(144b) Sustainable Industrial Seawater Cooling Systems

Using seawater in cooling systems is very common in areas where there is scarcity of fresh water resources. However, this practice creates significant operational problems associated with biofouling phenomena. Biofouling is caused by the biological growth and creates a very thin layer which sticks to the heat transfer area of heat exchangers. Seawater is treated chemically prior to entering the cooling system to avoid this problem. Discharging seawater along with biocide byproducts back to the natural bodies of water considering the implications on the surroundings may create many environmental problems. This research is aimed at developing methods for the design of sustainable cooling systems of industrial processes. This can be accomplished by using the optimum biocide dynamic dosage scenarios with a proper biocide residual removal prior to discharge while optimizing the cleaning cycles of heat exchangers. Kinetic modeling of biocide usage and discharge is used to optimize the biocide dosage and to reduce the formation and discharge of harmful byproducts. Furthermore, heat integration is used to reduce the GHG emissions by reducing the amount of cooling and heating utilities. The approach enhances the economic savings of the company while reducing the negative environmental impact to the environment. A case study is solved to illustrate the usefulness of the developed procedure.