A cooling tower uses evaporation or conduction to remove heat from water. Various businesses utilize cooling water in their operations so there are many varieties of cooling towers.  This blog post discusses how ozone in cooling tower water treatment can help.

Pollutants in Cooling Tower Water

Water that is applied in cooling towers, even when this concerns tap water, often contains salts (such as chlorine, sulphates and carbonates), dissolved gases (such as oxygen and carbon dioxide) and metal ions (such as iron and manganese ions). The presence of these pollutants can cause a series of problems.

The main problems that are caused, are fouling, limestone formation, corrosion and biological growth. The pollutants that are present depend on cooling tower building material, as well.  Some pollutants in cooling tower water include:

Microorganisms

Bacteria, viruses, and other disease-causing organisms may be found in almost every environment. They are frequently found in cooling tower water. Microorganisms can spread from air to water when cooling towers have an open recirculation system. When a substrate is available and several factors are ideal for bacterial growth, microorganisms can quickly increase.

The pH, temperature, oxygen concentration, and nutrients are examples of conditions that influence the rate of microbial growth. Due to water evaporation, the nutritional value of water increases. Leaks and water use can also cause the nutrient content in the water to rise. This might result in problems.

Bio Film

Slime formation happens when a large amount of bacteria grow. This is made up of both organic and inorganic components. Some microorganisms produce polymers that can form a gel-like network around cells after hydrolysis, resulting in bio film.

Microorganisms can attach to surface layers as a result of bio film development. As a consequence, microorganisms are no longer removed by cooling tower water once they have attached themselves. Biofilms protect bacteria from other bacteria and chemicals, making water disinfection more difficult. When a bio film is present, water disinfection becomes considerably more difficult.

Ozone in Cooling Towers

Ozone is a potent disinfectant and an intriguing alternative to chemical biocides in cooling tower water treatment. The use of ozone in cooling towers has several advantages. Ozone is a powerful oxidant and a great option for chemical biocides in cooling tower water treatment.

· No chlorinated compound.

· Ozone breaks down back to oxygen.

· In some cases ozone can replace disinfectant and also dispergents and inhibitors

· In many cases a higher concentration factor is possible

· Safe and easy to use

· Ozone is produced on-site and requires no storage of dangerous chemicals

· Ozone requires no additional disinfectants

· Ozone does not build up a resistance to microorganisms after prolonged exposure.

· Very effective in removing biofilms

· Low maintenance costs

· Higher efficiency of heat exchangers due to reduced biofilm formation

· Due to good biofilm removal capacities very effective against Legionella

 · Lower operational costs and in many cases a lower overall costs

· Ozone is more effective with a wide pH range

The ultra-high efficiency of this disinfectant helps to keep the cooling tower and cooling circuit clean. In most cases, a residual ozone concentration of 0.1 to 0.2 ppm is quite sufficient in keeping the cooling tower and the cooling circuit free of dirt.

Bottom Line

The ozone process is a great way to reduce the amount of bacteria in your cooling tower water. Ozone can also help to improve the overall efficiency of your cooling tower by reducing corrosion and scaling.