AQUATIC PEST MANAGEMENT FOR POWER STATIONS
The electricity power plant manager
is confronted with the growth of aquatic biomass which impacts the performance of the power plant. Problems are experienced with the growth of the following pests: Conditions in a typical electric power plant cooling water system are close to the ideal medium for biological growth referred to as biofouling. Power plant cooling water systems provide the ideal condition (water temperature = 32-38 °C and pH8-9) for the biological growth of aquatic organisms as it provides nutrients, heat, air and sunlight.
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Acid producing bacteria (APB’s) produces organic acids which also induces corrosion in power plant structures. Biofouling often serves as the "glue" that binds other deposits to the heat transfer surfaces.
Legionella are bacterial pathogens which pose potential health risks when proliferating in cooling towers and condensers. When Legionella pneumophila bacteria are expelled from cooling towers as an aerosol in the drift there is the potential that people in a radius of 6-7 km from the power plant may be infected with the pathogen which could lead to either Legionnaires’ Disease or the less serious Pontiac fever. Biofouling control Once growth of aquatic organisms is established to a degree that it reduces the cooling efficiency, chemical treatment is not very effective to remove the organic biomass; the only solution is then to mechanically clean the system. For effective biofouling control, the object is to control the waterborne organisms before they have a chance to attach themselves to the internals of the cooling system and block the water flow, reducing cooling efficiency. ENVIROKONSULT™ can assist the power plant manager by implementing a preventative maintenance aquatic pest management programme on the water system of the power plant to control all organisms before the magnitude of the infestation reach a point where cooling efficiency is impaired. |
ENVIROKONSULT™’s services to the POWER INDUSTRY include the following:
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“ENVIROKONSULT™ can assist the manager of an electricity power plant by keeping the water system of the plant clean on a continuous basis with state of the art organic chemicals with no contribution to corrosion, hardness or alkalinity. Our Preventative Maintenance Programmes for Power Plants (PMP-PP) will add value to the Water Management Plan of the power station, reduce maintenance cost significantly and increase overall plant efficiency. Contact ENVIROKONSULT TM now to assess your power plant’s water quality status and prescribe a suitable PMP-PP for optimal performance.”