Physical water treatments

in recirculating open cooling water system

Drexel University
Prof. Young I. Cho
April 2005
choyi@drexel.edu
The objective was to investigate

the efficiency of PWT technologies in

preventing and controlling fouling

on heat transfer surfaces

in circulating open cooling-tower water

systems.

2
Fouling Costs for Several Countries
Fouling in costs 1992 GNP
Country (million U.S. (billions U.S. Fouling as % of
dollars) dollars)
GNP

United States 14,175 5,670 0.25

Japan 10,000 4,000 0.25

Germany 4,875 1,950 0.25

United Kingdom 2,500 1,000 0.25

Australia 463 309 0.15

New Zealand 64 43 0.15

Data from www.cpe.surrey.ac.uk/dptri/hms/fouling.htm

3
 Objectives of the ASHARE research

To investigate the efficiency of physical

water treatments (PWT)

1. To increase the cycle of concentration

– water saving

2. To reduce fouling resistance

– energy saving

4
 Physical water treatment

• Permanent magnets
• Solenoid coils
• Electrostatic device
• Catalytic alloys
• Others
– (sudden pressure drop, vortex flows)

5
Permanent magnets

Flow

N S S N N S

(Side view) (Cut view)

6
Solenoid-coils

Control Unit

Pulsating current

Flow

Solenoid coil

7
Electrostatic device

8
Hard Water in a cooling tower
5 COC w/o EAF 5 COC w/EAF
Make-up
a1
a2 a3 a4 a5
Conductivity
450 2040 2150 2100 2150
(µS/cm)
pH 7.2 8.1 8.2 8.0 8.2

Calcium (mg/L) 150 520 512 558 544

Magnesium (mg/L) 50 244 240 234 236

Total
200 764 752 792 780
hardness(mg/L)
Total alkalinity
78 176 188 180 188
(mg/L)
Chloride (mg/L) 73 382 408 390 404
Langelier
Saturation Index 0.36 2.02 2.1 1.95 2.1
(at 59oC)

9
 What is fouling in a heat exchanger?
+
-
Crystallization Fouling +
-
+
+
+
+
-
-

-
+

- - +
• Produce hardened scale deposits +
-
+
+ - +
- -
• Difficult to remove; need acid wash. -
+ +
+
- +

Particulate Fouling
• Produces soft sludge scale coating
• Can be removed if flow velocity is large.

10
Challenges in physical water treatment

Fouling in
Physics Law Heat Exchanger

Water
Chemistry

11
Proposed Mechanism of PWT for the
Mitigation of Mineral Fouling

Bulk precipitation

12
 Physical Laws behind PWT

• Permanent magnet - Lorentz force.

E=VxB

• Solenoid coil - Faraday’s law:

∂
∫ E ⋅ ds = − ∂t ∫ B ⋅ dA

13
 Physical Water Treatments

In d u c e d e le c tr o m o tiv e
+ 2
+

fo r c e ( m V )
∂
1
Solenoide
– ∫ E ⋅ ds = − ∂t ∫
B ⋅ dA 0
-1
-2
–
Square wave current Faraday’s law -3
1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Time (msec)

magnetic field changes

direction E1

E=VxB
+
flow
Lorentz force
Magnets –
E2
magnetic field B1 E2 = V x B2
perpendicular to flow
V
V

E1 = V x B1
B2

14
 Bulk precipitation

• External magnetic or electric fields precipitate mineral ions

and form clusters in water.

• Clusters grow in size

• Particulate fouling Æsoft sludge coating

• If sufficient flow velocity, the soft sludge coating is removed.

• Mineral fouling is mitigated.

15
 The scope of the research

Determination of Heat transfer

fouling resistance test
historical
behaviors
time-dependent
images

Investigation of
SEM
scale characteristics
scale
characteristics
X-ray diffraction

Water Analysis Titration LSI

All tests were conducted with a biocide.

