93-04: Fingerprints of Errors - Failures in Cooling Water Systems

Cooling water treatment programs focus on controlling problems, i.e., fouling deposition, scaling, corrosion, etc. When errors occur, cooling water treatment programs may appear to fail. System degradation often results, leaving "fingerprints" in the components. This paper discusses the application of failure analysis to cooling water systems. Among those topics addressed are 1) When to use failure analysis; 2) Planning the critical path; 3) How to handle components and samples; 4) pertinent analytical procedures; 5) Interpretation of the results; and 6) Avoiding future problems, i.e., lessons learned. These subjects are addressed with case history documentation.