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Scale-X MFC's technology is based on sound and effective
scientific principles and on decades of experience in a large range of
industrial and commercial applications. These
principals relate to the interaction between a magnetic field and any substance
that carries a charge (metallic conductor or fluid) that passes through the
field.
The generation of an electric current in an
electric generator is produced by the effect of a magnetic field on a metallic
conductor passing through the field and is a well known fact.
Not so well known is the effect of a magnetic field on a fluid flowing
through the magnetic field. The American Petroleum Institute in a paper released
at the 45th Annual Meeting of the International Water Conference in
1984 stated, "A fundamental law of physics states
that the motion of a conductor through a magnetic field will cause a voltage to
be produced. This principle of
electromagnetic induction was first demonstrated by Faraday, and applies not
only to conducting solids such as wires, but also to conducting fluids such as
aqueous solutions containing dissolved electrolytes."
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Effects
of Motion Through a Magnetic
Field on a Conductor and a Fluid
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Professor
John Donaldson and Dr. Sue Grimes of the Chemistry Department of the City
University, London have conducted research into the effects of magnetic fields
on flowing fluids. They have
stated, "A magnetic field will interact with any
substance that carries a charge, however small in any fluid.
The nuclei on which the crystals start growing and the growing
crystallites are very small and will have charged surfaces.
As they pass through the magnetic field, these charged particles
encounter considerable forces as the magnetic field interacts with them.
The magnetic field acts at the surface of the crystallites modifying the
nature of the charges at the surface. This
alters the growth of the crystal in general and on specific planes."
For more details refer to the accompanying technical
papers and journal articles one,
two
and three.
Magnetic fluid treatment results in a change in
both the shape and size of the scale forming crystals.
This change in the shape and form of magnetically treated crystals has
been recorded by electron microphotographs and an example of the effect on
paraffins, an organic scale, is shown below.
It will be noted that paraffin forms smaller crystals as is also shown in
the accompanying graph.
However, it is also an observable fact that magnetically treated scales
such as calcite, an inorganic scale, also have a change in the size of crystals.
In both cases the scale crystal property of adhering to the walls of
pipes and vessels to form scale build-up is reduced or eliminated.
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The
Effects on Paraffin Crystals of
Magnetic Treatment of Crude Petroleum
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The following are some
of the observable changes that magnetic fluid treatment of fluids produces.
Various examples of these are contained in the accompanying technical
reports and papers and industry journals one,
two,
three
and four.
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It alters the scale
crystallisation process. Treated
scale forming crystals have a different structure and size. In general, some treated inorganic scale crystals are larger
and treated organic scale crystal are smaller than non-treated crystals
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Treated scale stays
soft and settles out as a sludge at low velocity points.
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Untreated scale
crystals have sharp edges and therefore strong bonding and magnetically
treated crystals have rounded edges and therefore weak bonding.
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Surface tension of
water is approximately 10% lower.
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Viscosity of crude
petroleum is lower and flows easier.
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Changes in
crystallinity.
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Changes in crystal
morphology
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Changes in solubility
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Changes in rate of
precipitation
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X-ray diffraction
patterns of treated and untreated scale show a change in the chemical phase
of the precipitates.
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The ability of the
treated scale crystal to form scale is altered. The tendency of scale to 'stick' to the walls of vessels
and pipes is reduced or eliminated. Existing
scale is removed over time.
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Scale and sludge
settles out of the fluid easier and quicker at points of low velocity
resulting in a reduction or elimination of the nutrients on which bacteria
and algae live.
Tuning the MFC's and the Fluid
System
All
technologies have an operating range of parameters within which they function.
Similarly, for magnetic fluid treatment to function, certain parameters
must be within a defined range of operating values.
Therefore the MFC must be tuned to the fluid system parameters.
However, in many applications it is necessary to modify the fluid
dynamics while in transit through the MFC's to bring them within a range of values that the MFC can be tuned to.
Scale-X MFC's are designed on
the governing
parameters of magnetic fluid technology and incorporate
these functions, and where necessary, incorporate flow profiling and velocity
amplification.
Factors
that determine the operational effectiveness of magnetic fluid treatment that
must be taken into account and incorporated into the design tuning process are:
- Magnetic field
strength
- Magnetic field
structure
- Magnetic field
penetration and density
- Velocity of the fluid
- Fluid turbulence
- Proximity to magnetic
fields, electric motors and pumps
- Fluid flow profile
- The intersection of
fluid flow vector and magnetic field gradient
- Duration of the time
the fluid remains in the magnetic field
- Concentration levels
of the fluid
- The magnetic
susceptibility of the fluid
- Conditions determining
rate of scale formation
- Fluid process system
temperature and pressure differentials
The energy for magnetic fluid treatment to work
comes from the momentum of the flowing fluid, in other words, from the pump.
This is the same as for a generator to produce electricity, the energy to
produce the current comes form the turbine driving the generator.
The energy does not come form the magnetic field in either case.
Permanent
magnets will perform at full capacity for decades.
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Introductory
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