From the Beauty of Ice Sculpture to the Curse of Ask Sculpture!

If you trek to the Lake Michigan in the next couple weeks or so and hike along the frozen shore, you might find yourself standing on top of miles of spectacular ice caves.

Tom Auch, a photography teacher at Northern Michigan College in Traverse City, Mich., did just that this week and he brought back some amazing photographs.

This year the Great Lakes have more ice cover than any time in the last 20 years and are quickly approaching the 1979 record of 95 percent cover. The deep freeze has given visitors an opportunity to see some remarkable sights, for example Lake Superior's frozen surface has meant visitors can reach the Apostle Island ice caves for the first time in several years. Around 4,000 people have been trekking to this remote Wisconsin area to see those fantastic sights each weekend.

 Ice Cave   

These huge frozen peaks remind me of the equally huge ash mountains which can build up in certain boiler sections, especially within the economizer section. However whereas the Lake Michigan ice caves produce an inspiring if temporary sight, severe ash build up within power generation plant can provide a permanent and costly problem resulting in a continued reduction in the boiler’s thermal efficiency.

However Primasonics Sonic Horns powerful but totally safe ‘sonic sound waves’, travelling at 344 m/1130 feet per second and in a 360° radius can actually prevent the ash from settling on the boiler tubes and other surfaces and therefore thermal efficiency is enhanced. The sonic cleaners are also widely used to prevent particulate build up in baghouse filters, ESPs, air heaters and SCRs. They provide 24/7 fully automatic ash debonding thus providing a cost effective and efficient boiler de-slagging regime whilst the boiler remains on-line. For further information take a look at www.primasonics.com & www.quattrosonics.com

                                                                                                        

Sonic Horn in Boiler Plant