Sustainability in paper plants optimising with spray nozzles is a crucial aspect of the industry’s efforts to minimise environmental impact and promote responsible resource management, notes Monitor Engineering.
BY implementing sustainable practices and utilising efficient spray nozzle systems, paper plants can achieve significant improvements in their sustainability performance, says Monitor Engineering.
One key area of focus is water conservation. Paper production requires a substantial amount of water, and spray nozzles play a vital role in controlling the water usage during various stages of the process.
The biggest issue on paper plants with regards water consumption is nozzle wear. Spray nozzles that are worn by just 10% cannot be seen by the naked eye, but are delivering significantly more water, or chemical than what is required.
Why it pays to right-size spray nozzles
Making sure nozzles are sized properly for the operation sounds simple. But, many processors tend to use higher capacity nozzles than required. Right-sizing nozzles is a simple change that won’t disrupt operations but can deliver significant dividends.
Step 1
Know the flow
How much water flows through spray nozzles every day? Take a quick look at the maths for a single nozzle below.
How much water for an entire operation?
Most paper plants use hundreds of nozzles in various operations including cleaning, coating, lubricating, moisturising, cooling and more.
For this example, we’ll assume 150 nozzles are in use for a cleaning operation.
1 271 898ℓ used per year x 150 nozzles = 190 784 754ℓ used per year
Step 2
Reduce the flow
What if nozzles with a lower flow rate could be used in the same cleaning operation without compromising effectiveness? The chart below reveals what could happen.
Results
47 696 188ℓ saved per year simply by using a slightly smaller capacity nozzle — a 7.9 pm full cone nozzle spraying at 1.5 bar 88 578 636ℓ saved per year by using an even smaller capacity nozzle — a 4.9ℓpm 1.5 bar
Step 3
Sustainable savings
Sustainability assessment programs will help your operations become more efficient, productive, sustainable and safe. It happens on-site with no disruptions to production.
Proper maintenance and regular inspection of spray nozzle systems are essential for sustainability in paper plants.
Regular cleaning and replacement of nozzles ensure their optimal performance, preventing issues such as clogging or uneven spray distribution.
This not only improves the quality of the final product but also reduces the need for rework or additional resources.
Another important aspect of sustainability in paper plants is the reduction of chemical usage.
Spray nozzles are responsible for the application of various chemicals, such as coatings, dyes, and adhesives, onto the paper fibres.
By utilising precision spray nozzles, paper plants can achieve better control over the chemical application process, ensuring that only the required amount of chemicals is used.
This not only minimises waste but also reduces the release of potentially harmful substances into the environment
