Cooling towers are relatively simple installations whose operation can pose serious problems in the absence of clear maintenance procedures and periodic chemical cleaning.
The proper functioning of the cooling towers involves the use of physical and chemical treatments to remove deposits from the water circuits and from the storage tanks.
For industrial water closed loops circuits the treatments are adapted to remove the biofilm and to precipitate impurities.
Cooling towers are open systems in which the accumulation of microorganisms comes from untreated added water and the mass of the organisms that form on the membranes on which the heat exchange takes place. The residues from the biofilm formation require specific treatment for the cooling towers.
In order to treat the process water, it is usually necessary a treatment scheme that includes, besides antiscalants, a biocide. The treatment of water from the cooling towers involves a combination of dispersants, surfactants and disinfectants.
Large deposits of limescale on the heat transfer surfaces directly affect the operation of the towers. Removing this rough layer often reveals areas exposed to corrosion.
The process behind the treatment activity are extremely complex and require special attention to the changes in water parameters. Through the well adapted use of substances to the system, the corrosion and biofilm formation process can be kept under control and even stopped.
The macro system of the cooling towers is quite complex due to the presence of nutrients, the pH, the presence of oxygen and the value of temperature, all in a open loop system.
Besides the formation of bacteria in these towers also it is favored the formation of some types of algae.
Apart from microorganisms and algae from the towers in the water are forming various secondary chemical compounds generated by these microorganisms (biofilm) and the chemical reactions between these compounds and the water from the circuits. These compounds facilitate the fixation of bacteria on surfaces.
The main advantages of cleaning and disinfection of circuits and cooling towers are:
– the increase of the efficiency of the heat exchange
– the increase of the life of the equipment
– the reduction of the maintenance costs
– the decrease of the “down-time”
– the protection of the pumps
– the reduction of the health risk.
The temperature range in which the cooling towers operate makes them ideal areas for the development of pathogenic organisms, the most known being Legionella Pneumophila.
Our team of specialists will be at your service for the evaluation and treatment of your systems.