innovative alternatives like Hydro-Thermal NOH Heaters, presenting a direct and highly efficient method to address the shortcomings of traditional heat exchangers.

Energy Efficiency:

Traditional heat exchangers transfer heat indirectly through a metal barrier, resulting in significant energy loss.
NOH heaters, on the other hand, achieve a remarkable thermal efficiency of 100% by injecting steam directly into the process fluid, utilizing both sensible and latent heat.

Maintenance Considerations:

Heat exchangers pose maintenance challenges due to condensation, necessitating the maintenance of low water temperatures to prevent fouling.
NOH heaters feature a straight flow-through configuration that minimizes clogging, requiring no specialized tools for maintenance. Additionally, their wear and corrosion-resistant metallurgies enhance durability, even when dealing with abrasive materials.
NOH heaters eliminate burn-on risks associated with traditional heat exchangers, ensuring a safer operational environment.

Space and Installation Efficiency:

NOH heaters boast a compact design that saves valuable space, making them particularly suitable for installations with limited room.
Easy integration into existing piping systems eliminates the need for a separate condensate return system, leading to substantial cost savings during installation.

For more information, visit www.hydro-thermal.com or contact Hydro-Thermal at info@hydro-thermal.com

Sanitization with Hydro-Thermal Hose Stations

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Top Floor -

Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene is vital across all industries, ensuring consumer safety and smooth daily operations. In processes that require following precise sanitation requirements, utilizing steam to heat water via hose stations is effective and cost-efficient. While traditional approaches have limitations, Hydro-Thermal Direct Steam Injection (DSI) presents precision and operator safety advantages.

Understanding Hose Stations and Their Role

A hose station combines steam and water in controlled proportions to produce a high-temperature, steam-heated water solution. This solution is used in various areas, including equipment cleaning, surface sanitization, and sterilization.

For example, hose stations are commonly used to clean and sanitize equipment, surfaces, and utensils in washdown applications. The high temperature of the heated water effectively eliminates pathogens and other microorganisms that can threaten the cleanliness and safety of the production environment.

Disadvantages of Mixing Valves

Hose stations can use a steam control valve on the supply line to adjust steam pressure at the injection point, affecting steam density and velocity through the nozzle for heating control. These systems also typically include globe valves to control steam and water flow manually.

They typically include globe valves to control steam and water flow manually. The mixing valve combines water and steam to produce a water solution for equipment cleaning, surface sanitization, and sterilization. These systems are often favored for their cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and ease of use, as they have a straightforward design and only a few components to maintain.

However, these mixing valves have drawbacks. They do not respond well to flow changes, requiring frequent adjustments to the liquid and steam inlet valves to achieve desired temperatures. Fluctuations in steam pressure can also disrupt the process, producing unstable operating conditions, hammering, and vibration when high or low steam flow rates are required. This can lead to wasted time when adding or removing hoses, as the mixing valve needs readjustment.

Additionally, mixing valves have faced criticism due to safety concerns related to steam burns. The manual opening and closing of globe valves during operation pose a risk of accidental contact with high-temperature steam for staff, leading to severe burns. These accidents can result in injuries, downtime, and increased business costs. Therefore, organizations have sought alternatives to mixing valves that prioritize operator safety and minimize the risk of steam burns.

Advantages of Hydro-Thermal Heated Hose Stations

Hydro-Thermal DSI technology uses steam generated in a separate boiler. Unlike systems that use globe valves, it injects heat directly into the fluid, rapidly condenses, and transfers heat energy to raise the temperature. This facilitates improved and rapid water mixing and instantaneous steam condensation into the process fluid. Steam is generated downstream and piped directly into the hose station, eliminating operator exposure to hot temperatures and preventing potential scalding or burn injuries. This makes DSI more attractive than traditional hose stations.

By integrating Hydro-Thermal DSI heaters in hose stations, facilities can enhance their sanitization practices, optimize efficiency, comply with regulations, and prioritize operator safety. Our heaters provide precise temperature control, effectively handling higher swings in flow rate and offering higher flow turndown, ensuring optimal sanitization without overheating. Giving facilities tighter control over their water temperature enables them to meet regulatory requirements and more easily minimize contamination risk.

Farm Owners Are Looking to Cash in on Cows with Biogas – Methane

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Top Floor -

Farmers are always looking to save on costs and make more profits. They have started to look at their waste to see if they can make money from it – literally. The trend is that larger dairy farms across the country are converting cow manure into Biogas – methane to create renewable natural gas (RNG) to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the past, dairy farms would store their manure and waste in tanks or covered compost piles until they could spread it across crop fields. Now, anaerobic digesters are being built on farms where the manure is collected in these large tanks where they now produce Biogas – methane. The methane is then captured and refined into RNG to use as energy for operations on the farm or sold to local utilities. The entire digestion process leaves little additional waste to process as the liquid separated will be used as fertilizer for the fields and solids that the farms can use for bedding.

