The primary use of large, industrial cooling towers is to remove the heat absorbed in the circulating water systems in the thermoelectric power, refineries, petrochemical and other industries.
Cooling these plants requires considerable amounts of water; typically 80% of the total consumption of freshwater in coal-based power plants, and 50% of the fresh water consumption in refineries, is used for cooling.
In recent years, due to water scarcity, stricter regulations on disposal and increasing costs of fresh water intake, reuse and/or Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) treatments of blowdown water have become critical for these plants, and to the environment.
IDE’s Solutions for Cooling Tower Blowdown Treatment
IDE’s end-to-end, integrated cooling tower blowdown water treatment solutions include high-recovery Reverse Osmosis solutions that reduce reject volumes and complete thermal ZLD solutions. These maximize the overall recovery and minimize the volume for disposal.
Offering Unique Benefits to our Partners
- End-to-end solutions that are fully customizable to a variety of water sources and customer requirements
- IDE’s holistic approach to waste management, water recycling and salt production
- High recovery of blowdown water for reuse onsite, reducing fresh water intake and meeting strict regulatory requirements
- Advanced and cost-effective membrane and thermal technologies to reduce waste volume and ZLD
- Modular units, reducing on-site installation time and cost
- Lower energy consumption, reducing operational costs
Case Study:
- Tutuka, South Africa – reduction of cooling tower blowdown volume
Cooling Tower Blowdown Treatment Process Flow Diagram:
