Cooling water return flows into compressed air
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After only one year of use, the copper tubes in the cooling water cooler of the air compressor broke, allowing high-temperature compressed air at 7 kgf to enter the circulating cooling water return system. Question: Will this have an impact on the cooling water?
It does have an impact, but it’s hard to say exactly how much; compressed air entering the system makes water more corrosive.
It’s hard to say. It is believed that this could have an adverse effect on the pump; the circulation flow rate might decrease, and corrosion in the system could increase.
Corrosion has worsened significantly; there are at least three mechanisms contributing to this increased corrosion
Apart from causing cavitation in the pumps and sand washing serta layer mixing in the filters, it does not seem to exacerbate corrosion
If the circulating water isn’t working, it can be replaced. But is there water flowing into the compressor? That’s what’s deadly!
Pay special attention when starting and stopping the machine: ensure that the water pressure does not exceed the system pressure, as water entering the compressor can damage the equipment; it is best to stop the machine for maintenance in such cases. Introducing circulating water can result in poor cooling effects, as well as increased corrosion and the growth of microorganisms.
Compressed air entering the water can cause cavitation, leading to a drop in pressure in the water pump and resulting in no water available throughout the system
1. Return water generally does not pass through the pump, nor does it pose a threat to it. 2. It may have an impact on sand filtration, but it won’t be severe. 3. As for corrosion, I’m afraid it shouldn’t affect the dissolved oxygen level in the circulating water. 4. Air enters the circulating water return stream. I’m afraid there will be some degree of separation, and it’s hard to say what the impact on the system will be. Could the original poster provide information on the actual effects?
It seems there is a leak in the return pipe leading to the fan in the water tower (it’s not yet possible to stop the system and go in to check it). Additionally, there is a noticeable vibration at the top of the tower; the cooler has now been replaced, and the vibration has stopped
Vibrations at the top of the tower may be caused by discontinuities in the circulating water as it enters the water distributor, which leads to vibrations. After the vibration persisted for some time, it caused some of the originally defective pipe fittings to be damaged, resulting in leaks. . . It’s all **; one still has to learn on the spot*
It is possible for scaling to increase, as large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air enter the circulating water, affecting its alkalinity and thereby **increasing the likelihood of scaling**.
If carbon dioxide enters, calcium carbonate will not form; instead, the carbonate ions turn into bicarbonate ions.
The leaked air flows toward the return pipe at lower pressure; air resistance causes an increase in the resistance to the return flow, while air slugs result in large fluctuations in the return water pressure, leading to vibrations in the pipes. As a result, as the pump head increases, the flow rate decreases and the current fluctuates greatly. As air is forced out along with water from the water distributor, the pressure drops suddenly, the volume increases dramatically causing an explosion, and the vibrations are transmitted through the rigid structure. It causes stress on the water pump; to ensure an adequate water flow, more pumps need to be used, which results in higher electricity consumption. Stirring is very likely to damage the pre-coated film. It slightly affects the cooling efficiency of the cooling tower.
The impact on the pipes is estimated to be due not to corrosion, but rather to high-pressure air causing an increase in backflow pressure, which leads to cracking and vibration in the vulnerable parts of the pipes.
This phenomenon has indeed occurred: the air compressor tripped due to overcurrent as soon as it was started, and the cause could not be identified for some time. Eventually, by eliminating possible causes one by one, it was found that the issue was caused by water entering the system due to a leak in the cooler. Therefore, before replacing the cooler, the air compressor would be started first each time, and only after the air pressure exceeded that of the cooling water would the cooling water be turned on. These days of anxiety have finally passed
Air enters the circulating water system, and continuous entry can have adverse effects, as the others have mentioned; therefore, the leak should be fixed as soon as possible.
Thank you. The cooler has been replaced, and the cause of the leakage in the cooler has also been identified – there is no guide device on the air inlet side of the cooler, which causes compressed air to strike the heat exchange tubes directly and cause them to break. Everyone, learn from this lesson!