A client contacted me yesterday to ask if I had heard about how to save $$$ on the power bill. My client was contacted by a firm that, after relanding cable terminations, would split the power bill savings with them.

[b]This links to the basic idea.[/b]

Any one run into this?

Things that make you go Hmmmmm......!

I'm curious as to what is used on the terminations ? Is the product UL listed for use on the equipment involved ? Is the equipment UL listed for use with this product ? Is the wire involved listed for use with this product ? Lotsa Quetions



[This message has been edited by txsparky (edited 04-16-2003).]

Look at a 240 volt single phase circuit with an 80 amp load. To reduce the current by 16% you would have to reduce the I²R losses by more than 3000 watts at the termination. I really don't believe that a termination has 3000 watts of loss and if it does, it won't last very long before it melts down.
Don

ElectricAL,
This scheme sounds very dodgy, if it's so good, why isn't it used more widely and why wasn't it used years ago?, or has it and it didn't give any lasting results.
Also, you can't escape the laws of Physics and nature that easily!.

It appears that you pay the company their share of the supposed yearly savings up front "and instead of paying your local electric provider, you keep a portion and pay EII a portion". You then get your payback from your future utility bills.

Also don't forget to factor in the cost of your plant "down time" when calculating your potential savings.

Suggest your client not waste time calling "them" back.

For their magic process to work, spices and terminations would have to be blistering hot, and there will likely be other complaints before that point. Think about this for a bit—it makes good sense.

You can prove it to yourself with a POWER-RATED multimeter on a low-range AC-volt scale. Voltage drop can be carefully but literally measured across cable-to-lug joints—then multiplied by the current through the joint. Roughly, millivolts x amperes = milliwatts of power dissipation in the joint.

{A reference is http://ecmweb.com/ar/electric_testing_contact_quality/index.htm Testing Contact Quality on Live Motor Starters—based on another short EC&M article by me; published in the mid 1990s. A similar discussion is http://ecmweb.com/ar/electric_troubleshooting_electrical_problems/index.htm A significant advance in a number of multimeters is that appropriately-rated meters will not be damaged by accidental application of line voltage while in a millivolt range: this makes the technique workable.}

If anyone is tempted to go for this, I would advise them to keep a very close watch on these guys while they do their "measurements".

Ed

I'd tell the client to forget about calling them as well. It doesn't add up.

And while you're watching your utility bills decline, the special electrochemical emits anti-oxidants that are rich in beta carotene. Your excess weight magically melts away with no need for exercise, your hair grows back, and your cholesterol levels drop while you sleep.

This stuff should be sold on a cable TV channel at 5:00 AM.

LOL @ Redsy,.. ......Sign me up !! I've got all of the symptoms !!!!!!

I'm right behind you!!!

I'd pay a dollar for that

This has SCAM written all over it! (Just like the light-bulb cleaning hustle).
10-to-1 the "before" reading is 'true RMS' and the "after" isn't.

Txsparky: As stated, ours is a one of a kind, patented electrochemical, and is not petroleum based, which is an inhibitor to the free flow of electricity. We have clients worldwide. We treat the electrolysis buildup on electrical circuits. I’m sure you will agree that electrolysis is a continual, recurring problem in electrical circuits. How many man-hours are spent keeping the electrical lines free from electrolysis? How many kwh are wasted as a result of electrolysis? Our process will continue to retard the electrolysis for 8 ½ years, as proven through 27 years of research and development, PRIOR, to patent. We have less than 3% degradation in our process, which we address by FREE annual inspections and reapplication if necessary, FREE OF CHARGE.

Resqcapt19: How many connections are there in a complete circuit? Obviously it varies, client by client. We treat each one of the connections and obtain savings of 1-2% at each connection. When the TOTAL savings is read at the meter, we have, on an average, reduced electrical consumption by 20%. Your statement regarding meltdown is accurate, especially in environments where electrolysis is left unattended. If left unattended, electrolysis will result in an open circuit and/or a fire. Check your local fire department’s stats on commercial electrical fires By reducing or eliminating the electrolysis, we reduce the potential for these events to occur, PLUS, remove the inhibitors for a freer flowing electrical current, resulting in reduced consumption

Trumpy: We could not take this product to the commercial market until it was patented. We have obtained the patent and are now going commercial. Let’s address the laws of physics, Trumpy. Dissimilar metals in close proximity will result in electrolysis. What is your answer to this phenomena? If you have an answer, the U.S. Navy would like to talk to you. They have spent billions on research to deter electrolysis and would be interested in comparing your credentials to those who have received these billions in funds! How do you currently deter electrolysis? Most slap a glob of petroleum-based gunk (By laws of physics, petroleum is an inhibitor and deters the free flow of electricity, costing the client more in electrical consumption) and move on, never to check the terminals or connections until a client calls with a problem. We are proactive, not reactive. Why is electrolysis more pronounced in high salinity areas? Since you are familiar with physics, you can answer that question.

