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Mar 1, 2009 12:00 PM

HR Ewell Inc, East Earl, Pennsylvania, has converted boilers in its foodgrade tank cleaning facility to natural methane gas as part of its effort in “going green,” says Gene Kieffer, tank wash manager.

“The conversion of the system was costly, but we feel the long-term commitment we've made to protect the environment and contribute in an environmentally friendly way was worth it,” Kieffer says. “The benefit of the system is that we can use propane as a backup to the methane, which burns so much cleaner.”

To obtain methane for the boilers, the company coordinated the project with two local landfills that pipe the product 21 miles to the tank cleaning facility.

The three-bay tank wash (two dedicated to tank trailers hauling sweetener and one for tanks transporting chocolate or vegetable oil) converted two 60-horsepower Cleaver-Brooks boilers capable of 120 psi. The boilers are used with a DEC Sani-Matic clean-in-place system mounted on skids and Sellers Model 360 spinners. A control system with touch-screen was installed in-house.

In addition to the tank cleaning facility, HR Ewell is a liquid and dry bulk tank truck carrier. The transportation division launched its commitment to environmental standards in 2003. At that time, it began spec'ing super wide tires to increase operation efficiency and reduce the volume of tires for eventual disposal.

“This was a costly conversion in rims and tires but we knew it would have significant benefits in years to come,” said Calvin Ewell, company president. “Our tractor-trailer combinations now have a total of 10 tires versus 18 on most units. Additionally, many of our tractors have auxiliary power units (APUs) that provide self-contained heat and air allowing the unit to be shut down instead of idling.“We support the emissions standards mandated by the federal government, but we know we can do more than what is required, and we stand committed to find ways to protect the environment.”