Methods for Chlorine Control in Critical Cooling Towers

Methods for Chlorine Control In Critical Cooling Towers The following paper was presented in part at the 1996 Cooling Tower Institute Annual Conference, Houston, Texas, February 1996 by Stephen A. Wortendyke, Capital Controls Company, Inc. 1. Introduction The precise and continuous measurement of chlorine at low levels is essential to the efcient operation of cooling towers. The operators of cooling towers are looking for ways to keep the chlorine level as low as possible in order to achieve maximum efciency in their towers and high enough to control slime and microbial growth. This paper will discuss the various methods in use today to control and monitor chlorine as well as the pros and cons of each method. We will then proceed to describe the unique requirements of chlorine control in cooling towers. Finally, we will review a case study of how a cooling tower used the precise and accurate measurement of chlorine to decrease corrosion rates by 60%. 2. Chemistry of Chlorine Chlorine has been used as a disinfectant in water treatment for about 90 years. As our understanding of this chemical increased, we have gained an incredible knowledge base as to the effectiveness of chlorine and the exact levels necessary to minimize or eliminate microbiological contaminants in water. In cooling water, chlorine has been proven to be an economical and effective way to control microbiological growth. Too little chlorine can prove ineffective for disinfection control. Alternatively, too much chlorine can have disastrous effects on our environment and cooling water systems. As chlorine dissolves in cooling water, hypochlorous acid and hydrochloric acid are formed according to the following equation: CI2 + H2O <---> HOCI + HCI In addition to gaseous chlorine, hypochlorous acid may be formed with the addition of hypochlorite (NaOCI or Ca(OCI)2) to water. Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid only partially dissociating in water into hydrogen and hypochlorite ions. HOCI <---> H+ + OCI The degree of dissociation of hypochlorous acid is significantly affected by pH and temperature. With decreasing pH, the degree of dissociation of hypochlorous acid decreases. Below a pH of 5.0, the dissociation of hypochlorous acid is virtually 0%, regardless of the temperature. As the temperature increases or decreases, the dissociation curve shifts along the pH axis. See Figure 1. This concept of dissociation and pH is signicant for two reasons. The rst is that HOCI has both a higher oxidation potential and is a more effective germicide. The Handbook of Chlorination by G. White states that HOCl is 100 times more effective as a germicide than OCI-. The work in drinking water is conducted at pH levels of about 7 to 8.5 pH with some exceptions. Usually the pH is constant and an effective microbial kill versus concentration of chlorine is well established in drinking and waste waters. Most water treatment companies recommend that the pH be controlled in cooling towers in order to optimize the effectiveness of their chemical additives. This is important as
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Figure 1 - Dissociation Curve

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it directly affects disinfection capability. The second reason is that the galvanic cells used in amperometric chlorine analyzers are also pH dependent. This is because HOCI is a more powerful oxidant than OCI and responds faster to the amperometric cell and as the pH drifts or shifts the readings become less stable and the response time increases. It is important to maintain a constant pH in order to establish a stable and accurate instrument. By buffering the sample to 4.5 to 4.8 pH we force all free chlorine to the HOCI state and the result is a more accurate and faster responding instrument. (See the amperometric analyzer section for a more detailed explanation). The sum of hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion in solution is called free available chlorine. If ammonia is present in water that is being chlorinated, further reactions can occur between ammonia and hypochlorous acid to form chloramine compounds. Chloramines are called combined available chlorine. The sum of free and combined available chlorine is dened as total available chlorine. 3. Methods of Chlorination Chlorine can be fed continuously or as a shock dose. On a shock basis, sufcient chlorine may be fed to provide a residual chlorine level up to 1 mg/I free residual chlorine, measured downstream of water cooling systems, for one hour, two to three times daily. To reduce the chlorine swings and in order to keep the system running consistently, continuous low chlorine feed is used to keep the residual at about 0.2 to 0.5 mg/I free residual chlorine throughout the system. The amount of chlorine needed to destroy biofouling organisms in the water and oxidize organic and inorganic matter is called the chlorine demand of the system. The chlorine feed rate depends upon the degree of biofouling expected, the nonbiological chlorine demand in the water, the holding time in the system, discharge limitations and the chemical additives used to control corrosion. Chlorination equipment should be sized using the maximum waterow and maximum chlorine dosage anticipated. Typically, the actual dosage will be 1 /3 to 1 /2 of the design dosage so that additional capacity is available to meet unforeseen developments, such as loss of chlorine through aeration in the tower or increased demand in the summer. Actual feed rates can be calculated using the following equations: (Recirculating rate, U.S. gpm) X (ppm dosage) X 0.012 = lb/day chlorine (Recirculating rate, m3/h) X (mg/I dosage) X 0.001 = kg/h of chlorine

