Chiller water treatment in a desert climate
Chiller water treatment in a desert climate was costing an Arizona chiller plant scarce water, with frequent blowdown cycles and continuous chemical dosing used to hold scale at bay while staying within industry standards. In Arizona, cooling water is not just an operating cost but a scarce resource that a site cannot easily replace. For a 5.5-month trial, one HydroFLOW® i8 inch Custom unit was fitted to the condenser water line between the tower and the chiller. The system ran at high conductivity with far less blowdown and less chemical. Blowdown fell by 68%, and the chiller and heat exchangers were clean at the end of the trial.
The Challenges
- Chiller water treatment in a desert climate had to cut blowdown, which consumed scarce water
- Continuous chemical dosing was required to control scale
- Water scarcity was affecting site operations
- The plant had to stay within industry water treatment standards
- Heat exchanger fouling was a constant risk at higher conductivity
The Solution
- Unit installed: one HydroFLOW® i8 inch Custom
- Installation point: condenser water line, between the cooling tower and the chiller
- Trial: 5 months
The unit was fitted on the condenser water line and the system was then allowed to run at high conductivity rather than blowing down to hold scale back. The signal disrupts the conditions that bond scale to surfaces, so the chiller and heat exchangers stayed clean. For chiller water treatment in a desert climate, the 68% cut in blowdown was the headline result, with chemical dosing reduced as well.
