Cooling Tower Blowdown
Cooling Tower Blowdown
(OP)
Blowdown from a cooling tower must be pumped to a 600 psig water pipeline.
Is there any disadvantage in locating blowdown (and pump suction) in the tower basin instead of placing it downstream of recirculating pumps?
It would be located opposite of make-up water inlet to avoid pumping fresh water.
Is there any disadvantage in locating blowdown (and pump suction) in the tower basin instead of placing it downstream of recirculating pumps?
It would be located opposite of make-up water inlet to avoid pumping fresh water.





RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown
We have designs which can just dump straight from the cooling tower to a waste pond and others that take from the condenser discharge. If you are working on an existing plant I would look at what is the lowest cost option for installation. Do you really want to add a pump in your cooling tower basin? This may get in the way during basin cleaning or cooling tower maintenance.
Of course, your idea to put the inlet opposite your fresh water inlet is a good one. Ideally you will blowdown your highest concentrated water. To reduce blowdown try to use cooling water for uses such as running ashes. Especially if you are currently using fresh water to run ashes.
RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown
RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown
5 cycles of concentration can be maintained without much damage to the system for blowdown.
Regards,
RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown
1. If pumps are precisely sized to meet process cooling demand, downstream draw off could result in some kind of flow starvation at any specific process location.
2. If hot water is discharged, it may create problems in certain localities, having more strict environmental regulations. It is quite common to discharge water NOT MORE THAN 3 C, hotter than the receiving water streams.
Ansari
RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown
1- less pumping power you need. becuse of the positive pressure (CWR pressure)at the suction of your transfering pump.
2- since you are using pump to transfer the blowdown (600 psig), I believe, it would be for using the blowdown in another process or transfering to a long distance discharge area. however for both case cooling water return temp. is not a critical case, regarding the process or environmental regulations (in the case of discharge area, long distanse gives enough time for cooling the blowdown)
3- lowering the load on cooling tower
4- lowering chlorin consumption
RE: Cooling Tower Blowdown