Open recirculating water systems provide excellent conditions for growth of various micro-organisms, algae & diatoms, plants, and animals on surface, pipelines and heat-exchangers coils. The temperature and pH of circulating water are ideal conditions for the growth of algae and various bacteria.
Biological fouling is the result of this unwanted accumulation of these various micro-organisms within cooling systems. Bio-fouling can be of aerobic organisms (requires oxygen) or anerobic organisms (does not require oxygen). In either case, the result is layers of biofilm on all surfaces in contact with the cooling water. The biofilm acts as a thermal insulator to decrease heat transfer efficiency in the production equipment and usually results in a substantial corrosion rate increase due to the formation of anaerobic areas under the fouling layer.
The anaerobic areas create galvanic couple corrosion and form metabolic byproducts such as hydrogen sulfide, which attack the base metals. Severe cases of biological fouling have resulted in complete cooling system failures due to the biomass physically plugging cooling water passages in production equipment and cooling towers.
Waterborne diseases such as Legionnaire's Disease, caused by legionella bacteria are also a major health and safety concern with the operation of many cooling water systems. One of the recognized primary sources of such particles is the windage, or drift, produced by the normal operation of a cooling tower, where cooling water is entrained in the airstream and subsequently discharged into the atmosphere. If the cooling water contains legionella, the resulting particles can be a source of infection.
EnduroSolv® products are available to combat the issues associated with biological fouling in cooling towers.
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