Hard Hat is currently assisting US Steel with the water systems evaluation project at the Fairfield Works in Fairfield, Alabama. Hard Hat was hired to evaluate each component of the existing cooling and process water system to identify opportunities to recycle industrial service water, thereby reducing city water usage and reducing or eliminating discharges from the facility. Nalco Industrial Outsourcing (Nalco) and Hard Hat work as a team on this project, evaluating the existing condition, performance and capacity of various process and cooling water systems at the Fairfield Works. Options will be evaluated and compared to a set of graded criteria – typically consisting of Effectiveness, Ease of Use, Flexibility, and Cost (Capital and Life Cycle). The feasibility study will result in a set of options selected by US Steel for water reuse and recycling opportunities.

Hard Hat provides on a regular basis, engineering and consulting expertise to GE Water and Beta Steel for upgrades to the Beta Steel EAF mill wastewater system. The system was originally designed for zero liquid discharge, but lacked the capacity to treat the volume and type of contaminants that are now present at the mill. Hard Hat has worked as a team member to upgrade cooling water capacity, sand filter treatment, dissolved air flotation, pumping and storage capacity. Hard Hat also provided a detailed analysis of water usage and discharge from each area within the facility, so an overall system water balance could be accomplished.

Hard Hat performed a system evaluation of the 3 CAL Quench Water Treatment System including review of all available and current information, collection and analysis of water and flow data, and testing for additional data points. Hard Hat also employed interim measures to minimize the impacts on product quality simultaneous with seeking and designing a permanent solution.

An evaluation was performed of alternative make-up water sources and water treatment technologies to be used for the new proposed “Closed Loop” System, including the Belgian System and the Burns Harbor Quench Water System. For the selected solution, Hard Hat compiled the preliminary design criteria, equipment lists, budgeting, and schedule. Hard Hat is currently providing the detailed design and construction management for installation of the upgrades.

Detailed design includes piping, instrumentation, control valves, cooling tower, chemical feed systems, structural modifications, and PLC upgrades.

Hard Hat conducted 3 separate projects to assist ArcelorMittal with capture of fugitive solids from the existing Sinter plant. Following a two-stage feasibility study, Hard Hat evaluated a multi-stage cyclone separator for removal of particulate from the air stream coming off of the big and mini oscillators, as well as the other ducts within the plant. Hard Hat currently is performing final design work for the installation of a cyclone separator to improve the sinter plant indoor air quality. Hard Hat is designing to install the cyclone separator inside the sinter plant building. Design will include the engineering and final sizing and selection of the cyclone, ductwork, and structural steel for the new equipment, and tie-ins to available, existing systems. Project will require maintaining access to the venturi wet scrubber, duct sizing, pressure drop through the cyclone, air velocity through the ducts and hoods, and environmental compliance (with existing air permit) of the cyclone unit.

Performed an evaluation of the feasibility and costs of installing a closed-loop cooling water system for eighty-seven non-contact cooling components located throughout an 80-Inch Hot Strip Mill (HSM) to include heat exchangers for oil cooling, heat exchangers for a chiller system, heat exchangers for the cooling of air circulated through roughing and finishing mill motor rooms, and numerous production control and monitoring instruments. These components were currently cooled using recycled industrial water; however, high concentrations of oil and grease (O&G), suspended solids and other contaminants reduced the capability of the cooling equipment to provide adequate cooling resulting in component failures. The evaluation considered the installation of a closed-loop cooling water system that would tie all components into a single recirculation loop. Based on the review of system components, the calculated design flow for the system was 8,850 gpm with an associated heat load of 43 MMBtu/hr.

Hard Hat performed a Pre-Design Study, the DIW Preliminary Engineering Design Report, and budgetary bidding and pricing for each component of the DIW System installation. Following that work, Hard Hat provided final engineering and design work in order to produce a biddable set of drawings and specifications. Hard Hat currently provides bid-phase assistance, value engineering, construction management assistance, and engineering during construction for the installation of the DIW system.

