Ecolab USA Inc.

Daniel Meier

Craig W Myers

Stephen Joseph Hinterlong

Anupam Prakash

Ravindra Raghavapudi

Jorvic Vital

Steven Kramarczyk

Donald A Johnson

Seong-Hoon Yoon

Manish Kumar Singh

Jeremy B Finison

Hui Li

Hung-Ting Chen

Walter H Goodman

Yogesh Bhole

A method of controlling cooling water treatment may involve measuring operating data of one or more downstream heat exchangers that receive cooling water from the cooling tower. For example, the inlet and outlet temperatures of both the hot and cold streams of a downstream heat exchanger may be measured. Data from the streams passing through the heat exchanger may be used to determine a heat transfer efficiency for the heat exchanger. The heat transfer efficiency can be trended over a period of time and changes in the trend detected to identify cooling water fouling issues. Multiple potential causes of the perceived fouling issues can be evaluated to determine a predicted cause. A chemical additive selected to reduce, eliminate, or otherwise control the cooling water fouling can be controlled based on the predicted cause of the fouling.

Cooling water monitoring and control system

Membrane filtration systems can be used to purify liquid streams for downstream use. In practice, foulant can build-up on the surface of a membrane within a filtration system over time. The effectiveness of the filtration system will deteriorate if the fouling is not properly controlled. In some examples, a method of controlling membrane fouling in a pressurized membrane system involves supplying a feed stream that is predominately air mixed with water to the membrane. In other words, the feed stream a greater volume of air than water, even though it is the water being processed by the membrane. Supplying the pressurized membrane system with a feed stream that contains a greater volume of air than water can yield significantly better performance than supplying the membrane with a feed stream that contains a greater volume of water than air.

Systems and techniques for cleaning pressure membrane systems using a water-in-air cleaning stream

A method of controlling cooling water treatment at a cooling tower may involve measuring operating data of one or more downstream heat exchangers that receive cooling water from the cooling tower. For example, the inlet and outlet temperatures of both the hot and cold streams of a downstream heat exchanger may be measured, optionally along with a flow rate of the cooling water stream passing through the heat exchanger. Data from the streams passing through the heat exchanger may be used to determine a heat transfer efficiency for the heat exchanger. The heat transfer efficiency can be trended over a period of time and changes in the trend detected to identify cooling water fouling issues. A chemical additive selected to reduce, eliminate, or otherwise control the cooling water fouling can be controlled based on the changes in heat transfer efficiency detected at the downstream heat exchanger.

A method of controlling cooling water treatment may involve measuring operating data of one or more downstream heat exchangers that receive cooling water from the cooling tower. For example, the inlet and outlet temperatures of both the hot and cold streams of a downstream heat exchanger may be measured. Data from the streams passing through the heat exchanger may be used to determine a heat transfer efficiency for the heat exchanger. The heat transfer efficiency can be trended over a period of time and changes in the trend detected to identify cooling waterfouling issues. Multiple potential causes of the perceived fouling issues can be evaluated to determine a predicted cause. A chemical additive selected to reduce, eliminate, or otherwise control the cooling water fouling can be controlled based on the predicted cause of the fouling.

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) have been used as surfactants in a wide variety of household products and industrial applications. Despite their effectiveness as surfactants, NPEs can accumulate in the environment and adversely affect aquatic organisms. The dispersants of the present disclosure can be used to disperse oil and/or microbes while avoiding the adverse effects of NPEs. Oil and microbial fouling is of particular concern in refinery cooling towers where the water may be contaminated with oil and microbial growth can cause cooling inefficiencies among other problems. The dispersant may include an oil dispersant comprising a C-Calcohol ethoxylate, a bio-dispersant comprising a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and 2-butoxyethanol. The oil dispersant, the bio-dispersant, and the 2-butoxyethanol form a dispersant solution, and the solution does not include a nonylphenol ethoxylate.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Daniel Meier