In cooling water it is usually unnecessary to filter the full flow. The points that decide between side-stream and full-stream filtration.
In a cooling tower the water evaporates and concentrates; sediment builds up at the bottom of the basin and the circulating water gradually fouls. That contamination reduces heat transfer and leads to blockage in heat exchangers and pumps.
In full-stream filtration the entire circulating flow is passed through the filter; in a side stream a portion of the water is filtered continuously. Over time a side stream can achieve the same cleanliness with smaller equipment.
Sediment collects at the bottom of the basin; water drawn from the surface does not carry it. A bottom-sweep manifold is dimensioned to the basin so that the accumulated sediment is carried to the filter. The effectiveness of the filtration line depends largely on the design of that manifold.
The choice is made after the basin volume and the contamination load have been measured. A decision taken without seeing the site usually results in a system larger than necessary.
Membrane replacement is decided by data, not by the calendar. The five indicators we look at in the field and what each of them means.
View →If hardness appears early at the softener outlet, the problem usually lies not in the resin itself but in the water reaching it and in the regeneration settings.
View →Membranes are delicate structures and the cause of fouling is not always the same. The fouling we see in the field falls into three main groups; the remedy changes with that distinction.
View →Read flow and conductivity together and they point to the source of the damage with surprising clarity. Three typical patterns and the problem each one indicates.
View →The cleaning decision looks not at the calendar but at three measurements: differential pressure, permeate conductivity and production flow. The threshold values, and what to do after a long shutdown.
View →Silica is one of the most dangerous minerals for a membrane and it occurs in water in two different forms. The precaution differs for each.
View →An antiscalant is chosen from an analysis, not from a catalogue. The two decisive parameters, and why the projection calculation must not be skipped.
View →The short answer: yes, and irreversibly. Membranes have a low tolerance to chlorine and the damage cannot be undone by cleaning.
View →Activated carbon and SMBS dosing are the two ways of neutralising free chlorine ahead of a membrane. When to prefer which.
View →Let us size the system together; we will survey the site in person if needed.