The main design engineering tasks included:

• Civil Site: site preparation, demolition, control room / electrical room construction, existing utility relocation, utility tie-ins, leveling the system area, general arrangement of system, and ancillary equipment.
• Structural: Concrete building foundation and slab, equipment pads and foundations, approach apron, structural steel mezzanine structure, structural steel for building.
• Mechanical: Equipment, piping, pumps, HVAC, chemical feed systems, building utilities.
• Electrical: Power feed & distribution, conduit and cables, panel layouts, PLC functional logic, instrumentation & control. Water Balance Study, Gallatin Steel- Ghent, Kentucky Hard Hat evaluated the existing cooling water systems with regard to capacity, productivity, optimization, and efficiency.
• A water balance study, concentrating on the water use through the various cooling systems, and heat loss/gain through the hot and cold sides of the cooling systems, was conducted. Hard Hat also evaluated filtration needs and capabilities, as they related to the increased production rates. Pumps, piping, tankage, and hydraulic capacity of equipment, as well as modifications to increase capacity, were considered.

Hard Hat is conducting a feasibility study that will result in a selected set of options for each portion of the necessary cooling water upgrades. These options will then be carried through to detailed engineering. The level of complexity involved with each option may vary from a simple pump replacement, to a complete reconfiguration of cooling loops, filtration technologies, and towers. Systems evaluated include the direct and indirect cooling systems, the caster mold water and laminar system cooling water, recycle, wastewater treatment, scale pits, sand filtration, cooling towers, pumps, and piping.

The Grand Calumet River flows through a heavy industrial area in Northwest Indiana, and high concentrations of a large number of contaminants, including PCBS, volatile and semi-volatile organics, and metals, have been detected in the river sediment. Hard Hat personnel have completed a number of the sediment investigation, technology assessment, and sediment removal study activities required for the 5-mile stretch of contaminated river.

Work included:

• Performed sediment sampling, benchscale sediment settleability and dewatering tests
• Provided sediment removal services
• Designed and constructed a unique test chamber to evaluate dredging air emissions
• Evaluated foundation conditions, earthwork requirements, and structural needs for river access ramps.

Hard Hat performed an evaluation and submitted a Basis of Design document of the #2 Galvanized Line. The project objective was to define the major design criteria for the quench water recycle system being considered for construction in order to reduce reliance on service water, and recycle existing quench water. The Basis of Design document included a General Layout, PFD’s, P&ID’s, Hydraulic Profile and Electrical Schematic and served as the basis for Final Design.

Hard Hat assessed if changes were required due to updates, additions, deletions and / or changes to influent, effluent or process changes. Hard Hat was also hired to prepare an Alternatives Analysis for the quench water at the #2 Galvanized Line in order for ArcelorMittal to proceed with the optimal path. The three alternatives to be evaluated were: Recycle/Re-use system (previously designed system with any proposed changes); Treatment and discharge to existing NPDES Outfall; and Discharge directly to POTW.

Hard Hat assisted with conceptual design of Surge Capacity, pH Control and Hexavalent Chrome Reduction for the ArcelorMittal Central Wastewater Treatment Plant Indiana Harbor West. The project was being considered to eliminate potential surge discharges (not common) of chromium from the system, which required a side stream approach that would “treat and bleed” back into the original system. Tasks included designing a retention basin for surge capacity of 3500-5000 gpm, instrumentation and controls, sequence of operations, and all ancillary conceptual layout work.

Inspected the 2BOF Water Treatment Operation in order to distinguish upgrades needed to get system moving at maximum production speed. Work included evaluating the head tank overflows, pipe sizes and rationale for new or additional piping and/or tankage, evaluating newest technologies to increase grit removal performance characteristics using auger type classifiers, magnetic separators, or other techniques, assessing options to prevent or minimize plugging of the classifier water effluent lines, evaluating and recommending alternatives to alleviate cavitation problems with the venturi pumps, assessing the feasibility of moving the make-up water (service water) feed from the venturi tank to a better location, assessing potential issues associated with addition of a third thickener (clarifier) and relocation/replacement of the existing pumps and evaluating the total system design to look for inefficiencies and propose potential optimization solutions.

The overall objective for performing the caster mold cooling water evaluation was to investigate the effect of a 40% increase in production to 2.2 MM tons, and how each component of the cooling system would need to be modified in order to accommodate the increase in production. Secondary objectives include looking at best practices for water reuse, and treatment options, as well as evaluation of current operational efficiency and identifying potential maintenance issues.

