Cooling-tower rebuild, treatment overhaul halt fouling

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:5976243

Gall, G P

Partial fixes over a period of time were insufficient to meet cooling requirements at this four-tower powerplant. The eventual remedy involved complete fill replacement and chemistry-program revision. Cooling-tower performance hinges on many factors. Assuming the proper water and air distribution and unhindered operation of spray nozzles, pumps, valves, etc, fill design is the key element. However, a decade of experience at Keystone station (operated by Pennsylvania Electric Co for a consortium of East Coast utilities) showed that more than just changing to a fouling-resistant fill was required to provide and maintain design performance. As described in this article, careful analysis, revision, and continuous monitoring of the chemical water-treatment program were needed as well. At each of Keystone's two units, two natural-draft, hyperbolic towers provide cooling for main-condenser circulating water and service water. The 325-ft-tall towers are counter-current flow, and measure 247 ft across the basin. Film-type fill originally installed in the towers consisted of assemblies of fiber-cement board, 9 ft deep in the center and 7 ft in the peripheral regions. Fiber-cement was also the construction material used in the drift eliminators, and in the piping connected to concrete distribution flumes within the towers.

• OSTI ID: 5976243
• Journal Information: Power; (United States), Journal Name: Power; (United States) Vol. 137:2; ISSN POWEAD; ISSN 0032-5929
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200101* -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
COOLING TOWERS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FOULING
NATURAL DRAFT COOLING TOWERS
PACKINGS
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS