13-09: How Stripping Biofilm From The Cooling Water Loop Impacts Power Plant

The operational relationship between the cooling tower’s cooling loop performance and power plant production load is vitally important. When condenser tube sheet fouling is present, the production load of the power plant is affected especially if the power plant is operating at its peak capacity. It becomes a critical concern if biofilm, visible or not, is present in condenser tube sheets as even a small amount of biofilm has a significant impact on heat transfer efficiency. This paper will present the current challenges in power plant cooling loop treatment and case evidence where biofilm removal improved heat transfer efficiency resulting in increased power plant’s production load.