Sand filter system keeps cooling water clean; eliminates tower downtime
Water circulating through a cooling tower scrubs dust and other atmospheric particulates from the air. The cooling tower at ARCO Oil and Gas Company, Plano, TX, serves a computer/data processing complex which has a 2000 ton air conditioning system, normally operating at about 70% capacity, that is required to provide temperature-humidity control for the operation of the computers and associated electronic equipment. The water is circulated by a 300 hp pump through 24'' diam pipes to chillers and other heat transfer equipment located on four floors of a six story building about 50' below the tower. The equipment must be kept in operation at all times. Any downtime for preventative maintenance must be minimized and has to be coordinated with user schedules. Normal practice has been to schedule a shutdown over a weekend about once a year and clean out the cooling tower during the downtime. It takes a crew of 4 men about 6-8 hours to clean out the system. ARCO investigated a continuous cooling tower water filtration system and decided to purchase a permanent (sand) media filtration system. The sand filter has eliminated the need for cleaning the cooling tower. Downtime for tower cleaning no longer has to be scheduled once or twice a year as it was before the filter installation. ARCO expects to be able to reduce the amount of algaecide, inhibitor and oxygen scavenger treatment through the removal of suspended and settled particulates that have added to the requirements for chemical treatment. The cooling tower system now operates as one of the cleanest in the area.
- Research Organization:
- ARCO Oil and Gas Co., Plano, TX
- OSTI ID:
- 5611828
- Journal Information:
- Chem. Process. (Chicago); (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Process. (Chicago); (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COOLING TOWERS
DUST COLLECTORS
AIR
AIR QUALITY
CHEMICAL PLANTS
DUSTS
EFFICIENCY
FILTRATION
GRANULAR BED FILTERS
HEAT TRANSFER
MAINTENANCE
PARTICULATES
SAND
WATER
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FILTERS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MECHANICAL FILTERS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TOWERS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)