Claims:1. An apparatus for reducing or preventing scale formation in a circulating water system, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers comprising a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mesh layers are vertically stacked in a non-linear arrangement.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers comprising mesh openings with an average diameter ranging from 1 mm to 5 cm.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers is made of steel wire.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers comprising woven, knitted or braided metal wires.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mesh layers comprise at least five mesh layers.

7. A method for reducing or preventing scale formation on components of a circulating water system processing aqueous solution comprising one or more scale forming compounds, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an apparatus comprising: a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers comprising a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings;
introducing the apparatus at one or more places within the circulating water system;
allowing the aqueous solution comprising one or more scale forming compounds to pass through the apparatus; and
precipitating the one or more scale forming compounds on surfaces of the plurality of mesh layers of the apparatus, thereby reducing or preventing scale formation on surfaces or inside walls of the components of the circulating water system.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more scale forming compounds comprise alkaline earth metals compounds.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more scale forming compounds comprise calcium carbonate.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the components of the circulating water system susceptible to scaling comprise piping, valves, pumps, impellers and tanks.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the aqueous solution comprising one or more scale forming compounds is obtained from a slag granulation process.
, Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure pertains to technical field of restricting or preventing scale formation in industrial water circulation systems. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to an apparatus and method for restricting or preventing scale build-up in pipes, impellers and associated components employed in circulating water systems where process interface leads to increase in water hardness in general, and slag granulation units in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Scale formation or scaling typically involves precipitation and deposition of inorganic materials on surfaces made of metal and other materials. Scale formation usually occurs when inorganic mineral salts such as, calcium carbonates, calcium sulfates, etc. precipitate from liquids and deposit on the inside surfaces of equipment such as, for example, pipes, impellers, pumps, storage tanks, etc.
[0004] In slag granulation plants, molten slag from a blast furnace is supplied to a slag granulation unit wherein a water jet is used to rapidly quench the molten slag for production of granulated slag which is used as aggregate in building materials and as raw material in cement making. Systems for granulating molten slag have employed circulating water systems for recirculation of granulating water, after granulated slag separation, to the granulating means. In a continuous granulation process, inorganic minerals and other dissolved substances in the re-circulating water may concentrate to such a level that scaling can occur. Specifically, scale build-up in equipment such as, pipes, impellers, pumps, valves, tanks and associated components employed in the water circulation systems, may cause several operational issues including plugging of equipment, incoherent water flow, pressure loss, increased utility costs, corrosion, production loss due to system downtime, etc.
[0005] Studies were conducted in the art to understand the underlying causes of scale formation in large-scale continuous slag granulation units, and it was established that scale formation is unavoidable since during the process of water recirculation, inorganic miners such as, calcium carbonate continuously gets added to the system and the re-circulating water reaches saturation level in every alternate cycle. Because the tendency of a water medium to precipitate inorganic mineral (e.g. calcium carbonate) increases as the water's temperature increases, scaling tends to be worst where the water reaches its maximum temperature or where abrupt change in temperature takes place.
[0006] Calcium carbonate solubility product KS is not constant, but it decreases with increasing temperature. Therefore, water that is under-saturated at a low temperature may become supersaturated when heated to a higher temperature. Thus, tendency of re-circulating water to form scale increases with increasing temperature. Functions that relate KS to temperature are available in the literature reference AHPA, 1989.
[0007] As a rule of thumb, the product of the Calcium and Carbonate ion concentrations must exceed the solubility product by at least a factor of 10 before scaling will occur at a significant rate.
[Ca2+][CO32-] > KS, Water Supersaturated, CaCO3 Can Precipitate
[Ca2+][CO32-] < KS, Water Undersaturated, CaCO3 Dissolves
[0008] When water is analyzed, typically the calcium ion concentration, [Ca2+], and/or the total hardness are measured. Total hardness is the sum of the dissolved calcium and magnesium ion concentrations. Tendency of water to scale increases with increasing calcium concentration and hardness. The carbonate ion is part of the carbonate acid-base system, and if the pH of particular water is increased the carbonate ion concentration increases. The carbonate concentration is often not determined during a water analysis, but is contained in a measure called alkalinity. Tendency of water to scale increases with increasing pH and alkalinity. Therefore scaling increases with increasing calcium concentration, hardness, alkalinity, pH and temperature.
[0009] There have been many techniques and methods reported in the art to counteract formation of scale. Chemical treatment is the major method used to prevent scale formation in industrial water systems. This method employs addition of chemical additives to the circulating water stream, that control factors including pH, thermal capacity, corrosion and scale formation etc. However, the chemical treatment method is very expensive and time consuming. In addition, the effectiveness of chemical treatment is questionable as evidenced by the high cost for the periodic cleaning and maintenance in systems that are treated chemically, supposedly by the damage that improper and excessive chemical treatment often causes. With the high cost of scale inhibiting chemicals and even higher cost of environmental chemical abatement, chemical treatments are gradually falling into disfavor in such applications.
