A “Can-Do” Attitude: Dynamic Filtration and CANDU Reactors

CANDU6 Reactor Face

Ask the average person on the street, and they probably couldn’t tell you much about how a nuclear power plant actually works. They might know that uranium is typically used as fuel, they’ve probably heard terms like “enrichment” (and not necessarily in the best context), and some might even be able to tell you that water is typically used as a cooling agent once the fuel is spent. Even just a simple, passing awareness like that, is enough to lend itself to a discussion of Dynamic Filtration’s work with Canada’s CANDU nuclear reactors.

CANDU is an acronym, short for Canada Deuterium-Uranium: Canada, for the country of origin; deuterium, for the moderating agent (more than that later), and uranium, for the fuel. Deuterium, for the uninitiated, is a “heavy isotope” of hydrogen, meaning it possesses a neutron, while standard hydrogen has none. And that’s about as close as we’ll get to a rehash of your high school physics class (which may have have already been too close, for some people). The purpose of using deuterium, which, when substituted for hydrogen, creates “heavy water,” is to maintain the potency of the uranium fuel, lessening the absorption of neutrons by the water and therefore increasing the amount of time that the fission reaction will occur.

This is where the term “enrichment” comes into play, as well. In a “light water” reactor, the water absorbs too many neutrons, and natural uranium must be enriched to increase its levels of Uranium-235. Enrich it to 5%, and you have useful uranium for fuel. Enrich it to 90%, and you’ve got a nuclear weapon, and lot of new enemies. Of course, enrichment facilities can be used to achieve either of these ends – and are expensive, to boot. Since the CANDU reactor doesn’t require enriched uranium, this whole concern is irrelevant.

Where does Dynamic Filtration enter the picture? As you might imagine, that heavy water needs to be pure to successfully facilitate the nuclear reaction – 99.75% pure, in fact. Dynamic Filtration’s filters keep the incoming water contaminant-free, and the outgoing, used water free of any foreign materials so that it may be disposed of properly.

Be sure to contact us at Dynamic Filtration with any further questions!

Pumper Show 2012

Here at Dynamic Filtration, we’re not just content to call a filter a filter and move forward with a quality, if unchanging, inventory. We know that filters change, but more so, applications change, and it’s important to us and our customers that we keep up-to-date on those changes to maintain the best possible offering. Trade shows are one of the best ways to stay on the cutting edge of who is using filters, and what they’re using them for, and the 2012 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo  (you might know it better as the Pumper Show) suits that need for one of our core industries: vacuum trucks.

Occurring in Indianapolis this week, the Pumper Show will feature a host of fascinating filtration and vacuum truck topics: vacuum trucks used with drilling in the Marcellus Shale Region, and positive displacement blower vacuum equipment, to name a few. There will also be discussion of filter concerns in other wastewater applications beyond vacuum trucks, for instance, effluent filters used to protect drain fields. And, as any good business seminar should include, lots of talk of how to promote and market your services. We’re most looking forward to information on positive displacement blower-equipped trucks, and any other types of new or unconventional vacuum trucks – developments that will play a part in our inventory planning for the next year and beyond. As always, contact us with any questions on all types of filtration!

How Vacuum Trucks Keep the World Clean and Safe

Vacuum trucks play a big role in a number of different industries and Dynamic Filtration plays an even bigger role in making these trucks work properly. Much like your household vacuum, these trucks pick up dust, dirt and liquids, only on a much larger scale.  Both use the same basic filtration systems to get the job done. So why would you need a vacuum truck in the first place?

Safety and Protection

While construction crews rely on backhoes and other heavy-duty equipment to handle most of their digging, there are times when a much lighter touch is needed. When digging around electrical and gas connections, they will use a vacuum excavator truck to carefully remove and loosen dirt and soil. This not only protects the pipes and cables, but also the workers themselves. 

Unclogging the Drain

Working with sewers is always tricky. Before you actually get to the job of cleaning out the sewer itself, you need to get to it. Vacuum trucks are helpful in removing all the debris that clogs the above-ground drains. Once this is accomplished, the vacuum truck will have access to the sewer so it can remove what it needs to remove. Pretty sure there is no need to say more than that!

Emergencies

While vacuum trucks play a role in everyday life, they also play a pivotal role in emergencies like sudden oil spills and unexpected flooding. If there is an accident in a large oil field, you need to be able to quickly access the area to limit both financial and environmental losses. A powerful but mobile vacuum truck is a great way to contain damage and loss, while all necessary repairs are being made.  This is also the case with flooding from rain or snowmelt. These trucks can be used to keep major highways and streets passable for traffic and emergency vehicles.

Overall, vacuum trucks are clearly an invaluable tool. Of course, these trucks wouldn’t be able to do their jobs without the proper filtration systems. You wouldn’t run your household vacuum without a bag or a filter, and the same goes for these trucks. At Dynamic Filtration we supply a wide variety of these trucks with the filters necessary to function perfectly every time they are called upon. If you want to learn more about our industrial filters, visit our website or contact us today.

One More Option: All About Stainless Steel Filter Cartridges

Not all filter cartridges are created equal. Most filtration applications are very well served by paper or synthetic plastic filter cartridges, which are fantastic for a wide range of general services including food, beverage and pharmaceuticals. Yet there are still those times when you need a cartridge that offers great levels of retention and can withstand higher temperatures and pressures. It’s for these more demanding projects that stainless steel filter cartridges are worth a look.

