The objective of any cooling tower system is to run it at maximum efficiency, keep increasing reliability & eliminate down time because of break down. To achieve this, we recommend some do’s and don’ts.
Do’s – [to follow as a ritual]
- Check vibrations – As per ISO – 10816-3 Permissible is 7.1 mm/Sec.
- Check water distribution – A proper water distribution improves approach by 0.50C to 10C.
- Check Algae – Higher algae on structure or on fills reduces heat transfer rate.
- Check Air Flow – In sufficient airflow deteriorates approach.
- Check structural condition – Any start of bend or cracks on structure are harmful to structure.
- Check Fan Power – This will help in establishing actual fan efficiency.
- Performance curve – This will help to monitor Cooling Tower efficiency at various load condition and approach as per design at various WBT.
- Water efficiency – To compare actual & design.
- Water leakage – Any water leakage will deteriorate approach, also loss of water.
10)Pump Head – Actual Pump head if it is lower than design, will result in higher water flow, which will disturb approach.
Don’ts – [ not to ignore at all]
- Dry condition of Timber – If timber remains dry, it has tendency to spread cracks which are harmful to the strength of structure.
- Louver column bend – This will tend to collapse structure.
- Sagged structural members – Harmful to the structure.
- Sagged fan deck – Unsafe for maintenance.
- Excessive tip clearance – loss of airflow, poor cooling.
- Tip speed less than 55 mps poor airflow, resulting is poor approach.
- Excessive water load – Negative impact on structure and poor approach.
- Misplaced grid and fills – Poor surface area, poor approach.
- Non use of diagonals at the desired places – Poor structural stability.
10) Centre pillars on cross flow – not installed – Poor structural stability.
11) Lower cross sections – Poor structural stability.
12) Missing Nozzles – Poor Water distribution, Poor approach.