16
 Laboratory Cooling Tower
Air out with
moisture

Acrylic cylinder

Circulating water in
Compressed air

Fills
Plastic wire
ball

Centrifugal fan

Air in

Rectangular
polyethylene tank
Makeup water in

Float ball valve Signal in

Circulating blowdown
water to cooling Solenoid
tower via test valve
section 17
 Fouling Test Facility
Air

Fan Circulating cooling water

Flow Cooling tower

controller
Make-up water

Floating Monitor & VCR

valve
Solenoid
valve Flow
CCD
Pump Blowdown camera controller
PWT
device Conductivity
meter Cold side channel Microscope

flow

Insulation
Pump
Hot water to drain Hot side channel Hot water

Copper plate
24 kW
HT test section: velocity = 1.2 - 1.5 m/s water heater

18
Conductivity control and test procedure

c2 c3 c4 c5
3990

Conductivity
(µS/cm) b2 b3 b4 b5
2990

a2 a3 a4 a5
1990

410 a1

before test w/o PWT w/ PWT

Time

19
Heat transfer test section

20
 Calculation of Fouling
Resistance
Fouling resistance 1 1
Rf = −
U fouled U ini

Overall heat transfer coefficient Q&

U =
A∆Tlm
Log-mean-temperature-difference
(Th ,i − Tc , o ) − (Th , o − Tc ,i )
∆Tlm =
⎡ (Th , i − Tc , o ) ⎤
ln ⎢ ⎥
T −
⎢⎣ h , o c ,i ⎥⎦
( T )
Energy balance
Q& = [m& c p (Ti − To )]h = [m& c p (To − Ti )]c
21
 Test Results
with Permanent Magnets
Permanent Magnet Test Results
1.6E-04
MWT-2.0 m/s
1.4E-04 MWT-4.0 m/s
MWT-6.3 m/s 26
1.2E-04 37
MWT-8.5 m/s
K/W)

43
No treatment
2

1.0E-04 57 %
Fouling Resistance (m

8.0E-05

6.0E-05

4.0E-05

2.0E-05

0.0E+00
0 50 100 150 200
Time (hours)

23
 Fouling resistance Rf (permanent magnet-1)
6.0E-05
No-treatment
5.0E-05 PWT_V=2.3 m/s
PWT_V=1.1 m/s
PWT_V=1.7 m/s 25
4.0E-05 PWT_V=3.0 m/s 33
42
3.0E-05
Rf (m K/W)

80%
2.0E-05
2

1.0E-05

0.0E+00
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 (Cut view)
-1.0E-05 Flow

-2.0E-05
N S S N N S
Time (hour)

(Side view)
24
 Water quality data

Make PMSM PMSM PMSM PMSM

Before filtration
up V=1.1m/s V=1.7m/s V=2.3m/s V=3.0m/s

pH 7.7 8.3 8.4 8.3 8.4

Sp Cond @ 25C, µmhos 525 1990 2010 2030 1970
Alk, “P” as CaCO3, ppm 0 0 3.6 8.3 0
Alk, “M” as CaCO3, ppm 70 228 189 229 194
Sulfur, as SO4, ppm 54 195 314 184 231
Chloride, as Cl, ppm 81 385 356 410 369
Hardness, Total, as CaCO3, ppm 185 824 845 853 757
Calcium, Total, as CaCO3, ppm 126 565 560 581 508
Magnesium, Total, as CaCO3, ppm 58 258 284 271 248

Copper, Total, as Cu, ppm <0.05 0.28 0.24 0.26 0.33

Iron, Total, as Fe, ppm <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05

Sodium, as Na, ppm 39 129 126 134 122
PO4, Ortho, as PO4 1.2 0.6 0.9 0.9 0.6
Silica, Total, as SiO2, ppm 5.7 15.1 20 13.9 23

25
 Percentage variations of Rf vs.
flow velocity (through PM)
Reduction of fouling resistance (%)

90
80
70

Reduction of fouling resistance (%)

60
60
55
50 50
40 45
30 40
20 35
0 1 2 3 4 30
Flow velocity (m/s) 25
20
0 2 4 6 8 10
Flow velocity (m/s)

26
 Fouled surfaces after tests

Water Channel

Flow

No- treatment PM-1.7 m/s

PM-2.3 m/s PM-3.0 m/s

27
SEM photographs: 3000x

No Treatment

28
 SEM photographs: 3000x

PM-2.3 m/s

29
X-ray diffraction measurements of scale deposits
4000 4000

Calcite Aragonite

3000 3000
Baseline Baseline

Intensity cps)
Intensity (cps)

2000 2000

1000 1000

0 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Diffraction Angle, 2 θ (deg.)
Diffraction Angle, 2θ (deg.)

4000 4000
No treatment_2000
No-treatment PWTtreatment_2000
PMD – 2.3 m/s
3000 3000
Intensity (cps)

Intensity (cps)
2000 2000

1000 1000

0 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Diffraction Angle, 2 θ (deg.) Diffraction Angle, 2θ (deg.)

