02-10: Avoiding Cooling Tower Catastrophe Repair and Construction

02-10: Avoiding Cooling Tower Catastrophe Repair and ConstructionThe three major catastrophic events on cooling towers are structural failure, fan failure, and icing damage, in that order. This paper describes in detail the causative factors, methods of detection prior to event, workable preventative solutions, and solutions after the event, on all three types of catastrophes. The author has been personally involved in these type failures on multiple occasions over the past years.

Deteriorating water quality and decreasing sources of potable water are driving new initiatives in water conservation

Revised May 2017

This document details the measured test parameters

The cooling tower parameters that were controlled included temperature

but easily implemented and converges quickly

It deals with the physical and thermodynamic properties of air-water vapor mixtures

A Standard was developed which addresses all water systems

lessons learned

large areas of concrete will need to be removed from the structures

case believed to be the first reported Legionnaire’s disease case wherein a chemical water treater was alleged to owe a general duty to the public to protect it from Legionella related illness

and facility managers of these types of structures

when possible