POWER April 2021 - 32

WATER
How to Effectively Treat Power Plant
Cooling Water with Fewer Chemicals
Power plants across the globe are looking for an alternative to traditional chemistry to
manage the water used throughout the cooling process. An innovative non-chemical
water treatment technology may offer just the solution.
Mark Meyer, Gary Post, Kevin
Brauer, and Terry Toland
P
ower plants have historically required
a significant amount of chemistry to
prevent fouling and maintain efficient
operation. While chemicals have been established
as the standard protocol for water
treatment, they have always posed several
risks and challenges to facility operators
and the environment. Over the years various
non-chemical devices have entered the
market to provide an alternative to chemistry,
but have produced little to no results,
leaving the industry rightfully skeptical of
alternative treatment options.
This article introduces Flow-Tech-a
chemical-free technology originating from
the oil and gas industry-and its rapid adoption
by power plants across America to
mitigate fouling issues and reduce chemical
dependency. One plant that embraced
the technology realized a 90% reduction in
bacteria counts, reduced most of its chemical
usage, minimized maintenance labor
hours, improved safety of its personnel,
and achieved annual six-figure savings while
maintaining a consistent heat rate.
Electronic Water Treatment
Technology
Flow-Tech Systems originally developed
its patented electronic treatment technology
for use in onshore and offshore
oil and gas wells. Due to the mineral-rich
water extracted during oil production,
wells are vulnerable to extreme fouling,
requiring costly maintenance shutdowns
and chemical intervention. Working with
two of the world's largest oil companies,
the technology was successfully piloted
across more than two dozen locations in
2011 to demonstrate effectiveness in preventing
scale deposition. Today, the same
technology is used around the globe to
protect production and surface processing
equipment, providing a low cost, safe,
and environmentally friendly alternative to
chemicals, saving millions in remediation
work and lost production each year.
How It Works. The innovative technol32
ogy
is the first to legitimize chemical-free
water treatment. The system is free from
the constraints that otherwise compromise
other non-chemical technologies. Flow-Tech
transmits a pulsed low-frequency signal
into the system, which then propagates
throughout the entire piping network, effectively
treating all the fluid, regardless of
flowrate and size of the system. Flow-Tech
is versatile in its non-invasive installation
and is retrofitted with zero intervention or
cutting of pipes. Once installed, the technology
provides an omnipresent treatment
ensuring systemwide protection.
The Problem with Chemicals. Chemical
companies hold a firm grasp on the
water treatment industry. Power plants and
industrial facilities have had little choice but
to rely on chemicals to treat their water and
maintain their operation. Unfortunately for
owners and operators, this model leads to
a cycle of ongoing costs and increased exposure
to dangerous chemicals.
Standard chemicals, such as scale and
corrosion inhibitors, sodium hypochlorite,
biocides, algaecides, dispersants, sulfuric
acid, and sodium bisulfate, are among
those commonly used to treat a plant's
cooling system. For a single F-class power
plant, annual chemical costs typically range
from $50,000 to $250,000, and require up
to a million pounds of chemicals every year.
All of these contribute to the elevated risk
of impacting the surrounding environment.
A Straightforward Installation
Process
A power plant in the Pacific Northwest
has utilized Flow-Tech for the last three
years as an integral part of its water management
process. The 248-MW 7FA.02
plant has a cooling water flowrate of
75,000 gallons per minute. Discharging
directly into the Columbia River, plant
management was advised to eliminate
chlorine from its water treatment system
and shift to bromine to comply with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System requirements.
www.powermag.com
After following the recommendation,
the plant experienced intense blooms of
a chemically resistant form of filamentous
blue-green algae. In response, chemistry
remediation was required every other day.
Cycles of concentration were increased to
meet the necessary dwell time, causing
silica scale on equipment.
The facility relied on a chemical treatment
regimen consisting of biocides, algaecides,
an expensive silica inhibitor, a
corrosion and scale inhibitor blend, acid,
and dispersant. Faced with strict discharge
limits and rapid biological growth, the plant
began searching for an alternative to the
previously relied-upon chemistry.
Over the course of a 12-month pilot,
the facility worked with Flow-Tech to step
down its chemical usage and reduce hold
times, while managing the cooling water
system accordingly. Implementing the
technology while the facility was operating
was essential. This was made possible
by Flow-Tech's non-invasive installation
process, which allowed three units to be
mounted near, and connected directly to,
the three 42-inch recirculation pumps (Figure
1). Commissioning of the system did
not interrupt daily operation and was accomplished
in a matter of hours.
Successful Results
For the pilot to be deemed successful, the
owners and operations team outlined the
1. Flow-Tech electronic treatment technology
is installed through a non-invasive process.
System components are shown here mounted
on flanges on the discharge of circulating
water pumps. Courtesy: Flow-Tech Systems
POWER | April 2021
http://www.powermag.com
POWER April 2021

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