JBD: Clients get a payback each month by reduced electricity charges. We share in the savings achieved on a monthly basis, NOT annual payment up front as you indicated. WE INCUR ALL THE COSTS TO INSTALL OUR PROCESS AND PROVE IT WORKS BEFORE THE CLIENT PAYS A PENNY. How many of you would take that risk? We prove our process! We stand behind it year after year after year. As an electrician, ow much do you charge to go back to a client year after year, to check the initial work that you have performed? I assume you don’t ask for another payment, or do you? We don’t collect anything until we prove our process, we don’t increase our percentage of sharing even if we apply our process to new plant equipment purchased by a client in any given year. We form partnerships with our clients! Downtime to apply our process is minimal; we work at the client’s convenience.

Bjarney: Come on Bjarney, this is not magic. We used the knowledge of our chemists, physicists and metallurgists in formulating this electrochemical. If you want to put your knowledge and credentials and degrees, against theirs, send me an e-mail and we can discuss applied sciences relative to our electrochemical. As far as “other complaints before that point,” check with your local fire department regarding this premise. You will find that 70% + of all commercial fires are a result of electrical systems that have not been maintained!

Pauluk and BJarney: For you to suggest to a client that they not call us back, you have done that client a disservice because you don’t have the knowledge of our product to put yourself in a position of authority.

Redsky: Your comments are a result of being uninformed. No need to address them.

All of you should revisit your thinking. This is something new and until you want to take the time to open your closed minds and investigate the electrochemical, there's not much we can do to change your mind. However, when a client or CEO discovers that you have closed your mind to the potential savings that can be achieved, I hope you can cya, with information other than what I have read here.

In summary, this is a new product to the commercial market. We know we have skeptics, such as you folks. But think out of the box, for just one minute. Why would we be willing to incur a great deal of cost to install our process if we weren’t confident that we can do what we claim? Every client’s savings will be different. We may only achieve a 10% overall savings, we may only get 5%, but whatever it is, we have accomplished three main objectives: (1) we have cleaned up the client’s electrical distribution system, (2) we have provided the client with reduced fire potential; and (3) we have reduced his electrical consumption. ALL WITHOUT COST TO THAT CLIENT! How many of you will put your company; your knowledge; your money out there FREE of CHARGE to prove your ability. I suspect none of you!!!

OK, I will jump in here and ask this of the manufacturer:

Since your product is patented, there is no danger of someone copying it without legal penalties.

So....what is this goop that you treat connections and wires with made out of?

I assume it's not anything that we could cook up in our kitchen sinks (without blowing the roofs off our dwellings).

No goop. The electrochemical is made from pure oils that when stokemetrically formulated removes, inhibits, and deters electrolysis, which is the basis of everything we talk about.

Can you provide details of an "improved" connection?

-Conductor properties: material, size
-Terminal properties: material, plating, method of connection, temperature rating
-Pre inhibitor application data: resistance of connection, load current, voltage drop across connection, temperature rise of connection
-Post inhibitor application data: resistance of connection, load current, voltage drop across connection, temperature rise of connection, torque value used in termination


Also, mathematically how do you justify your statement of "...savings of 1-2% at each connection. When the TOTAL savings is read at the meter, we have, on an average, reduced electrical consumption by 20%..."? How can the total savings be larger than the sum of the parts?

These are all specific to each client. Give us a client and we will prove it.

Do you mean "stoichiometrically", having to do with the proper ratio for complete combustion?
Are these "oils" in any way petrochemically derived? Or are they synthetic? Organic?

Jim

Our clients have from 10-17 connectors in their distribution systems. On some we will save 1%, some 2-3%. All depends on many factors such as age of wiring, terminals, etc, quality of wiring, geographic location, etc. None are the same.

stoichimetry....was ms.....the order in which each of our NATURAL PURE, Not Synthetic, oils are added to our mix.

I would like to see the data from an independant testing lab showing the before and after currents of a properly calibrated lab test. In a field enviroment the load is constantly changeing. How can you know if the power change is a result of your treatment or someone turning off a device somewhere?

jdevlin, As previously stated, we perform our work at the client's convenience, which is typically after hours/weekends, at which time the environment is controlled, ie, no employees turning lights/motors/etc on or off. It's up to the client to set that time when the elec flow will be as constant as possible when amp and volt readings are taken. All work is supervised by the client's project manager, who has to sign off on any readings taken, before or after.

Re consumption, the results are in the savings noted on the clients electricity bill following installation of our process. That's the most definitive 3rd party test one can have! And when a rep from the elec company comes out to find out why consumption has decreased by 20% from previous months, in a constant production environment,what can ya say?

What's the difference if your power is being consumed by I^2R losses or by the end load? Total power will be total power either way. Your loads just don't run at rated spec with I^2R losses. Either way consumed power is the same. Decrease I^2R losses and loads will run at spec. and consume more power.

I wonder if every connection, in every disconnect, breaker panel, and everthing that was associated with electrical distribution, had penetrox applied to the ends of the wires before they went under the lugs, nuetral bars, or termination points would make a diffrence in the final bill. I know a few sparkys that coat the ends of the wires, to prevent oxidation and corrosion. This is done whether the panel is inside or outside. I would be interested to see this stuff in action. Does it look like penetrox?

Electro2
Are these chemical mixed on site as determined by the first visit ? ,, Amount of corrosion, ?
Aside from the obvious really bad deteriorated corroded connections how do you determine what the power loss is at any particular termination ?
Do you ever turn a job down because the customer doesnt need this 'Magic Bullet '?
Don makes an excellant point 3000 watts/kva lost at terminations is a bit much not to cause a serious heating problem.
Old saying: if it sounds too good to be true ... it probably isnt true.

