If your manufacturing company has cooling towers, then you will know how important the towers are for your business. The cooling towers need to be in good condition, so they don’t break down. If your cooling tower parts break down, it can disrupt your operations. Your work can get affected and it can cause serious problems. This is why you need to ensure that any problems with your cooling tower are identified and fixed in timely manner.
We look at some of the common problems with cooling towers and how to solve them.
Problems with cooling towers
1. Scaling
Cooling towers exchange heat from the industrial process or from the chiller. This can lead to build up of minerals in the water, which can create layers affecting efficiency. Calcium is found in the heat system and it can deposit on the heat exchange surface.
Removing this scaling is important to prevent problems. Scaling can be prevented by using tube coatings made from polymers. In case scaling has occurred, cleaning procedures can be followed to remove scaling.
2. Corrosion
Corrosion is a problem that can occur in cooling towers. This is commonly found in towers that make use of a closed loop system. Corrosion of the metal would lead to leaks. It is very important to control corrosion and this can be done by using epoxy coating.
Another option is to add orthophosphate to the water treatment. The problem with orthophosphate is it may allow certain microbes to grow. The use of quality coatings can prevent corrosion. Increasing the pH of water to make it up to 9 is another solution for this problem.
3. Biological contamination
The cooling tower is hot and humid all the time. This makes it a breeding ground for various microbes like bacteria. This leads to biological contamination. The contamination can cause problem to the people working at the plant. It also can affect the thermal efficiency. The result can be reduced costs.
The long-term solution to this problem is preventing water leakage. Samples of the water must be taken and checked for the presence of L. pneumohphila. Chlorine shocking is needed to remove contamination.
4. Fouling
Yet another common problem in cooling towers is fouling. The fill is the place where this problem is seen often. When the pipes or cooling surfaces are clogged with dirt and debris, it causes fouling. This leads to reduced efficiency causing increased consumption of electricity.
The method to treat fouling is the same as used to treat biological consumption. Chlorine can be used to treat fouling. The fills and nozzles would have to be replaced. This ensures the problem is resolved and does not repeat.
Takeaway
Being aware of all these problems will ensure you can fix them if they occur. Regular monitoring of the cooling tower is the best way to prevent the problems listed out above. This also ensures you can prevent the tower from breaking down. This will ensure your business is not negatively affected by the breaking down of the tower.
