Paper - Diki Wahyudi - Politeknik Negeri Bandung
Paper - Diki Wahyudi - Politeknik Negeri Bandung
Paper - Diki Wahyudi - Politeknik Negeri Bandung
BEDAH PAPER
Sulfur Deposit Removal And Control In A Power Plant Cooling Tower: A Case
History From Cerro Prieto, Mexico’s Largest Geothermal Field
Attila G. Relenyi, Ph.D., Howard R. Rosser, Jr., Ph.D. AMSA, Inc., 4714 South Garfield Road, Auburn,
Michigan 48611, U.S.A.
In binary cycle plants the hot geothermal J. L.: Present Situation and Perspectives of
brine is used to heat a secondary working fluid Geothermal in Mexico. Proc. World
in a heat exchanger. The secondary fluid is then Geothermal Congress 2015, Melbourne,
flashed to vapor to drive the turbine, and then Australia (2015)
cooled and condensed in a heat exchanger which
Haklidir, F.S.T., Akin, T., Guney, A.,
interfaces with the cooling system. As a result,
Bukulmez, A.A.: Geochemistry of Fluids in
the geothermal brine and the secondary fluid
New Wells of Kizildere Geothermal Field in
never come in direct contact with the cooling
Turkey. Proc. Thirty-Sixth Workshop on
water, and contaminants from the condensate or
Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford
brine never enter the cooling system. For this
University, Stanford, California, U.S.A.,
reason, operational issues discussed in this paper
SGPTR-191, 8p (2011)
apply to plants with evaporative cooling systems
and direct contact condensers, but not to binary Hedlund, B.P., J. K. Cole, A. J. Williams, W.
cycle plants. Hou, E. Zhou, W. Li H Dong.: A Review of
the Microbiology of the Rehai Geothermal
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Field in Tengchong, Yunnan Province,
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Stabilization of a Geothermal Power Plant (2012)
Operation by Repressing of Sulfur Bacteria
Inskeep, W.P., Rusch, D.B., Jay, A.J., Herrgard,
in the Cooling System. Kaken Database of
M.J., Kozubal, M.A.: Metagenomes from
Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Project
High-Temperature Chemotrophic Systems
#13555276 Report Summary (2003)
Reveal Geochemical Controls on Microbial
Clevinger, R. B.: Nitrogen Chemistry in Community Structure and Function. PLoS
Cooling Tower Water at Magma Power ONE 5(3): e9773
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Plants. Geothermal Resources Council
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Crown Corrosion in Sewers. J. Environ. Eng.
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of Geothermal Steam Power Systems. US
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DOE Report COO-4051-36. November 1978.
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Production Going. Short Course on
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Wells, organized by UNU-GTP and LaGeo, System Using a Surfactant in Geothermal
Santa Tecla, El Salvador, March 11 - 17, Power Plant Circulating Water. Proc. World
2012, 12p. (2012) Geothermal Congress 2000, Kyushu -
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Geothermal Energy Association 2016 Annual
U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Luther, G.W., Findlay, A., MacDonald, D.J.,
Report (2016) Gutiérrez-Negrín, L. C. A., Owings, S.M., Hanson, T.E., Beinart, R.A.,
Maya-González, R., José Luis Quijano-León, Girguis, P.R.: Thermodynamics and kinetics
Diki Wahyudi D-4 Teknik Kimia Produksi Bersih
Tugas Akhir PKL Politeknik Negeri Bandung
of sulfide oxidation by oxygen: a look at respectively. Prior to the trials the system was
inorganically controlled reactions and treated regularly with isothiazolone and
biologically mediated processes in the methylene bis thiocyanate biocides to control
environment. Frontiers in Microbiology, microbial populations. Corrosion, scale and
April 9, 2011 Vol. 2: 1-9 (2011) deposit inhibitors were applied as needed since
commissioning.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Cooling Efficiency and Fouling in CP
CP IV operating data provided clear IV CP IV cooling water systems performed as
evidence that deteriorating cooling system designed at commissioning, but over the first
performance was having a direct impact on year of operation performance began to
power generation. An investigation was deteriorate, with cold-water temperatures
undertaken to identify the cause(s) of poor gradually increasing. At the same time, power
cooling system performance, and develop a plan output from the plant declined despite increased
to remedy the problem(s). steam use (Figure 1). Analysis of cooling system
CP IV Plant Operating Environment CP design performance curves showed that cooling
IV consists of four single flash operating units efficiency was poor, and, after 3 years of
(Units #10, #11, #12 and #13) of 25 MW each. operation, cold water temperatures were
Each Unit has an independent evaporative approximately 6 °C above design. All design
cooling water system with a volume of considerations and operating parameters were
approximately 400,000 gallons (1514 m3). The evaluated in depth in an effort to identify the
cooling system includes a direct contact cause of the deterioration in cooling system
condenser where cooling water mixes with performance.