Wm.Colt

Post the USPTO database link and 29CFR1910.1200 compliance data.

No, I don't agree. Electrolysis only occurs in damp or wet locations. Electrical connections should not be in damp or wet locations.
When you look at my 240 volt, 80 amp circuit, even if you spread the 3000 watts out over 10 connection points, you are telling us that there is a 300 watt loss at each point on average. This is still too much heat for the connection not to rapidly fail. This would mean that there would have to be a 37.5 volt total voltage drop across the 10 points. A circuit with a 15.6% voltage drop is not a properly functioning circuit.
What are the voltage drop readings at a connection, before and after your treatment? Show me some real world numbers. Circuit voltage, load, and voltage drop both before and after on a ciruit that you have treated.
That comment is no more unbelievable than what you are telling us.
Don

electro2,
How does a company "qualify" for your treatment and what is the US patent number for this "miracle" product?

electro2,
I fully realise the principles and effects of Electrolysis, being from a place like New Zealand(which is pre-dominantly coastal and damp), corrosion-control is high on our list of priorities, over here.
If petroleum is an inhibitor, to current flow, why then is it used in Fuel-Cell technology,eh?.
Also, as a Line Mechanic, jointing of dis-similar metals, is something that I do quite frequently and we have proper jointing devices and treatments for this
procedure, especially considering that all of my joints are continuously exposed to the weather.
Finally, just like to ask you a question, if I may?.
What good is it to coat the end of a wire, with your product, when an even greater amount of energy may be lost, due to voltage drop and capacitive effects along the rest of the length of the cable?.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 04-18-2003).]

"This would mean that there would have to be a 37.5 volt total voltage drop across the 10 points. A circuit with a 15.6% voltage drop is not a properly functioning circuit."

Exactly. Even if you were to get rid of this "obscenely large" drop in voltage due to heat (I^2R) losses, the resultant voltage increase will just result in more power consumed by the underfed loads. So where would the gain be if there was one?

Bioflavinoids, maybe?
The paste is the Elixir of Life!

Yogurt will probably yield similar results.
How do you think those 110 year old Russian women are able to afford the electricity to knit socks at nighttime for so long ?

BTW,
I thought the fruit was on the bottom?!

BILL?

resqcapt19 If you are confident that electrolysis ONLY occurs in wet damp places, you have been misinformed.....go to your chemistry book.

electro2: You have got me seriously confused! You profess that this electrolysis is causing corrosion because of petroleum based chemicals that are are electrically inert? Wait a minute, electrolytic corrosion requires an electrolyte (Sorry guys, these can be solid liquid or gaseous), BUT they MUST be an ionic conductor (them electrons need a path to move). Hmmm, if these petroleum based goops don't conduct, then they must not be a good electrolyte but your magic stuff does conduct (how and why would you want to do that, especially since it contains "natural oils" which by the way are carbon compounds that generally have no free electrons to conduct with), which means it is a good electrolyte thereby making me shake my head and wonder what you are talking about?

BTW, as you requested my reference is Physical Chemistry 6'th ED by Peter Atkins p.253. I'm sure my Inorganic Chem book goes into more depth.

Also, please, I request your patent number and some e-mail addresses of your chemists or physicists. I have 24/7 access to dozens of pHD's to corroborate your truth, if it is indeed the truth. The benefits of working for a University are great.




[This message has been edited by rat4spd (edited 04-18-2003).]

electro2: post the USPTO database link and 29CFR1910.1200 compliance data for your product.

Electro2,

Thankyou for braving the wilds of this Forum.

And Welcome!!! Although it may not feel like it, at the moment.

There are many very sharp minds here, contributing to this thread, forming a community of richly diverse experience with excellent education. There are instructors, inspectors, engineers, firefighters, masters, code makers, contractors and installers. I say this not to be negative in any way, but in the hopes of guiding your replys towards hard tech.

What your process and product offers, to me, is hard to understand. . .to be clear, I do understand what you have described above, and what is written at www.e2energy.com .

Don's (Resqcapt19) breakdown of a hypothetical 80A 240 Volt load is getting straight to the heart of what doesn't "feel" right about this. 10 connections giving off 300 Watts as lost heat. . .Think about that. . A feeder into the 240 Volt 1 Ø panel will end at two terminations to the bus, and there will be two more terminations on the branch circuit conductors at the overcurrent protection connected to the bus. Four connections in one panelboard. . .That's like leaving a 1200 Watt heater running inside a closed box. . .and that's if there is only an 80 Amp load running.

That panel board is gonna toast marshmallows!!

You go back to chemistry. . .I go back to black body radiation limits of physics. A body can warm gradually with increasing power dissipation until passing a "knee" in the curve corresponding to temperature. Beyond that knee, small increases in power result in great increases of temperature.

Respectfully,

Al

Al, I never really thought of the black body example, although I was never really a fan of physics.

electron2, please understand that I have no problems understanding the nature of corrosion (electrolytic at that) between wires and their connections. My lack of understanding is how your product prevents it. The non-conducting issue of resistance buildup in a connection is because of the oxides formed. This is why I can't see how your chemical, just because it conducts prevents this corrosion, and furthermore, how the "petroleum goop" is responsible for the corrosion and causes the oxides to form in the first place.

