Cooling Towers are an important structure used in several industries like power plants, chemical processing, refineries, steel mills, and more. Like anything else, cooling towers need to be maintained to prevent common issues from popping up.
Here are 3 very common problems you’ll run into with cooling towers and how to minimize and prevent them:
Scaling: A thin coating of insoluble minerals or chemicals that break down during heat exchange, preventing efficient heat transfer from occurring. This is similar to the build-up you would find in your shower.
You can help prevent the scaling in your tower with these tips:
- Monitor Cleaning – By keeping a consistent cleaning schedule you can remove the buildup that’s accumulated.
- Calcium – Check the calcium levels of the water. That’s one of the main buildups that you find in your shower and towers.
- Coating- By using a conductive tube coating, you’ll be able to continue heat exchange while still making build-up difficult to stick to the surface.
Corrosion: With enough time water can corrode just about anything. Due to reactions with the air, minerals, chemicals, and other impurities that may be in the water, this is something that you should always be aware of. Without caution, the safety and production of your towers are in jeopardy and could put a decent dent in your wallet.
Here are a few ways to help limit and even prevent damage:
- Small problems – Small issues that come up are still issues nonetheless. Take care of them before they become big issues.
- Resistance – Using corrosion-resistant materials when possible will help you save money and the integrity of your tower in the long term
Noise Emission: Cooling towers can be loud, that’s no secret. Because there are rules, regulations, and laws involving sound, that leaves an issue to be resolved. Fans, motors, and even the sound of water dropping into the basin can make an almost waterfall sound.
There’s no way to eliminate the noise entirely, but here’s how you can keep it to a minimum:
- VFD – Regulate the speed of the fan with a variable-frequency drive (VFD), it helps reduce sound and save energy.
- Noise Reduction – Floating mats can be placed on the top of the basin of water, giving it a softer surface to impact instead of more water. The flexible surface of the mat absorbs more sound energy, decreasing the overall noise.
Get in contact with us to learn more about your cooling towers and how to keep them as productive as possible!!
