“SAFE ACID” CLEANING

The New Approved

Method for Cleaning
Water Cooled
Components.

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 IMAGINE ………..

 Saving millions of dollars yearly in

ship maintenance
 Reducing new acquisition costs
 Eliminating one more major driver
for dry-docking submarines

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 WHAT IS A “SAFE ACID”?

 It is a water like, organic, salt solution

designed to remove unwanted calcium
based scale and sea growth.

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 HOW “SAFE” IS IT?

 According to the Material Safety Data

Sheet “it is not to be considered
hazardous under normal use”.
 USDA has approved it for use in
beverage, pharmaceutical, bottling,
poultry and other food processing
plants.
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 WHAT DOES IT CLEAN?

 The water side of any equipment that

is water cooled, water heated or water
operated.

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 PROCESS SET-UP FOR
COMPONENT CLEANING

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 AUXILIARY GLAND EXHAUST
CONDENSERS
 USS A. Lincoln (CVN-72) FY 99 provided
two condensers for flushing.
 Approximately 50 tubes in each
condenser were impossibly blocked.
After 4 hours of flushing all tubes were
clear and clean.

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 AFW/ASW HEAT EXCHANGER
BEFORE CLEANING

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 AFW/ASW HEAT EXCHANGER
AFTER A 2HR CLEANING

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 CLEANING COST
COMPARISON
 Safe Acid Cleaning 0
28
vs. Mechanical 3 ,
9
$2
$300,000
Cleaning of a $250,000
Submarine ASW $200,000 MECHANICAL
system. $150,000 SAFE ACID
70
 Approximately $100,000
$3
1 ,3

$50,000
$262K in savings. $0

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 WHAT ELSE?
 We have identified a cost savings for
the ASW system aboard a submarine.
Add carriers and auxiliary support ships
and it “adds up”.
 The ASW system has been mentioned,
now include plumbing, firemains,
hydraulic oil coolers, MSW, air
conditioning, auxiliary diesel,
demineralizers, condensers…etc.
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 DISPOSAL COST
 Currently $12.52 per gallon when
associated levels of hazardous material
are found here at Puget.
 Work is being done with our Safety
and Environmental office to reduce
disposal cost by balancing the ph of the
fluid and filtering the heavy metal
content.
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 A BENCHMARK METHOD FOR
CLEANING
 Walter Reed Army Medical Center -
Several of their boilers have been
cleaned in October of 1998.
 Air Liquide America - Atlanta Ga.
Their liquid nitrogen and compressed
gas plants. Most recently 16
condensers at the Birmingham Al. Plant.

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 BOTTOM LINE

 The estimated 89% labor savings

using the Safe Acid Cleaning method is
significant enough to justify use.
 The safe acid cleaning method is a
benchmark method for cleaning used by
mining operations, refineries, utilities,
manufacturers, municipalities and the
automotive industry.
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 WHY NOT……?
 Establish a maintenance version of
an Advanced Technology Program
to accelerate proving/disproving the
benefits
 Accelerate implementation fleet-
wide if proven effective
Process will be utilized during SSN 759 ASW flushing at
Point Loma, California in October 1999

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