Figure 2 - Typical Gas Chlorination System

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Thus, to feed 1 ppm to a 100,000 gpm system would require: 100,000 X 1 X 0.012 = 1200 lb/day The equipment, however, would be sized to feed 2400 to 3600 lb/day. For a two hour feeding cycle, the chlorine consumption is 1200 X 2/24 = 100 lb per cycle Figure 2 shows a typical chlorine gas system for shock or continuous treatment. There are a variety of methods used to feed chlorine. We will discuss an example of a gaseous feed system and an on-site hypochlorite generation feed system. In all cases safety and reliability are of primary concern. Gaseous chlorine Chlorine is packaged as liqueed gas under pressure and is the most economical and simplest method for disinfection. Some of the advantages include the following: Chlorine is a pure substance, with no other materials added Chlorine remains constant in strength. With the use of direct cylinder or ton mounted vacuum feed systems, it is easy to control and apply. Chlorine is the most economical source. Pure chlorine gas is about 1/3 the cost of comparable quantities of sodium or calcium hypochlorite. There are two methods for feeding gaseous chlorine, pressure feed and vacuum operated. Pressure feed uses the pressure in the chlorine cylinder to inject chlorine directly into the main through a pressure feed chlorinator. Pressure feeders are not as safe as vacuum operated units. With vacuum operated systems, chlorine gas is immediately reduced to a vacuum at the container valve, minimizing any danger of pressurized chlorine gas from escaping. A wateroperated, vacuum-producing ejector located directly at the point of application, extends the vacuum operation from the chlorine source to the point of use and eliminates the need for pressurized solution lines. Figure 3 shows a vacuum operated gaseous feed system.

Figure 3 - Vacuum Gaseous Feed System

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Liquid Hypochlorite Solution Sodium hypochlorite has long been recognized as a highly effective disinfectant and can be used for the treatment of cooling water. Hypochlorite can be added either from storage tanks or generated on site. We will discuss electrolytic on-site generation as this system is gaining acceptance as certain state regulatory agencies limit the transportation of chlorine either as a gas or as hypochlorite solution. Salt, water and electricity are combined to form hypochlorite according to the following equation: NaCl + H2O + DC Current ----> NaOCI + H2 This will produce approximately a 1 % sodium hypochlorite solution which can be stored in a tank for addition to the system line as needed. The system consists of these major components: water softener, salt saturator, generating cell, rectier and hypochlorite storage tank. The process is founded on the principle of the electrolysis of sodium chloride for the production of sodium hypochlorite. One pound of chlorine equivalent is produced from 2.51bs of salt + 11 gallons of water + 2.5 kilowatt hours of electrical power. The efciency of the process is a function of salt quality, current density, dilution water quality, electrolyte (brine) concentration and the cell anode coating material. Figure 4 depicts a typical hypochlorite generation system. All of these systems can be controlled from an on-line chlorine analyzer. By maintaining tight and proper control of the chlorine levels in cooling towers, a more efcient system is the result. There are a variety of methods used for monitoring and controlling chlorine.

Figure 4 - Hypochlorite Generation System 4. Methods for Measuring Chlorine Techniques for measuring residual chlorine in cooling water vary from simple chemical tests to sophisticated on line electrochemical methods. For efficient control of chlorine, the measurement system should be very accurate, self-cleaning and continuous. We will review the methods used in cooling towers for measuring residual chlorine. There are two basic lab methods which are used to verify on-line operation. The rst is the DPD colorimetric method. This method is perhaps the most popular method because of its ease of use. It has a standard deviation of about 0.04 mg/I and is subject to certain interferences including monochloramines in the free chlorine test. Because of its ease of use, it is used extensively as a eld verication method. The second lab method is an amperometric titrator. This procedure is the recognized standard for the true chlorine level. All other titration, electrochemical and colorimetric methods are calibrated against the amperometric titrator and it is the most accurate system in use today. A report by the AWWA Research Foundation indicates that amperometric determination of chlorine remains the standard for routine laboratory determinations. It is sensitive and precise and should remain as the method used for accuracy comparisons. Some drawbacks are that it is not easily adapted to eld use and amperometric titration is also a more difcult and time consuming procedure to use. However, if an accurate calibration is required, amperometric titration should be used.
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Most on-line methods are an adaptation of the lab procedures specied in Standard Methods. These include DPD, amperometric, iodometric, membrane probes and ORP. Colorimetric The manual DPD test kit has been automated into a batch system which uses peristaltic pumps to move sample and reagents through the analyzer. A portion of the sample is captured in the colorimeter flow cell to measure blank absorbance (the color intensity of the unreacted sample). Reagents are then added and a stirring motor mixes the sample and the reagents. After 2 1/2 minutes the color intensity is measured in the red wavelength and compared to a built-in calibration curve. See Figure 5.

