Category Archives: Cooling Towers

 

If you are searching for “Cooling Tower Corrosion Protection” you are probably trying to understand the ways you can make your cooling tower system last longer for your commercial or industrial property.  This article is designed to help you understand why cooling towers are especially prone to corrosion, and what you can do to about it.

Cooling towers are a vital part of a lot of businesses and industrial processes. They provide cooling for chiller systems and help remove heat from fabrication processes.  Coolant in many applications comes in the form of water, and when combined with extreme heat it creates an environment that is prone to corroding metal.  To extend the life of cooling towers, and their components, coatings are applied to various elements as a barrier between water and chemicals and bare metal.

What is corrosion?

Corrosion is a set of forces which have a natural tendency to electrolytically or chemically react with metals, when given the proper circumstances and opportunity. The most prevalent and common of these forces is Oxygen. With oxygen being the most common element on the planet oxidation is a serious concern for metal.  Oxidation is a reference to the way oxygen interacts with various compounds or elements and the term rust describes the way that oxygen interacts with iron. Iron is the basic ingredient used in the production of carbon steel which is very common in cooling tower components.

Regional Effects on Corrosion

The degree of oxidation and corrosion on carbon steel varies by degree based on the heat and humidity of a given geographical region. Places which are cool and dry haven’t the same predisposition for corrosion as somewhere that is humid and hot. It is in these hot or humid areas which corrosion must be prepared for prevented.

Atmospheric Effects on Corrosion

Today’s air conditions include an ever increasing corrosion atmosphere which is caused by considerable increases in industrialization.  The coatings that we used years ago which would be considered rudimentary by today’s standards functioned adequately with air that was more “fresh”.  With air quality changing and usually towards a higher content of gaseous byproducts ongoing research and development is necessary to keep the coatings used to prevent corrosion effective.

Cooling Tower Conditions and Corrosion

The purpose of a cooling tower is to take hot water from industrial or HVAC processes which produce hot water and cool it back down to be used again to sustain the process. As we know the combination of heat and humidity is the perfect conditions for corrosion to occur. In addition to heat and humidity cooling towers also include evaporation which causes an relentless flow of flow against the metal components in the cooling tower. When water stagnates around steel it actually develops a protective layer of oxidation which prevents aggressive corrosion. In the case of cooling towers the constant flow of air, water, and evaporation continually dissolves this film and perpetually eats away at new metal material.

Quality Cooling Tower Coatings

To help prevent corrosion and the need to replace components or entire cooling towers which are susceptible to corrosion coatings such as Belzona 1321 are used to centrifugal pumps, vacuum pumps, valves, heat exchangers, impellers, pipes, nozzles, water boxes, and much more. Benefits of using a coating like Belzona is that it makes maintenance more simple, cuts down on the need for spare parts, helps protect against corrosion, and therefore extends the life of cooling towers and chillers. Let All Kote Lining take care of your cooling towers the right way.  We specialize in maintaining the equipment you have to make it operate more efficiently and last longer.

It can be applied to various elements in the cooling tower system by using shimming, bonding, injecting and more application methods. It bonds aggressively to a wide range of substrates and as a multipurpose polymeric coating it does not corrode and provides exceptional resistance against a wide range of chemicals. If you have questions about how to prevent corrosion in cooling towers or would like to schedule cooling tower corrosion protection please call 480-966-4446.

 

This article covers “The Importance of Drift Eliminators“.  Understanding the components that make your cooling tower work helps understand the required maintenance. Regular cooling tower maintenance cuts down on wasted water, energy usage, and extends the life of your equipment.  Cooling Towers are complex devices that utilize many various components to achieve their cooling functionality. From Fills and nozzles there is a symphony of parts being played out as the natural process of evaporation is synthesized. The process of evaporation synthesis takes a ‘team effort’ so making sure all of your components work in concert is key to getting the most out of you towers. One of the vital components of cooling towers is the drift eliminator. This entry is going to briefly profile the drift eliminator in order to give more clarity to the picture of cooling tower functionality.

What Are Drift Eliminators?

Drift eliminators greatly reduce water loss in cooling towers by minimizing the ability for water droplets to get caught up in the air being discharged from the cooling tower. They achieve this reduction in water loss by producing directional change to the air flow throughout the tower to interrupt the upward motion of the water droplets. Water is fundamental to the functioning of a cooling tower reducing water loss can turn into great savings. Making sure you have high quality drift eliminators installed will set your cooling tower up for long lasting and efficient service and set you up for major savings over an extended period of time.

Every cooling tower loses a portion of water through evaporation into the environment during operation. Generally when cooling towers are working properly this loss is in the form of water vapor which is pure and poses no harm to the environment. In contrast loss that has mineral and chemicals from the cooling tower is drift. This undesirable loss of water is sometimes caused by the fast moving air carrying it out of the cooling tower. Treated water which is common in cooling towers can in fact pose a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

How Drift Eliminators Work

Drift eliminators are designed to prevent large water droplets from escaping via the cooling tower air stream.  They do this by forcing the droplets caught in the stream of air to causing a change in direction which reduces their velocity. They are directed into the blade walls and run back down into the tower.  When drift eliminators are properly installed and maintained they prevent the treated water from escaping the cooling tower. This saves operators money on treating additional water and helps mitigate damage to the environment. The best drive eliminators keep drive losses under .001%.

