A recent case history provides some very valuable information that challenges assumptions about the storage of liquids. A large specialty alloy and component company has two byproduct chemical storage systems providing liquid storage from the production of zirconium and hafnium products. Tanks provide roughly 400,000 gallons of storage for level-load processing downstream for reuse.
Because their old storage tank had been in service for 40 years, they had a capital project to replace it, and assuming as had always been the case that the more storage the better, the replacement was scheduled to be the same size as the previous tank. However, executives realized they had an opportunity to challenge some assumptions on size and cost and to utilize value engineering to optimize the process. Here was their process –
Project Questions:
The key to the optimization was removal of the zero value liquids. The company evaluated real-time analytical tools to determine which measurements could make and standardize these determinations. The ideal answer proved to be a conductivity sensor system –
The location for the liquid is based on the conductivity measurement results and system valves are opened and closed accordingly.
The results of this relatively simple change were dramatic. One less storage tank was needed for a cost reduction of $500,000 for an 18-month period. They also saw a significant decrease in zero-value liquids and achieved sustainable, repeatable results for storage/treatment system in the future.
When have challenging assumptions made a difference in your industrial processes? Reply Below.