Optimizing Cooling Tower's Water Consumption

Cooling towers are heat exchangers that are widely used for the cooling of water that is circulating in refrigeration plants or industrial processes. Regarding performance, cooling towers are divided into two groups: open-circuit (water-cooled) and closed-circuit (air-cooled), selected according to location and application.

Both types of cooling towers operate on water use; therefore, optimizing cooling tower water is essential. Cooling tower water optimization means improving the water quality to reduce the damage to the equipment caused by water, such as corrosion, sedimentation, fouling, etc.

This article has discussed the issues related to cooling tower water optimization. For more information, please stay with us until the end of the article.

Preventing water loss to optimize the use of cooling tower water

Controlling consumption and reducing water loss is one of the ways to optimize cooling tower water. Water loss in the cooling tower is divided into three groups: evaporation, underwater (or blued), and drift (throwing water droplets into the air). The central part of the water loss is due to evaporation and then underwater, and a small part is due to drift, which a reduction should reduce in the speed of the Superblade fan and its proper management.
Evaporation loss of cooling tower water can be reduced by making the cooling tower brighter. To minimize the loss of underwater or blued water, its hardness can be reduced by using a hardener or water softener so that less make-up water is used. It is also possible to minimize drift loss by using a drip catcher in the path of the cooling tower outlet.

Preventing scaling and corrosion to optimize cooling tower water

Cooling tower water always contains various salts, such as calcium and magnesium, which cause scaling and corrosion in the cooling tower. Solvents in water cause deposits on multiple parts of the cooling tower, such as packing and equipment surfaces, in addition to destructive corrosion. This reduces the heat transfer rate in the cooling tower, resulting in reduced efficiency and increased water consumption.

For this purpose, the amount of dissolved substances and the hardness of the water should be controlled by a TDS meter, and chemical inhibitors should be used to fix them. In addition, the hardness of the incoming or balancing water to the cooling tower should be reduced using a hardness device (resin, ultrasonic, and magnetic).

Control and Optimisation of Cooling Tower Water Concentration

A small part of the water (1.8%) is lost to the atmosphere through evaporation in cooling towers. This makes the water thicker, i.e., the percentage of solids and dissolved substances or its TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) increases.

The concentration in the cooling tower means the ratio of solid particles in the water (TDS) to the balancing water entering the device. The positive aspect of the water concentration is the reduction of the corrosion rate of the cooling tower. Still, on the other hand, the concentration and saturation of the water will lead to the deposition of sediments on the surfaces, which will reduce the efficiency of the equipment. Concentrating the water by draining the concentrated water and replacing it with fresh water with fewer salts (relative to the TDS present) is called Bluedan or underwater operation.

Controlling Legionella to optimise cooling tower water

Legionella bacteria (Legionella) cause Legionnaire's disease, which is caused by stagnant water and lack of quality control. This bacterium is harmless (river, lake, etc.), but when it enters the cooling tower's water, it grows in its warm and closed space and can enter the human lungs by inhalation, which is very deadly. Therefore, to optimize and prevent the proliferation of such micro-organisms, it is necessary to control the water entering the cooling tower and use chemical inhibitors to remove these bacteria.

It is also necessary to change the water in the cooling tower at least twice a year and to clean and disinfect its interior.

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Final Speech

In this article, we hope to have provided helpful information about optimizing cooling tower water.

To view and compare the types of cooling towers of different brands and capacities and to know the updated prices of the products, go to the website of DamaTajhiz HVAC Group (the first and most reliable group in the field of building installation equipment and all air conditioning devices since 1383 and having three valid business permits); For additional information during office hours, call +98 21 88822550 and get advice from the air conditioning experts of DamaTajhiz HVAC Group.

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