FULL-SCALE PILOT INVESTIGATION INTO
OZONE TREATMENT FOR COOLING
TOWER WATER
Brendan van Wyk
Air Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
Abstract
Air Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd. and
Ozonic, the local Wedeco representatives,
have successfully piloted a full-scale ozone
treatment system (OxyZONE) for treating
cooling tower water at an Air Products
production facility in Vanderbijlpark.
The system has improved the efficiencies of
the two heat exchangers and the cooling
tower. The tower is operating on an almost
Zero Blowdown basis; with only water used for
back washing the sand filters being sent to
sewer. Concentration cycles have been
improved from two cycles with conventional
water treatment to about seven cycles utilizing
the OxyZONE system.
Savings realized are; overall water
consumption of the system due to increased
cycles of concentration and power savings on
the compressors, due to improved heat
transfer efficiencies.
Introduction
Air Products had been experiencing problems
with the current chemical based cooling tower
water treatment system, including:
- High bacterial plate counts (21,100 cfu/ml)
- Loss of efficiency on the heat exchangers
due to fouling, scaling and corrosion.
- Towers operating at less than two times
cycles of concentration.
- High water and chemical consumptions, as
well as high operating costs.
- Increased compressor power consumption.
- Loss of overall production efficiencies
- Large volumes of low quality blow down
water being sent to sewer.
After extensive research, Air Products and
Ozonic, the local Wedeco representatives,
designed and built a containerized ozone
treatment system. This containerized system
was installed on a small cooling tower within
the Air Products facility in Vanderbijlpark to
investigate this technology.
Being containerized, this unit is fully portable
and can be relocated for other pilot trials.
Equipment description
OxyZONE:
The OxyZONE system consists of:
- A 1.5kg/hr Wedeco Ozone Generator
(oxygen fed).
- Two process water pumps (combined
flow of 60m3/hr) with two venturi’s for
introducing the ozone gas into the
process water
- A separate cooling water pump for
circulating cooling water to the ozone
generator.
All that is required when the container is
placed on site is an electrical supply and
plumbing into the cooling tower water
system.
Figure 1: OxyZone Container
Maintaining a set Oxidation/reduction Potential
(ORP value) in the process water controls the
ozone dosage.
Cooling Tower:
The tower chosen for this pilot test is used to
cool the oxygen from a 4.5MW two-stage
compressor. The tower has a basin volume of
102m3 and a recycle rate of 325m3/hr. The
cooling water is pumped through two shell-
and-tube heat exchangers running in parallel,
one after each stage of compression.
The gas temperatures entering the heat
exchangers are on average 1250C and the
target exit gas temperature is below 300C.
The lower the exit gas temperature achieved
through the heat exchangers, the more
efficiently the compressor operates.