Stainless steel filter cartridges are typically made entirely of 304 or 316 stainless steel, and are completely cleanable and reusable. These two important traits allow our customers in the medical industry to not only maintain a higher level of sterility but to also save money on having to replace paper and plastic cartridges more often.

Stainless steel filter cartridges fit most cartridge-type housings, can withstand differential pressures up to 60 psi, and have a particle retention rating as fine as 5 microns. Plus, unlike other filtration media, seals are never glued onto the cartridge ends. Instead, they are custom shaped so they hold in place just like a grommet. This added measure reduces the chances that they will become dislodged and get lost in shipping. Here at Dynamic Filtration, our main business remains paper and synthetic filters, but we’re also committed to offering a wide range of knowledge to our customers. Keeping you informed of your options helps us to serve you better. Contact us with any questions.

Through Thick And Thin: Light Gauge Plasma Cutting

A filter is a filter, you might think, and a plasma cutter is a plasma cutter. Filtration, however, is our business, and we can say with the utmost certainty that all filters are not created the same. And speaking of creating filters, we’re also well aware that new advances in plasma cutting technology are making filtration manufacturing easier than ever. As you’ve probably seen, the housings and mounts for filtration media, whether for air or liquid, are usually constructed from metal. In order to fit filters into tight spaces, and keep overall product weights down, this metal is often as thin as possible. Plasma cutting takes on a decidedly different aspect when applied to, for instance, 24 gauge sheet metal, but some of the latest cutters on the market keep the process as seamless as possible.

Even with cutters specifically designed for thin and light gauge metals, most of the typical precautions apply. When dealing with a process as energy=intensive as plasma cutting, one can’t be too careful. Be sure that these safety tips remain at the forefront of your checklist, no matter what equipment you’re using:

• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby: One of the biggest dangers in plasma cutting is overheating the substrate metal. With thin, light materials, energy and heat levels can get to the point of ignition even more quickly. A working, inspected fire extinguisher on hand will help prevent a minor spark from becoming a major problem.

• Ensure that the work area is free of other materials: Plasma cutting is designed for metal. This means, for instance, that paper filtration metal shouldn’t be anywhere near the cutting process - valuable inventory could be destroyed, not to mention the much lower flame temperature for those materials. These types of dangers should be either removed or, at the very least, protected from the cutter’s energy focus.

• Keep an eye on the dial: Even with cutters specifically designed for thin gauge metals, there remains a need for fine tuning and monitoring of energy levels. Make sure to periodically stop and inspect notches and cuts made, to ensure that the correct widths and accuracies are being maintained.

Ever since the Fabtech conference of a few months ago, we’ve been keeping an eye on these and other advances in plasma cutting. Learning that the safety rules haven’t changed is probably the most important lesson to be gained. Contact Dynamic Filtration with any further questions!

China Develops 5-Year Plan for Filtration Textile Advances

Filtration News  recently featured a great piece on the continued growth of China’s filtration textile industry. While focusing in large part of financial projections and usage estimates, the article also showcased a five-year plan devised by the government, aimed at fostering innovation in filtration textiles. Most interesting to us was a goal of developing better high-temperature resistant and erosion resistant filtration material. In industries like power generation and raw material processing, all of which are rapidly expanding in China, there is a great need for these types of filters, able to handle harsh environments with acceptable performance and life cycle numbers.

Our last blog gave some pointers on choosing between paper or synthetic filters. As described in this article, man-made material is the only choice for high-temperature applications. Fibers that can withstand the high temperatures necessary for those industries include PPS, P84, PTEF, glass fiber, aramid fibers, and PSA fiber. Be sure to see the Filtration News website for full details on temperature capacities for those materials – PSA fiber can withstand temperatures up to 250° C, or 482° F! For any questions on these kinds of filters and applications, contact Dynamic Filtration.

Paper or…Polyester? A Guide to Air Filter Media Selection

Yes, we’re all used to that question in the supermarket checkout line: “Paper or plastic?” We may mindlessly answer one way or another, just hoping to get home in time for the evening news, or we may think it over for a second, weighing a number of factors: How strong are the bags? How much can each one carry? Will I want to reuse them? Do I care about the environmental impact? Choosing air filtration media entails a similar analytical process, though some of the questions may be a little different. Read on for a few of the main concerns to take into account during your selection process:

Particle Size Ratings: This is probably the first thing to think about when choosing an air filter. Where will the filter be used, and what is it meant to remove from the air? For coarser material like, for instance, sawdust or pollen, filters rated to 100 microns or even more might do the trick (for reference, a human hair is 150 microns wide). Finer materials like dust would bring you down around the 50 micron range, and fume and smoke filtration requires a rating of 1 micron or less.

Efficiency: Also a primary concern in terms of maintenance and effectiveness. A filter’s efficiency is the percentage of particles that it traps and holds as air passes through it. For instance, Dynamic Filtration’s heavy duty industrial thermoset paper filters have a 98%+ efficiency per the SAE fine dust test (for particles of 75 microns or more). Even more impressive, our polyester cloth filters are rated at 98% efficiency for 10 microns.

Material: Back to the original question: typically, options will be either paper or synthetic (polyester) media. The above questions will factor into your decision, as polyester can typically be engineered to capture finer particles. Cost is also a consideration: paper filters are generally less expensive than synthetics. Keep in mind, however, that synthetic filters are washable and reusable, up to 15 times or more. This can drive down the overall cost to less than that of paper filters, over a period of months of years.

Our experts are always ready to answer any additional questions! Contact us for more information.