16.

0 COOLING WATER QUALITY

16.1 Quality Standard of Cooling Water

If the cooling tower supplies the cooling water to the unit, corrosion, scale or slime may
be a problem caused by :
1. Water has a high mineral content
2. Foreign matter like insects
3. Algae or bacterium
Use cooling water of as good a quality as possible, following the TABLE 14.1

16.2 Control of Cooling Water Quality

The life-time of the cooling water system depends upon water quality. If the cooling
water quality is not good, the cooler pipes can be corroded, or scale can be generated. In
order to prevent problems, sample the cooling water used and subject it to quality
inspection periodically, correct if required.

TABLE 16-1 COOLING WATER QUALITY IN A CLOSED SYSTEM

System Water Problem
Item Make up Water
used Corrosion Scale
pH (25°C) 6.8 – 8.0 6.5 – 8.0 0 0
Electrical Conductance (25°C) uv/cm Less than 200 Less than 800 0 0
Chlorine Ion (Cl`) ppm Less than 50 Less than 200 0
2-
Sulfuric Acid Ion (SO4 ) ppm Less than 50 Less than 200 0
M-Alkalinity (CaCO3) ppm Less than 50 Less than 100 0
Hardness (CaCO3) ppm Less than 50 Less than 200 0
Ferrous Substance (Fe) ppm Less than 0.3 Less than 1.0 0 0
Sulphur Ion (S2-) ppm 0 0 0
+
Ammonium Ion (NH4 ) ppm Less than 0.2 Less than 1.0 0
Silica (SiO2) ppm Less than 30 Less than 50 0
(Based on JRA 9001-1980)

• The lifetime of the cooling water system depends on the water

quality. If the cooling water quality is not good, the cooler pipes
can be corroded, or scale can be generated.
CAUTION
• In order to prevent such a problem, sample the cooling water
periodically and test it to check if it meets the quality standard,
correct if necessary.