Figure 5 - DPD On-Line Instrument

The DPD method is relatively stable but not as accurate as some electrochemical techniques and ranges are typically limited to 0 - 5.0 mg/I as free or total chlorine. This method is used extensively and quite adequately as a monitoring instrument however it suffers from a few drawbacks. Since the DPD forms a free radical, it oxidizes quite rapidly. As a result, monochloramines are readily reacted and subsequently reported as free chlorine. Additionally, this method has problems when attempting to control chlorine addition. This is because the output of these analyzers must be held during the reagent reaction time. So in the case above, the output is updated every 2 1/2 minutes. Finally, most of the on-line colorimetric analyzers for chlorine do not have temperature compensation. Some manufacturers offer a sample heater to maintain the sample at a constant temperature. Figure 6 demonstrates a comparison of the output of a continuous method vs. batch method. Potentiometric/lodometric The potentiometric method measures trace materials in a solution using an electrode with two elements. This method is only applicable to the measurement of total residual chlorine and is based on the detection of iodine, which is liberated from a stoichiometric reaction with the total chlorine in the sample.
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Figure 6 - Continuous vs. Batch Output A pH buffer is rst added to the sample which lowers the pH in the cell to between 3.0 and 4.0 pH. Potassium Iodide is added to the sample to convert all residual chlorine present to iodine. A platinum electrode develops a potential that depends upon the relative concentration of iodine and iodide in solution. At the second electrode, the iodide sensing element develops a potential that depends upon the iodide ion concentration in solution. The electrode then measures the difference between the potential at the two sensing elements. The net potential measured is then converted through the electronics and is displayed directly as total residual chlorine in mg/I. The output of the electrode is proportional to the log of the iodine concentration and is therefore proportional to the log of the total residual chlorine. The typical measuring ranges are 0 - 10.0 mg/I. Accuracy is usually specied at 10% of the reading. Membrane Type The membrane type analyzer is usually an in-situ probe which is designed for submerged operation in the process stream or tank. The membrane type probe uses the polarographic principle of operation to measure free or total chlorine in water, see Figure 7. Recent adaptations offer ow cell designs that pipes the sample to the analyzer in a similar fashion as other analyzers. The probe contains two metal electrodes which have a polarizing voltage applied to them and they are immersed in an appropriate electrolyte for measuring either free or total chlorine. A porous polymer membrane separates the internal cell from the solution to be measured. Figure 7 - Membrane Probe
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The two electrode system uses a silver/silver chloride electrode as both the reference and anode, and a platinum or gold measuring electrode. The measuring electrode is isolated from the sample by a membrane that is permeable to chlorine. As the chlorine passes through the membrane, it is reduced to chloride at the cathode, generating a current that is proportional to the chlorine content present in the water. At the cathode the reactions that occur are: HOCI + H+ + 2e ----> CI - + H2O OCI + 2H+ + 2e ----> CI- + H2O At the anode the reaction is Ag + CI- ----> AgCI + e. The membrane type analyzers require a minimum sample flow. This steady velocity of water past the membrane replenishes the layer of sample which is next to it, and will become depleted of the chlorine species. Some of the problems of membrane probes include the clogging of the membranes and maintenance requirements of replacing them and the relatively slow response times. These units are subject to pH changes but accuracies tend to be around 5%. They are easy to install and are generally good monitoring instruments. Amperometric Amperometric analyzers used to measure chlorine residual are recognized as the most precise instruments in use today. Developed in the late 50s, these analyzers are based on the standard lab amperometric method and rely on 3 basic features in order to achieve their high accuracy. Among these are sample size, electrode cleaning and buffering. If the signal is strong, the electrodes are kept clean and the system is buffered adequately, the accuracy of standard amperometric systems will be better than 2% of full scale. See Figure 8 for a brief overview of how a standard amperometric analyzer works. This basic amperometric design has been in place since the 1960s and has been continuously updated over the years. Amperometric analyzers are based on galvanic cell theory. If two electrodes of the appropriate material are immersed in an ion-containing solution, a chemical species capable of being reduced (gaining electrons) can move toward the cathode where electrons are transferred from the cathode to the reducible species, resulting in a cathodic current. At the same time, an oxidation reaction (where an oxidizable species loses electrons) occurs at the anode. Electrons are transferred to the anode producing an anodic current. As the reaction occurs the concentration of the reducible species at the cathode drops. In response to the concentration gradient created, more of the reducible species moves toward the cathode. The rate that the reducible species arrives at the cathode is dependent on its concentration. As the concentration increases the diffusion to the cathode increases, which increases the current. The current is also affected by temperature. With elevated temperature, diffusion increases. The amperometric analyzer discussed