14-24: Pairing Two Proprietary Technologies Key to Power Plant Efficiency

A zero liquid discharge power plant, with five ppm of iron in the make-up water, had been experiencing condenser fouling for over twenty years. The plant was shut down two to three times per year to clean the condenser in order to maintain efficient power production. The condenser and fill fouling was estimated to cost the plant approximately 5% in lost efficiency. Major changes were implemented to the traditional microbiological control, deposit control, and side stream softening programs that the plant had used for years. In order to assess the program performance, an OnGuard 2-plus analyzer was installed on the cooling system. This proprietary monitoring/control system accurately simulates the steady-state conditions in plant heat exchangers while revealing differentiation among various causes of fouling (i.e. sedimentation, scaling, microbiological, etc.). This diagnostic tool, acting as a window into the cooling system, was essential to validating the response to the treatment program changes before they could impact plant efficiency. As a result of the program modifications, the plant is setting power generating records and shows no indication of condenser fouling.