Why is water a cost item in industry?
A 1 mm layer of scale in a steam boiler increases fuel consumption by roughly 5–8%; in cooling towers, scaling and corrosion reduce chiller efficiency and cause unplanned shutdowns. In industry, water treatment is not a question of "clean water" but of equipment life and energy.
Applications
| Application | Target | System |
|---|---|---|
| Steam boiler feed water | Hardness 0, low conductivity, oxygen control | Softening + RO + dosing (oxygen scavenger, alkali) |
| Cooling tower make-up water | Scale and corrosion control, low blowdown | Filtration + softening/RO + chemical conditioning |
| Closed-loop heating/cooling | Preventing corrosion and sludge | Softened/demineralised fill water, inhibitor |
| Washing, phosphating, pre-paint rinsing | Spot-free surface, low conductivity | RO, DI in the final rinse |
| Electronics, precision assembly | High purity | RO + EDI / mixed bed |
| Wastewater recovery | Lowering discharge and water costs | Return to process water with UF + RO |
Energy and payback calculation
Using RO for boiler feed water reduces the blowdown rate from around 10% to 2–3%, which means savings in both fuel and chemicals. In cooling towers, make-up water and discharge are reduced by increasing the cycles of concentration. In our quotations, we calculate the payback period of the investment together with energy and water costs.
How do we proceed?
- Drawing up the water balance of the process and utilities.
- Raw water analysis, boiler/cooling tower water analyses and setting the target values.
- System design, installation, automation and follow-up with periodic water analysis.
