Cooling towers are used in several industrial facilities. Cooling tower water treatment is necessary for ensuring an effective process along with long equipment service life. When the water in cooling towers is left untreated, scaling, fouling, corrosion and organic growth can lessen the entire plant’s productivity and cause the water treatment plant’s downtime. they may need expensive equipment replacements. Read this blog to know what cooling system water treatment is and why it is necessary.
What is a cooling tower water treatment system?
The cooling tower water treatment system is an effective and proper arrangement of technologies wAny contaminants present in the cooling tower can cause fouling, corrosion, rust etc. So, a proper and good quality cooling system water treatment is needed. Cooling tower water treatment can keep your tower’s water clean through purification and keep microbes, viruses and contaminants at bay. It helps in eliminating damaging impurities from the cooling tower feed water or circulation water etc. Cooling tower water is highly prone to “dissolved solids” content due to water evaporation and it leads to a concentration of solid. So, some amount of water needs to be eliminated. The particular configuration of your cooling tower system relies on various things:
> Which kind of cooling tower you are having (be it closed loop, open circulating or once-through)
> Feed water’s quality
> Quality requirements according to manufacturer’s recommendation for cooling tower
> Chemistry of circulatory water
> Regulatory needs for discharges
> Kind of heat exchanger used
What is included in the cooling tower water treatment system?
The main components of a proper and good quality cooling tower water treatment system rely on the feed water quality along with the circulatory water’s chemistry concerning water quality required for a particular cooling tower. Some related equipment may be needed following the recommendation of manufacturers. The basic cooling tower water treatment system includes:
- Filtration or ultrafiltration
- Clarification
- Softening or ion exchange
- Chemical feed
- Automated monitoring of processes
It all depends on the type of impurities present in the water. Even a combination of these above-mentioned treatments may suit best for your facilities. Try to consult with a reliable water treatment expert for ensuring the right system for your cooling tower. You can contact the best supplier of cooling system water treatment in the Middle East and GCC region.
What water issues and cooling inefficiency can cause?
The cooling towers are subjected to multiple water-related operating issues and they include:
a) Microbiological deposits – The main source of fouling and microbe deposits like algae and fungi in cooling towers can form slimes on the surfaces of cooling towers resulting in cooling inefficiencies.
b) Corrosion – Corrosion is a critical issue in a water-handling system where water is in contact with metal.
c) Scaling deposits – Scaling usually happens when the concentration of dissolved substances is higher than its solubility. Scaling can highly impact heat transfer and lower the efficiency of cooling.
How does the cooling tower water treatment work?
Particular treatment procedures may vary but it depends on the needs of a cooling tower and the quality of circulation water. In general, the cooling tower water treatment may include the mentioned steps:
a) Makeup water intake
Makeup water or leaking water from your cooling water is drawn from the source can be city water, raw water, wastewater recycling etc. You may or may not require this treatment depending on water quality.
b) Filtration
This step is running the water through a few types of filtration to eliminate suspended particles like turbidity, sediment or organic matter. This procedure is vital and can help in protecting the membranes from fouling the water.
c) Ion exchange
If there is hardness in the makeup water, this treatment may be necessary for eliminating hardness. Softening resins are used where the resin is charged with the sodium ion. If the contaminants include sodium molecules, then it may cause rust and scaling deposits.
d) Addition of chemicals
This process includes the addition of chemicals like corrosion inhibitors such as bicarbonate for neutralizing acidity and protecting the metal components. Even biocides and algaecides like bromine can be added to lessen microbial growth. You can also use biofilm scale inhibitors like phosphoric acid to avoid contaminants creating scale deposits.
e) Side stream filtration
Water in the cooling tower gets recirculated through your entire system. A side stream filtration system can be useful to eliminate any kind of problem causing contaminants which may have entered via drift contamination leak.
f) Blowdown process
It is the last part of the treatment needed for your cooling water. It depends on how much water your cooling plant requires for circulation for correct cooling capacity. This process is also known as “blowdown from the tower”.
Any contaminants present in the cooling tower can cause fouling, corrosion, rust etc. So, a proper and good quality cooling system water treatment is needed. Cooling tower water treatment can keep your towers’ water clean through purification and keep microbes, viruses and other things at bay.
