Mobile solutions ensure greater flexibility

Newaltas on-site services for slop oil treatment Case story

Newalta is the market leader for waste management and environmental services for industrial customers throughout Canada. The corporation operates more than 85 facilities across the country, with a current workforce of approx. 2,000 people. An important part of Newaltas activities includes processing drilling and production waste from oilfields, recovering oil from slop tank cleaning, and cleaning up storage areas in which slop oil was previously simply dumped untreated. Taking business to the customer As part of Newaltas focus on ensuring its customers singlesource waste management service solutions, the company was interested in tackling clients needs at source, providing both short and long-term waste processing capabilities that minimize off-site disposal and reduce transport costs. These on-site project capabilities were planned to enable Newalta to bring the full force of its capabilities, know-how and technology to bear on client requirements exactly where, as and when needed. As part of the companys preparations for tackling this promising new market, Newalta tested and evaluated a range of three-phase decanter centrifuges from different suppliers.

They were looking for an effective, reliable mobile solution that could be transported to Newaltas customer sites as and when required. Tests, answers and decisions Newalta operators have considerable experience in dealing with demanding three-phase separation duties, and have already successfully operated both Alfa Laval decanter centrifuges and disc stack centrifuges for many years. It was therefore a natural step for Alfa Laval to approach Newalta to include testing a prototype of the new LYNX 35 specialist drilling mudslop oil decanter centrifuge in a comparative evaluation with other models. Newaltas test procedures revealed some minor modifications that needed to be made, and Newalta then purchased the test unit. Additional new LYNX 35 units were ordered and delivered in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Newalta currently operates a total of six LYNX 35 units, each built into a semi-trailer that is also equipped with polymer dosing, tanks, pumps, solids conveyors and two Alfa Laval spiral heat exchangers

LYNX 35 slop oil decanter centrifuge built into a semi-trailer equipped with polymer dosing, tanks, pumps, solids conveyors and two Alfa Laval spiral heat exchangers

I have not seen any three-phase decanter centrifuge perform better than the LYNX 35, says Len Stahn, Process Optimization, Newalta Corporation

Mobile results For Newalta, the aim was to obtain either water or oil of the best quality feasible in each set of circumstances, with the solids phase removed. In some cases, the relatively clean water could be treated still further on site, while the remaining slop oil with its more challenging emulsions could be transported to one of Newaltas fixed facilities for additional processing. This also boosted the companys ability to effectively exploit existing capacity. Newaltas testing revealed that the LYNX 35 had downtimefree operating periods more than 300% longer than the

closest competitor, and was able to cope satisfactorily with all the different feed compositions encountered. The test also revealed that at lower feed rates the LYNX 35 equipment was able to achieve good results on both oil and water streams simultaneously. Newalta experts noted that with the right combination of chemicals it was possible to at one end of the spectrum extract pipe-grade oil from slop oil and at the other extreme to process slop oil normally considered untreatable and thus relegated to mere disposal and storage in ponds and caverns.

Technical data of LYNX 35 Water flow* Oil flow* Solids flow* Maximum speed Centrifugal force Differential speed range Solids capacity Main power Backdrive power Dry weight of decanter unit *Typical values, contact Alfa Laval for details 1 15 m3/h (4-66 GPM) 1 10 m3/h (4-44 GPM) 1 5 m3/h (4-22 GPM) 3,650 rpm up to 3,574 G 2-40 rpm Up to 12 ton/h (26,000 lbs) 90 kW (125 Hp) 15 kW (20 Hp) 5,000 kg (11,000 lbs)

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How to contact Alfa Laval Up-to-date Alfa Laval contact details for all countries are always available on our website at www.alfalaval.com