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news from around western wisconsin

Rice Lake company hopes idea to help cleanup Gulf stands out

WKOW.com

The phone lines are jammed with companies offering their ideas to help cleanup the gulf coast. One in Rice Lake is hoping the idea it has stands out. American Excelsior says one of its products could protect hundreds of miles of coastline from oil, and the EPA has given its stamp of approval.

American Excelsior has been manufacturing all natural wood-fiber for more than 120 years. Now, this older product could help solve a new problem. "Our hope is to become involved and be part of the solution to protect the beach lines," said Terry Sadowski, President and CEO of American Excelsior Company. "You've all seen the terrible pictures of the fish and the turtles and the birds that are being affected by that spill."

Although the product is manufactured to prevent erosion, Sadowski says it could have a very practical use on the gulf coast. "Our devices would be laid at high tide line and that wave action would bring crude up into our product, be captured and trapped within the excelsior fiber in the mat and then that mat would be able to be rolled up and disposed of."

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RCU Completes Purchase of Anchor Bank Branches

KSTP.com

Late Thursday, signs were changed from Anchor Bank to RCU in the latest spin of ownership of a major financial institution in New Richmond.

The building was once the headquarters for S&C Banco, whose 13 branches were sold to Anchor Bank of Madison in 2008.

Eau Claire-based Royal Credit Union purchased those branches from Anchor last fall.

RCU chief executive officer Charlie Grossklaus says it's "very rare" to see a commercial bank changed into a credit union.

Full Story

PaulWerniFor the second straight year, The Spirit Journal has named 45th Parallel Vodka, distilled in New Richmond, Wisconsin, its highest-ranked vodka in 2010.

45th Parallel Spirits, LLC was launched in 2007 by Paul Werni. The small batch, artisan distilled vodka bearing the name 45th Parallel Vodka was first distributed to liquor stores and bars in mid-October 2007.

The vodka takes it name from the 45th parallel, halfway between the equator and the North Pole. When researching the distilling industry, Werni learned the 45th parallel had significance around the world. The 45th Parallel facility in New Richmond is located within a few miles of the 45th parallel. Nearby Rusmar farms, owned by Arlen Strate, supplies grain to 45th Parallel.

For additional information about 45th Parallel Vodka, go to www.45thparallelspirits.com.

featured technology

Fluid Energy Mill

Description of Technology:  The present invention relates to fluid energy mills, in particular, to an improved fluid energy mill which is provided with a fluid dynamic control insert that maintains or improves the quality of the milled product at lower energy consumption and at lower cost of operation.

 Market Potential:  Fluid energy mills of a vortex type are well known and widely employed in certain industries because of their efficiency and economy in comminution of particulate solids.  A number of early designs are described in considerable detail in Andrews, U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,827.  These mills generally comprise disc-shaped zone wherein an inward circular or spiral flow of the gasous fluid causes attrition of the particles at the periphery and provides a size separation in an intermediate zone.  The mill combines the function of griding and classification within a single chamber.  Since the fluid is fed into the periphery and discharged at the axis of a vortex, there is a tendency for particles to be swept toward the central outlet and in a spiral path.  The force due to drag of the fluid acting on the suspended particle is opposed by the centrifugal force.  This balance of forces can be so adjusted that coarse particles tend to return to or be held at the periphery for more attition while smaller particles are swept to the center for collection in a cyclone and/or filters.  In these mills, the energy for comminution is supplied in a gasous fluid medium injected tangentially into the vortex chamber to create and maintain the vortex.

Benefits:

• Improved fluid energy mill which is provided with a fluid dynamic control insert that maintains or improves quality of milled product at lower energy consumption and lower cost of operation.