Hollow Ball Covers For Energy Savings in Mining & Industrial Applications
Waterfowl fatalities and process fouling in industrial ponds can be prevented by covering ponds with Floating Hollow Ball Covers.
Two main problems associated with birds and industrial ponds are process fouling resulting from increased organic accumulations, and wildlife fatalities from toxic process water and wastewater.
Industrial process water and wastewater can be potentially deadly to birds and other wildlife if they contain hazardous substances such as cyanide, oil, salts or acids. Typically process water is stored in open tanks or ponds, which can attract and potentially kill wildlife. Industrial ponds that can be particularly harmful are:
Acid Process Water Ponds
- Industries such as phosphate fertilizer processors and precious metal extraction.
- Birds landing in these acidic ponds can ingest this water, which causes severe trauma to their gastrointestinal tracts and eventual death.
- The acidic water removes natural oils from the birds’ feathers causing them to die by drowning or hypothermia.
Cyanide Ponds
- Pregnant cyanide solution used in heap leach gold mining.
- The solution is applied to the ore heaps for gold extraction.
- Bird fatalities occur due to the same reasons as Acid Process Water Ponds
Oil Field Waste Pits
- Ineffective separation of oil and water results in wastewater covered by a layer of oil
- Oil can weigh birds down and cause them to drown.
- Oil destroys the ability of the birds’ feathers to insulate, resulting in death from heat or cold stress.
- Two million migratory birds are estimated to die each year in oil and mining wastewater pits in the western United States.
A Floating Ball Cover system is a proven and effective wildlife deterrent recognized by organizations such as the “US Fish and Wildlife Service”. The Floating Ball Covers cover the entire surface of the water, making the pond unattractive to the birds. Other wildlife such as deer and foxes do not attempt to walk onto the cover, as the individual balls do not support the animal’s weight.
ECC Hollow Ball Covers Also Work As An Insulator
On average the covers will keep tanks, reservoirs and ponds, 7 to 10 degree F warmer in the winter months than it would be not covered. The summer months work just the opposite, 7 to 10 degree F cooler than the water would be without a cover.
Many clarifiers have found that the ECC ball covers have a return on investment of 6 to 12 months. The energy consumption is reduced by 75% and chemical consumption is reduced 7% to 12%.