The Science of an Anaerobic Digester

Anaerobic digestion is a sequence of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material without oxygen. The liquid waste is agitated and circulated to maintain a uniform temperature, and the process is temperature sensitive. Optimum biological action occurs between 85°F and 140°F (25-60°C) depending on the process and can take between 15 and 40 days to break down the organic material completely.

Heat exchangers are commonly used as heating systems for this process but at what expense? Shell-in-tube, plate, and frame or spiral heat exchangers transfer energy through a metal barrier that does not allow complete heat transfer. On average, 20% of that energy (sensible heat) is lost to condensate and returned to its source (boiler). This heat is also lost to flash evaporation, resulting in system inefficiencies. In addition, heat exchangers require substantial floor space and are subject to scaling and fouling resulting in significant maintenance activities.

The Hydro-Thermal Advantage

Hydro-Thermal developed the Non-Obstructing Heater™ (NOH) for many benefits for its end-users in the agriculture market looking to produce RNG. The NOH’s ability to efficiently give you the precise temperature you require for your anaerobic digester is critical, whether you are heating for the Mesophilic process at 85-100°F (29-38°C) or Thermophilic process at 120-140°F (49-60°C). In either condition, it should optimize biogas generation and reduce the detention time in the digester.

Biological activity can increase when maintaining a tight temperature band and eliminating hot or cold spots in the digester, as consistent digester temperature improves methane production and sludge stabilization. Less digestion time is possible due to the sludge maintaining its temperature more consistently throughout the digester. Realizing significant cost savings is possible through optimizing the anaerobic digestion process by keeping microorganisms at their required temperatures, optimizing effectiveness, and increasing methane gas production.

No special tools are required to maintain the rugged, flow-through NOH design, helping minimize downtime caused by plugging in heat exchangers. If material gathers and plugs, these units must be opened and manually cleaned to remove the solids plugging the system. Solids in the sludge can also burn onto a heat exchanger’s hotter surface (150°F or 10°C). As a result, no maintenance is required to keep the NOH clean. The NOH can be produced using wear and corrosion-resistant metallurgies to withstand grit and highly abrasive materials.

The NOH is available in 2″, 4″, 8″, and 12″ sizes and can handle a wide range of flows with its industry-leading Process Flow Turndown of 15:1. With a straight flow-through design and nothing projecting in the path of that flow, it eliminates any chance of clogging and minimizes the pressure drop across the heater. A minimal pressure drop allows for low steam pressure (15 psig) to be used, achieving trim heating.

Conclusion

Dairy farmers can convert their cow’s manure into Biogas-methane to create RNG or sell it back to the grid to generate new income. To ensure the process runs smoothly in the newly built anaerobic digesters, Hydro-Thermal’s Direct Steam Injection (DSI) heaters should be installed as the heating source over other systems. The NOH is ideal for heating and maintaining the digester’s sludge temperature for breakdown, as it utilizes a smaller footprint and precise temperature control (+/- 1°). In addition, NOH’s straight-through design reduces maintenance by operating continuously without plugging or fouling.

Contact us at 800-952-0121 or info@hydro-thermal.com today to get a free evaluation from our application experts. We can provide tips on optimizing heating systems in anaerobic digestion.

The Game-Changing Advantages of Direct Steam Injection (DSI) in Food Safety

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Top Floor -

Consumer trust hinges on the cleanliness and quality of the food they are purchasing, and any concerns can have potentially disastrous impacts on both their health and the reputations of food producers. Producers need to do everything they can to ensure that products are free from harmful microorganisms and meet the needs of their customers, and achieving this delicate balance can be challenging.

While heating technologies have transformed the food processing landscape, Direct Steam Injection (DSI), which offers substantial advantages over conventional heat exchangers, can help ensure food safety and extend shelf life, creating a better product.

Advantages of DSI – Extending Shelf Life

Hydro-Thermal’s DSI technology plays a pivotal role in food safety. Our technology’s precise temperature control (+/- 1°) is instrumental in eradicating harmful microorganisms and preserving overall food quality and freshness.

Ensuring products are only exposed to the correct temperatures required for pasteurization eliminates spoilage microorganisms and enzymes. This results in food products with an extended shelf life, reducing waste and ensuring consumers consistently receive high-quality, safe, and wholesome products.

