Cooling Tower

Cooling Water Treatment
Introduction
The design of an effective water treatment program must take into account the following primary factors : Composition of the makeup Flow rates in the cooling system Process or water temperatures Equipment design and operation Service requirement Water discharge location Environmental restrictions Historical problems experienced Automatic/manual control of pH or blowdown Sidestream or mechanical filtration
These and other factors must be considered before a cooling treatment program can be designed to balance water conservation, cost and results. Ultimately, the objective of a water treatment program is to maximize the availability of the equipment to the plant. Improper, or lack of treatment will lead to rapid deterioration of the equipment, failures and loss of plant production. Properly designed and administered as part of a comprehensive maintenance and operation program, the water program will help achieve the designed service of the equipment in a cost effective manner.
Corrosion Control
The reason for concern about corrosion is basically economic: uncontrolled corrosion leads to the destruction of equipment. The objectives of corrosion control are: To minimize plant down time due to equipment failure. To maintain plant efficiency and minimize loss of heat transfer due to corrosion products. To reduce the need for capital investment in more exotic metallurgy (Mild steel or copper alloy exchangers properly protected are much cheaper than stainless steel, Admiralty, titanium, etc.).
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Corrosion inhibitors are fed to the cooling system to stop or suppress the reactions at both the cathode and the anode. The purpose of corrosion inhibitors is to maintain the oxide layer integrity and to control the electrochemical reaction at the corrosion sites. In mild steel systems, Zinc, for example, will react with hydroxide at the cathode and stops the reaction at the cathodic site. Consequently it is called a cathodic inhibitor. Material, such as chromate, form an iron oxide barrier at the metal surface. These are called anodic inhibitors since they control the reaction at the anodic site. Localized corrosion inhibitors such as MoO42(molybdate) are specifically active to inhibit mild steel pitting and particularly chloride initiated pitting. Other species that have activity as localized corrosion inhibitors include nitrate/nitrite (NO3-/NO2-) and borate BO42-.
OH-
Pitting Corrosion Inhibition
Cl-
MoO42-
These mild steel inhibitors have little or no effect on copper alloy corrosion. Inhibitors that have Fe + OH Fe(OH) specific activity for copper alloy surfaces are in general film formers and serve to suppress both the anodic and cathodic reactions. Examples copper corrosion inhibitors are tolyltriazole and benzotriazole.
Zn1+ Zn2+
Cl
2+
O2
Control of galvanic (dissimilar metal) corrosion can be difficult in many systems. The primary means of treating galvanic corrosion are : Maintain adequate flow rates through equipment as per manufacturers guidelines. Re-passivate system if inhibition is lost due to upsets or after dosing with strong oxidizing agents. Installation of sacrificial anode in locally effected zone. Application of protective coatings over anodic surfaces.
Oxygen, saturates the cooling water system and is continuously refreshed. Consequently, corrosion inhibitors need to be added continuously so as to be maintained at a constant level. To do this, continuous and uninterrupted feed is critical. If inhibitor levels fall below the range of control, breaks in the protective film will occur and active corrosion cells will increase in number and magnitude. Once corrosion sites are established, the accumulation of tubercles or deposits can interfere with the with the repair of the native oxide film even after normal inhibitor feed is re-established.
Strong oxidizers such as chlorine, which is sometimes added to cooling water systems for microbiological treatment can effect the corrosion rates. Strong oxidizers act to both increase the overall corrosion rates of metals, but can also destroy the effectiveness of the corrosion inhibitors within the system. pH is also extremely important in a corrosion control program. Too low a pH will strip away the protective film and increase the potential for corrosion. Too high a pH in the cooling tower system that can contribute to scale and fouling which, in turn, cause a loss of heat transfer. The balance maintained between cycles of concentration, corrosion inhibitor and pH are all critical to the overall corrosion control program. Corrosion, scale and fouling are all interdependent but in a chemical treatment program, each needs to be addressed and balanced. Attention to the system is the last ingredient needed to maintain the proper balance.
Scale control
The potential for scale is dependent largely on the concentration of ions in the cooling water system. Ions such as calcium, bicarbonate, silicate and sulfate all can contribute to scale formation. Design parameters such as exchanger (skin) temperatures, flow rates and process design can also affect potential for scale formation. A makeup water analysis will determine which ions potentially will come out of solution first when the water is cycled. Then, by determining which of the design parameters, such as temperature and velocity, will affect the precipitation of those ions, the highest limit of concentrations of ions that can be tolerated in the system can be estimated. For example, if calcium in the makeup is 100 ppm and the maximum that the system can tolerate without deposition is 400 ppm, the maximum number of cycles would be four. Since all dissolved solids in the system cycle to the same degree, a test for a single soluble species such as a chloride test could also be effectively used to control cycles. Deposit control agents are designed to control the potential for scale formation. By adding a deposit control agent, the cooling water system may be able to tolerate higher levels of dissolved solids than in an untreated system. This can be of great benefit if it maintains deposit-free heat transfer surfaces and permits operating the treated system at higher operating cycles. The end result would be the operation of the cooling system at higher cycles, therefore reducing the amount of blowdown necessary and improving water conservation and chemical costs without scale formation.
The primary methods of scale control are : Maintain blowdown to accurately control cycles Maintain blowdown to accurately control cycles Feed of acid to maintain alkalinity in the cycled up water in a range where scale control methods are effective. Feed of deposit control agents including organic phosphates and polymeric dispersants.
Deposit control agents work effectively on different types of scale and should be selected based upon the type and level of impurities present in make-up water. The cooling system depends on the feed of scale control Side Stream Filtration agents. If continuous feed is lost, scale formation can take place.
Inorganic Fouling
Sloughed-off corrosion products circulate in the bulk water and tend to drop out in low flow or high heat transfer areas. In addition, suspended solids, such as silt or debris, tend to drop out in the same area. These materials can aggregate and form dams in low or restricted areas resulting in decreased efficiency and potential equipment failure.
The primary methods to control fouling are: Restrict ingress of foreign and environmental debris into the tower. Install and maintain screens at circulating pump inlets. Full or side stream filtration to remove system debris.
Feed of dispersing agent to suspend solids and aid in their removal in blowdown, filtrant or via mechanical cleaning from the sump.
Materials used for scale control should incorporate polymeric dispersants to assist in the control of suspended solids circulated in the cooling water system. The polymers are designed to charge the individual suspended particles so that they repel each other, keeping them in suspension until they come together and drop out in the cooling water basin, which is where the flow rate is at the lowest level. Periodically, the cooling water basin must be cleaned to remove these suspended materials.
Precleaning & Prefilming

