Best-in-Class Cooling Water Treatment Programs 

ChemTreat field representatives are industrial cooling specialists, with extensive experience in a variety of applications. We provide expert solutions for cooling water treatment and management to help you improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Experience has taught us no two industrial cooling water systems are alike. Each system is impacted by the raw water source, air quality, flow rates, metallurgy, temperature, humidity, operating procedures, and a host of other factors. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; the best water treatment programs are specifically tailored to meet the needs of your particular system.

Our treatment program starts with an assessment of the process, water chemistry, cooling requirements, and metallurgy in your industrial cooling system. This allows us to determine whether there is a tendency towards corrosion, scale, and/or fouling. Our chemical programs are effectively used to help reduce these issues in industrial cooling water systems.

Applying our products can help keep your system running at peak efficiency, extend equipment life, reduce water usage, and protect the environment. We also offer state-of-the-art control and monitoring technology with DCS compatibility to help increase reliability and decrease costs.

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Closed Loop Systems

Most chilled water systems incorporate an open recirculating system with a cooling tower for condenser cooling. As a cooling tower water treatment company, we can develop programs based on your facility’s specific needs. Our field representatives have expertise with all associated equipment, including evaporative condensers, shell and tube heat exchangers, plate and frame heat exchangers, etc.

Custom Solutions for Unique Cooling Systems

ChemTreat is the knowledge leader in cooling treatment. Our field representatives average 16 years of experience with industrial water cooling, providing our customers with the highest level of expertise and service available for cooling water treatment.

BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATIONS IN CLOSED-LOOP COOLING SYSTEMS

ChemTreat’s expertise with closed-loop water systems includes the following:

  • Chilled water systems that generate cold water used to produce cool air for comfort air conditioning and/or humidity control
  • Chilled water systems used in process cooling water loops
  • Chilled water thermal storage systems and ice-making equipment
  • Hot water systems that generate tempered water for space heating
  • High-temperature hot water systems (HTHW) that circulate water for a variety of uses

Most chilled water systems incorporate an open recirculating system with a cooling tower for condenser cooling. Our field representatives have expertise with all associated equipment, including evaporative condensers, shell and tube heat exchangers, plate and frame heat exchangers, etc.

The most significant issues faced within the exchangers are corrosion and scale formation.

Read our blog to learn why it’s important not to overlook your closed cooling system.

 

Heat Exchangers

Heat exchangers remove unwanted heat and typically transfer it to a recirculating cooling water stream. While water-cooled heat exchangers are used most often (shell and tube, plate and frame), some heat exchangers are air-cooled.

Heat exchangers typically transfer unwanted heat to a recirculating cooling water stream. The cooling water temperature will be elevated as it absorbs heat from process and utility equipment, which is then expelled through partial evaporation of the water across a cooling tower. Several problems may arise in this heat transfer process as issues like corrosion, scale, fouling, and microbial growth will reduce flow rates and heat transfer rates and lower system efficiency.

ChemTreat field representatives can customize treatment programs to ensure heat exchangers operate at peak efficiency and the cooling system effectively reduces the process fluid temperature. We have expertise in a variety of different heat exchanger designs including:

  • Shell and tube
  • Plate and frame
  • Exposed tube
 

Once-Through Cooling

Once-through cooling systems are often used to remove heat from the surface condensers or to service the power and paper industries. Cooling water is only used once and then discharged, resulting in a highly water-intensive operation.

Corrosion, deposition, and microbial growth have to be controlled to maintain efficiency and reliability in a once-through cooling system. Our products include polyphosphates, silicates, and molybdates to control corrosion. Our phosphate and polymer products reduce scale and fouling, and our chlorine, bromine, and chlorine dioxide products help control microbiological activity and macro-organism fouling. We also offer phosphate-free and zinc-free treatment options for cooling systems. Read about our innovative FlexPro® product line.

These cooling water treatment chemicals have to be applied relative to the quality of the raw water supply. Problems often arise with variable raw water quality because the treatment program has to change in real-time. The best choice is to install a ChemTreat Solutions® system that will monitor the relevant water quality parameters and adjust your chemical feed rates to maintain an optimal treatment program at all times.

 

Open Recirculating Water Cooling Towers

Open recirculating systems provide the most common form of industrial cooling, continually recycling and reusing the same water for equipment cooling needs. In these systems, water leaving the cooling tower is pumped to industrial applications using heat exchangers, condensers, air compressor jackets, or process reactors.

In this cycle, the water returning to the cooling tower water absorbs excess heat, which is then dissipated by passing the water over a cooling tower where evaporation takes place. The cooling tower exposes the heated flowing water to air, causing a percentage (approximately 1–3%) of the water to evaporate, removing 1,000 BTUs per pound of evaporated water. This cools the water that is not evaporated, which is then recirculated through the system.

Reusing cooling water results in water and chemical savings, as the chemistries are retained in the system. However, problems associated with corrosion, deposition, and microbial growth become more severe for several reasons. First, the evaporation process concentrates the amount of dissolved and suspended solids in the circulating water, leading to deposition. Second, the warm temperatures in open recirculating cooling towers are optimal for biological growth. Third, cooling tower operation tends to scrub airborne contaminants from the air. These contaminants can accumulate in the circulating water, causing fouling and microbial growth.

ChemTreat field representatives have experience treating every kind of water cooling tower, including natural draft, mechanical, crossflow, and counterflow cooling tower designs. Our technical staff averages 21 years of experience, which helps them customize a solution for your unique cooling water system and work to find savings in the following areas:

  • Increase heat transfer efficiency by eliminating heat exchanger fouling within heat exchangers with scale inhibitors
  • Prevent fouling caused by the precipitation of constituents, the settling of suspended matter, and microbial growth
  • Reduce maintenance and plant downtime with corrosion inhibitors
  • Maintain the integrity of metal components by mitigating corrosion and pitting that cause system failures
  • Increase cycles of concentration with proprietary chemical solutions
  • Reduce the amount of makeup water and chemicals required and lower your sewer costs
  • Maintain cooling tower water design efficiency with biocides
  • Reduce microbial growth on the cooling tower fill, resulting in an increased splash effect that maximizes air contact and increases evaporation rates

 

Trust ChemTreat for Your Cooling Water Treatment Needs

ChemTreat is a trusted cooling water treatment company with over 50 years of service
and expertise. Our experienced field team and laboratory services allow us to provide
customized cooling water treatments and solutions for cooling water management. We
are here to help you improve the efficiency of your facility and decrease operational
costs. Contact us online to get in touch with our experts and schedule a consultation.

 

Contact ChemTreat

 

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