Packing/Fill

Cleaning of cooling tower fill

Cooling tower fill, also known as cooling tower packaging is one of the most important parts of a cooling tower. The fill maximizes the contact between air and water, so these parts ensure that cooling is possible. Cleaning and keeping the fill clean is therefore an essential activity, which must be done as well as possible. Fouling such as scaling has a detrimental effect on the heat transfer and thus the overall efficiency of the cooling tower.

Chemical cleaning

The fill/packaging of both crossflow and counterflow type cooling towers are quite thick. It is therefore difficult to clean them manually with, for example, high-pressure washers. In addition, the risk is too great that they will be damaged when they are sprayed with 80-100 bar (1100-1500 PSI).

Chemical cleaning using the CIP method (cleaning-in-place) is a relatively simple and effective way to clean cooling tower fill. A chemical cleaning agent, such as Scalebreak-MP, is added to the cold water basin. The mixture is then circulated with the natural flow of the cooling tower. As a result, the cleaning agent reacts with all parts of the cooling tower, but also the piping and connected heat exchangers, such as the chiller or plate heat exchanger. Ultimately, the cleaning agent ends up in the water distribution system. The nozzles distribute the cleaning agent over the fill, so that it can also be cleaned.

Cleaning-In-Place (CIP)

With a (preventive) CIP program it is possible to keep the cooling tower in optimal condition. Because the cleaning takes place preventively, the deposits cannot grow to an extreme level. This makes it possible to avoid early replacement of cooling tower fill. Some other advantages of this method are:

• Saving manpower and labor, because the system can do the job itself. The cooling tower pump ensures that the cleaning agent ends up everywhere. It is therefore only necessary to add the cleaning agent to the cold water bassin and eventually neutralize and discharge it.
• Shorter downtime, because the installation does not have to be dismantled and the fill and other parts can remain in place during and after cleaning.
• Cost savings because cooling tower fill packaging does not have to be replaced early.
• During cleaning, it is possible to place air inlet louvers, drift separators and other components in the cold water basin. These will then also be cleaned.
• A preventive CIP program keeps the cooling tower and the entire cooling loop in optimum condition. Due to the high cleanliness of the installation, a stable, high efficiency close to the original values can be ensured. High cleanliness also contributes to a longer lifespan of the cooling tower and the associated heat exchangers, components, etc.

Crossflow cooling towers

The fill of crossflow cooling towers have a different positioning compared to the counterflow cooling towers. With these types of fill packaging it is also possible to clean the outer side with a low pressure cleaning system and chemical cleaning agent, such as Scalebreak-Gel.

The chemical cleaning agent is first applied to the fouled surfaces by using the TFC-JR device, because of the high viscosity the cleaning agent adheres well to the surfaces. Almost immediately after application, the product will react with biological and scale deposits. After some time, the cleaning agent and loosened deposits are sprayed off with a low-pressure cleaning device, such as the CC-400HF. With this cleaning method it is not possible to clean the entire cooling tower fill, only the outer part to a depth of 100-150 millimeters.