Figure 2: Cooling tower used for pilot study
Trial Objectives
The objectives of this pilot trial were to prove
the efficiency of ozone as a treatment method
by:
1) Improving the heat transfer efficiencies
of the cooling tower and heat
exchangers
2) Stopping all chemical treatment of the
cooling tower water
3) Increasing the cycles of concentration
of the system in order to reduce water
consumption and minimize blow down
4) Ultimately save money on operating
and power costs
Methodology
The water quality in the tower, and the heat
exchanger efficiencies were monitored for a
few weeks prior to starting the trial in order to
obtain a baseline for comparison with the
ozone treated system. Once the OxyZONE
container was installed on site, the existing
water treatment system, consisting of pH
control, biocides, anti-corrosion chemicals,
anti-scaling and anti-foaming agents was
disconnected, and the ozone treatment
started.
The trial was started by running the ozone
generator at maximum output (1.5kg/hr, 13%
ozone in an oxygen stream) to overcome the
initial algae and bacterial load. After 5 hours of
operation, the ORP had increased from 250mV
to 750mV. The generator power was reduced
to 50% and an ORP reading between 700mV
and 750mV was maintained for the next 4
days. After this period, generator power was
further reduced, maintaining an ORP of below
650mV, correlating to about 200g/hr of ozone
being injected into the cooling tower basin. The
make-up and basin water was then sampled
regularly and sent to ERWAT Laboratories for
analysis.
The following method was used to calculate
the efficiency of the heat exchangers:
The difference between the exiting cooled gas
and the cold incoming cooling water
temperatures were monitored. The greater the
temperature difference (Delta T) is for the heat
exchanger system, the more inefficient that
system is running.
Heated
Water
Monitor
Cooled
Difference Hot
gas
gas
Cold
Water
Figure 3: Heat Exchanger Efficiency
The pH, conductivity, ORP, residual ozone
concentration, temperatures and flows were
monitored hourly.
Results and Discussion
Water Control and Chemistry
Water is lost from the cooling tower in three
ways: evaporation, drift, and blowdown.
The rate of evaporation from the tower is
determined by the heat load on the tower, and
arises from air passing through the tower and
absorbing heat and mass. The evaporation of
water concentrates up the salts in the basin.
Drift occurs when water droplets become
entrained in the discharge air stream and are
blown out of the tower. This acts as a purge of
the basin as this water contains salts.
Blowdown is the intentional bleed-off of water
from the basin in order to reduce the
concentration of salts and contaminants.
All the above water losses need to be
constantly replaced with fresh make-up water.
Water savings can be realized by reducing
water blown down to sewer, however, there is
a limit to the amount that blowdown can be
reduced. This limit is set by the systems
potential to scale the heat transfer surfaces.
 Make Up Basin Make Up Basin Make Up Basin Make Up Basin
31-Mar 31-Mar 10-Jul 10-Jul 15-Aug 15-Aug 22-Aug 22-Aug
Conductivity Conductivity
(mS/m @25'c) 240 86 16 44 (mS/m @25'c) 242 615 309 1490
pH 7.8 8.1 7.8 8.2 pH 9.7 8.7 7.7 8.9
TSS TSS
(mg/l @105'C) <10 <10 <10 <10 (mg/l @105'C) 26 10 24 42
TDS TDS
(mg/l @180'c) 126 288 (mg/l @180'c) 1420 4018 1822 9244
Total Alkalinity Total Alkalinity
(CaCO3) 107 108 56 97 (CaCO3) 255 278 214 723
Total Hardness Total Hardness
(CaCO3) 74 63 52 109 (CaCO3) 84 507 306 1165
Ca Hardness Ca Hardness
(mg/l) 34 27 29 67 (mg/l) 34 150 229 522
Mg Hardness Mg Hardness
(mg/l) 40 36 23 42 (mg/l) 50 157 77 643
Cl (mg/l) 368 101 10 41 Cl (mg/l) 199 780 363 1660
Na (mg/l) 71.2 45.9 Na (mg/l) 435 1233 496 2614
Fe (mg/l) 0.17 0.38 0.09 0.55 Fe (mg/l) 0.12 0.05 1.29 0.27
Si (mg/l) 11 25 5.6 10 Si (mg/l) 4.54 16.78 13.1 26.93
NH3 (mg/l N) 3.2 0.4 0.7 0.2 NH3 (mg/l N) 3.3 0.2 2.3 0.5
TKN (mg/l N) 4.7 <0.1 <1 <1 TKN (mg/l N) 5.2 1.5 3.7 1.9
NO3 (mg/l N) <0.1 0.4 1.1 1.4 NO3 (mg/l N) <0.1 14.4 <0.1 41
PO4 (mg/l) <0.1 0.4 <0.1 0.4 PO4 (mg/l) 0.1 2.3 <0.1 1.4
TP (mg/l P) <0.1 2.8 <1 2.4 TP (mg/l P) <1.0 2.5 <1.0 1.5
SO4 (mg/l) 455 136 14 64 SO4 (mg/l) 500 1590 740 3540
COD (mg/l O2) 30 22 27 37 COD (mg/l O2) 42 15 73 35
SRB (cfu/1ml) neg neg pos pos SRB (cfu/1ml) Pos Pos Pos Pos
HPC (cfu/1ml) 108000 40000 1540 14200 HPC (cfu/1ml) 4,100,000 42 9,300,000 1820
Table 1: Water quality before ozonation Table 2: Water quality after ozonation

Table 1 shows the initial analysis of the

incoming make-up water and the basin water
prior to ozonation. The table shows that the
existing water treatment method was not
effective in treating the bacterial contamination
of the cooling tower and that the water was not
being cycled up effectively.

