Cooling towers are a very important mechanical component in industrial operations, because they help manage temperatures and improve efficiency of Industrial machineries. But sometimes, if they lack effective components such as drift eliminators, their performance can decline. As a result we may face a huge amount of water loss. In this blog post, I will write the importance of drift eliminators, the issues they face, and how to successfully hamper them into cooling tower systems.
The Hidden Costs of Drift Loss
Cooling towers are the backbone of various industries such as power generation, manufacturing, steam industry, apparel industries, steel industries, food and beverage industries and HVAC systems. It helps us control temperatures by flowing air through hot water, which efficiently resolves heat in a good way. In this process water releases along with the exhaust air and this causes us a huge amount of water loss.
What is Drift Loss?
Drift loss is one of the water losses of a Cooling Tower . It usually happens when we see water droplets exit the Cooling tower and enter the atmosphere. It takes place in a Cooling Tower when we see:
Inefficient Design: If we don’t design the Cooling tower properly it may result in excessive water drift.
High Air Flow: Strong airflow can move water droplets outside of the Cooling Tower.
Improper Installation: If we don’t install our Drift Eliminator properly we may lose their effectiveness in controlling drift loss.
Why is Drift Loss a Problem?
Drift loss is not only just an operational issue but also it significantly affects both the environment and a company’s financial performance.
1.Water Waste: Cooling towers can lose up to 1-2% of their water through drift, which would be an extra expense where water availability rate is very low.
2.Chemical Loss: Drift can carry not only water but also chemicals which are used for water treatment procedures. It will have a negative impact on our environment. And It also can affect employees’ health who regularly work in the factory.
3.Environmental Impact: If we release polluted water into the environment it can be harmful for us, including contamination and ecosystem disruption.
Cooling Technology Institute performed a recent case study where they bring out if a Cooling Tower drift loss is 1% then it is a red flag. It results in thousands of gallons of water per day. Because of this issue operational cost goes high and it also puts a bad impact on our environment.
The Consequences of Ignoring Drift Eliminators
If we neglect using Cooling Tower Drift Eliminator it will cause a serious issue on Cooling Tower operation. Now we will explore some specific issues:
1.Increased Operational Costs: When we see drift loss rises, we will figure out the expenses of water procurement and treatment also increase. Facing high levels of drift loss,we will have to make large amounts of investments in water management solutions.
2.Environmental Regulations: We all want to live in an Environment where the environment is free from pollution. If we install the Drift Eliminator in a Cooling Tower it will reduce the water loss of a Cooling Tower. Excessive water loss may lead us to the danger for our future generation. Excessive chemical discharge of water is a serious issue for our environment. If we use drift Eliminator we can solve this problem too and we also can help with green energy solutions.
3.System Inefficiency: Sometimes we may find drift eliminators are missing or not working properly, the cooling tower’s efficiency can drop. This may cause us excessive heating, higher energy usage, and possibly even equipment failure.
Most often we find these types of examples in a manufacturing plant that failed to install drift eliminators. After some time we see high water bills, higher chemical treatment costs, and eventually, penalties for not adhering to environmental regulations. If we ignore these issues then the overall expense of ignoring drift control can cross over $100,000 within a year. So we will have to take these issues seriously if we want to minimize the maintenance cost.
Implementing Drift Eliminators Effectively
Now we can say that the installation of drift eliminators in cooling towers is a key solution for minimizing drift loss. This device works by capturing and moving water droplets back into the system, which improves efficiency and minimizes water loss. Now we are showing you a comprehensive guide on how to successfully implement drift eliminators in your cooling tower.
1. Understanding Drift Eliminators
We make drift eliminators that are usually constructed from materials such as PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) or FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Polymer) and are placed in the exhaust section of the cooling tower.We make it by using a series of PVC or FRP angled plates that change the path of water droplets back into the cooling tower while allowing air to escape.
Types of Drift Eliminators:
Baffle-Type: This is the most common type I can see in almost every factory, which is made of a series of angled plates to change the direction of water droplets.
