Cooling Water System

And Its Problems

Classification of Cooling Water System
Cooling Towers
 How
Cooling
Towers
Works?
Heat Exchanger
Heat Flux

𝑄 = 𝑈 𝑋 𝐴 𝑋 ∆𝑇𝐿𝑀𝑇𝐷

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

Fouling Factor

Higher fouling factor tends to decreasing

overall heat transfer coefficient.
Water Balance in Cooling Water System
Evaporation Loss (E)

When 1 percent of circulating water evaporates, the

temperature difference becomes approximately 5.8°C

Windage Loss (W)

0.05 – 0.2% of the circulation rate (forced draft cooling towers)

Blowdown Water Quantity (B) Make-Up Water Quantity (M)

Blowdown rate is determined in consideration of Holding water volume is kept at a constant
corrosion and scale.
Water Balance in Cooling Water System
Cycles of Concentration (N)

When the system is steady state and the evaporation

loss doesn’t contain dissolved solid. So,
Problems in Cooling Water System

Type of CW
System Closed Open
Once Through
Problems Recirculating Recirculating
Corrosion
Scale
Slime

Note: Frequency of problems (higher) (lower)

 Local Anode : Fe → Fe2+ + 2e-
Corrosion Local Cathode : 1/2O2 + H2O + 2e- → 2OH-
2H+ + 2e- → H2
Then, the electrochemical reaction take place
Fe2+ + 2OH- → Fe(OH)2
2Fe(OH)2 + 1/2O2 + H2O → 2Fe(OH)3 or Fe2O3.3H2O

Pitting Corrosion
Oxygen concentration under fouling is low → Local Anode
Surrounding area become Local Cathode. Corrosion reaction
happened.

Fe2+ concentrated under the pit

Anions (2Cl-) move to the pit through the fouling (high diffusion rate)

FeCl2 is formed and yields H+ by hydrolysis

Acidic condition accelerate the pitting corrosion

e.g. corrosion in carbon steel
Corrosion Inhibitors
Example of Corrosion
Type of Corrosion Inhibitor Characteristic of Protective Film
Inhibitor
Chromates,
Oxide film type Fine and thin film (30-200 Ă), closely adherence to
Nitrites,
(passivation film type) metal, excellent corrosion protection
Molybdates
Polyphosphates,
Chemicals forming the Relatively porous and relatively thick film, slightly
Precipitation Film

Orthophosphates,
insoluble salts with calcium poor adherence to metal, fairly good corrosion
Phosphonates,
ions, etc., in water protection
Type

Zinc Salts
Chemicals forming water Mercaptobenzothiazole,
Relatively close and relatively thin film, fairly good
insoluble salts with the Benzotriazole,
corrosion protection
protected metal ion Tolyltriazole
Formation of perfect adsorption layer on clean metal
Amines, surface in acid or non-aqueous solution and
Adsorption Film Type
Surfactants formation of non-uniform adsorption layer on
unclean surface in fresh water
Mechanism of Corrosion Inhibitor
Hydrophobic Layer

Magnetite Layer
Functional Group

Carbon Steel Carbon Steel

Passivation/Oxide Film Type Adsorption Film Type

Precipitation Film Type

Factors Influencing the Effect of Corrosion
Inhibitors

• pH (6.5 - 9.0)
• Calcium Hardness (precipitation layer type)
• Concentration of Aggressive Anions (Cl- / SO42-)
• Residual Chlorine Concentration (<1 mg Cl2/L)
• Water Temperature
• Water Flow Rate
Other Corrosion Prevention Methods
• Cathodic Protection
Scale

• Calcium Carbonate
• Calcium and Zinc Phosphates
• Silica and Magnesium Silicates
• Calcium Sulfates
Formation of Scale
Smaller than the
Dissolved
Critical size

Complex
Ion Ion Bigger than the Form a
Crystal
Nucleus Critical size Crystal
Single
Molecules
Depends to the saturation degree
→ Induction period

Crystal growth rate is determined by :

1. Diffusion rate of the solute into the crystal surface
2. Deposition rate of the solute on the surface

Driving force of solute diffusion :

Difference of the solute concentration between the crystal surface and the bulk solution
Calcium Carbonate
pHs = (9.3 + A + B) – (C + D)

A, B, C, and D value is determined by using Tables

3.11 to 3.14 in Kurita Handbook according to the
cooling water quality and the temperature. PHa

Langelier Saturation Index (SI)

SI = pHa – pHs > 0 : Supersaturation condition
of Calcium Carbonate
SI = pHa – pHs < 0 : Unsaturation condition of PHS
Calcium Carbonate
Ryznar Stability Index (S)
S = 2pHs – pHa < 6 : Scaling tendency
S = 2pHs – pHa = 6 : Chemical Equilibrium
Schematic illustration of saturation index for
S = 2pHs – pHa > 6 : Corrosive tendency
calcium carbonate under the precipitation
equilibrium condition.
 Calcium Phosphate
Hydrolysis
Calcium
Polyphosphate Orthophosphate
Phosphate

Ca+
Corrosion Inhibitors

Green’s Method Kubo’s Method (Saturation Index)

(pH–Tf) > (Caf + POf) : Supersaturation Solution
of Calcium Phosphate
(pH–Tf) < (Caf + POf) : Unsaturation Solution of
[CaH] : Calcium Hardness (mg CaCO3 / L)
Calcium Phosphate
[PO4] : Phosphate concentration (mg PO43- / L)
The value of Tf , Caf , and POf from Tables 3.15 to 3.17 SI = pHa – pHc > 0 : Supersaturation condition
pH–Tf : pH-Temperature Factor of Calcium Phosphate
Caf : Calcium Factor SI = pHa – pHc < 0 : Unsaturation condition of
POf : Phosphate Factor Calcium Phosphate
Silica and Magnesium Silicate
• Magnesium silicate tends to deposit easily at higher pH.
• The critical pH is varied according to water temperature,
magnesium hardness and silica concentration.

Silica deposit
Magnesium easily as the
silicate deposition temperature
increase as the
decrease
temperature
increase
 Calcium Sulfates
Calcium sulphate is hardly removed by chemical cleaning. But it has
very high solubility in water. So pH control is the best method to
prevent scaling.

Calcium sulphate
solubility is 40 times
more than that of
calcium carbonate
Functional Mechanisms of Scale Inhibitors
• Prevention of crystal nucleus formation → solution’s pH control to keep the
scale component in unsaturated condition.
• Threshold Effect → Inhibition effect of scale inhibitors with non-
stoichiometric dosages.
• Crystal Distortion Effect
• Maintain the dispersion condition
 Kinds of Scale Inhibitors

For calcium sulfate scale: polyphosphates, phosphonates, and acrylic acid homopolymers
Factors Influencing the Effects of Scale
Inhibitors

• Water Quality
• Water Temperature
• Water Flow Rate
• Heat Flux and Skin Temperature of Heat Exchanger Tube
• Retention Time (150 – 300 hours)
Biofouling
• Caused by Slime adhesion and/or sludge accumulation
• Biofouling can cause the local corrosion under it

Volume/dry weight >>>

Biofouling Control Methods
• Mechanical methods
• Applications of Biofouling Control Agents
• Sterilization (chlorination)
• Reduction of Microorganism Growth Rate (organic nitrogen-sulfur / amines)
• Prevention of Slime Adhesion (ammonium salt / organic bromine)
• Removal of Adhered Slime (chlorine compound, bromine compound, etc.)
• Suspended Solid Dispersion (polymer dispersant & biocides)
• Side Stream Filtration
Thank You