30
 COC effect (permanent magnets-2)
7.0E-05
6.5E-05
6.0E-05 2,000 µS/cm 3,000 µS/cm
5.5E-05
5.0E-05
4.5E-05
4.0E-05 57 %
R f (m K/W)

Rf (m 2 K/W)
3.0E-05 3.5E-05
84 %
2

2.0E-05 2.5E-05
1.0E-05 1.5E-05
0.0E+00 5.0E-06
-1.0E-05 0 50 100 150 200 250 300
-5.0E-06
0 50 100 150 200 250
-2.0E-05
-1.5E-05
Time (hour)
Time (hour)

6.0E-05
5.0E-05 4,000 µS/cm
N S S N
4.0E-05 40 %
Flow
R f (m 2 K/W)

3.0E-05
2.0E-05
N S S N
1.0E-05
0.0E+00
-1.0E-05 0 50 100 150 200 250

-2.0E-05 31
Time (hour)
 Need for multiple magnets: Rf vs. time
7.0E-05
No treatment
6.0E-05 Type II-A 5%
5.0E-05 Type II-B
4.0E-05
Rf (m K/W)

3.0E-05 84%
Permanent magnet-3
2

2.0E-05
Ring magnet
1.0E-05
N S
0.0E+00
-1.0E-05 0 50 100 150 200 250 300

-2.0E-05 N S
(a) Type II-A
Time (hour)

2,000 µS/cm N S N S

N S N S
(b) Type II-B
32
 Effects of strength and frequency
SCED-0.7A,3.5
No-treatment kHz
SCED-7.0A,3.5 kHz
SCI-0.7A, 0.5kHz
4.5E-04 SCED-0.7A,0.5 kHz
SCI-0.7A, 3.5kHz
No-treatment
SCI-7.0A, 0.5kHz
4.0E-04 20
× SCED-7.0A,0.5 kHz
SCI-7.0A, 3.5kHz 33
3.5E-04
3.0E-04
53%
Rf (m2 K/W)

2.5E-04
2.0E-04
1.5E-04 • Solenoid-coil device
1.0E-04
5.0E-05
Control Unit
0.0E+00
-5.0E-05 0 50 100 150 200 Pulsating current
Time (hour)

Flow
3,000 µS/cm
Solenoid
33coil
Why measure surface tension of water?

If PWT produces bulk precipitation,

surface tension should decrease.

Results can be used as indirect support

for the bulk precipitation hypothesis

34
Surface tension measurement method

Ruler

Capillary tube

Water sample

Positioning lift

35
 Surface tension of water treated
by solenoid coil
0.07

Hard water (3000 µS/cm)

0.068
Surface tension (N/m)

0.066

0.064

0.062

0.06

0 1 2 5 10 30
No. of pass through solenoid-coil

36
Dye-drop tests for surface tension effect

syringe
Dye

Needle

Computer-controlled
Micro-syringe pump

Camera

Water sample

37
Dye-drop test:
water treated by solenoid
coil (3,000 µS/cm)

In untreated water,
dye rapidly spread over.

In treated water,
dye fell vertically.

no-treatment (2) (10)

38
Using Filtration Together With PWT

Using filtration together with descaling generates a synergetic effect.

39
Using Filtration Together With Descaling
700
No treatment
600 Filter only No Treatment
EAFT only
EAFT+Filter
500 Filtration Alone
Pressure Drop (Pa)

400 Descaling Alone

300
Filtration Plus Descaling
200

100
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40
Time (hr.)

Scientific validation was published in the International

Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.
40
Comprehensive Cooling Water
Treatment Program
Cooling Tower

Chiller
Sump

Pump

PWT Unit

Biocontrol Unit

High Efficiency Filtration Unit

Side-stream Loop

41
Water Treatment Program Areas

Filtration for
Particulate
Control

System
Monitoring &
Control

Mineral Fouling
Control Bio-Control

42
 Conclusions
• Mechanism of physical water treatment (PWT).

– The PWT produces a bulk precipitation in water.

– As the solubility of treated water decreases inside HT

equipment, the small seed particles grow in size,
resulting in particulate fouling.

– If water flow can remove the soft sludge coating

from HT equipment, then, the PWT can mitigate
mineral fouling.

43
 Remarks

Validation of your PWT device

The validating test service is available.

44