Hard Hat was responsible for evaluating the potential to convert the caster spray water filter backwash tank into a clarifier or similar mechanism, in order to better settle the solids within the tank so that the decant water could be recycled into the existing system. The main objective of the study was to determine if USS could reasonably, reliably modify the tank in order to create a quiescent zone within the tank that would better settle backwash solids. Hard Hat investigated the existing conditions of the current backwash surge tank system (tank, level controls, pumps, valves, piping), reviewed and observed the current backwash sequence for all 4 filters, (including flow rates, duration, water quality, air sparge, chemical feed and particle settling within the surge tank), evaluated different alternatives to convert the tank to a thickener or clarifier mechanism, and evaluated the current backwash sequence to determine whether operational changes may improve settling (i.e. backwashing one filter at a time versus all 4 at once)

Hard Hat designed two closed cooling loops, one for the air compressors and one for the transformers, to replace the once-through system and conserve water. Each independent cooling loop consisted of pumps, piping, cooling units, and controls, to be located near the air compressor and transformer locations. Hard Hat provided the drawings necessary to complete construction of the system, including PFD, piping and instrumentation drawing, piping layout, electrical single line/conduit & cable schedule, and building design (air compressor area only). Hard Hat also procured and installed the necessary system components, making piping and electrical tie-ins. Each system was designed to operate independently, without tie-in to any existing control or monitoring systems.

Hard Hat evaluated five water systems to determine what flows (rate or source) were coming from each system to the water treatment area, or what flows were recycled back to each of the systems. The facility was built without a discharge, and therefore the oils, solids, and salts within each of the water streams were continually accumulating. The systems included: Hot Strip Mill, Spray Water, Mold Water Softening and RO, Machine Water, and Mold Cooling Water. A number of ultrasonic flow meters were installed on pipes to help evaluate the flow rates, and field reconnaissance was performed in order to generate updated drawings of the water systems.

Hard Hat performed a flow verification and system input/discharge study on readings from select flow meters throughout the No. 3 and No. 4 Blast Furnace Recycle System. Nine flow meters that read flow rates throughout the main recycle system loop were selected for verification. Hard Hat personnel used a portable, clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter to confirm the flow readings of the flow meters. Hard Hat inspected and measured the components of the recycle system, modeled such operations as cooling tower drift/evaporation to develop a list of known major influent sources and discharges for the system. In addition, the existing drawings and field inspections were used to develop a water volume summary for the recycle system.

Hard Hat completed a design for solids removal in the Sinter Plant, which included the engineering of the system, process and ancillary equipment. This detailed the final sizing and selection of the cyclone, ductwork, and structural steel for the new equipment, and tie-ins to available, existing systems. The engineering focused on process flow, equipment sizes, system footprint, general arrangement, maintenance and access requirements and integration into the existing structural system and duct network. A preliminary list of specifications was also developed.

Hard Hat designed a pump system that would maintain a constant draw down in the flume basin to prevent the basin water from overflowing into the cold well at the No 7 Blast Furnace. The pump system was designed to transfer water from the flume basin to the splitter box directly upstream of the clarifiers. Pumps were appropriately sized and designed with Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) so that pumping speed can adjust to increases or decreases in flow through the flume basin. As an additional feature the pump system included redundancy so that a single pump failure would not cause overflow of the flume basin water into the cold well.

A water balance, concentrating on the water use through the Laminar Cooling system, and heat loss/gain through the hot and cold sides of the cooling system, was conducted. Hard Hat evaluated filtration needs and capabilities, as they related to the increased production rates. Pumps, piping, tankage, and hydraulic capacity of equipment, as well as modifications to increase capacity, were also included in the study. Hard Hat then provided a feasibility study with a selected set of options for each portion of the necessary cooling water upgrades and detailed design.

Hard Hat assisted GE Water with conceptual design, equipment sizing, cost estimating and scheduling for three satellite treatment systems within a new planned steel mill in northern Minnesota. Systems included scale pit water, oil and scale removal, caster contact and mold water cooling, hot strip mill quench and laminar system, and indirect noncontact cooling water systems.

Hard Hat designed and installed a recycle water flow metering system for the 22,000 gpm cooling water recycle system at Indiana Harbor West. Flow was intercepted and measured inside a 36-inch open channel flow flume, to capture and control flow rate to feed pumps from recycle pond. Project was completed in order to meet requirements of new Indiana Department of Environmental Management discharge permit.

