Category Archive: Uncategorized
Saving Salmon with a Simple Water Valve
At DFT, we know that high quality water valves can do many different things. However, one story out of Auburn, California caught our eye. It seems that a man by the name of Robert Hane has found a way to use a water valve to help bring more water to the local salmon and steelhead population and improve their flow. Hane is a Christmas tree farmer who has been using a special two-valve system to accomplish his task. The two water valves allow Hane to take his water outflow and put it back into the local ravine for up to 12 hours per day. His innovation adds an extra 12,000 gallons of water flow, which helps the local salmon and steelhead population. However, Hane did not stop there. He has been sharing his idea with his agricultural neighbors in Auburn, which he hopes will increase the water flow even more.
Moving Clean Energy Along
In the pursuit of cleaner energy, natural gas is one of the most practical and viable solutions currently available. According to the federal Energy Information Administration, from now until 2035, natural gas will account for 80% of new electricity generation capacity. As you probably know, natural gas can’t just be extracted from any location. Geologists explore possible deposit areas, and once those are found, the extraction process can begin. Between extraction and electricity generation lies a key logistical step: transportation.
Keep City Hydrants in Check
Although its official start was June 20, the dog days of summer are already in full force for many parts of the country. Heat waves, a string of days with temperatures of 90° or more, have hit several areas, sending some folks searching for shade, while others seek out beaches, swimming pools, or anywhere some cool water can provide relief from the heat. Many kids in Toledo, Ohio, have scurried off to splash around in the newly reopened swimming pools, while others have found comfort sitting at a picnic bench shaded by a large tree (view article). Some groups of youngsters, however, have turned to opening the city’s fire hydrants, a potentially dangerous practice that is illegal in many places. Opening hydrants can not only cause a severe drop in water pressure that inhibits firefighting, it can also produce water hammer, a pressure buildup with the potential to fracture water mains.
At What Cost Would You Pay for Safety?
Almost 45 years ago, nine people died in a terrible gas pipeline accident in Georgia. The truly sad part of the whole story is that it was completely preventable. If the pipeline in question had been equipped with a simple and relatively inexpensive safety valve the accident would not have happened. You might imagine that the tragedy taught the county a valuable lesson. It would not be beyond imagination that the very next day safety valves were placed on all of the nation’s gas lines. Sadly, this is not the case.
Cleaner Energy: Looking to the Future
One of the fastest-growing energy segments in the world is natural gas. The combination of a drive for cleaner energy options and the goal of North American energy independence means that the natural gas industry will only continue to grow moving forward. Extractors long ago realized that traditional transportation options of natural gas, like tankers or
barges, were unfeasible. Instead, the most efficient way to transport natural gas from its extraction site to plants around the country is via pipeline. It’s not just a matter of a simple connection, though. Read on for some facts about one of the most overlooked mechanical aspects of natural gas extraction.