Due to 3rd party water supply issues, the

supply of make-up water was switched from
recycled industrial water to primary treated
river water just prior to the start-up of the
ozone generator. The make-up water was
changed back to recycled process water two
weeks into the trial of the ozone system. As
can be seen from Table 2, this water had high
TDS (1822mg/l) and high conductivity
(309uS/cm). This change in water quality had
very little effect on the operation of the cooling
tower as can be seen in Graph 1.
Prior to start-up of the ozone system, the
visual quality of the water in the basin was
poor, as can be seen in Figure 4. After 4 days
of operation, the water clarity increased to a
point where the bottom of the basin was clearly
visible.
Figure 4: Water quality before and after
ozonation
The cycles of concentration were increased in
the tower by closing the blowdown valve
completely. The tower is configured in such a
way that basin water is used to backwash the
sand filters. This means that the basin is
purged every time the filters are backwashed.
This is not the most effective system for
backwashing sand filters as high TDS and TSS
water from the basin can scale and plug the
filters. It would be more effective to backwash
filters with make-up water.

The limit on cycles of concentration that may
be obtained in a cooling tower water system
using ozone for treatment is far higher than for
conventional treatment methods.
Using a conventional water treatment system,
and taking into account the standard
Saturation Index, as below;
Saturation Index:
1). P1 = log 10 (calcium * 2.5 * total alkalinity)
2). P2 = (max. system water temp, F* 0.00912) + P1
3). P3 = (log 10 (conductivity * 0.8) * 0.1) + 12.27
4). pH saturation = P3 – P2
5). SI = pH of cycled water - pH saturation
The tower would be limited to two cycles of
concentration before scaling would become a
problem with this make-up water.
However, using the Practical Ozone Scaling
Index (POSI number) developed by Alan Pryor
and Terill Buffum as shown in the formula
below, a minimum of 3.74 cycles of
concentration is obtained for the same make-
up water.
Maximum conductivity:
= 10 (1/(log(CaxMg)/(Na+Cl)]xlog(Alk/10) x cond(mu)
Where:
Ca = Calcium Hardness in makeup water (As
CaCO3)
Mg = Magnesium Hardness in makeup water
(As CaCO3)
Alk = Total Alkalinity makeup water (CaCO3)
Cl = Chlorine in makeup water (Cl-)
Na = Sodium in makeup water (Na+)
Cond(Tower)= Tower water Conductivity
Cond(MU)= Makeup water Conductivity
This formula gives the maximum conductivity
that the water in the basin should obtain before
blowdown becomes necessary to avoid
scaling. The cycles of concentration that can
be obtained is then calculated by dividing the
POSI number by the conductivity of the
makeup water. The authors state that the
resulting figure is conservative, and the tower
may operate at far higher cycles than
predicted. This was found to be correct as the
water in the basin is currently running at close
to 7 cycles and there has been no evidence of
scale, or loss of heat transfer efficiency.
Although there have been numerous
documented cases of ozonation systems
operating for extended periods with zero
intentional blowdown, the underlying physical-
chemical mechanisms are not well understood.
One mechanism that has been proposed for
the ability of ozonated systems to run at high
cycles of concentration is that under the
influence of ozone, calcite tends to precipitate
out into the bulk of the water body. Because of
the very high surface area of the precipitating
crystals compared to the metal surface in the
system, continuing precipitation leads to
crystal growth in the bulk water rather than
scale formation on the heat transfer surfaces.
This theory seems to hold true, as it was found
that the concentration of calcium did not
increase in the basin water to the same extent
as the more soluble metals like sodium. The
graph below shows the cycles of concentration
for conductivity, calcium, sodium and chlorine.
As the cycles of concentration increase for the
conductivity, so the soluble elements follow,
increasing in concentration, however, calcium
seems to maintain a steady state at about 4
cycles of concentration. This means that
calcium is being removed from the water, but it
does not do so as scale.
Graph 1: Cycles of concentration of elements
as Conductivity increases
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
31-Mar 10-Jul 19-Jul 25-Jul 8-Aug 14-Aug 15-Aug 22-Aug
Cl Na Ca Con
d
After the analyses were received, the POSI
number was calculated, and the basin water
was controlled on the maximum conductivity of
14,000 uS/cm that was calculated.
This corresponds to about 7 cycles of
concentration, as can be seen from the plot of
conductivity and pH of the makeup water and
the basin water in graph 2.
12 16000

14000
10

12000

8
10000

6 8000

6000
4

4000

2
2000

0 0

Iscor water pH pH Iscor water Conduct Conductivity

Graph 2: pH and Conductivity of Make-up water The lowest temperature that cooling tower
and Tower Basin Water basin water can obtain is dependant on the wet
bulb atmospheric temperature.
Heat Exchanger and Tower Efficiency:
In order to monitor the efficiency of the cooling
The baseline results show that in the week prior tower the water temperature in the basin, and
to the start of ozonation, the Delta T’s had risen wet bulb temperatures were monitored and the
by over 30C, indicating that the heat transfer difference plotted in the graph below.
surfaces were becoming fouled, decreasing the This plot shows that the cooling tower started to
compressor efficiencies. Once the system was operate more efficiently after ozone treatment
converted to ozone, there was an immediate was initiated.
reduction in the Delta T’s, with more than 30C
being recovered within 2 weeks of operation. 14

This efficiency was obtained, even while the 12

cycles of concentration were being increased.