But thank you anyway for causing me to take a time out to give some serious thought to principles of chemistry and such.

This is from the US Patent Office web site
Patent # 5658498 - Driskill, Carl R.
---------------------
I claim:

1. A cleaning fluid which retards electrolysis between dissimilar metals in an electrical circuit and removes contaminates and metal salts from electrical conductors comprising:

a) about 0.3 to 1.1 weight % oil of rosemary;

b) about 0.4 to 2.0 weight % oil of cypress;

c) about 0.2 to 1.25 weight % oil of mint;

d) about 0.15 to 0.6 weight % oil of eucalyptus;

e) about 0.35 to 2.25 weight % oil of clove;

f) about 8 to 15 weight % of a solvent consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and mixtures thereof;

g) about 1 to 6 weight % of a surfactant;

h) about 4 to 13 weight % of alkyl glycol ethers; and

i) water.

2. The cleaning fluid of claim 1 wherein said surfactant comprises an ethoxylated phenol alcohol.

3. The concentrated cleaning fluid of claim 2 wherein said surfactant comprises octylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanol.

4. The concentrated cleaning fluid of claim 1 wherein said alkyl glycol ethers comprises diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and mixtures thereof.

5. The cleaning fluid of claim 1 in diluted form wherein one part of said cleaning fluid is diluted with up to 100 parts of water.

6. The cleaning fluid of claim 1 in diluted form wherein one part of said cleaning fluid is diluted with up to 100 parts of water, and with up to 50 parts of a drying agent selected from from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and mixtures thereof.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Description

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the cleaning of electric circuits. More specifically, the invention relates to a cleaning fluid and method for removing metal salts and contaminants from conductor surfaces in electrical circuits.

Electricians have ordinary skill in the art.

2. Description of Related Art

In commercial and industrial applications, electric circuits and systems are formed by connecting electrically conducting ends of wires to connectors. A connection can be made to equipment, to a different wire, or to a bus. In general, wires and connectors are made of copper or aluminum, but they can also be made of alloys of copper or aluminum. Connectors can be made of other conductors such as steel, or other metals and alloys.

Over a period of time the electrical circuit can lose efficiency due to corrosion and contamination at the various connections. The environment surrounding a circuit influences the length of time that passes before the loss of efficiency in an electric circuit becomes noticeable. In high salinity areas, such as areas close to an ocean or a sea, and in high humidity areas, it does not take much time to notice a loss of efficiency in an electrical circuit.

Loss of efficiency in a circuit is often caused by corrosion, which is the formation of metal salts and the presence of other contaminants at a connection. Metal salts are very poor conductors or non-conductors. Metal salts on a conductor at a connection act like a resistor and reduce the flow of electricity through the connection. In extreme cases, corrosion may prevent the flow of electricity through a connection, causing an open circuit. Corrosion at a connection may cause heat generation because of increased impedance in the circuit, and can lead to fire. A significant loss of efficiency in a circuit or system due to corrosion requires that the circuit or system be reworked.

There are five primary methods for reworking electrical circuits and systems in commercial and industrial applications. The first method is a complete rewiring of an electrical system or circuit with all new electrical equipment and new lines or conductors. The disadvantage of this method is that it is extremely costly; much more costly than the installation of the original electrical system.

The second method is to disconnect a wire from a connector, cut off a corroded section of the wire, strip a section of the insulation so the wire can be reconnected to the connector, and reconnect the wire to the connector. This method is limited by the length of the wire originally installed.

The third method is to disconnect a wire from a connector and dip the wire in acid to remove corrosion from the wire. The wire would then be reconnected to the connector. This method increases the reliability of an electrical system; however, it costs a significant amount of electrical energy because it reduces the wire size, therefore acting as a resistor in line. For those lines that have heavy loads, this may be critical and actually cause the lines to fall below the national electrical code on size of wires relating to load.

The fourth method is to loosen the conductors or wires from the connectors and to abrade the conductors or wires with a steel brush or sandpaper to remove corrosion. The conductors or wires are then reconnected to the connectors. This method produces a more reliable electrical circuit and is generally used where reliability is extremely important; however, the method leaves abrasion marks on the conductor. The abrasion marks create more conductor surface area, and corrosion reoccurs more rapidly, especially in a humid or high-salinity environment.

The fifth method is one that is used on high voltage power lines. Calcium salts are sprayed on the conductors to remove and replace oxidized copper or aluminum salts and other corrosion compounds that exist at connections. The disadvantage of this method is that the spray promotes electrolysis between dissimilar metals, and upon drying, the spray leaves large mounts of the calcium based compounds or salts as residue. These residues are non-conductors in dry form. Furthermore, when this method is used, it must be repeated very frequently.

In the manufacture of copper and aluminum wiring, petroleum based oils are left on the wires to prevent oxidation of the wire. These oils are an impediment to the flow of electricity when the wire is connected to an electrical circuit. The impedance can generate heat, which can cause a fire since petroleum based oils are generally flammable.