Initial corrosion rates when water and metal surfaces are exposed to each other in the presence of oxygen are significant. In an new system or in a system where corrosion protection has been lost, it is important to reestablish the passivating corrosion protective film on the metal surfaces. In a new system, a freshly cleaned, or a system that has experienced an upset, the system should be cleaned to prepare the metal surface for passivation. This can be accomplished with a procedure for precleaning a new system or with an on-stream desludging program. To pre-treat or pre-passivate the metal surface high concentrations of the anodic inhibitor are used to condition the metal surface with a passive film. An example of a pretreatment program would be to circulate a high concentration of inhibitor in the water system at three or four times the normal maintenance program dosage for 24 to 48 hours. Once the metal surfaces have been repassivated and the protective film established, the normal continuous corrosion inhibitor program would be used to maintain protection.
Biological Control
Cooling towers provide an excellent environment for microbiological activity. Organism present in the cooling tower system can take many different kinds of shapes and forms. A biological control program must be designed to meet the specific needs of a cooling tower system. Biocides are generally classified as oxidizing or nonoxidizing.
Chlorine, an oxidizing biocide, has historically been the most commonly used in open recirculating systems due to its efficiency and cost. Chlorine is generally fed at a rate to overcome the chlorine demand plus enough to provide a 1/2 to 1 ppm of free chlorine residual in the circulating water system for one to four hours. Kill in the cooling tower system is a function of contact time and toxicant level. If either of these parameters is not met, biocide efficiency is dramatically reduced. Chlorine is generally fed into the sump some distance from the circulation water pumps due to the corrrosivity of chlorine in water to mild steel. In recent years there have been serious concerns regarding the dangers of handling and application of chlorine. Other oxidizing biocides which are widely applied include bromine, and bromine-based chemicals, and bleach (sodium hypochlorite). The application and dosing requirements is similar that described above for chlorine. Bromine-based biocides have become increasingly popular due to their ease of application, lowered aggressiveness toward mild steel, and overall effectiveness. Many times non-oxidizing biocides are used in place of, or to supplement bromine, where oxidizing demand is high. Nonoxidizing biocides shot or continuously fed to the system contact the entire system with little initial demand. Biocides exhibit a high degree of specificity for certain organisms. The most effective type and dosages for nonoxidizing biocides can be determined by toxicant evaluation so that the proper nonoxidizing biocide and its feed rate can be set up for a specific plant.
Testing and Control

