Energy Service Group is glad to help with the design of water processing system for your heat treat facility. Our water treatments provide simple reliable solutions to an important aspect of quenching.
During the quench process any scale formed during the heating process will be trapped by the water and carried to a return sump. This scale needs to be separated from the water before the water returns to the quench. The scale will cause wear on the nozzles if not properly controlled.
A successful approach is the use of weir walls and gravity separation. A well design sump will provide a motionless bed of water where separation can take place. If properly designed the return water require only a single pass strainer and no additional treatment.
Water Systems
In addition the heat from the pipe will cause a water temperature increase. This heat also needs to be removed prior to returning to the quench. A separate cooling tower and pump is required to circulate the water to remove that heat.
Design Considerations
- Quench water must be free of scale.
- Quench temperature must be less than 90 F.
- Pressure must be controllable on each system.
- Nozzles need to be accessible for inspection.
- System must be corrosion proof.
- Parameters must be measured and reproducible.
- Cycles of concentration (hardness) needs attention.
A Typical Design with components
- Cross flow high efficiency cooling tower.
- Two 250 hp quench pumps installed, second is backup.
- Two VFD’s to control 250 hp pump.
- One 50 hp cooling tower lift pump installed - spare provided.
- Strainers provided for pumps.
- Flow meters, pressure transmitters,and level transmitters.
- Low pressure drop piping design.
- All process parameter PLC recordable.
Sump Design Criteria
- Low velocity, extended settling time to provide separation of smaller scale components.
- Separation of hot basin from cold basin.
- Utilize cooling tower extra capacity.
- Ease of cleaning out scale.
Settling Sump and Cooling Tower Combined in ground pit System
- Eliminates overflow issues.
- Cooling Tower water independent.
- Vertical pumps with spares.
- Mechanical scale removal w/ramp.
