Mark A. Presley, Maintenance & Environmental Engineer at RG Steel needed a solution for protecting spray nozzles.  River water screened to 1200 micron constituted the spray water being used for cooling in the steel making process.  The river water coming into the system was causing the spray nozzles to become plugged.  This ultimately required that they be punched out of the system – a big and costly job.

 

In selecting a filter to improve the system’s performance, Presley had to consider the variability of the incoming river water quality, and the price and maintenance required from a new piece of equipment.  After reviewing the available technologies and their costs, RG Steel decided on a Forsta Self-Cleaning Screen Filter for the job.

Based on the technical data, Forsta engineers recommended the D8-180 Series model for this application.  The fully automatic filter made from stainless steel 304L, was sized with 8″ flanges for the inlet and outlet, designed to operate at pressures from 40-150psi and at a maximum temperature of 210 F.  A high porosity stainless steel 316L screen was selected for the filter with 50 micron openings and 9.25sgq ft. of screen area.   Two identical D8-180 filters installed in parallel were slated to accommodate the 1200gpm flow at two locations in the mill.

Forsta Industrial self-cleaning water filters in RG Steel Mill

Forsta Design Engineer Daniel Stenberg commented that, “The significant variable in sizing the filter and selecting a screen for this application, was the quality of the incoming river water. With their 1200micron prescreen, we knew they could still expect to see variability in the inlet water based on the conditions of the river due to weather etc.  I wanted to provide RG Steel with a solution that would stand up to the fluctuations in the water quality and not create an environment where the filter became overwhelmed.  At the same time, it was important to provide a fine enough screen to provide adequate protection for the spray nozzles – the main reason for adding our filter. Based on the data, a 50 micron screen was chosen for their application.”

Since the filter’s installation, Presley explained that it operates for a 20 minute heat once every hour.  During operation he typically sees the filter go through one cleaning cycle.  Depending on river conditions, this may vary slightly, but the filter is easily handling the particle load variation.  Presley said that the new equipment has prevented spray nozzles from plugging and also has allowed them to better control their emissions unit.  They are satisfied with their purchase and would recommend Forsta Self-Cleaning Filters to others with similar applications.

Forsta 180 series self-cleaning water filter animation

Forsta Filters, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of water filtration systems used in industrial, municipal and irrigation applications, has installed one of its self-cleaning systems at a 70-year-old company specializing in protective packaging materials for fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

Forsta Industrial Cooling Water Filters

Michelsen Packaging Co. in Yakima, Wash., had just installed a 125 hp water-cooled air compressor that required cooling water in order to prevent overheating. According to Michelsen’s research and development engineer, Carey Bruskland, the application required the company to cool the heated water coming from the compressor through a set of heat exchangers. The cooling water on the other side of the exchangers contained fine paper fibers and biological growth, which thrived in the heat generated by the vacuum pumps. Both the fibers and the bio-growth had to be removed to ensure that the heat exchanger wouldn’t plug.

“We needed two high-quality durable filter units that would be self-cleaning and easy to maintain,” Bruskland says. “They needed to be made from noncorrosive materials to withstand harsh chemicals and be able to supply the 100 gpm flow to our heat exchangers throughout the cleaning cycle.”
Bruskland and his team selected the Forsta A2-90 filter model equipped with a100 micron, stainless steel screen. The A2-90 would protect the heat exchangers, which cool the water for the water-cooled air compressor. The selection came following an analysis of Forsta’s technology, including system integration, internal components and backwash mechanism.

Michelsen chose Forsta because the company provided, “high quality units at a lower cost than the other manufacturers.” Bruskland says. “We also really liked the fact that the filter operates on inlet-water pressure alone and does not require an external source of water for the very short backwash.

Automatic Self-cleaning Filters

“This was our first filter unit of this type, so we had many questions,” Bruskland says. “The Forsta engineers were very helpful and thorough as we were looking at the different types of filter units and choosing the unit which best fit our needs.” He says that Forsta engineers “were always very courteous and professional. We were always able to get in contact with them and they always answered our questions. They were very helpful not only before we purchased the units but also as we were assembling them. They followed up and contacted us after installation to make sure everything was working properly.”

Bruskland says that he would recommend Forsta “very highly” to other companies  with similar applications,

For more information on Forsta self-cleaning filters, go to www.forstafilters.com.

