Call us: +27 10 140 0870 (SA) | +1 (904) 749 4352 (International)
sales@watercareinnovations.com
Watercare InnovationsWatercare InnovationsWatercare InnovationsWatercare Innovations
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Company Overview
    • Industries We Serve
    • Divisions
    • Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Commitment
    • BBBEE Accredited
    • Corporate Social Investment
  • Our Expertise
    • Chemicals & Services
    • Process Technology
      • Water Treatment Plants
      • Metal and Reagent Recovery Plants
      • Gold Recovery Process
      • Integrated Mine Water Management Systems
    • OEM of Industrial Water Related Equipment
    • Case Studies
  • Our Capabilities
  • Blog
  • Opportunities
    • Careers
    • Partnerships
  • Contact Us
Previous
cooling water system management

6 common cooling water system challenges – and how we tackle them #thewatercareway

By Wendy Losper | Blog | Comments are Closed | 13 Jun, 2022 | 0

As the global population continues to grow, water insecurities in major cities are being felt with increased frequency. It has become critical for industries to reduce their fresh water consumption and improve their internal water reticulation systems. Effective onsite water system management is the simplest method to reduce water consumption.

When Watercare Innovations formulates a cooling water management strategy, we believe in the importance of the specific delivery requirements of each individual project. These are the six most common cooling water system challenges we tackle in every project we deliver.

1. Scale

Watercare Innovations strongly believes in assisting our clients by mitigating risks to the water systems in their operations and helping these operations run at optimum efficiencies.
We achieve this by looking deeper into cooling tower make-up water. This may appear clean but can contain excess dissolved minerals that can cause scale if left untreated.

Limescale is one such example. This type of scale deposits in the heat exchanger section of the cooling system reducing cooling efficiencies and promoting corrosion beneath the scale deposit. The way we prevent this is to carefully manage the system water chemistry by controlling the water stability and using proven inorganic dispersants that keep the scale-forming dissolved solids in suspension.

scale deposits in a cooling water system

Scale deposits in a cooling system reduce efficiencies and promote corrosion

2. Corrosion

We help our clients further in running their cooling operations at optimum efficiency by looking deeper into the cooling tower make-up water, which may appear harmless, but can contain dissolved oxygen and excess hydrogen ions that can cause corrosion if left unattended. Corrosion causes cracks, leaks and premature failure of cooling system components.

We mitigate the risk of system failure by implementing a corrosion control programme that incorporates the monitoring of corrosion coupons placed at representative points in the cooling system. The corrosion control programme supplements the management of the cooling water stability together with the implementation of a corrosion control chemical programme.

corrosion in a water cooling system

Dissolved oxygen and excess hydrogen ions cause corrosion if left untreated

3. Slime

One millilitre of make-up cooling water contains as many as a million bacterial cells, despite the water appearing crystal clear! These bacteria can double in number within four hours.
Microorganisms do not like to remain free-floating in the water. They quickly adhere to the cooling system surfaces where they protect themselves with a thick layer of slime. The biofilm plugs and fouls tubes, filters, cooling tower fill and other cooling system components.

Biofouling leads to other problems such as under deposit corrosion (Microbial Induced Corrosion or MIC) and loss of heat exchanger efficiency. By introducing effective microbiological control we retain heat exchanger and cooling tower efficiency and bring slime and MIC under control.

combatting slim build-up in a cooling water system

One millilitre of make-up cooling water can contain a million bacterial cells

4. Environmental pollution

At Watercare Innovations, environmental sustainability is at the forefront of our value-added service. Cooling towers present environmental concerns in several ways. The cooling water may contain potentially toxic components emitted into the atmosphere by the cooling tower fans as water droplets together with the vapour.

These towers also discharge this cooling water as a blowdown stream into the stormwater drains, or directly into the environment, polluting natural water bodies. By understanding our clients’ processes and the interrelationship between their process and cooling systems, it’s possible to identify potentially toxic components present in the cooling water.

We prevent this environmental pollution by providing innovative recycling solutions for cooling tower blowdown water, which prevents contamination of our ecosystems and preserves aquatic balance.

5. Foam

The core of Watercare Innovations’ service delivery centres on the preservation of cooling equipment, excellence in housekeeping and safety. Not only is a foaming cooling tower unsightly, but the surrounds adjacent to the tower also become unsafe. The presence of severe and stable foam in the cooling water causes air locks in the recirculating pumps increasing maintenance and downtime. Our cooling water management includes the reliable control of foam.