Temperature Control in Can Topping

Temperature control is also crucial in the canning industry, where topping off cans/jars with a brine or water solution can expose food to unwanted contaminants. With E. coli and bacterial contamination recalls causing concerns for customers and producers, integrating DSI technology into the canning process can help – especially with our EZ Heater®.

EZ Heater Advantages in Water Heating:

Precise Temperature Control: The EZ Heater excels in maintaining precise temperatures, a crucial part of the canning process, where specific temperatures are essential for sanitation and pasteurization
Efficient Steam Utilization: By utilizing the full steam pressure from a boiler, the EZ Heater maximizes steam efficiency, ensuring optimal use for heating water and creating brine solutions
Safety Regulations: The high-velocity combination of steam and water at sonic velocity guarantees a rapid and consistent heating process, meeting the stringent demands of FDA-regulated canning processes
Reduced Maintenance: The self-cleaning technology integrated into the EZ Heater eliminates frequent maintenance, ensuring consistent and quiet operation while helping create long-term cost savings and operational efficiency

Consistency and Peace of Mind:

Peace of mind comes standard in every product Hydro-Thermal offer, including products that food processors integrate into their process. Consistency in product safety is not just a goal but a requirement, and the capacity of our DSI technology to repeatedly deliver precise temperature control exceeds expectations. Food processors can trust that every batch is treated with the same care and precision, minimizing the risk of contamination and ensuring product uniformity.

Conclusion:

Consistent product quality and safety instill confidence in consumers, and DSI technology helps ensure that for food producers. The industry-leading benefits of DSI, like product versatility, enhanced product safety, and cost savings, showcase its pivotal role in ensuring consistent quality and safety.

DSI technology also helps improve the shelf life of food products, as its uniform heating and precise temperature control have created a positive shift in food production. As an accurate and flexible solution, DSI meets stringent safety requirements and offers food processors the peace of mind that every batch is treated with meticulous care and consistency.

Innovation: The Cornerstone of Hydro-Thermal’s Legacy

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Top Floor -

At Hydro-Thermal, innovation isn’t just a buzzword— it’s a tradition that’s been at the heart of our business for over 90 years. Our first breakthrough in Direct Steam Injection (DSI) revolutionized the process industry, offering precise and uniform heating for various applications. Starting in pulp mills, our DSI technology quickly expanded into the food, beverage, chemical, and municipal wastewater industries. Today, we continue to lead the way and explore where DSI could be introduced, offering cutting-edge solutions to optimize production processes worldwide.

Building on Innovation, One Step at a Time

Each step forward in innovation has allowed us to enhance the performance of our customers’ operations, helping them achieve higher product quality with minimal energy consumption. Our heating solutions ensure that temperatures are controlled precisely, reducing waste and maximizing efficiency. This commitment to continuous improvement drives everything we do, from our flagship DSI systems to our latest advancements in heating technology.

Evolving Product Design to Meet Modern Demands

Our approach to innovation is simple: never stop improving. We’re proud to have developed the Hydroheater product family, which has evolved from the J-series to the K400, K500, and the latest K608. This continuous evolution replaces outdated models, providing our customers with modern systems that deliver superior results.

We offer industry-leading efficiency by integrating cutting-edge controls and constantly refining our designs. Unlike some competitors who have maintained the same product designs for decades, we stay ahead by leveraging the latest technologies.

Customer-Centric Innovation

Our innovations aren’t developed in a vacuum. We actively listen to feedback from customers, vendors, and even our in-house machinists and welders. By incorporating this input into our product designs and processes, we continuously improve everything from quality and labeling to invoicing and instructions.

Investing in the Future of Innovation

At Hydro-Thermal, we reinvest our profits into the areas that matter most: product development, employee training, and advanced equipment. Whether — upgrading our machines to handle three operations in one or implementing automated storage systems that ensure precision inventory management, we believe in creating a work environment that fosters excellence and pride.

Revolutionizing Traditional Brewing

One industry in which we are particularly excited about introducing DSI technology is brewing. Traditional brewing methods have remained unchanged for centuries, but we are poised to revolutionize this space. Imagine reducing energy consumption by 40% using Hydro-Thermal technology! Our success in transforming the distilling process for scotch, whisky, and tequila production proves that innovation can reshape even the most established industries.

Leading the Way in Fluid Processing Technology

Our focus on innovation drives us to expand the application of our products, allowing us to be the global leader in fluid processing technology. By fostering a culture of innovation, we ensure that every improvement we make, big or small, propels us — and our customers — into the future of efficient, precise, and sustainable process heating.

Do you have a process that could benefit from our expertise? At Hydro-Thermal, we’re always looking for new ways to innovate and improve. Reach out to discover how we can bring our legacy of innovation to your operations!