 
Problem:
Suspended particles in well water can be a big problem when it comes to clogging sprinkler heads and creating buildup on pipe walls. Dirty water can lead to equipment failure and forced downtime.

This is the problem that Alex Posada was responsible for solving. Posada is the Director of Recreation & Parks for the City of Santa Maria, California. The challenge before him was to reduce particulate matter from a well at a local recreation open-space park.

“Water being pumped from the well had a significant amount of mineral and soil debris contamination giving the water a cloudy appearance. It was leaving heavy residue deposits in our pipe lines, water troughs and water tanks.” said Posada.

Solution:
The City of Santa Maria installed a Forsta B2-90 self-cleaning water filter to help remove particles from the well water. The filter’s compact design made installation easy, and the backwash controller allows the system to be fully automatic, eliminating the need for frequent maintenance.

The 50 micron multi-layer screen traps suspended particles, and expels them when buildup occurs. The point-of-suction backwash cycle cleans the screen without interrupting the system flow. Filtered water is continually supplied to the park’s irrigation system, even when the filter is cleaning itself.

“We are satisfied with the filter we have and it seems to be working well for our application.” Posada said of the Forsta self-cleaning water filter.

When asked about working with Forsta Filters and Application Engineer Eran Fischer, Posada replied, “Eran was very helpful in following up with my emails and our installers got good tech support while installing the system. I would say our experience was very good.”

Engineers responsible for new construction across industrial, municipal and agricultural sectors are striving to comply with standards set forth by such organizations as the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).  Through LEED, the green building certification program, projects and buildings are rated according to their impact on priority environmental issues including water savings, energy efficiency, and materials selection.

Self-Cleaning Water Filters by Forsta Filters Inc.

Forsta self cleaning water filters reduce water use, improve energy efficiency and are made entirely from sustainable materials.  Implementing a Forsta Filter in new construction as well as to improve old systems will help projects meet a variety of important environmental and sustainability goals, and where applicable earn LEED certification.
Author of the 2009 Greenbuild Report, Brian Libby explains that water usage and most applications involving water are intertwined with the built environment.  “It turns out the vast majority of the water we use [In the United States] goes to cooling power plants. It’s a great example of the connection between water and energy”  Libby says quoting Peter Gleick, one of the world’s foremost experts on water resources, and author of the biennial series, The World’s Water.

Forsta self cleaning water filters are ideal for cooling power plants where they control particulate levels, protect heat exchangers, condenser tubes and other water-cooled process equipment.  By controlling particulate levels, Forsta’s fully automatic filters will improve operating efficiency, minimize downtime for cleaning and repair, limit the cost of water treatment and improve equipment lifespan.
Compared to other filter technologies Forsta’s self-cleaning water filters are more cost-effective, automatic, produce less wastewater, and will not interrupt a system’s water flow during its short cleaning cycle.  Forsta prides itself on sustainability and sets forth a comprehensive social mission to:
Make freshwater more available by reducing, recycling and reusing water in industrial, municipal and irrigation systems. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency.  Reduce waste generation and hazardous materials exposure through responsible filtration and effluent treatment.
In 2007 The USGBC published a project profile for the platinum certified building: Sidwell Friends Middle School in Washington D.C. where water management and effective use of filtration took center stage.   The profile explained that, “Smart water management is central to the project design… Treated water is eventually reused in the toilets and cooling towers. Students grow vegetables and herbs for the cafeteria on the green roofs, which also sequester rainwater and reduce stormwater runoff. Excess water flows to the courtyard’s pond and rain garden. Filters and swales incorporated into the landscape purify rainwater falling on the site. No potable water is used for irrigation.”
Forsta Filters’ Director of Sales Polly Stenberg is passionate about helping new projects save water and energy, and achieve platinum LEED certification like the Sidwell school.  “In many applications, water needs to be filtered from its original source, at least to some extent, in order to be effective.  Once water has been used, there is also the considerable question of how to treat and/or reuse polluted wastewater in such a way as to ensure the health of people and the environment.  Increasingly, projects have water conservation targets, and conservation experts to help implement new systems.”  It is Stenberg’s goal to encourage companies to take advantage of Forsta’s water and energy efficient filters.  Forsta is currently offering a Water Stewardship Discount on all projects implementing filters to improve efficiency.