Demonstration of Noncorrosive, Capacitance-Based Water-Treatment Technology for Chilled-Water Cooling Systems.

摘要

This project demonstrated and validated a high-voltage capacitance-based water-treatment system for chilled-water cooling systems that was previously evaluated in separate work by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engi-neering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL). This emerging nonchemical technology, marketed as the Zeta Rod Water Management System, was shown to inhibit mineral scaling and biofouling in chilled-water systems without the need to use hazardous chemicals, including those typically applied to counteract the corrosive effects of conventional treatment chemicals. This project extended the earlier technology evaluation to four military installations with a variety of makeup water qualities and mechanical equipment. Demonstration results showed that this nonchemical water-treatment system effectively prevents corrosion, scaling, and biofouling in open-loop evaporative cooling towers using a wide range of makeup water chemistries (alkaline to acidic). It also can reduce system water usage by 20% because fewer blowdown cycles are needed to purge impurities, supporting DoD net zero water objectives for installations. A return-on-investment ratio of 3.37 was calculated. The validated applications are recommended for consideration by decision makers to reduce military installation chemical utilization and support Department of Defense Net Zero Water goals.