steam/condensate. The condensate serves as
ultra-low TDS make-up to the cooling water
system. Cerro Prieto geothermal fluids contain
the non-condensable gasses CO2, H2S, NH3 and
CH4. CFE analysis of CP IV steam indicated
15,640 ppm CO2, 546 ppm H2S and 81 ppm
NH3. Condensate pH was determined to be 5.34.
Condensate TDS was 30 mg/L. Sulfate was not
detected in the condensate. The CP IV cooling
system normally operates, with caustic
additions, at a pH of approximately 6.7 to 7.0,
although occasional acid pH excursions do Figure 1. CP IV cooling system cold water
occur. Among CP IV Units #10, #11, #12 and temperatures gradually increased after
#13, cooling water TDS was reported to vary commissioning in July 2000.
from 860 to 1470 mg/L (average, 1150 mg/L).
Turbidity ranged from 7 to 27 NTU. Sulfate Over the same period power output
content of the cooling waters varied declined despite increased steam use. Design
significantly, ranging from 240 to 1825 mg/L. and operation of the cooling water system were
Average sulfate concentrations in Units #10, determined not to be reasons for poor cooling
#11, #12 and #13 at the time of this investigation system performance. Through the investigation,
were 904, 475, 707 and 676 mg/L, respectively. however, it became apparent that two types of
Nitrate and nitrite were previously detected in fouling were occurring in the cooling tower,
the ranges of 0.7 to 2.5 mg/L, and 0 to 2.0 mg/L, associated piping and equipment. Biological
Diki Wahyudi D-4 Teknik Kimia Produksi Bersih
Tugas Akhir PKL Politeknik Negeri Bandung
fouling (as microbiological and algal biofilms) As noted previously, sulfur fouling in
was evident in the lower parts of the towers in the hot water distribution lines at the top of the
areas with greater sunlight exposure, and was tower, if present at sufficient thickness, can
also observed to a lesser extent in the fill. restrict flow. Sulfur fouling in the spray nozzles
Although present throughout the cooling tower, results in an altered spray pattern which causes
this fouling was not considered to be a major damage to the surface of the fill, and uneven
contributor to poor cooling system performance. accumulation of sulfur in the fill (Figure 3).
A second form of fouling was evident in
the hot water distribution lines at the top of the
tower, in the hot water spray nozzles on these
distribution lines, and in the upper areas of the
tower’s high efficiency fill (Figure 2). This
fouling appears as hard, white to yellow-white
deposits, with thicknesses of up to 2 cm.
Analysis of the deposits indicated their Figure 3. Areas of heavy sulfur fouling
composition to be ~99% elemental sulfur. This beneath spray nozzles result in uneven water
is consistent with observations from geothermal distribution through the cooling tower fill,
power plant cooling water systems in Japan, and damage to the fill (red arrows).
New Zealand and the Philippines which
experience similar sulfur fouling (Chihiro, et al, This pattern of nozzle/fill fouling results
2003; Kudo and Yano, 2000; Richardson, et al, in uneven water distribution across the fill and
2013). channeled flow through the fill (Figure 4). The
impact of this pattern of “channeled flow” is
poor air-water mixing, and reduced cooling
efficiency. A thermograph of a water curtain
showing channeled flow in CP IV detected a 13
ºC higher temperature in water from heavy flow
areas (poor air-water mixing), compared to
water in normal flow areas.
system performance (Figure 5), thereby effective in removing existing sulfur deposits,
confirming that this form of fouling had a and preventing the formation of new sulfur
significant impact on cooling system deposits was sought. An effective online
performance. chemical cleaning program would remove sulfur
deposits from all wetted surfaces, including the
cooling tower fill. Regular chemical treatments
to prevent sulfur deposition would eliminate
unscheduled maintenance outages, and would
maintain full cooling system and power
generation efficiencies. The costs and cost
savings of mechanical methods vs. chemical
treatments for the management of sulfur fouling
will vary significant from country to country,
and therefore must be carefully evaluated for
each facility.