3D TRASARTM Cooling Water

Technology helps dairy processing

plant reduce water discharge by over
4 million gallons per year

CASE STUDY – FOOD & BEVERAGE

CH-2077

BACKGROUND
A dairy processing plant operates three cooling systems running at 7 cycles
of concentration. These systems support ammonia refrigeration, wastewater/
steam concentration and sweetwater loop cooling. Cycles are limited by high
levels of silica present in the makeup water. The cooling towers discharge their
cooling system blowdown to the city wastewater processing facility.

SITUATION
The facility operates in a region prone to prolonged drought, resulting in
stresses to makeup water quality. The local water authority increased makeup
water cost by nearly 12%. Additionally, the local water authority recently
increased surcharges for total suspended solids and biochemical oxygen
demand by nearly 10%. Reductions in the amount of makeup water consumed
and blowdown sent to the city are critical to controlling the customer’s overall
cost of operations.

SOLUTION
Nalco Water was in the process of introducing a new line of cooling water
treatment products containing Performance Polymer technology. Our Cooling
Water Optimizer modeling tool was used to simulate both current and new
products in the customer’s cooling system. The Optimizer predicted that using
the new product with Performance Polymer would allow operation at higher
cycles without the threat of silica deposition that existed with the current
product. As a result, Nalco Water recommended changing the program to
incorporate the new product.

e ROI
SM

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ECONOMIC RESULTS

Conserved 4.01 million Annual savings of $17,440 in

gallons of water make-up water and municipal
discharge costs
WATER

Fewer handling operations Lower injury risk due to less

due to lower chemical product frequent chemical product
consumption exposure
SAFETY

eROI is our exponential value: the combined outcomes of improved performance, operational efficiency and sustainable impact
delivered through our services and programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL/ECONOMIC
RESULTS Cooling System Blowdown Rates
25.0
The dairy plant upgraded to the new 21.2
20.0

Blowdown (gpm)
cooling water treatment program. Cycles 20.0 18.7
of concentration increased from 7 to 9.5 17.5 16.2
15.0
in the three systems. This eliminated 15.0

over 4.01 million gallons per year of

10.0
blowdown to the city’s wastewater plant
providing the dairy plant an annual
5.0
savings of $17,440 in make-up water and 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.1

municipal discharge costs. This increase in 0.0 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2
cycles of concentration also reduced the 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5
amount of treatment chemicals required Cycles of Concentration
Main Bank Condensers Blowdown (gpm)
and improved safety based on reduced
Wastewater Evaporators Blowdown (gpm)
chemical handling.
Sweetwater Loop Evaporation Tower Blowdown (gpm)
CONCLUSION
3D TRASAR Cooling Water Technology with Figure 1 - By increasing cycles of concentration with new Performance
Polymer products, the dairy saved 4 million gallons of water per year through
new Performance Polymer enabled the reduced blowdown.
plant to increase cycles of concentration
without being constrained by silica
deposition. This technology also helped
reduce this plant’s total cost of operation
and support sustainability objectives while
Operating Summary – Main Bank Condensers
improving worker safety.

Figure 2 - The Cooling Water Optimizer modeling tool predicts changes to

operating parameters with varying cycles of concentration. Results show that
the Main Bank Condensers can operate at 9.5 cycles with the new Performance
Polymer product without impact to scale formation, corrosion rates or biofouling.

Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company

North America: 1601 West Diehl Road • Naperville, Illinois 60563 • USA
Europe: Richtistrasse 7 • 8304 Wallisellen • Switzerland
Asia Pacific: 2 International Business Park • #02-20 The Strategy Tower 2 • Singapore 609930
Greater China: 18G • Lane 168 • Da Du He Road • Shanghai China • 200062
Latin America: Av. Francisco Matarazzo • nº 1350 • Sao Paulo – SP Brazil • CEP: 05001-100
ecolab.com/nalco-water

3D TRASAR, Ecolab, Nalco Water and the logos are Trademarks of Ecolab USA Inc.
©2018 Ecolab USA Inc. All Rights Reserved 02/18 CH-2077