cooling tower blowdown calculator using system volume and cycles

The narrative must identify the source of the makeup water and the process for analysis. Highlight each parameter in the documentation.ĭescribe the analysis. If a potable water analysis has already been completed, it must be no more than five years old.Īt a minimum, the analysis must measure the concentration parameters identified in the credit requirements. Whether the project uses 100% potable water or 100% nonpotable water for cooling, the first step is to obtain a chemical analysis.Įngage a water treatment professional to perform the analysis. Only projects served by cooling towers or evaporative condensers are eligible for this credit. Cycles can also be increased by treating water to remove or sequester dissolved solids rather than relying only on blowdown and input of fresh makeup water. Chemically analyzing makeup water allows for calculation of optimal cycles. Increasing the number of cycles can save thousands of gallons of potable water during a building’s peak cooling periods. Cooling tower or evaporative condenser water efficiency is measured in the number of recirculation cycles before water must be removed by blowdown. To significantly reduce makeup water inputs, it is important to achieve target cycles of concentration (see Further Explanation, Cycles of Concentration).

Cooling towers can therefore account for large portions of a building’s total water use. Makeup water is then added to replace evaporative losses and blowdown volume. To prevent buildup of deposits, cooling tower and evaporative condenser systems remove a portion of the water through a process called blowdown. As the water evaporates, however, dissolved solids become more concentrated in the remaining water and eventually begin to deposit scale on cooling tower or evaporative condenser elements, making such systems less efficient.

A cooling tower or evaporative condenser removes heat in part by evaporating water as the water absorbs heat, it changes from a liquid to a vapor. This heat is expelled into either the atmosphere or another medium. Refrigeration systems remove heat, usually from air, to cool interior building spaces.

Cooling tower blowdown calculator using system volume and cycles