How Does a Chemical Feed Tank Work?

A chemical feed tank is essential to many industrial processes, including wastewater treatment, boiler feedwater treatment, and cooling tower water treatment. Chemical feed tanks exist to add a specific amount of a chemical into a fluid stream to improve its effectiveness. 

Today’s blog explains how chemical feed tanks work and why proper dosing is crucial in your wastewater treatment system. 

How Does A Chemical Feed Tank Work?

A chemical feed tank dispenses chemicals into a fluid stream. There’s a tank that stores the chemical, a pump for moving it, a pipe for transporting it, and a metering device for controlling how much chemical is added.

When you’re ready, you’ll fill the tank with the correct chemical. The pump will then draw the chemical from the tank and inject it into the fluid stream. The metering device controls the chemical flow rate, ensuring the correct amount is added to the fluid stream.

Chemical feed tanks allow accurate and consistent chemical dosing, improving safety and efficiency in various industrial processes. 

• Tank. The tank is what holds the chemical before it’s dispensed. Tanks are made of various materials, including polypropylene plastic, fiberglass, and stainless steel. Chemical compatibility, durability, and cost should determine what type of material you get for your tank.
  The tank is designed to provide a secure place that protects the chemicals from outside elements. The tank also has an outlet where the chemical can be pumped in and out for dispensing into the fluid stream.

• Pump. The pump is responsible for moving the chemical from the tank to the piping system, where it can be dispensed into the fluid stream. 

Different pumps are available, including the diaphragm, metering, and peristaltic pumps. You’ll need the right pump for efficient and accurate chemical dosing. The pump needs to be able to handle the chemical you’re using and be capable of delivering the required flow rate.
Diaphragm Pump

A diaphragm pump uses a flexible diaphragm to move the fluid. The pump is located between the suction and discharge chambers. The diaphragm is alternately pressurized and relaxed, creating pressure changes that move the fluid from the suction chamber to the discharge chamber.
Diaphragm pumps can handle abrasive, corrosive, and viscous fluids and are accurate and consistent, making them a popular choice for chemical feed tanks. 

Metering Pump

A metering pump is designed to dispense a precise, consistent volume of fluid and is commonly used in chemical feed systems to add chemicals to a fluid stream.
The pump uses a reciprocating mechanism to create pressure changes in the fluid, causing a specific volume of fluid to be dispensed with each cycle. An external device like a time or flow meter controls the metering pump. This also determines the frequency and volume of the dispensed fluid.

Peristaltic Pump

A peristaltic pump uses a flexible hose or tubing to move fluid. The hose/tubing is inside a circular pump head and is compressed by rollers or shoes that move along the length of the hose to create a vacuum. 

The rollers or shoes squeeze the hose/tubing, moving fluid through the pump. Peristaltic pumps can handle sensitive and delicate fluids without being damaged or degraded. 

• Piping System. The piping system transports chemicals from the storage tank to the fluid stream. The piping is usually made of a compatible material, like PVC or stainless steel, resistant to the chemical used.
  A series of pipes, valves, and fittings make up the piping system; they are all connected to the storage tank and metering device. The piping system allows chemicals to be delivered from the storage tank to the fluid stream in a controlled manner.

• Metering Device. The metering device controls the chemical flow rate, ensuring the correct amount is added to the fluid stream. There are the diaphragm, piston, and rotary gear metering pumps. The chemical being used, the desired flow rate, and the fluid characteristics determine which type of metering device should be used.

• Feeding Process. The feeding process delivers the chemical from the storage tank to the fluid stream. The tank draws the chemical to the pump and transports it through the piping to the metering device, where the chemical flow rate is measured and regulated before adding it to the fluid stream, where it’s mixed and distributed.
  The feeding process can be automated or manual, depending on the specific requirements of the chemical feed tank.

• Liquid Chemical Injection. This is the process of adding a specific amount of liquid chemical into the chemical feed tank’s fluid stream. Liquid chemical injection is critical in many industrial applications like wastewater treatment, boiler feedwater treatment, and cooling tower water treatment.

• Flow Control. Flow control refers to regulating the chemical flow rate that’s being added to the stream. A metering device usually controls this. Flow control is vital in ensuring accurate and consistent chemical dosing, which is crucial to the overall effectiveness of the process. 

Dosing

How much chemical is needed in the fluid stream depends on the industrial process of your wastewater treatment system. But, no matter what setting you work in, accuracy and consistency are critically important. 

The whole purpose of a chemical feed system is to add a specific amount of chemicals into a fluid stream, which requires precise control over the chemical flow rate.

If the chemical dosage isn’t accurate and consistent, it can lead to negative consequences for the industrial process. Inefficiency, waste, and equipment damage are a few issues you might face. 

Incorrect chemical dosing can release untreated or partially treated wastewater, harming the environment and human health. Ensuring the chemical feed system is designed, installed, and operated correctly will provide accurate and consistent dosing. 

Get Your Chemical Feed Tank From J. Mark Systems

J. Mark Systems is the leading provider of chemical feed tanks and mobile wastewater treatment systems. With decades of experience in the industry, J. Mark Systems has a proven track record of delivering high-quality products and exceptional service. 

We offer a comprehensive range of chemical feed tanks designed to meet the specific needs of each industrial process, ensuring accurate and consistent chemical dosing. 

J. Mark Systems offers a water optimization audit to achieve the best results for your industry, enabling us to recommend the best type of wastewater treatment for your industrial application. 

Contact us today to learn more about our mobile chemical feed tanks and how these tanks can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your industrial process.