There are many different cleaning fluids. One type of cleaning fluid uses terpenes as a solvating agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,504, issued to Henry, discloses a terpene and ketone blend. This cleaning solution is a non-aqueous solution which can be used to clean electrical contacts.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,836, issued to Peters, discloses a cleaning compound which uses a terpene, a polyalkoxylated alcohol, and water. The compositions have improved grease cutting and rust inhibiting abilities. The composition has a terpene concentration of at least 10% by weight, so that the compositions have good grease cutting abilities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,679, issued to McDonald, discloses an aqueous loosener composition for removing cable from a conduit. The composition includes a lubricating agent; a solvating agent, such as a terpene; and water. Because the solvating agent is used to loosen "frozen" cables from a conduit wall, the solvating agents are present in high concentrations. At high concentrations, aqueous terpene solutions will corrode aluminum and copper conductors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

(1) Progressive contribution to the art

I have invented a cleaning fluid and a method for reworking electrical circuits. The cleaning fluid reduces contaminates and metal salts on a conductor without significantly corroding the conductive surfaces of the electrical circuits. This reduces the resistance within a circuit, thereby increasing the efficiency of the circuit. The treatment of the electrical circuit retards electrolysis between dissimilar metals in an electrical circuit. This allows for a longer time period to pass before the electrical circuit must be treated again. The cleaning fluid comprises a complex of essential oils mixed with surfactants, drying agents, and diluted with distilled water. The essential oils are present in dilute amounts, typically less than 0.10% by weight in the dilute solutions used to treat electrical conductors, so that the cleaning fluid will not corrode the aluminum and copper conductors being treated.

The combination of various essential oils and the preparation method are key aspects of the cleaning fluid. The concentrations of essential oils are adjusted for specific environments. For example, higher concentrations of eucalyptus oil and rosemary oil are used when it is known that the cleaning fluid is to be used in a harsh environment, such as a high salinity environment.

The preparation method of the fluid is also important. If the temperature of the essential oils exceeds 400 Celsius during the initial combination and mixing of the essential oils, the resulting fluid is useless because the resulting cleaning fluid will not have good cleaning properties, nor will the cleaning fluid retard electrolysis between dissimilar metals in an electrical circuit.

The cleaning fluid is placed in a spray bottle which is capable of producing a fine mist. To rework a circuit, the circuit is taken off-line, and conducting surfaces of the circuit are exposed. This may involve disassembling the circuit. The cleaning fluid is sprayed onto the conducting surfaces to be treated until the surfaces are thoroughly wetted. Additional cleaning fluid is sprayed until at least several drops of the cleaning fluid drip from the conductor surface. Then the conductor surface is allowed to dry. The circuit is reassembled and the circuit is put back on-line.

(2) Objects of this invention

An object of this invention is to provide an improved means for reducing contaminates and metal salts from existing electrical circuits and systems.

Another object is to provide an electrochemical material that is water soluble and biodegradable.

Another object is to provide a cleaning fluid that in dilute form retards electrolysis between dissimilar metals, especially copper and aluminum.

A further object is to provide a cleaning fluid concentrate that is stable when stored in a proper manner for several years, and when diluted is stable in the field for even greater period of time.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a reduction in sulfation and other reactions of anions on copper, aluminum and other metals or alloys.

Another object is to help restore contacts between metals in electric circuits and systems through the removal of metal salts from the surfaces of common conducting metals, such as salts of copper and aluminum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The cleaning fluid is prepared in a concentrated form. The cleaning fluid is shipped and stored as a concentrate to reduce transportation and storage expenses. The cleaning fluid concentrate is diluted at or near a job site with distilled water and drying agents. Depending upon specific conditions of an electrical system, dilution adjustments can be made to efficiently cope with specific environments.

The cleaning fluid concentrate is prepared by combining two aqueous fluid mixtures. The first fluid mixture comprises a mixture of essential oil complexes. The second fluid mixture comprises a mixture of other solvents and surfactants.

The first fluid mixture is made by charging a stainless steel vessel with a mixture of essential oil complexes in the following weight percentage ranges: oil of rosemary 8% to 15%, oil of cypress 11% to 27%, oil of mint 6% to 17%, oil of eucalyptus 4.5% to 7.8%, oil of clove 9% to 31% and the remaining portion is distilled water. This mixture is then heated for 72 hours under 15 pounds of pressure, at a temperature of 39.degree. C. The temperature should not be allowed to rise above 40.degree. C. At the end of the 72 hours, add by volume five times the original volume with distilled water. This additional volume of water is added and mixed with the original volume and the mixture is continuously stirred for a period of 20 minutes, while maintaining the temperature at substantially 39.degree. C.

The second fluid mixture comprises an aqueous mixture of compounds to further aid in solvating contaminants and corrosion products on conductor surfaces, to increase the viscosity of the cleaning fluid, and to act as surfactants. Such compounds include low molecular weight alcohols and ketones, alkyl glycol ethers, ethoxylated alcohols, and ethoxylated phenol alcohols. The low molecular weight alcohols and ketones should be from the following group: methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketone; and mixtures thereof. A preferred embodiment of the second fluid mixture comprises the following weight percentage ranges: isopropyl alcohol 15% to 20%, octylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanol 2% to 8%, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether 4.8% to 8.9%, butyl cellusolve 2.5% to 4.7%, and the remaining portion is distilled water. The mixture is made by charging a stainless steel vessel with distilled water and slowly mixing in the other components while continuously stirring. The mixture should be stirred for at least 40 minutes.

