Efficient Technologies

Environmentally Sound Solutions – Testimonials

Stelfil

Stefil saves on sludge with green technology

Stelfil, a major manufacturer of galvanized steel wire, was spending thousands of dollars each year shipping and landfilling residual sludge contaminated with lead and zinc. The company needed technology that would help it drastically cut the weight of this sludge and comply with environmental standards.

Since the sludge was 50% water, a promising approach was to find an efficient and economical way of drying it. After conducting a technical and economic study, Hydro-Québec recommended that the company opt for a heat pump.

With this pump, Stelfil reduced by 40% or 150 metric tons the weight of sludge for disposal, which represented savings of over $50,000 a year in handling, shipping and landfill. Besides meeting its environmental commitments, Stelfil is reaping another benefit from this impressively energy-efficient drying system: the pump recovers 98% of the thermal energy!

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Follow Stelfil's lead and cash in on Hydro-Québec know-how. We can help you make the right choice!

Nexans

Nexans turns wastes into profits

Nexans was looking for technology to help it better rinse the copper wire it manufactures while treating and recycling wastewater acid. It also wanted to remain in compliance with environmental standards for effluents and water consumption.

Nexans first had to find a way to get the demineralized water it needed for its rinsing system. Following recommendations by Hydro-Québec experts, the company implemented a reverse osmosis system.

With Hydro-Québec's continuing help, the company then launched the second phase of the project, designed to recover and recycle acid from rinse water using a mechanical compression evaporation system comprised of corrosion-resistant polymer heat exchangers. A major dividend was the system's energy consumption: 50 times less than a conventional single-effect evaporator of equivalent capacity!

Thanks to electrotechnology, Nexans improved the quality of its product and cut operating costs. The project was a total success!

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J.W. Goodfellow

For J.W Goodfellow, quality and profitability go hand in hand

J.W. Goodfellow was looking for a cost-effective way to dry hardwood without altering its appearance or quality. This family business wanted an edge on the competition in a booming market.

The company opted for an all-electric kiln equipped with heat pumps. Compared to traditional drying with fossil fuels, this low-temperature system wastes less heat and requires less maintenance and monitoring.

Since it dries wood uniformly without darkening it, the system gives a top-quality finished product at a very advantageous cost. This ecological solution is also more energy-efficient and improves working conditions.

The system's resistor bank is equipped with a programmable energy regulator to control power demand so it never exceeds a preset maximum. This makes it easier for J.W. Goodfellow to manage electricity costs.

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Follow J.W. Goodfellow's lead and cash in on Hydro-Québec know-how. We can help you make the right choice!

System description

The all-electric system includes five drying cells with a total capacity of 240,000 bd. ft.* Each cell is paired with a heat pump, three with 40-hp and two with 25-hp motors.

Air in the drying cell is first heated by resistors, then dehumidified by heat pumps. The heat recovered is fed back into the kiln at a temperature that generally remains below 60°C (140°F).

*bd. ft.: board feet
1 bd. ft. = 12 in. x 12 in. x 1 in.