Experimental study of organically contaminated water in a cooling tower

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6412258

Goldstein, D J; Aiyegbusi, O

A pilot model cooling system was set up and run so as to simultaneously cool heat exchanger tubes and biologically degrade phenol in the makeup water. The cooling tower used 1 ft/sup 2/ by 3 ft high, wetted film, polygrid, PVC packing. Water was circulated at 2.5 gpm (5.6 ft/sec) through two parallel heat exchange tubes immersed in a water bath controlled at 150/sup 0/F. Total water flow was 5 gpm/ft/sup 2/ of tower. Air was forced through the tower to give a liquid to gas mass ratio of 1.3. The cooling water circulated with an average temperature rise of 10/sup 0/F and an average approach to the air wet bulb temperature of 12/sup 0/F. Conclusions of this study are: (1) The pilot cooling tower was successfully operated to simultaneously cool and biodegrade phenol in the makeup water. Operation was not difficult and the experiments were reasonably reproducible. (2) An equivalent average concentration of phenol in the makeup water of 165 ppM (300 ppM BOD) should present little problem in commercial practice. An equivalent average concentration of up to 600 ppM phenol (1200 ppM BOD) may be acceptable in practice. Concentrations higher than 600 ppM phenol will cause such rapid biofouling and such rapid production of suspended solids in the circulating water as to be impractical. (3) More than 85 percent of the phenol removed was by biodegradation. Not more than 15 percent was stripped into the atmosphere. 12 figures, 12 tables.

• Research Organization: Water General Corp., Cambridge, MA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-80EV10367
• OSTI ID: 6412258
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/10367-27; ON: DE83005645
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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