To make the cleaning fluid concentrate, 24% to 43% by weight of the first fluid mixture is added to the second fluid mixture and the resulting fluid mixture is stirred for 20 to 30 minutes.

The concentrated cleaning fluid is diluted at or near a job site with distilled water and a drying agent. The drying agent can be any low molecular weight alcohol or ketone which will decrease the time required for the dilute cleaning fluid to dry after the cleaning fluid has been applied to a conductor. The preferred drying agent is isopropyl alcohol because of its availability.

A dilution ratio of 50 to 100 parts of distilled water and 0 to 50 parts drying agent to one part concentrate should be used. The concentrated cleaning fluid or a less dilute cleaning solution can be used if the conductor being treated has significant visible corrosion. If a concentrated cleaning solution is used, copious amounts of water should be applied to any treated conductor after treatment, or residual cleaning fluid could corrode the conductor being treated.

The dilute cleaning fluid has a pH of about 6.7. The dilute cleaning fluid can be packaged in polyethylene bottles. Packaging in other plastic containers is not recommended. The cleaning fluid is easily applied to a conductor with a spray applicator that produces a fine mist.

The cleaning fluid is biodegradable. The cleaning fluid is non-flammable and non-combustible when diluted to field strength. The cleaning fluid will conduct electricity. The cleaning fluid dries with little or no residue. The cleaning fluid should be stored in a protected location away from frost, direct sunlight, and intense heat to avoid evaporation and alteration prior to application.

To use the cleaning fluid to remove manufacturing oils or to rework a conductor, the diluted cleaning fluid is placed in a spray bottle. The power to the conductor is turned off and the area of the conductor to be cleaned is exposed. This may require disassembly of the electrical circuit. Preferably, the cleaning fluid is sprayed over the entire exposed conductor in sufficient quantity to leave the electrical conductor completely wet, and at least several drops of cleaning fluid should drip from the applied area. Alternatively, the cleaning fluid can be poured onto the electrical circuit. The cleaning fluid dissolves the metal salts, and the dripping fluid carries away the dissolved salts and contaminants.

Application of the electrochemical fluid on existing electrical circuits helps remove existing degradation by removing metal salts. When applying to existing electrical systems, the electrical system must be brought off line because the cleaning fluid conducts electricity. Removing metal salts decreases the resistance at a connection. Treatment effectiveness depends upon the deterioration and the operating environment of the electrical circuit. The cleaning fluid removes oils, contaminates, and metal salts that impede the flow of electricity within an electric circuit without reacting with the copper and/or aluminum wires or conductors.

A problem that occurs over the years with connections made of dissimilar metal conductors and/or connectors is electrolysis of the metals. It has been observed that the application of the cleaning fluid retards electrolysis. The application of the cleaning fluid retards the migration of atoms onto or into electrical connections of dissimilar metals. With time electrolysis will still occur; however, retarding this natural process helps to save electricity that would otherwise be wasted. The cleaning fluid also reduces sulfation and other ionic reactions on copper, aluminum and other metals or alloys.

The following example relates to a cleaning composition of the present invention:

The aqueous based composition was made by the following procedure: into a stainless steel reactor vessel with a protective pressure valve set at 15 pounds of pressure was placed 266 ml (milliliters) oil of rosemary, 300 ml oil of cypress, 165 ml oil of mint, 112 ml oil of eucalyptus, 271 ml oil of clove, and 1280 ml of distilled water. This mixture was heated to 39.degree. C. and held at this temperature with slightly less than 10 pounds of pressure (psig) for 72 hours. Care was taken to never reach 40.degree. C. After the 72 hours, 10.5 liters of distilled water at a temperature of 39.degree. C. was added to the mixture. This mixture was mixed at atmospheric pressure for 20 minutes, while the temperature was maintained at 39.degree. C. This formed the first fluid mixture.

Into a second stainless steel vessel, 20 liters of distilled water was placed, and 3.5 liters of isopropyl alcohol, 720 ml of octylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanol, 1.12 liters of butyl carbitol, and 800 mg (milligrams) of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether were mixed with continuous stirring. This mixture was then heated quickly to 68.degree. C. and continuous stirring was applied for an hour. This formed the second fluid mixture. The second fluid mixture was allowed to cool to 40.degree. C. before mixing with the contents of the first mixture in the reaction vessel.

The first fluid mixture was mixed 25 parts by volume to 75 parts by volume of the second fluid mixture. The mixture was continuously mixed without the addition of heat until the mixture temperature was below 30.degree. C. This mixture was the concentrated solution.

The mixture was transported to the field where 1 part of the concentrate was mixed with 70 parts of distilled water and 15 parts of isopropyl alcohol to form a dilute solution. The dilute solution was used to treat fresh cut and stripped copper and aluminum conductors and their connectors or terminals. The dilute solution was applied to wiring in a cattle feeding operation. The air of the environment was slightly salty and contained ammonia. The dilute solution retarded the electrolysis process for a period of 8 years on the treated conductors and connections. Untreated conductors had visible electrolysis from the dissimilar metals of copper and aluminum and additional corrosion at the distribution panel connections and other connections closer to the motors. The voltage drop on the untreated conductors was at least 90% greater than in the treated connections in all cases examined in the field test.