utilizes both a copper and a gold electrode. A current can be produced by electrically connecting or shorting the electrodes. In a galvanic cell, a change in concentration is detected by measuring the change in current flowing through the cell. The cell responds proportionally to changes in concentration. The electrodes are large in order to maximize the ruggedness and sensitivity of the signal. The flow is controlled through an overflow weir. Prior to entering the sample cell area, the solution is mixed with pH 4 buffer to provide a sample pH of 4.5 to 4.8. Because disinfection control relies on an accurate knowledge as to the true level of chlorine, the pH is adjusted to force the sample to 100% HOCI. All analyzers will measure both HOCI and OCI and report as C12. With electrochemical analyzers, the HOCI has a much faster response to the cells than OCI. If the analyzer was calibrated and measuring at 6 or 7 pH, it would still give the same indication of chlorine, but the response time would increase and the accuracy would suffer. The control of chlorine relies on an accurate and immediate chlorine input, therefore the pH is decreased and held constant. Figure 8 - Amperometric Chlorine Analyzer
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The reaction that occurs at the gold cathode in a buffered amperometric analyzer is the following: HOCI + H+ + 2e ----> CI- + H2O The anode is copper. As electrons are exchanged, an oxide product remains on the anode. The electrodes are kept clean through the use of cleaning balls which are agitated to remove build-up as it occurs. Current ow is affected by pH. The most stable current is between 4 to 4.5 pH therefore a buffering solution is used to stabilize the cell current. Temperature compensation circuitry is employed to counter the effects of accelerated diffusion. Temperature is compensated through the use of a thermistor. If total chlorine is desired, potassium iodide can be added to the pH 4 buffer solution. Most amperometric analyzers on the market today utilize this or a similar technology. ORP An alternative method of chlorine residual monitoring that uses redox chemistry is known as ORP (oxidation reduction potential). This form of measurement is a reading of the mV (millivolt) potential across a pair of electrodes. Originally, it had been hoped that this will be a satisfactory method of indicating chlorine and investigative work continues in this area. This work has had its deciencies over the past years encountering unpredictable readings and variations in accuracy and reliability. All chemical reactions that involve an electron transfer are oxidation reduction reactions. The relative strength of these reactions is determined by measuring the potential. ORP is the potential to transfer electrons from the oxidant to the reductant and is used as a qualitative measure of the state of oxidation in process waters. ORP is measured with a platinum electrode and a reference electrode. If follows the Nernst equation which is described as follows: E = Eo +(RT/n) In oxidant/reductant E = The measured potential in voltage Eo = The standard molar potential R = Constant T = Temperature, Degrees Kelvin n = Number of electrons involved in the reaction Oxidant = Molar concentration (activities) Reductant = Molar concentration (activities) We see that the potential is based on the ratio of oxidants to reductants, temperature and the equilibrium in standard conditions (where oxidants = reductants). This calculation is only useful in a relatively pure or constant system. In more complex waters, the concentration of specic oxidants or reductants cannot be determined by the electrode potential alone. The use of ORP as a chlorine control devise assumes that all the oxidants are chlorine and the reductants do not change. This matrix effect can be very complex. At best, the results from ORP are qualitative. If a relationship can be established between the ORP and the chlorine level, care should be taken to continually calibrate this system because of fouling or drift due to sample composition variations. The ORP sensing system is comprised of a reference and sensing electrode with a very pure platinum element. Comparison Data Figure 9 describes an evaluation study of several methods of chlorine detection as compared to laboratory amperometric titration. We see that the two electrode amperometric analyzer is the closest to laboratory amperometric titration. This chart describes a range of 0 to 10 mg/I chlorine. The data below 3 mg/I is inconclusive and was not examined in detail. This chart shows how the different methods compare over a wide range of chlorine. Figure 10 shows several months of data taken at a wastewater treatment plant with different analyzers. We see that if we attempt to compare analyzers with each other, the data is meaningless. This is the kind of variability that can occur in different analyzers. In this chart we do not know which instrument is right. A referee method must be used as the basis of all on-line and laboratory instruments. To further illustrate, as trials are run comparing competitive equipment, there is always one detection device that is viewed as the standard or the control. Frequently, it is another on-line analyzer or in many cases it is a DPD test kit. Care should be given in placing condence in one instrument over another. This is why the AWWA went to such pains to study the accuracy of various methods. The need was recognized for a referee method that could act as a universal control. The laboratory amperometric titrator was selected because this instrument provided the most accurate and precise chlorine values. It would be a difcult task to pick the most accurate on-line instrument when comparing against each other. Although ORP was not part of this study, we see that this form of chlorine control also needs a highly accurate lab technique to verify accuracy, stability and calibration.