Fighting foam is one of the common cooling water system challenges

Fighting foam is one of the common cooling water system challenges

6. Process Contamination

Leaky heat exchanger tubes? The integrity of heat exchanger materials of construction is impacted by unstable, aggressive recirculating cooling water. Process material, usually organic in nature, provides additional nutrients for microbiological activity in the cooling system. We flag process leaks to monitor the organic loading of the recirculating cooling water.

Cooling and Process Water Treatment

Effective onsite water system management is the simplest method to reduce water consumption

Compressor Cooling Programme Case Study

When Watercare Innovations formulates a cooling water management strategy, we value the importance of the specific delivery requirements of each individual mining project. Our service representatives have an integral understanding of deep-level mine cooling and its integration into the overall mine water reticulation process.

We are proud to have improved the ventilation quality and chilled water reticulation of a deep-level PGM mine by improving the compressor and fridge plant efficiencies. We did this through a focused effort on optimising the heat exchange efficiencies across the cooling towers.

The cooling tower control equipment was upgraded to full working order enabling the optimisation of cycles of concentration. This, together with the implementation of an effective scale and microbial control programme, improved the cooling efficiency across the cooling tower by 30%. Water savings was a further result of our cooling water management strategy for this site.

Let us help you tackle your cooling water system challenges.




    cooling water, industrial water treatment, water treatment chemicals

    Wendy Losper

    More posts by Wendy Losper

    Related Post

    • aluminium quality

      How to decrease aluminium reworks through optimising cooling water quality

      By Wendy Losper | Comments are Closed

      The success of aluminium casting depends on the implementation of accurate temperature control through the smelting and casting process. The dissipation of heat must be uniform at all points of the final product. Temperature controlRead more

    • Monitoring a water treatment programme in a cooling tower system

      By Wendy Losper | Comments are Closed

      The mining industry relies heavily on compressed air due to its versatility and the ease with which the compressed air system network can be expanded. Cooling is crucial to avoid the excessive temperature increases thatRead more

    • Mine water management: crucial for the future of mining – and the environment

      By Wendy Losper | Comments are Closed

      Most mines both consume and produce water. Water is a critical component of mining operations, utilised in mining, downstream processing and product conveyance. Water is often imported for operating purposes from remote locations or transferredRead more

    • Water treatment in 2021: 6 reasons we’re celebrating

      By Wendy Losper | Comments are Closed

      While many are lamenting the impact of Covid, erratic power supply and a “failed state” on their businesses this year, we have found six reasons to celebrate 2021. This year our teams from various divisionsRead more

    • Water plant safety: 8 ways Watercare Innovations puts safety first at your operation

      By Wendy Losper | Comments are Closed

      As a water treatment company, safety lies at the heart of our operation. Guided by our Zero harm policy, we strive to provide products and services that are guaranteed by implementing internationally recognised safety andRead more

    Previous

    Recent Posts

    • 6 common cooling water system challenges – and how we tackle them #thewatercareway
    • How to decrease aluminium reworks through optimising cooling water quality
    • Monitoring a water treatment programme in a cooling tower system
    • Mine water management: crucial for the future of mining – and the environment
    • Water treatment in 2021: 6 reasons we’re celebrating

    ISO

    Yes!

    ISO

    At Watercare Innovations water treatment is more than just chemical treatment. Innovation that improves water and energy efficiencies, as well as productivity, is what sets us apart.

    • About Us
    • Our Expertise
    • Our Capabilities
    • Case Studies
    • Contact Us
    • Downloads & Resources
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    Copyright 2021 Watercare Innovations | Designed By Select Web | All Rights Reserved
    • Home
    • About Us
      • Company Overview
      • Industries We Serve
      • Divisions
      • Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Commitment
      • BBBEE Accredited
      • Corporate Social Investment
    • Our Expertise
      • Chemicals & Services
      • Process Technology
        • Water Treatment Plants
        • Metal and Reagent Recovery Plants
        • Gold Recovery Process
        • Integrated Mine Water Management Systems
      • OEM of Industrial Water Related Equipment
      • Case Studies
    • Our Capabilities
    • Blog
    • Opportunities
      • Careers
      • Partnerships
    • Contact Us
    Watercare Innovations