Film-Type: We use it to capture drift by utilizing a thin layer of water on the surface.
Sheet-Type: In this type we use vertical sheets in order to collect and send back water droplets into the Cooling System.
2. Selecting the Right Drift Eliminator
If you want to choose the right drift eliminator for your cooling tower. You will have to shorten some specifications according to your needs. Now in this section I will write some points which you will need to consider before choosing your right drift eliminator.
Airflow Rates: Airflow rate is a crucial factor to choosing the right drift eliminator. Before choosing the right drift Eliminator make sure the drift eliminator is made according to the specific airflow rates of your cooling tower.
Water Quality: You will have to put Water Quality in your requirement list before choosing the right Drift Eliminator for your Cooling Tower. Sometimes you will see that a few materials may result in very good resistance to scaling.
Installation Space: If you want to install the Drift Eliminator for your Cooling tower. You will have to ensure excessive free space is available to do the installation.
3. Installation Process
If you want to use any Mechanical or Electrical product. You will need proper installation. Without installation you can not use the product properly or a bad installation process may bring you some technical error. In this section I will describe how you can install the Drift Eliminator properly.
Step 1: Assessment: Firstly give a sharp look of your Cooling Tower. Figure out the best location for the Drift Eliminator.
Step 2: Measurement: Secondly, take the necessary tool and first measure the Drift Eliminator then measure the size of Cooling Tower exhaust whether it is fit properly or not.
Step 3: Cutting and Fitting: Thirdly if the Drift Eliminator size is large then take the necessary tool to cut the Drift Eliminator or if it is proper size then install it carefully. Do not forget the tight seal to prevent any bypass.
Step 4: Testing: Finally, after having completed the installation process. Give a test whether it is working properly or not. Keep your eyes open and give your 100% concentration to see whether any signs of water loss are happening or not.
4. Maintenance and Monitoring
In any Electrical or Mechanical Equipment if you want to run smoothly you will have to do regular maintenance
Visual Inspections:You will have to look after regularly whether any signs of wear,scaling or blockage are seen or not.
Cleaning: Sometimes Debris or buildup minerals may decrease your Cooling Tower performance. Prevention is always better than cure. In order to solve this problem you will have to clean the Drift Eliminator of your Cooling Tower.
Performance Monitoring: Always Keep a close eye on the water usage of the cooling tower whether any spot rises in drift loss or not. If we take necessary steps before it turns into a serious issue then we may save a huge amount of maintenance cost.
Case Study: Successful Implementation of Drift Eliminators
Now we will analyze a case study of a large power generation company that installed drift eliminators to minimize water loss.
Background: The Company was struggling with the high maintenance cost for excessive water usage and drift loss. After completing the analysis the management came to a decision that they will have to purchase good Drift Eliminator
Implementation: The Company setup baffle-type drift Eliminator. The speciality of this drift eliminator is high airflow rates. They had taken a huge amount of time to analyze the installation area to make sure it fits perfectly and maximize airflow.
Results: After completing the setup, the maintenance authority submitted the report. In that report the result was impressive. Decrease of water loss is around 90%. Which impacts the cost saving of the factory. The company manages to reduce costs by around $150,000 per year. In the previous year the company had to spend this cost on water and chemical treatments.
Conclusion
If we consider some major issues of Cooling Tower, Drift loss is one of them. Because of this issue it impacts on Cooling Tower efficiency, increases the cost and also impacts on the environment. But if we use drift eliminators in the proper way it solves all of our problems.
As a maintenance manager you have to realize the significance of using Drift Eliminator in a Cooling Tower. Using Drift Eliminators we can improve the efficiency and minimize the cost of a Cooling Tower.
Drift Eliminator is one of the major components of a Cooling Tower. If we find any drift loss in our Cooling Tower. We should take action to set up the Drift Eliminator as soon as possible to improve efficiency and sustainability of the Cooling Tower.