[0010] Non-chemical treatments such as ion exchangers (salt based softeners) are often used in commercial applications to counteract scale formation. The ion exchange systems involve ionic exchange of sodium in salt for the calcium or magnesium present in water. While this method does produce soft, conditioned water, it does so at considerable expense. The price to life ratio of a good ion exchange softener is very high. Further, these systems must be recharged frequently, and to recharge, salt needs to be supplied on a periodic basis. Also replacement costs of ion exchange beds are very high.
[0011] Another non-chemical treatment method which is available in the art is reverse osmosis or ultra-filtration. This process involves forcing untreated, raw water through a membrane that selectively filters certain constituents out of the fluid. These systems require very high pressure because the membrane used as the filter medium is essentially non-porous. In areas that have high minerals and salt content, the membrane must be flushed frequently and replaced often. This requires downtime and a major usage of water. Furthermore, reverse osmosis units typically waste half of the water processed.
[0012] Use of water softeners for inhibiting scale formation in water circulation systems has also been reported in the art. Water softeners contain high capacity strong cation exchanger in bead form. It is used in the form of sodium to remove Ca and Mg ions in hard water according to following equation. In this reaction, calcium ions are replaced with more soluble sodium ions in the form of sodium chloride.
2RSO3Na + CaCl2 = (R.SO3)2Ca + 2NaCl
[0013] In precipitative softening technique, use is made of the relative insolubilities of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. The choice of precipitating agents depends on the raw water quality, which complicates the selection of optimum treatment process, although the chemistry itself is simple.
[0014] In summary, the known techniques of inhibiting or reducing scale formation essentially involve reduction of re-circulating water hardness using chemical additives, modification of pH of water, use of sequestering agents, frequent shutdown and scale cleaning, and replacement or repair of equipment such as pipelines, impellers, etc. Consequently, such techniques are clearly unsatisfactory as they are time-consuming, labor intensive, uneconomical, involve increased utility cost and production loss due to system downtime.
[0015] Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a simple, cost effective and highly efficient system for restricting or preventing scale build-up in equipment susceptible to scaling such as, pipes, impellers, pumps, valves, tanks and associated components throughout a circulating water system in a slag granulation unit. There is also a need in the art to develop an improved, cost effective and less time consuming process for reducing scale formation in industrial water circulating systems. The present invention satisfies the existing needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the prior art.
[0016] All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
[0017] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities or dimensions of items, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0018] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0019] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0020] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all markush groups used in the appended claims.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0021] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale build-up in circulating water systems that overcomes one or more disadvantages associated with the traditional techniques of scale prevention.
[0022] It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale formation in equipment of a circulating water system that is susceptible to scaling.
[0023] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale formation in equipment such as, pipes, impellers, pumps, valves, tanks and other related components employed in circulatory water systems in general and slag granulation process in particular.
[0024] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for reducing or preventing scale formation, that is simple in design, easy to fabricate, highly economic, operates reliably and requires very little maintenance.
[0025] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus that increases useful service life of various equipment that deal with scale forming fluids by reducing scale deposition, thus minimizing the maintenance cost and down time for cleaning.
[0026] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus that effectively restricts or prevents scale build-up in equipment during processes involving circulatory water systems in general and slag granulation process in particular, thereby increasing the productivity of such process in general and slag granulation process in particular.
[0027] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a simple, cost effective and environment friendly method for restricting or preventing scale formation in circulating water systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for restricting or preventing scale build-up in components of a circulating water system such as piping, valves, pumps, impellers, storage tanks and associated components that deal with scale forming fluids. The disclosed apparatus is simple in design, easy to fabricate, highly economic, operates reliably, requires very little maintenance and can effectively restrict or prevent the potential formation of scale in circulating water systems, especially used in slag granulation plants.
[0029] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for reducing or preventing scale formation in a circulating water system, the apparatus can include: a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers can include a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings.
[0030] In an embodiment, the plurality of mesh layers can be vertically stacked in a non-linear arrangement to form the apparatus of the present disclosure.
[0031] In another embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can include mesh openings with an average diameter ranging from 1 mm to 5 cm.
[0032] In another embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can be made of steel wire. In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can include woven, knitted or braided metal wires.
[0033] In an embodiment, the disclosed apparatus can be formed by vertically stacking at least five mesh layers in a non-linear arrangement.
[0034] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for reducing or preventing scale formation on components of a circulating water system that processes aqueous solution containing one or more scale forming compounds, the method can include the steps of:
providing an apparatus including: a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers including a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings;
introducing the apparatus at one or more places within the circulating water system;
allowing the aqueous solution containing one or more scale forming compounds to pass through the apparatus; and
precipitating the one or more scale forming compounds on surfaces of the plurality of mesh layers of the apparatus, thereby reducing or preventing scale formation on surfaces or inside walls of the components of the circulating water system.
