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Belt Oil Skimmers Should be Given Serious Consideration for Groundwater Remediation Equipment
Advantages of Using an Oil Skimmer in the Machining Industry
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Sometimes, an important technological advance begins with a small step-back! Such is the case with remediation of hydrocarbons from groundwater utilizing existing recovery and monitoring wells.
For the past few years, state government has based decisions on the amount of clean up that they require by the risk posed to the environment. Risk Based Corrective Action, commonly called “Rebecca” (RBCA), is a process that utilizes the principles of exposure assessment, toxicity and mobility to make corrective action decisions on sites that are cost effective while still protecting human health as well as that of the environment. Many times all they require is removal of the free-phase product, allowing any emulsified contaminant to degrade with time. RBCA has saved many millions of dollars both for taxpayers and for businesses. With state regulatory agencies taking this approach, oil skimming devices have emerged as one of the most cost effective groundwater remediation equipment choices.
Wastewater engineers in industrial settings have, for many years, understood the value of skimmers in the removal of hydrocarbons from water. Food processing plants, the metals industry, machining firms and utilities have all used skimmers with great success for wastewater treatment. Recently, skimmer manufacturers have modified their product as groundwater remediation equipment. The belt skimmer’s ability to get into tight spaces and remove relatively large amounts of hydrocarbons lends itself perfectly to groundwater remediation.
Since most oils, fuels and other hydrocarbon liquids have the tendency to float on water, skimmers are designed to remove only the top, free-phase, product layer. With only product being removed, the cost and maintenance of other down-well and water treatment equipment can be eliminated. Another cost advantage to skimming is that in many cases the product can be salvaged for reuse – further reducing the overall price by eliminating the disposal cost.
The options for remediation equipment through recovery wells are practically unlimited since these wells come in a variety of sizes; any of the available technologies such as pump and treat of bio-remediation can be used in the correct size recovery well. Monitoring wells, however, are small, typically less than 4 inches in diameter. Initially installed for the monitoring of groundwater they are cheaper to construct and just large enough to allow a baling device or oil/water interface detector to pass through. As a cost savings measure, these small diameter wells are increasingly being used for product removal. With the increase in this new use, it is only natural that a number of devices are showing up claiming the ability to remove product through monitoring wells.
With the requirements for groundwater remediation systems becoming more reasonable, the use of skimming devices in lieu of pump and treat systems is increasing. The enormous expense involved with treating millions of gallons of water including the remediation equipment, monitoring and related maintenance is being replaced with a much more common sense attitude. Skimmers, especially belt skimmers, as a means of remediation equipment, not only meet the challenge but, most times exceed. Pump and treat still has a place in this industry, but the small step “backward” to time proven skimming, a more reasonable and cost effective method, cannot be overlooked.
To find out which of our skimmers would suit your application the best, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400, or click the button below to get our whitepaper, DNAPL A Threat? 9 Ways to Treat DNAPLs!
Companies look for effective ways to remove oil from water or coolant to reduce costs and the liability of proper disposal. Another reason for removing the oil is a better work environment. Letting oil remain in the coolant tank allows anaerobic bacteria to grow. Anaerobic bacteria break down the components of coolant, causing it to need changing more frequently. Oil-laden coolant with a high anaerobic bacteria content has two other drawbacks as well. The first drawback is an unpleasant odor caused by the bacteria. The second drawback the smoke generated from the oil-laden coolant coming in contact with the operating cutting tool. One of the easiest ways to remove hydrocarbons from water or coolant is by using an oil skimmer. It is a low maintenance, easy to use tool for removing oil from water or coolant.
The use of an oil skimmer holds many benefits including:
Reduction of Disposal Costs: The cost of disposing oil laden coolant is more expensive than the disposing of oil.
Recycling Opportunities: In some instances, companies may be able to re-use the skimmed oil elsewhere or sell it for recycling, choosing to keep their part of the world cleaner.
Extend Coolant Life: Having oil free coolant can also extend its usefulness and effectiveness, reducing the expense on maintenance and coolant replacement.
Esthetic Benefits: Removing the oil from a machine coolant tank will cut down on the amount of smoke generated from the cutting tool coming into contact with oil laden coolant thereby creating a visibly cleaner workplace.
Extend Tool Life: Removing floating surface oils while aerating and refreshing coolant will extend tool life as well.
Avoid EPA Violations: Many machining and metal working shops turn to aqueous parts cleaning because of limits imposed by the EPA on the discharge of emissions and wastes.
Hygienic Benefits: Keeping coolant oxygenated and oil-free reduces the “rotten egg” odor and bacterial levels are lowered resulting in a cleaner work environment.
Abanaki Corporation manufactures a wide variety of oil skimmers to meet any size application. From a small coolant tank in a CNC lathe to a scale pit in a steel mill, Abanaki Corporation can supply a skimmer to do the job. We manufacture skimmers that can remove from 1 gallon per hour to 200 gallons per hour. We offer turnkey systems with a variety of motors, heat options, stands, and oil concentrators. Our skimmers are used on parts washers, in car washes, wells, steel mills, and any other industry where hydrocarbons need to be removed.
To find out which of our skimmers would suit your application the best, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400.
Abanaki Corporation Oil Skimming Division
17387 Munn Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Phone: (440) 543-7400
Email: skimmers@abanaki.com
Fax: (440) 543-7404
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company
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Belt Oil Skimmers Should be Given Serious Consideration for Groundwater Remediation Equipment
Belt Oil Skimmers Should be Given Serious Consideration for Groundwater Remediation Equipment
Advantages of Using an Oil Skimmer in the Machining Industry
Advantages of Using an Oil Skimmer in the Machining Industry