Data centre cooling water treatment without chemicals
Data centre cooling water treatment had to solve a limescale problem at an Amsterdam data centre, where scale on the spray nozzles, cooling packs and pipework of six BAC cooling towers was costing cooling efficiency. A vortex-type conditioner had already been tried and had not controlled the scaling. The operator did not want chemical dosing on a site built around water and energy efficiency. In February 2022 twelve HydroFLOW® i-130 units were fitted to the return pipes of all six towers with no shutdown. Existing scale was removed, new growth stopped, and water consumption fell by 75%, with the towers running entirely chemical-free.
The Challenge
- Data centre cooling water treatment was needed for persistent limescale on spray nozzles, cooling packs and pipework
- A previous vortex conditioner had failed to control the scaling
- Clogged nozzles were reducing cooling system efficiency
- The site needed an effective solution that avoided chemical dosing
- Water use had to fall without compromising cooling capacity
The Solution
- Units installed: twelve HydroFLOW® i-130
- Installation point: return pipes of all six BAC cooling towers
- Installed: February 2022, with no shutdown
- Previous treatment: vortex-type conditioner, which had not controlled the scaling
The units were fitted to the tower return pipes while the cooling plant kept running, so data centre cooling water treatment began without a shutdown or any chemical dosing. The signal disrupts the conditions that bond scale to surfaces, so existing limescale loosened and washed through while new growth did not form. With scale controlled, the towers could run at higher cycles of concentration and blowdown fell sharply.
