Raising cooling tower cycles of concentration without scale
Cooling tower cycles of concentration were being held low at a Phoenix site because any attempt to run harder risked scale on the chiller. Continuous chemical treatment was in place, blowdown was restricted by site rules, and the plant was paying in water and chemicals for a margin of safety it did not want. In March 2017 one HydroFLOW® unit was fitted to the condenser loop between the pump and the chiller. Cycles of concentration were then raised by 150%, with conductivity running far higher than before, no scale forming and no chemical dosing at all.
The Challenges
- Cooling tower cycles of concentration were held low to avoid scale on the chiller
- Chemical treatment was required continuously
- Higher conductivity carried a real risk of scale
- Cooling tower blowdown was limited by site rules
- Scale was threatening chiller efficiency
The Solution
- Unit installed: one HydroFLOW® unit
- Installation point: condenser loop, between the pump and the chiller
- Installed: March 2017
- Dosing stopped: continuous chemical treatment discontinued
The unit was fitted to the condenser loop ahead of the chiller, and the system was then run chemical-free at much higher conductivity. The signal disrupts the conditions that bond scale to surfaces, so no scale formed as the water concentrated. Cooling tower cycles of concentration rose by 150%, water and chemical use both fell, and the chiller stayed clean throughout.
