Investigation of the Problems Encountered in the Cooling Towers of Dr.Mahmoud Sharif Power Station and Suggestion for their solutions

Cooling towers are considered as the main method of cooling in most of the electric power generation, because they are relatively inexpensive and dependable means of removing low-grade heat from cooling water. The study is concerned with the problems that occur in cooling towers at Dr.Mahmoud Sharif Power Station and their effects on the towers efficiency and to the maintenance cost. These problems include scale deposition, corrosion, microbiological growth, fouling, air suspended particles, clogged spray nozzles and cooling tower fan system problems. The objectives of this study are to investigate the above-mentioned problems and to study their effects on the cooling towers performance and to propose solution for these problems, in order to improve the performance of cooling towers and consequently achieve low maintenance cost and high plant efficiency with longer equipments life. Many solutions have been suggested to solve or reduce these problems, the solutions include installation of sidestream filter, air intake filters, conductivity control instrument, covering the distribution basins, use of better chemical treatment and introduction of cooling tower vacuum pump