Cooling Tower Troubleshooting.docx

Cooling Tower Issues and Troubleshooting Approaches The water temperature rises unexpectedly.      

The recommended air flow may be low. Adjusting the blade level may correct this. The water flow may be above the recommended level. Take applicable steps to correct the rate of flow. The sprinkler output may be impeded resulting in poor distribution. Repair or replace the sprinkler or feed. Water flow not contacting the fills as designed. Check for water supply leaks or sprinkler issues. Flow of external air around tower is impeded. Check for air obstructions and that exhaust air is not being recycled. The fill is coated or checked requiring replacement or cleaning.

There is excessive vibration or noise.      

Check the motor bearing and grease or replace it as required. The fan mount may have loosened. Retighten associated hardware. Various tower components may be rubbing against each other. Ensure that the proper tolerances are maintained. The fan may have become unbalanced. Take measures to rebalance it. The fan blocks may have loosened. Retighten them as needed. The motor shaft hub mounting might have loosened up. Tighten it back up. Note that this may require using shims.

The cooling capacity has lowered unexpectedly. 

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Check to see if the motor has stopped. If so, verify that the fuse is functional, the switch capacity is correct, and the switch contact is in good working order, clean, and adjusted as recommended. If the fan has stopped spinning check for a jammed bearing. Clear any obstructions and replace the bearing. If the motor RPM lowers unexpectedly first check that the starter is not defective. Next ensure that the electrical load is not too heavy. Finally, check that the supply voltage is within accepted range. If not, contact your power company. If the motor RPM cannot be raised to acceptable levels, check that the starter is serviceable and all the connections are clean, tight, and connected properly. If that all checks out, investigate whether the motor windings have been damaged.

The water carries over the specified level.   

Check that the water flow through the filter is not being blocked. Unblock as needed. If the water sprinkler is rotating faster than specified adjust the speed and angle. Ensure that the sprinkler is not too high above the filter. If so, lower it to bring it within the specified range.

The water conductivity is not within the acceptable range.

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Check to ensure that the probe for the controller is clean. If not, clean it with a clean cloth and avoid touching it with your fingers. Check the solenoid to ensure that debris is not stopping it from closing completely. This can cause excessive bleeding. Ensure that the float is located such that the water level remains within specifications. Be sure that there are no leaks in the cooling tower system. Verify that the chemical feed pump is properly primed. Adjust the chemical feed pump settings until the water conductivity is within the acceptable range.

The motor temperature is too high. 

Check for a drop in voltage, that the fan is not out of balance, and that the stator is not touching the rotor.

The water flow is reduced below specification.   

Ensure that no water distribution pipes are clogged or obstructed. Check that the strainer/filter is unobstructed. Check for any operational faults with the water pump.

There is an unexpected water loss.   

Be sure the sprinkler RPM is within specified range. Check for compromised end caps. Make sure that FRP/PVC eliminators are located properly.

Whether your facility uses a crossflow, counter flow, induced draft, or other type of cooling tower, the troubleshooting ideas listed above should give you a practical jumping off point towards addressing basic troubleshooting issues.

What is Oil Analysis? Oil analysis involves doing analysis on the properties of a lubricant, wear debris, and the

contaminants in it. It’s done regularly or when the need arises so as to provide accurate and meaningful information about the lubricant and the machine that it’s being used on. When you keep records of a machine’s sample results, it’s possible to know its condition and make the necessary changes if the machine is worn out, eliminating huge costs which could have occurred. You can do repairs or replace the entire machine depending on its condition. The people who mostly perform oil analysis study tribology, the study of wear and are called tribologists. Oil analysis is divided into:   

Wear debris analysis Analysis of the contaminants and, Oil properties analysis

Since long ago, monitoring the condition of machines at the workplace has always been of great importance for proper maintenance of machines. When machines are working properly,

operations run smoothly and accidents are avoided. While the petrochemical and power generation industries do vibration analysis, the fleet industries have always chosen oil analysis to maintain the diesel engines in shape. Other industries like the pulp and paper industries and those dealing with metals also use oil analysis. Oil analysis has proved to produce better assessment results and most plants in different industries are using the method to monitor the condition of the machines and systems in use. This assessment has increased machine reliability and improved the performance of the company in turn. This article looks at the role that oil analysis plays in different industries.

Monitoring the Condition of Machines through Oil Analysis The role played by oil analysis has varied over the years. In the power generation and petrochemical industries, it has been done to determine when machines need an oil change. In areas where there is a hydraulic application, it has been utilized to control contamination which leads to jamming of abrades components and servo-valves. When these two are jammed, component failure occurs prematurely. In the fleet industries, oil analysis has mostly been used to know when additives are depleted, fuel is resulting in oil contamination, soot is too much in the oil, or when there is unusual component wear. Each application varies from the other and the information that the different applications produce is used to make varied but important decisions.

Dimensions of Oil Analysis Fluid analysis When you perform oil analysis, it reveals how healthy the oil is. With the analysis, the oil’s chemical, physical, and additive properties can analyzed and the decision about whether the oil needs changing can be made. Oil analysis will also help you know when an addition of incorrect oil has been made. If at one time the oil degrades abnormally, oil analysis will be used to tell whether the degradation is hydrolytic, oxidative or due to another happening. Contamination Monitoring Contamination contributes greatly to machine failure and degradation. In most industrial applications, moisture together with abrasive particles is the leading cause of machine wear. These particles also make the oil to lose its additives, thereby, leading to oil degradation. When contamination monitoring is done, the company is able to reduce the chances of machine failure. Detection of Wear Debris Machines produce particles when they are not in good condition. Debris detection helps in determining the cause of the problem and enables one to plan for maintenance and repair. This way machines operate smoothly without causing lagging of activities.

The Importance of Oil Analysis Proactive machine care

Machine failure is something may slow down things at an organization significantly. Oil analysis helps to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Contamination takes effect slowly and will be difficult to notice until it’s too late. By looking at the results of oil analysis, the necessary changes are made, thereby, avoiding degradation, which leads to machine failure. Making effective decisions Oil analysis comes in handy when making operations and maintenance decisions. To make quality decisions, you have to have accurate information. Oil analysis provides you with the most accurate data of the components involved, thereby, giving you the best tool to make the right decision in operation and maintenance.

Observing reliability Due to the importance of keeping machines in full operation, it’s advisable to have people who are tasked with the primary duty of performing oil analysis. A department should be established to perform analysis from time to time. By doing this, the clients of the company can rely on it to deliver throughout.