In cooling tower systems, testing provides the information necessary to make the decisions to control all the operating parameters of the cooling tower operation. Proper inhibitor feed is needed to maintain the protective film for corrosion inhibition, continuous control of scale to allow for increased cycles in the cooling water system blowdown and the determination of the number of cycles based on blowdown in the cooling water system are all important factors in a system operation. To make the proper decisions to control all these parameters testing becomes a critical area of the plants responsibility. Specific limits for the critical parameters in your system and recommended course of action if tests are not within control must be identified as part of an effective water treatment program. It is important to note that blowdown control, because it controls the number of cycles in the cooling tower system, affects all of the other control tests. Alkalinity and impurity level measurements, can all be accurate indicators, but if blowdown is properly maintained, all these parameters could test out of control. Proper control of the blowdown not only conserves water, but treatment chemicals as well. So while chemical feed must be maintained at the proper levels, they should not be increased here and blown to waste somewhere else. The control of the water treatment program may be based upon regular testing for the primary control parameters (pH, alkalinity, cycles), levels of specific active chemicals (corrosion inhibitors, phosphonate), a chemical tracer added for testing and/or quantity of treatment product fed. In general, most organic treatment chemicals such as polymers are difficult to test for. Many times these are blended with corrosion inhibitors so that when the corrosion inhibitor is tested for, and maintained at the proper level, scale inhibitors and polymers are at the proper levels in the tower. Sometimes the inhibitors and dispersants are fed from separate tanks or drums. If this is the case the proper ratio of feed must be maintained at all times. Otherwise, the inhibitor level would not be a true indication of the dispersant level. It is possible to test for concentrations of some dispersants but these test are not always practical for control purposes and often a chemical tracer is added for which a more sensitive analytical test is available. . Biocides are generally fed based upon adding a known amount of treatment product to a known system volume. The residual concentrations of strong oxidizing biocides such as chlorine and bromine may be measure directly.
Plant Profile Company Location 1.Type of system: Open recirculating Closed Recirculating Once-through
2.Raw Water Source 3.Makeup Water Source 4.System Identification 5.Circulation or Flow Rate gpm 6.^T Across Tower oF 7.Max. Return Water Temp. oF 8.Volume of System gal. 9.Quantity of Makeup 10.Cycles Maintained 11.Materials of Construction 12.Highest Skin Temperature 13.Chemical Treatment Program Products, Feed Rates, Control Limits 14. Biocides Yes No Type External Treatment
15.System Flow Sheet
Review Questions 1.Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction of metal with its 2.Corrosion inhibitors that react at the .
are called anodic inhibitors.
3.The iron oxide film formed as the protective barrier between the metal surface and the water is called . 4.If calcium is 100 in the makeup and 500 in the bulk tower water, we say the number of cycles is . 5.Scale inhibitors must be fed continuously to protect the system from scale formation. We will need to increase if scale inhibitor is lost. 6.To control suspended solids in the cooling water, polymers are used. Polymers add to the particles so they repel each other, keeping them in suspension. 7.When a system is new or after and upset clean and reestablish the inhibitor film. 8.Chlorine is an Systems. and are generally recommended to
biocide and is commonly used in Open recirculating Cooling Water
9. can be used to replace or supplement chlorine in the cooling water system when chlorine demand is high. 10.Because control the number of cycles, it must be checked first and held in line.
11.If corrosion inhibitors and scale inhibitors are fed separately, the scale inhibitor is fed in a to the corrosion inhibitor since testing for the scale inhibitor can be difficult. 12.In handling any chemicals or reagent, the proper equipment should be used . Your personal is most important. .

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Cooling Tower

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Cooling Water Treatment

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

Pitting Corrosion Inhibition

Cooling Water Treatment

Cooling Water Treatment

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

Precleaning & Prefilming

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

Testing and Control

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

15.System Flow Sheet

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

Cooling Water Treatment

are called anodic inhibitors.

biocide and is commonly used in Open recirculating Cooling Water

Steam Generation Systems, Inc.

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