While the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Food for thought:

What is composition of electric circuits?

Bronze: Copper (65%) Tin (29%) Zinc (6%) - 1125% > resistance than copper

Manganin: Copper (84%) Mn (12%) Nickel (4%) - 2750%

Aluminum: 175% greater resistance than copper

The above alloys are shown with their increase in Resistivity per meter, as measured in Ohm’s (resistance)
at 20° C as compared to Copper.

Thank you folks for getting into the meat of your issues. We will answer each of you who have raised legitimate, serious questions. We won't reply to the knukle heads who need an education in chemisty, physics and metallurgy. There are university professors who get paid big bucks for that. There are some great questions raised here and we will respond. But please, let's keep this professional and to the point.

After reading the ' background of the invention' I can see now why NASA sticks to only making rocket fuel.
Going back to the 300 watt loss on a termination that comes out to a 48 ohm resistor in series with the load. Which begs the question, when you get to the customers place of business are the lights on at all.
It would seem to me that when a customer starts having problems with lighting circuits constantly blinking, motors burning up, unless the owner is totally clueless, ought to call his maintenance department to check out the electrical equipment.
Also it would seem expedient to have, or start a good PM program where these connections are periodically checked and when corrosion is found to 'Clean the Conductors' and re-torque the connections.
Annealling and Pickle areas are notorious for corrosion and these places always have period shutdowns just for checking these problems.
MCCs and motor rooms from what I have seen are clean and always checked to ensure the filters are functioning properly and the equipment, such as contactors, brushes, comms, the electronic controls are clean and free of corrosion. If these are not kept up to a reasonable level, the customer loses alot more the money saved in the 16% you are talking about.
I guess the bottom line is that everybody has to have a 'gimmick' and this sounds like a good one.

Wm.Colt

electro2
Every chemistry book that I have and the online sources all say that electrolysis requires the presence of a conductive liquid or molten salt.
Don

electro2
Do you have any independent test results from a legitimate third party testing or engineering firm? Does your product have a listing from a NRTL? If not many inspectors will cite its use as a code violation. Do you pull the required electrical permits to do this work?
Don

[This message has been edited by resqcapt19 (edited 04-19-2003).]

resqcapt19, sorry, but actually, according to my Physical Chemistry book, an electrolyte can be any ionic condutor. This is especially true in gas phase reactions, or in the presence of solids.

stamcom, Thanks for the condensed explanation, I hope that was a cut-and-paste, because it was rather lengthy

All it really says is this product is a cleaner to mop up after people that make improper connections in the first place, areas where it's really not preventable, or just used as a routine maintenance tool to replace existing methods which work already.

In the 14 years or so that I've been in the making power business, either on a nuclear sub, or with my current employer at a small university power plant, not in one instance have I ever heard, seen or witnessed any "Down Time" to repair a connection because of metal salt deposits.
(Wait, I take that back, our well pump had a bad connection, probably due to condensation caused by the cold water.)

There are inevitable instances where it occurs, especially in areas where corrosive chemicals are used, however in almost every circumstance it's taken care of during a planned outage.

Right now, not counting what we generate, we probably buy on the order of 3000 MWH of electricity per month, some at a fixed firm, some at market price. I'd say somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-75K$/month.

If you truly think your product would benefit our electric bill by ripping our main feeders apart, I'd be happy to inform our maintenace manger and plant manager and get a laugh out of it.

Unfortunately for you, as you have stated, there are always skeptics, and rightfully so, for any new product or pitch. If and when there is more pertinent data relevant to your claims, maybe some people will change their mind. Until then, I'm sorry, it's pretty bogus.



[This message has been edited by rat4spd (edited 04-20-2003).]

I guess I'm one of the knuckleheads who don't have any sense of chemistry, physics, os metallurgy. Just a lowly electrician who doesn't have patience for people who have no reservation at all to stealing peoples hard-earned money. I do, however look forward to you addressing scientific questions. I doubt an answer will come.
BTW,
The most essential oil of all was omitted from the list..
Snake Oil.

When I first saw their list of Herbs/oils I thought it came from a song by Simon and Garfunkle,

And who's to argue with a Phd, I thought that meant Piled higher and deeper, afterall swamp land aint cheap.
Wm.Colt

rat4std,
So we should never be skeptical of claims made by anyone??? I think that the exact oposite is true....that is we should always be very skeptical of claims like this one, especially in the absence of any third party verification, but if we shouldn't be skeptical, I have some ocean front property in Arizona that I will sell cheaply.
Don

Don, you have mail.

Above re-stated more pointedly

[This message has been edited by rat4spd (edited 04-20-2003).]

electro2 — Thank you for the detailed posting.

ElectricAl — Someday maybe all of us will have to concede that you tried to tell us of the next modern miracle.

Being an industry that was recently duped by manufacturer's desires, we are a very skeptical bunch.

