Biofilm in cooling water
Biofilm in cooling water
(OP)
We have an issue with biofilm at a factory producing plastic materials. The plastic materials must be cooled at once after beeing extruded. This is done with both water spray and water bassins.
The water used for cooling is subsoil water. Only treatment before entering the process system is a sand filter. The water is cooled in a plate heat-exchanger. The water cooling systems are not closed systems and are exposed from the surroundings.
The problem is the biofilm produced in the cooling process. The biofilm blocks up nozzles and the plate heat-exchanger.
Do any of you have experience with similar problems and maybe some solutions?
thanks in advance
barsballe
The water used for cooling is subsoil water. Only treatment before entering the process system is a sand filter. The water is cooled in a plate heat-exchanger. The water cooling systems are not closed systems and are exposed from the surroundings.
The problem is the biofilm produced in the cooling process. The biofilm blocks up nozzles and the plate heat-exchanger.
Do any of you have experience with similar problems and maybe some solutions?
thanks in advance
barsballe





RE: Biofilm in cooling water
RE: Biofilm in cooling water
I think my point is that you need to stop looking at the problems that the biofilm is causing your process and look at the much more serious issue of legionella infection. Removing the risk of legionella development should help remove the biofilm at the same time and also prevent you killing anyone.
Read these:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l8.htm
http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/
http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/MediaCentre/Pres...
RE: Biofilm in cooling water
Correction - The Barrow-in-Furness outbreak was 2002 and not the late 1990s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Barrow-in-Furnes...
RE: Biofilm in cooling water