10

8
D e lt a T 's

16
6
14
4
12
2
10
D e lt a T e m p

0
1
4
7
10
13
16
19
22
25
28
31
34
37
40
43
46
49
52
55
58
61
64
67
70
73
76
79
82
85

8
Hours
w et diff Linear (wet diff)
6

4
Graph 4: Delta T’s for cooling tower
2
The tower efficiency increased as a result of the
0 almost total removal of algae and biological
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
27
31
35
39
43
47
51
55
59
63
67
71

fouling present on the tower wetted surfaces.

As shown in the tables above, the biological
activity in the tower was reduced from plate
Graph 3: Delta T’s for heat exchanges before
counts of as high as 14,200cfu/ml to as low as
and after ozonation
42cfu/ml after ozonation. This result was
achievable, even when the incoming make-up
Due to improved efficiencies of the heat
water had plate counts as high as
exchangers, power consumption of the oxygen
9,300,000cfu/ml.
compressor is reduced for the same volume
throughput. For every 3oC that the gas is
cooled, there is a 1% saving in the power
consumption of the compressor.
Corrosion:
The corrosion rates of the metals in the heat
exchangers and pipe work are currently under
investigation; however, chemical analysis of the
basin water does not show any corrosion
products being present.
Various papers written on the subject of
corrosion in ozonated systems show that
corrosion should be no worse than conventional
systems.
R.J. Strittmatter et al, state “the rate of corrosion
is dominated by the saturation level of the water,
and not by the presence or absence of ozone in the
system”. They also found that the corrosion rates
dropped as the cycles of concentration
increased, with low-cycle tests having the
highest corrosion rates, and high-cycle tests
having extremely low corrosion rates.
Conclusions
The full-scale pilot investigation has proved to
be a success. All chemical treatment to the
tower has been stopped; only ozone is used to
treat the water. Heat transfer efficiencies have
improved in both the heat exchangers and the
tower packing. Almost zero blowdown
conditions have been maintained in the tower
for 4 months with the only bleed coming from
the backwashing of the sand filters. The cycles
of concentration have been improved from 2
cycles to 7 cycles, saving water. The overall
system has proved to be simple to operate and
easy to maintain, while still being an
economical alternative to conventional
treatment methods.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Cobus Coetzee
and Leon de Goede from Ozonic, and Phillip
Fivaz from CP Projects for their design and
construction of the Pilot Plant, as well as their
help in the operation of the system. We would
not have been able to get the results we did
without the able assistance of Noluvuyo Godlo,
our operating student, and all the operations
staff at our Production Facility in Vanderbijlpark.
Reference:
1. A.E. Pryor and M. Fisher, “Practical
Guidelines for Safe Operation of Cooling
Tower Water Ozonation Systems”,
Ozone Science & Engineering Vol.16
April 1994
2. D.J. Tierney, “Ozone for Cooling Tower
Systems – An Update and Lessons
Learned at the Kennedy Space Center”
www.zentox.com/CleanStreams/Ozone_Co
oling_Tower_Systems_KSC.pdf
3. R.G. Rice and J.F. Wilkes,
“Fundamental Aspects of Ozone
Chemistry in Recirculating Cooling
Water Systems – Data Evaluation
Needs” Ozone Science & Engineering
Vol. 14 January 1992
4. R.J. Strittmatter, B Yang and D.A.
Johnson, “Application of Ozone in
Cooling Water Systems”, National
Association of Corrosion Engineers
Corrosion’92 Meeting, Tennessee, April
27- May 1 1992.
5. “Advanced Cooling Tower Water
Treatment”,
http://www.nelsonenviromentaltechnolog
ies.com/ACTWT.html
6. U.S. Department Of Energy, “Federal
Technology Alert – Ozone Treatment
For Cooling Towers”,
http://www.pnl.gov/fta/6_ozone.htm