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Surface and cooling water
Fouling, contamination, corrosion, ecology, services, tools and projects in relation to cooling water
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Industrial use of surface water
The living water
Surface water is a source of biological life, which feels perfectly at home in the protected, oxygenated and nutritionally rich environment of an industrial cooling system, allowing all kinds of species to settle. As a result of this settlement, operational problems can arise. For example, biofilm, a slimy layer on the walls formed by micro-organisms, reduces heat transfer in condensers, but also initiates corrosion of cooling system materials because of microbial activity. Also, screens, pumps and piping can become clogged by large numbers of shellfish that have settled in the system.
Without mitigation this means in the case of seawater that the cooling system becomes seriously fouled by hundreds of tons of mussels in just a few years. For freshwater systems the process is slower but equally dangerous. Around the Great Lakes in North America many problems arose in large industrial cooling systems after the Zebra mussel was introduced into this area at the end of the eighties.
In order to mitigate these fouling organisms, chemicals are added to the inlet cooling water. However, application of chemicals brings its own problems: excessive costs and, if the application is not controlled, stimulation of damaging processes such as corrosion. Also, when there is chemical dosing there is environmental legislation to meet and of course, the safety of employees has to be taken into account.
In addition, the effect of hydropower on fish, most importantly on migrating fish species such as salmon and eel, also falls within our area of expertise. During passage through the turbines of hydropower stations, fish are killed. In order to prevent the fish from being drawn into the turbines or inlets of cooling water systems, they must be guided in the direction of a safe by-pass. To achieve this, several techniques can be applied, based on behavioral reaction of the fish either to light or sound.
The expertise of the group industrial use of surface water covers as many subjects concerning problems with the industrial use of surface water. We are always ready support you, providing innovative, cost-effective solutions for your day-to-day concerns, but also able to solve more serious problems when surface water is essential for your plant operations.
Research and development focussed on innovative, profitable and efficient techniques for specific problems such as fouling by macro- and micro- organisms, Legionella and fish deflection are part of our business.
For more information please contact us.
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