Professional Drift Eliminator Maintenance

Cooling Towers can be massive and keeping them running at a high level of efficiency takes a lot of work and maintenance. That amount of maintenance that is needed can actually be quite intimidating if you aren’t approaching it from a place of knowledge and understanding of your tower’s maintenance needs and how it is supposed to work. Having all of your components well maintained and in like new condition will allow you and your facility to enjoy the effects of a properly functioning cooling tower for years and possibly decades to come. If you have a cooling tower in Arizona and you have experienced excessive loss through drift, or you just want to have your cooling tower tuned up, please call All Kote Lining, Inc. at 480-966-4446.

 

Cooling towers function by utilizing coolant fluids which must be retained and recycled through the system. This is true for both mechanical and natural draft cooling tower technologies. A lot of people think of concrete as the superman of building materials which is just impervious, which is not true.  Concrete is chemically more similar to ceramic materials in terms of chemistry.  Ceramic products such as fired pottery or dishware are considered “vitreous” materials. Whereas concrete is a sub-vitreous construction material which is more porous which allows a degree of water permeability. Being a bit like a hard sponge the dried capillaries of concrete contribute to concrete’s permeability. Concrete cooling tower basin repair extends the life of the cooling tower and keeps operating costs more affordable.

Water Retention in Reinforced Concrete

When concrete elements are initially installed the design and concrete consistency play a major role in the long term durability of your concrete cooling tower water basin. When leaks are found or concrete is experiencing degradation concrete epoxy coatings can be applied to cooling tower water basins to help protect the concrete and extend the life of the cooling tower.

• The concrete basins in cooling towers should include the following details which will help manage issues with water retention and durability.
• Cement should be ordered with low water-to-cement ratios. This means that as the concrete dries there will be less shrinkage due to water evaporation.
• Conform to ACI-350 standards for embedded reinforced steel which will help restrain cracking from material volume shrinkage.
• Utilize formwork systems which do not include full wall section thicknesses.
• Minimize the quantity of construction joints or proposed joins involved in the formed edges of the basin.
• Institute a quality assurance and quality control phase in your concrete construction project.

Concrete Cooling Tower Water Basin Defects

Significant factors that lead leaks in concrete water basins in cooling towers are:

• Misplaced steel bars inside the concrete mass which fail to control volume shrinkage.
• Unconsolidated concrete which was not poured right and provides a direct conduit through the concrete.
• Inadequately sealed concrete which leads to the corrosion or the embedded steel.
• Absences or misplacement of water stop glands which prevent water from passing through expansion joints.

Leak Mitigation in Cooling Tower Basins

A lot of times cooling tower owners think that waterproofing is a one and done deal when the cooling tower is first constructed. There are both positive and negative side waterproofing measures which help prevent leaks and protect concrete. Positive side generally includes the waterproofing measures which are done before the cooling tower has been placed in service. Negative side waterproofing usually refers to coatings and repairs which are done after the cooling tower is in use or even when it is on-line.

Concrete Cooling Tower Basin Repair

There are different approaches for the repair of concrete cooling tower water basins. The appropriate repair will depend on the size of the leak and the amount of water leaking from your cooling tower. These repair approaches include:

• Coatings
• Grouting
• Flow rerouting
• Surface & Joint Seals
• Membranes

Coatings

Epoxy coatings are a common and effective method for repairing concrete in cooling towers. The application involves the epoxy coating being bonded to the concrete surfaces of the cooling tower after proper cleaning and preparation. Specially designed epoxy coatings are used for these environment which are designed to cope with the constant presence of the chemicals used in cooling tower water programs.

Grouting

Grouting, much like we imagine in tile installation, involves injecting water-stopping materials around or behind structures which forms a barrier for process fluids and water. Generally these materials solidify to be anywhere from completely rigid to semi-gelatinous. This means that depending on the size of the gap or crack grouting can be flexible to follow expansion or rock solid to provide added structural rigidity.

Flow Rerouting

In emergency situations when there is heavy flow using re-circulating pumps or sand-bags.  This is due during monsoon conditions or when process fluid surges crest. In a lot of cases the leakage cannot be stopped until the pressures are lowered after bypass piping is installed into the joints or cracks in concrete members.

Surface & Joint Seals

Surfaces that experience cracking or joints that aren’t holding water can be repaired by installing materials over or in these areas. The materials used are highly specific to this application and must abe able to transmit and absorb loads and energy. This includes any flow or movement during the operation of the cooling tower.

Membranes

Membranes are typically part of positive side concrete cooling tower basin waterproofing as they require a very high level of quality assurance. These systems can be both unbounded and bonded sheet systems that feature welded seams designed to contain the process water.

Concrete Cooling Tower Basin Repair

All Kote Lining Inc. offers service valleywide in Phoenix, AZ. We specialize in the evaluation of cooling tower maintenance including the repair of concrete cooling tower basins. From the nozzles, through the system, and back to the basin we can maintain, repair, and replace any element on your cooling tower to refurbish your cooling tower and extend its working lifespan.  Properly servicing and repairing your cooling tower will save companies from inflated operating costs from having to prematurely replace cooling tower systems.

For more information about how we can help repair and extend the life of your cooling towers:
Call All Kote Lining, Inc at 480-966-4446.