Hard Hat was responsible for the cooling water supply pipe reroute for the No. 5 and No. 6 Blast Furnaces. Work included replacing pipes and tie-ins, tapping into existing piping, and modifying the service ramp to allow for the new routing.

Hard Hat evaluated the existing cooling water systems with regard to capacity, productivity, optimization, and efficiency. A water balance study was conducted, concentrating on the water use through the various cooling systems and heat loss/gain through the hot and cold sides of the cooling systems. Hard Hat also evaluated filtration needs and capabilities, as they related to the increased production rates. Pumps, piping, tank storage, hydraulic capacity of equipment, and modifications to increase capacity, were also considered.

Hard Hat is conducting a feasibility study that will result in a selected set of options for each portion of the necessary cooling water upgrades. These options will then be carried through to detailed engineering. The level of complexity involved with each option may vary from a simple pump replacement to a complete reconfiguration of cooling loops, filtration technologies, and towers. Systems evaluated include the direct and indirect cooling systems, the caster mold water and laminar system cooling water, recycling, wastewater treatment, scale pits, sand filtration, cooling towers, pumps, and piping.

Performed an evaluation of cooling water upgrades for a 25,000 gpm quench water system at a steel coil Continuous Annealing Line (CAL). The existing system required the input of approximately 5,000 gpm of recycled industrial water for cooling resulting in the deposition of oil and grease (O&G) in the system. The evaluation included a review of system flows and temperatures (a water and heat balance); calculation of the design heat load based on current and potential future production levels; comparison of cooling options and recommendation for a closed-loop cooling system, including process flow diagrams, technical advantages/disadvantages, operation and maintenance requirements, personnel requirements, and cost estimate for each option; and preparation of design drawings, specifications, and bid documents.

Performed an evaluation of cooling water upgrades for an 18,000 gpm laminar cooling water system at a CSP steel mill. Under existing production levels, the LCW cooling towers were unable to provide sufficient cooling during the summer months, resulting in the need to restrict production rates to reduce the heat load to the LCW system. Additionally, modifications to production facilities upstream of the LCW system were expected to provide a 20% increase in production levels. The evaluation included a review of system flows and temperatures (a water and heat balance), review of system performance, calculation of the design heat load for current and proposed production levels, and recommendations for system modifications to improve performance. Recommendations included the installation of additional pumps and control valves to balance system flows, reconfiguration of hotwell and coldwell to prevent the bleed-over of hot water to the coldwell and improve efficiency of cooling towers, and the installation of additional cooling tower capacity.

Conducted an evaluation of selected water usage reduction opportunities within a Hot Strip Mill (HSM), Pickling Line, Cold Reduction Mill, Dualine, and Galvanizing Line. The evaluation was conducted to provide plant personnel with an identification of system inefficiencies and opportunities for water reuse. Identified reduction opportunities included potential IW usage reductions of 1.73 MGD out of a total IW usage of 6.8 MGD (or an approximately 25% reduction); including the replacement of selected single-pass IW cooling systems with closed-loop cooling water systems, substitution of recycled water for IW in selected processes, and the reconfiguration of selection water systems to prevent unnecessary system overflows.

Designed a controls system upgrade for a water management system for various operations. Design of flow metering and control plan including construction details, PLC and control panel design, and electrical power and signal/control signal distribution.

Completed a design for converting a manual pump priming system to an automatic pump priming system for ArcelorMittal’s #1 Service Pump.

Engineers evaluated methods to improve oil & grease removal and collection at an existing wastewater treatment plant. Recommendation included a multi-stage approach for modifying an existing 75-foot diameter clarifier and its oil & grease handling systems.

Evaluated rerouting options for a 6-inch boiler feed water pipe and a 16-inch steam pipe to maximize the quantity of buildings and pipe supports for the pipes can be demolished and completing the design for the rerouted piping sections.

Managed an evaluation of treatment options to improve the capacity and water quality of an existing softener-based boiler feed water treatment system.

Managed design and manufacturing of a skid to pre-heat water from Lake Michigan to feed RO units for plant use. The skid included direct steam injection heaters.

Managed design and manufacturing of a skid to heat softened water for freeze protection at ArcelorMittal’s #3 Steel Producing Operations. The skid included direct steam injection heaters.

Managed design and manufacturing of a pump skid to pump process water for ArcelorMittal’s #3 Steel Producing Operations. The skid included direct steam injection heaters.