(do a search in ECN under "AFCI" or "Arc-fault" for more info)

Ok, cleaning up connections will reduce voltage drop and power loss. Yet, taking the customer's power bill for the past year to establish a basis for comparisons will necessarily include motor starting loads...which disproportionately increase the overall yearly power consumption. So, even if there was just 1% improvement at the connections, based on the steady state "before and after" voltage and current measurements, that 1% savings would be applied (per contract) to the real world overall bill.

Assuming overall bill is 10% higher than the steady state measurements would predict...due to the disproportionate peak loading rates from heavy load startups, and the electrical steady state measurements don't consider that fact...then the "savings" would be inflated. The 1% savings would be multiplied by the starting load peak demand increased costs, so we end up with 1 X 10 = 10% apparent "savings".

Rather ingenious, I'd say..turning a steady state 1% into an inflated 10% figure for that portion of the bill attributed to heavier loads.

In simplified terms, lets say the steady state power consumption figures out to cost $100,000. But the yearly basis shows a power consumption that comes to $110,000 (because of the higher rates caused by heavy load demands ). Now I come along and clean up the connections and my measurements indicate that I have just decreased steady state estimated power consumption by 1%, a saving of $1,000. But, if I apply that 1% to the real world $110,000 figure, it results in $1,100. So, if I screen out the potential clients who have steady loads, and only work for those who have whopping big rate increases because they can't even out their energy consumption, then I can make it profitable to go through the effort to reconnect their terminations. Couple this with a good sales pitch so that other spin-off projects fall my way, it might turn out to be a pretty good business plan.


[This message has been edited by Elzappr (edited 04-19-2003).]

Once again, it almost looks like the return of DSpar.


[This message has been edited by electure (edited 04-20-2003).]

electure,
Who?

Just buy a bottle of Baby Oil add some cloves to give it that mechanical smell and there you go. This topic was better then Saturday Night Live.

Electro2> if you are still around, have you obtained or requested UL listing for your product? I'm not debating the merits of your product, but if it is legal to use. If i went and stuck peanut butter in all my electrical connections and one of them caught on fire, i'm pretty sure i'd be held responsible, since peanut butter is definately not UL listed for electrical work.
Now i am not compairing your product to peanut butter, or trying to poke fun at it, i'm just wondering

NOBODY is putting anything on my wires that isn't UL listed!!!!
So- where's the listing?

John
Excellant Point !!!!

Wm.Colt

John, I guess that means I can't bring one of my non-UL listed radios from home and plug it into a socket at your shop....

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 04-23-2003).]

A .01 ohm connection at 30 amps equates to a .3 volt drop dissipating 9 watts.

A .005 ohm connection at 30 amps equates to a .15 volt drop dissipating 4.5 watts.

If you could save 4.5 Watts on 100 connections, that would be 324 kilowatt hours per month saved. At $0.15 per KWH, it amounts to $49 per month saved. That's only at 30 amps. Double the current, and now you are talking 18 watts savings per connection, 1350 KWH and $202 saved at $0.15 per KWH.

Obviously, actual savings would depend on how bad the original connections and wiring were. I don't see this as a scam at all. Performance based contracting means you have to perform as claimed or not profit as desired (minus any shenanigans in the performance measurements). Do some calculations with resistance figures and electric rates you think are realistic. 0.05 ohms may be a little high for just a termination (without including wiring). There could be savings in prevented equipment damage as well. Think of how much safer homes would be if all household electrical connections got this kind of once-over by electricians vs installing AFCIs.

electech,
Can you save some money with better connections? Of course the answer is yes, but no where near the 15% to 20% that they are claiming. In your example with the 30 amp load and assuming that it is only a 120 volt circuit, the total load would be 3600 watts, you are saving 4.5 watts or 0.125%. That is a savings that is more than 100 times less than what is claimed for this product. I would also be surprised if a good connection had more resistance than a foot or two of the wire that is being connected. In this case, assuming a #10 conductor, I would expect that the connection resistance would be 0.001 to 0.002 ohms.
Don

One "old-timey" material is Cool-Amp ConductoLube. Unfortunately, it does not contain essential loquat and okra extracts—only silver dust in mineral oil.
  
http://www.cool-amp.com/conducto.htm




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 04-23-2003).]

Who pays $150/MWH for firm? Even peak? Based on our 3000 MWH per month we pay about .024$/kw and whatever market price is for above our firm of 3.617 MWH.

Electech, not to beat you up or be picky, but your calculations are based on 24 hours a day/7 days a week of electrical usage. Are most of the locations you've done, running 24/7?

The application of Micro-Lube decreases the resistance about 3.5 MICRO ohms?
At 100 amps, and a starting resistance of .001 ohm that decreases voltage drop from 0.1 volt to 0.0965 volt.
A whopping reduction of 0.0035 volt.
I'm going to take a vacation with the savings.

Bjarney, there's also this goo that Caig makes (from the people that brought you DeOxit switch and potentiometer cleaner spray) that is graphite impregnated (there's also a plain version).

It's called Cailube and supposed to seal and protect electrical connections....
http://www.caig.com

The magic 'Bullet' for terminations, seems to have all the Holistic ingredients for what ails ya.
How about Electro-Saf mixed with a little K-Y jelly and graphite. ?

Wm.Colt

If you pay for any of this stuff, liberally apply the KY first.

LOL!!

10-4. Boy Howdy!