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Figure 9 - Comparison Test With On-Line Instruments

Figure 10 - Comparison Study of On-Line and Lab Titrators 5. Case Study Problem Minimum Chlorine Control Critical cooling towers often need to control the minimum chlorine level as low as 0.3 mg/I free chlorine. At these levels the operators are assured that both microbial growth and slime is controlled. Left uncontrolled, biofilms can form and adversely affect equipment performance by decreasing heat transfer and reducing water ow. Biolms can also promote metal corrosion that can perforate heat exchanger surfaces and can accelerate wood deterioration resulting in collapse of the structure. There are several problems to the control and measurement of chlorine at the 0.3 mg/I level. First is that there are other measurements that affect the level of activity of these microbial organisms and the effectiveness of chlorine. Among these are pH, temperature and organics. The critical parameter has been pH. In most of the systems approaches offered by water treatment companies, pH is regarded as a parameter that must be controlled in order to maximize the efciency of the towers. For the case study described in this paper, this level is set and controlled at 6.8 to 7.2 pH. When pH is closely controlled into a narrow margin, the effectiveness of chlorine is easily predictable based on what is known about the
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HOCI/OCI- dissociation curve (see Figure 1). This is why amperometric analyzers try to adjust the pH of the sample to below 4.5 pH. The signal is much stronger because almost 100% of the CI2 is HOCI. When the pH is tightly controlled, it is easy to predict the required chlorine residual. This is how the minimum of 0.3 mg/I chlorine was established and then proven experimentally. The question to be answered is that given the accuracy of most chlorine instruments, what method or technique can be used to determine this low level of chlorine accurately? Maximum chlorine control If we were just worried about disinfection we would simply keep the chlorine residual high and let the system run. However the other factor in this equation is that high levels of chlorine will render water treatment systems ineffective and pave the way for corrosion and scale. Selective leaching can occur when the pH is low (below 6.0 pH) and the chlorine is high (>1.0 mg/I CI2). Also, when the Cl2 level increases above 1.0 mg/I, tower lumber delignification can occur. We can see that in order to keep the corrosion inhibitors working effectively and keep the structure intact, we need to keep the pH above 6.0 pH and the chlorine below 1.0. Figure 11 describes this relationship between pH and corrosion. Tight control of pH will enable the corrosion and scale inhibitors to work much more effectively, reduce fouling and increase the effectiveness of the disinfectant. From the information presented, we know that this will occur above a pH of 6.0 and below a pH of 10.0. Above pH of 10.0 the dissociation curve indicates most of the active chlorine is in the form of hypochlorite. Various treatment systems will all have an optimum pH. Careful control of pH means a more accurate understanding of disinfection ability. With controls on pH we can now turn our attention to the control and measurement of Cl2. The following case study describes how to best monitor and control chlorine in a critical cooling tower. Case Study Figure 11 - Corrosion Rate The cooling tower in this discussion is a twin cell counterow used in the petrochemical industry. The tower runs with a T of 15 F and a 45,000 gal/min recirculating rate using river water as makeup. The chemical additives used are supplied by a major water treatment company and uses a polyphosphate and phosphonate blend with two separate dispersion packages. This system requires the pH to be controlled at 7.0 0.2 The operators also had to make sure that the chlorine residual was between 0.3 and 0.6 mg/I CI2. This was necessary in order to keep the heat exchanger corrosion rate below the cutoff of 1.5 millimeters/year. This control of 0.3 to 0.6 mg/I was necessary in order to meet the chemical additive manufacturers specications. The system proved to run much better when the residual chlorine could be targeted around 0.47 mg/I Cl2. The following bar chart (Figure 12) describes this. Initially the control of Cl2 was accomplished through a manual method. Samples were collected continually and a DPD chlorine test was performed. This method did not provide the continuous control and monitoring that was necessary. The rst on-line system that was attempted was ORP. ORP theory indicates that as pH drifts the ability to disinfect changes and the only true way to know that disinfection capability is through the oxidation-reduction potential of the water. The theory is that since HOCI is a more powerful oxidant than OCI -, as the pH increases or decreases the relationship of HOCI vs. OCI - changes so the ORP changes and the effectiveness of the disinfection changes. When the ORP system is applied, the chlorine level began to drift upward and out of the upper limit without the ORP indicating this. We discussed earlier why this can occur due to the relationship of oxidants/reductants. Another reason is drifting of the probe from its calibration points. When the DPD method was performed, the operators noticed a very high chlorine level. The initial thought was that the ORP was correct and no change to disinfection was correct. The discussions ended when corrosion coupons indicated that the rate exceeded the 1.5 mil/year cutoff. Conrmation occurred when the corrosion inhibition system failed due to high CI2 levels and a failure occurred in the heat exchanger. In fact what had happened is that the ORP had drifted and the DPD answer was right in terms of its high chlorine indication. ORP failed to indicate that the chlorine residual was too high. A more sophisticated ORP system was tried with the same inaccuracies. This second system was pulled in 3 weeks. The operators switched back to a manual control system in order to keep the tower running.
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In this example, we will examine how precise Cl2 control can help maintain the cooling tower at maximum efciency.

