Manufacturer: Euromatic

Type: Cover

Location: Wilson NC

Products: Bird Ball™

Illustration: Minde, NV

BIRD BALL™ COVER SYSTEM

Euro-Matic Bird Ball™ cover system provides highly effective solutions to difficult liquid storage problems in areas such as municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment and industrial chemicals and processing. By placing a sufficient quantity of Bird Balls™ onto the surface of a liquid filled pond or tank, the balls automatically arrange themselves into a close packed formation covering over 91% of the surface area. This high surface coverage provides an extremely effective barrier to reduce the mass and heat transfer mechanisms operating between the liquid and surrounding environment. A thermal insulation barrier is achieved through the air held in each ball and the poor heat conductivity of plastic. The air pockets between the balls, although not sealed, also contribute to this cellular insulation system, which dramatically reduces heat loss.

The Bird Ball™ cover system is also a proven and effective wildlife deterrent recognized by organizations such as the "US Fish and Wildlife Service". The Bird Balls™ cover the entire surface of the water, making the pond unattractive to the birds. Other wildlife such as deer and foxes do not attempt to walk onto the cover, as the individual balls do not support the animal's weight.

Advantages of Bird Balls™

• No impediment to product dipping or equipment in the tank or pond
• Quick and simple to install
• Immediate solution to odor problems
• Reduced chemical consumption
• Reduction in corrosive vapors, ensuring increased life expectancy of building structures
• Reduced demand on air extract systems, saving factory heating and reducing gas scrubber demands
• Spread automatically as the liquid levels rise and fall
• Virtually maintenance free
• Virtually indestructible UV resistant HDPE material
• Cannot tear like conventional membrane cover
• Oxygen absorption
• Heating costs reduced by up to 75%
• Allows movement of equipment through the liquid

Reduce Algae formation

Algae control. The balls block the UV from penetrating the water

Evaporation Control

• Reduction of liquid loss by up to 90%.
• Reduce acid mist from electro-twinning process.
• Improve corrosive vapor control from open chemical tanks.

Reduce Heat Loss

• Help to maintain biological reactions during cold weather : maintain high biological reaction rates (nutrient removal) in industrial and municipal wastewater plants in cold temperatures.

Reduce Odors

• Dramatic reduction of foul odors reaching the atmosphere

Reduce Ice Formation

• The rate of ice formation is reduced in freezing conditions, lowering the ice formation point by up to 50°F (10°C)

 

Prevent UV Light Penetration & Surface Oxygenation

• Maintain anaerobic conditions where required.
• Reduces penetration of UV rays : preclude growth of algae and clogging weeds. Aeration can be installed underneath the Bird Balls™ system to ensure aerobic conditions are maintained.

Prevent Waterfowl Fatalities

• Camouflage highly toxic mine basins.
• FAA's "Wildlife Hazard Management At Airports" manual states that "Complete coverage of ponds with bird balls will completely exclude birds."
• Transport Canada Bulletin no. 25 states that "The balls hide the water from the birds and as a result they don't see the ponds...the balls (Bird Balls™) adjust to changing water levels, are easy to install and survive winter conditions. "

Risk Management Plans for Chemical Tank Farms

• Provide a dormant evaporation reduction system for tank farm containment areas (i.e. ammonia)
• If a spill or tank rupture occurs, the Bird Balls™ system surrounding the tanks reduce the environmental and safety impact from sudden chemical exposure and evaporation to the atmosphere.
• Spill cleanup can be performed without removing the Bird Balls™.

Specifications

Chemical resitance :

Bird Balls™ are manufactured with :

PVDF -- This material offers significant increases in operating temperatures up to 320°F (160°C), providing resistance to many aggressive chemicals where other plastics would fail.

Polypropylene (PP) -- Able to withstand continuous working temperatures of up to 230°F 110°C. Suitable for contact with most chemicals used in the metal treatment industry.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) -- Suitable for working conditions up to 176°F (80°C). HDPE is recommended for all external applications due to its enhanced resistance to freezing conditions. Black, UV stabilizing additives prevent the degrading effects of sunlight. HDPE is also recommended for demineralized water and Chromic acid applications.

Ball diameter and surface coverage

There are different sizes and weights. PNW mainly distribute Bird Ball™ having the following specifications :

• Diameter: 100 mm
• Average Weight: 40 g
• Number per sq.ft: 10
• Number per sq.meter: 116

The percentage of area covered by the balls is independent of the ball diameter, being the ratio of a circle to the hexagon which surrounds it. This equates to 91% of the liquid surface area. The frictional contact points ensure that each ball remains stable when subjected to increased liquid or air turbulence.