[0035] In an embodiment, the one or more scale forming compounds can include alkaline earth metals compounds.
[0036] In another embodiment, the aqueous solution being circulated in the circulating water system can be water from hardness adding process in general and slag granulation process in particular.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary and illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not in any way limited to the embodiments explained/ disclosed by the drawings.
[0038] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a conventional slug granulation plant.
[0039] FIG. 2 is a representative photograph illustrating scale build-up within a pipe used to circulate granulating water in conventional slug granulation system.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a representative photograph showing isolated scale deposits.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a representative top view of a single mesh layer constructed in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0042] FIG. 5 is a representative top view of a multilayer mesh structure constructed in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0043] FIG. 6 is a representative perspective view of a multilayer mesh structure of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0044] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0045] Each of the appended claims defines a separate invention, which for infringement purposes is recognized as including equivalents to the various elements or limitations specified in the claims. Depending on the context, all references below to the "invention" may in some cases refer to certain specific embodiments only. In other cases it will be recognized that references to the "invention" will refer to subject matter recited in one or more, but not necessarily all, of the claims.
[0046] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense that is as “including, but not limited to.”
[0047] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details.
[0048] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0049] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
[0050] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
[0051] All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0052] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[0053] The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0054] The headings and abstract of the invention provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments. Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
[0055] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
[0056] A schematic representation of a conventional slug granulation plant 100 that incorporates a water circulation system is shown in FIG. 1. As can be seen, molten slag from a blast furnace can be supplied to the slag granulation unit wherein a water jet is used to rapidly quench the molten slag for production of granulated slag. The slag ladles 110, fitted up to 80 % are poured into bays and are granulated by high pressure water jet through nozzles 120. The three bays 130 of the slag granulation unit can have nine pouring spouts 140, and one bay can be poured at a time. Material collection, handling and disposal yard is denoted by 150. After granulation, water is drained by gravity through open yard into parallel settling tanks 170. Re-circulating water, after passing through settling tank, is mixed with make-up water and sent back to closed circuit for slag granulation purposes. Water recirculation for granulation can be achieved using one or more pumps 160. The make-up water entering from main pipe 180 amounts to nearly one third of total requirement. In an average 1500 Tonnes of slag is granulated every day that requires about 4500-5000 m3 of water which is recirculated at 3 m3 water / Tonnes granulated slag. In a continuous granulation process, inorganic minerals and other dissolved substances in the re-circulating water may concentrate to such a level that scaling can occur. This recirculating water causes scale deposition at a very high rate in various components such as pump body, impellers, pipe lines, valve, and other structures throughout the water circulating system, resulting in regular choking of the unit and incoherent water flow detrimental to slag granulation process. FIG. 2 is a photograph illustrating scale build-up within a pipe used to circulate water in conventional slug granulation unit. FIG. 3 is a illustrative photograph showing isolated scale deposits.
[0057] The present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for restricting or preventing scale build-up in components of a circulating water system such as piping, valves, pumps, impellers, storage tanks and associated components that deal with scale forming fluids. The disclosed apparatus is simple in design, easy to fabricate, highly economic, operates reliably, requires very little maintenance and can effectively restrict or prevent the potential formation of scale in circulating water systems, especially used in slag granulation plants.
[0058] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for reducing or preventing scale formation in a circulating water system, the apparatus can include: a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers can include a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings.
[0059] In an embodiment, a plurality of metal mesh layers can be vertically stacked in a non-linear arrangement so that direct water channeling can be minimized when a scale forming fluid is passed through the mesh stack.
[0060] In another embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can include mesh openings with an average diameter ranging from 1 mm to 5 cm. In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can include mesh openings with an average diameter of 1cm.
[0061] In another embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can be made of steel wire. In a preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of mesh layers can include woven, knitted or braided metal wires.
[0062] In an embodiment, the disclosed apparatus can be formed by vertically stacking at least five mesh layers in a non-linear arrangement. In a more preferred embodiment, the disclosed apparatus can be formed by vertically stacking ten mesh layers in a non-linear arrangement.
[0063] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for reducing or preventing scale formation on components of a circulating water system that processes aqueous solution containing one or more scale forming compounds, the method can include the steps of:
providing an apparatus including: a plurality of mesh layers being stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the plurality of mesh layers including a plurality of metal wires configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings;
introducing the apparatus at one or more places within the circulating water system;
allowing the aqueous solution containing one or more scale forming compounds to pass through the apparatus; and
precipitating the one or more scale forming compounds on surfaces of the plurality of mesh layers of the apparatus, thereby reducing or preventing scale formation on surfaces or inside walls of the components of the circulating water system.
