Because it is the right thing to do.
Chemical, Scale and Corrosion
Control
A Non-Salt,
Non-Chemical, World-Class viral and microbial kill is
maintained in the tower.
Scale and Corrosion
Control is achieved with the addition of ionization and oxygen
electrodes.
Our Technology manages the
stability and solubility of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates, carbonates
and silicates which are directly responsible for scale, deposit and
corrosion problems in cooling towers.
Ionization produces
strong coagulation and flocculation throughout the tower. Coagulation
and proper filtration control collodial organics, silt, dirt and
insoluble metals, preventing galvanic corrosion, reducing maintenance
and saving unnecessary down time.
With ozone and ionization gaining
acceptance in cooling tower water treatment, ionic copper and natural
oxygen systems provide the best available technologies for cooling tower
management. Oxygen radicals (OH and O1) from the water itself
provide more powerful, less corrosive oxidizers than ozone and are
enhanced by the residual sanitizer, ionic copper. The oxygen and
residual ionic copper act as a powerful biocide that greatly decreases
or nearly eliminates the need to remove large quantities of water from
the cooling tower in order to decrease the concentration of organic and
mineral solids in the system.
Ionic copper and natural oxygen treatment
reduces the need for chemical additives to the cooling tower water. In a
properly installed and maintained system, bacterial counts are reduced,
with a subsequent minimization of the build-up of biofilm on heat
exchanger surfaces. The resulting reduction in energy use, increased
cooling tower operating efficiency and reduced maintenance effort
provide cost savings as well as environmental benefit and regulatory
compliance with respect to discharge of wastewater.
Cooling towers associated with chillers for air-conditioning should
immediately consider the purchase of a Cooling Tower
System.
A cooling tower functions to cool a
circulating stream of water. The tower acts as a heat exchanger by
driving ambient air through falling water, causing some of the warmed
water to evaporate, which coolos the water, and then circulates this
cooler water back through the equipment that needs cooling (such as a
chiller condenser). Typically, chemicals such as chlorine and chelating
agents are added to cooling tower water to control biological growth
(called "biofilm") and inhibit mineral build-up (called "scale"). The
control of biofilm and scale is essential in maintaining cooling tower
heat transfer efficiency. As the water volume in the tower is reduced
through evaporation and drift, the concentration of these chemicals and
their byproducts increases. Cooling towers also pick up contaminants
from the ambient air. To maintain chemical and contaminant
concentrations at a prudent level, water is periodically removed from
the system through a process called "blowdown" or "bleed off."
The blowdown water and the water lost through
evaporation and drift are replaced with fresh "make-up" water (which
also contains minerals and other impurities). Blowdown water must
subsequently be discharged to a local wastewater treatment facility or
discharged onsite to the environment. The blowdown water typically
contains little organic material, and the local wastewater treatment
facility will charge extra sewage fees for accepting the water. These
costs can be quite significant in the overall costs of operating a
cooling tower. Discharge of the blowdown water to the environment onsite
is coming under increasing regulation because of the contaminants
typically found in blowdown water. Oxygen will dissipate quickly and not
be found in the blowdown water. This reduces the overall chemical load
found in the discharge water, making it much easier to comply with
regulations.
Our Cooling Tower Systems normally
include the following components: water and oil coalescing filters,
particle filter, oxygen annodes, copper annodes, and a
monitoring/control system.
Field tests have demonstrated that the use of
oxygen and ionization in place of chemical treatment can reduce the need
for blowdown, and, in some cases where make-up water and ambient air are
relatively clean, can eliminate it. As a result, cost savings accrue
from decreased chemical and water use requirements as well as from a
reduction of wastewater volume. There are also environmental benefits as
fewer chlorine or chlorinated compounds and other chemicals are
discharged. An Oxygen/Copper System requires less maintenance per
year than either a chemical or chemical/ozone system.
There is no doubt that ionization combined with
oxygen acts as a descaling agent. The reason is that oxygen with
ionization breaks down the biofilm that serves as the binding agent that
causes scale to adhere to heat exchange surfaces. When scale build-up on
condenser tubes is reduced, higher heat transfer rates are achieved.
Increasing the condenser heat transfer rate reduces the chiller head
pressure, which then allows the chiller to operate more efficiently and
use less energy. Calcium and magnesium carbonate revert and maintain to
a bicarbonate state up to 150°, staying in solution.
CASE
STUDY: Chemical-Free Mini-Tower 1 1/2"
System
XYZ Plastic Injection
Molders, Dallas, Texas, 1995-Present
2/96: Installed 1 1/2" Standard 1
Ton System
Water quality shows major
improvement
Tower down time reduced
dramatically.
No chemicals are
used in this
tower.