They realized that the chemical additive system that controls corrosion and scaling is based on the precise control of chlorine residual around 0.45 to 0.49 mg/I C12, therefore a direct measurement of residual of CI2 is better than an inferred measurement system. About one year ago the continuous control of chlorine was attempted using an amperometric analyzer. Solution The decision was made to try a microprocessor-based amperometric analyzer to measure and control chlorine feed. The analyzer used in this case study incorporates the latest technology in chlorine measurement. Most of these additions seek to control the variables in chlorine measurement. Among these are the ow of the sample through the cells, the temperature compensation scheme and the pH of the sample. The following diagrams the basic ow of the Model 1870E Chlorine Analyzer, Figure 13.

Figure 12 - Chlorine Control Band

While the general electronics of the unit is the same as other units, the ability to accurately measure low residual levels is further enhanced by a cell pH monitoring and PID control system. The cell pH monitoring system controls the pH level at 4.3 pH through a buffer feed system. As the pH of the buffered sample begins to increase or decrease, the pump increases or decreases the feed rate appropriately. When the pH is controlled at those levels, any variability resulting from dissociation is eliminated. If the ow is not kept above a certain rate, the cleaning action of the unit can diminish and ow of sample past the electrodes will be too low to achieve an accurate signal. The analyzer used on this cooling tower utilizes an infrared ow meter to indicate a low ow rate. Additionally, temperature compensation is critical in the precise measurement of chlorine so this unit has a solid state temperature device to compensate for sample temperature changes. What makes this particular amperometric analyzer work for critical cooling towers is the independent control of each potential variant that may affect the chlorine reading. This includes pH, temperature and ow. When the analyzer and the residual chlorine level was maintained within the 0.45 to 0.49 level as conrmed by the lab method the corrosion rate dropped from 1.5 mils/year to 0.6 mils/year. This represents a 60% decrease in the corrosion rate. The benets to this critical heat exchanger include a drop in the corrosion rate, a more efcient water treatment process, improved heat transfer rates, and an extended life for the system.

Table 1 - ORP vs. Residual Analyzer

ORP Corrosion Rate Disinfectant Control Greater than 1.5 mls/yr

Cl2 Analyzer 0.6 mls/yr

Unstable ORP with 0.47+/- 0.2 mg/l very high chlorine chlorine. ORP was readings not measured.

Figure 13 - Series 1870E Analyzer Flow Diagram

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Figure 14 - Chlorine Control in Cooling Towers

Design improvements may be made without notice.

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