[0064] In an embodiment, the one or more scale forming compounds can include alkaline earth metal compounds such as, but not limited to calcium carbonate.
[0065] In another embodiment, the aqueous solution being circulated in the circulating water system can be water from a slag granulation process.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a preferred configuration of a single mesh layer 200 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the mesh layer 200 can include a plurality of woven metal wires 210 configured to form a network, and a plurality of mesh openings 220. It is to be appreciated that FIG. 4 is purely exemplary and the mesh layer 200 can take any desired size, shape and thickness to suite configuration of matching parts.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 5, the disclosed apparatus can be in the form of multilayer mesh structure 300 (also referred to as mesh stack). A perspective view of the multilayer mesh structure 300 is shown in FIG. 6. As can be seen, the multilayer mesh structure 300 can include a plurality of metal mesh layers vertically stacked on top of each other in a non-linear arrangement to form constricted liquid pathways so that direct water channeling can be minimized when a scale forming fluid is passed through the multilayer mesh structure. Further, the mesh stack 300 can provide a surface for pre-determined precipitation of scale forming compounds present in re-circulating water. According to embodiments, the multilayer mesh structure 300 can be designed and sized such that it can be fixed at one or more places within a circulating water system. Further, the mesh stack 300 can be placed within a circulating water system in such a manner that the linear velocity of water gets hindered. The large surface area of the multilayer mesh structure 300 can facilitate pre-determined precipitation of scale forming compounds on the surfaces of the wire which makes up the mesh, thus reducing or preventing scale formation on surfaces or inside walls of equipment such as, but not limited to, piping, valves, pumps, impellers, storage tanks and associated components in a circulating water system. Furthermore, scale deposited on wires of the mesh stack can be easily cleaned with mild acid solutions, and the mesh stack can be reused. FIG. 4 is purely exemplary and the multilayer mesh structure 300 can take any desired size, shape, thickness and number of mesh layers to suite configuration of matching parts.
[0068] In the experiments conducted in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, significant reduction in deposition were observed, and the scale cleaning requirement (and therefore consequent shutdown of slag granulation unit ) increased from around two weeks to nearly two months. While conventional solution would have required an estimated minimum capital cost of Rs 2.31 crores and minimum annual revenue expenditure of Rs 28 lakh, both capital and operating cost were negligible for the system introduced. In addition, due to reduction in downtime a Certified Annual Benefit of 1.69 crores was obtained because of substantial reduction in plant downtime. After introduction of measures, water quality parameters were monitored for a period of three months. The average recirculating water characteristics before and after intervention (data 1 & data 3) vis a vis balanced water characteristics (data 2) is shown in Table 1.
Table 1

Parameters Data 1 Data 2 Data 3
SGP Water Characteristics Balanced Water Characteristics Post Intervention
pH 11.2-11.9 7.0-8.0 9.5-10.0
TDS 320-610 mg/l 160-200 mg/l 250-320 mg/l
Temperature 48-58°C 30-35°C Not measured
Total Hardness 220-380 mg/l 120-160 mg/l 170-280 mg/l
Alkalinity 210-250 mg/l 120-160 mg/l 150-220 mg/

[0069] Thus, it is evident from above Table-1 that the disclosed apparatus effectively restricts or prevents scale build-up in equipment susceptible to scaling, thus minimizing the maintenance cost and downtime for cleaning, and increasing the productivity of slag granulation process.
[0070] While some embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, those are completely exemplary and illustrative in nature. The disclosure is not limited to the embodiments as elaborated herein only and it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. All such modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents are completely within the scope of the present disclosure. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.
[0071] Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.
[0072] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0073] The present disclosure provides an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale build-up in circulating water systems that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the traditional techniques of scale prevention.
[0074] The present disclosure provides an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale formation in equipment of a circulating water system that is susceptible to scaling.
[0075] The present disclosure provides an apparatus by which the potential formation of scale on surfaces of equipment susceptible to scaling can be controlled during slag granulation.
[0076] The present disclosure provides an apparatus for restricting or preventing scale formation in equipment such as, pipes, impellers, pumps, valves, tanks and other related components employed in a slag granulation process.
[0077] The present disclosure provides an apparatus for reducing or preventing scale formation, that is simple in design, easy to fabricate, highly economic, operates reliably and requires very little maintenance.
[0078] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that increases useful service life of various equipment that deal with scale forming fluids by reducing scale deposition, thus minimizing the maintenance cost and down time for cleaning.
[0079] The present disclosure provides an apparatus that effectively restricts or prevents scale build-up in equipment during slag granulation, thereby increasing the productivity of the slag granulation process.
[0080] The present disclosure provides a method for restricting or preventing scale formation in circulating water systems, which method is simple, cost effective and environment friendly.