Regarding the circulating water concentration ratio
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This post was last edited by piter_1984 on 2012-2-12 at 11:08. In our recirculating water system, the concentration ratio has dropped to 1 due to the addition of condensed water; we’re not sure what effects such a low ratio might have on the system Is it true that the lower the multiple, the better? (All other indicators are normal)
It wastes water; basically, it’s discharged without any concentration.
The concentration ratio is an important parameter that reflects the level of recycled water usage. An excessively high concentration ratio can lead to high hardness and alkalinity in the cooling water, increasing the tendency for scaling. As you said, the concentration ratio is too low; firstly, the amount of chemical used increases significantly, and the increased water volume used leads to waste of water resources. If it is possible to find ways to overcome negative factors such as the tendency to scale, then the higher the concentration factor, the better it would be. The concentration ratio is generally maintained at 4-5 at present, but some companies have already managed to achieve levels of 6-8 or even higher.
The circulating water concentration ratio is an important comprehensive indicator for reflecting and controlling the operation of a circulating water system. Increasing the concentration ratio of circulating water can not only reduce the amount of water needed for replenishment but also save water resources ； Reduce wastewater discharge, minimize environmental pollution, and lower the amount of wastewater that needs to be treated ； It can also reduce the consumption of water treatment agents and biocides, thereby lowering water treatment costs. In particular, the arbitrary discharge of condensate severely affects the salt content in the circulating water, resulting in a continuous decrease in the concentration factor. If it is steam condensate, it should still be used in boilers; discharging it into the water system would be a waste. Increasing the concentration ratio of the circulating cooling water not only reduces the amount of water that needs to be added, thus saving water resources, but it also decreases the volume of wastewater generated, reducing the burden on wastewater treatment. Additionally, it has a significant effect on reducing chemical consumption and helping to cut down on water treatment costs. As for to what extent the concentration factor should be increased, it is necessary first to conduct an analysis of the water quality after concentration. On the premise of ensuring safe water quality, the concentration factor should be adjusted as much as possible to the ideal range, in order to minimize water and resource consumption. After increasing the concentration ratio, and taking into account the influencing factors, various water quality parameters should be closely monitored to achieve both water conservation and the assurance of the safe operation of the system. With the continuous development and innovation of circulating cooling water treatment technologies, the emergence of efficient composite corrosion and scale inhibition agents has created safer and more favorable conditions for increasing the concentration ratio and achieving water-saving goals.
Friends upstairs, please note: what the original poster is referring to is the low concentration ratio after adding condensate water. In fact, the concentration factor is not low, as there are basically no dissolved ions in the condensate; in China, the concentration factor is usually calculated based on calcium ions. Therefore, by continuing to calculate the concentration factor based on the ion concentrations in the separate industrial water makeup water, a concentration factor of 1 is obtained naturally; if the amount of condensate water used for makeup is large, it is not unusual to get a value of around 0.1. The concentration ratio under these conditions should be calculated as follows: Calcium ion concentration in the system / {(Calcium ion concentration in the makeup water * Percentage of makeup water in total water added) + (Calcium ion concentration in the condensate * Percentage of condensate in total water added)}
OP, we monitor the concentration ratio of the circulating water in order to ensure its safe and economical operation. If all parameters of the system are within normal ranges, the concentration ratio is not that important; if the quality of the make-up condensate water is good, it can also be ignored, and the concentration ratio can be calculated using the chloride ions in the circulating water rather than those in the water that does not leave the system. It’s advisable to keep this value slightly lower than the specified limits. Furthermore, if a corrosion and scale inhibition agent is added to the system on a regular basis, as long as the concentration of calcium ions plus alkalinity in the circulating water remains below 1100 mg/L, scaling will not occur in the system. Of course, when adding condensate water, the issue of corrosion inhibition also needs to be taken into consideration.
Reply to 3# piter_1984: The concentration factor is generally maintained at 4-5 at present, but some companies have managed to achieve levels of 6-8 or even higher. ? Which units can do it?
If the concentration ratio is too low, it indicates that too much water is being added. The purpose of using circulating water is, firstly, to remove heat and cool down systems, and secondly, to prevent corrosion and scaling. When more water is added, the amount of corrosion and scale inhibitors required also increases; therefore, it is important to keep the parameters of circulating water under control.
It’s a waste to use condensate water for replenishment.
Generally, certain devices are the sources of condensate water, and we too suffer from this problem – we just can’t find evidence to convince the relevant authorities
We can’t reuse our condensate water elsewhere; it’s too far to send it back to the original water tank, so we replenish the water locally, haha