Cooling Water Treatment Composition for Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling tower water treatment compositions effectively prevent corrosion and scale formation but fail to significantly reduce surface tension or enhance heat transfer from metal surfaces, limiting energy efficiency and production capacity.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising ethoxylated nonoxynol 8 and sodium xylene sulfonate is introduced, reducing the surface tension of cooling tower water, thereby improving wetting of metal surfaces and increasing heat transfer without increasing energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cooling tower water treatment compositions are used, then corrosion and scale formation are prevented, but surface tension reduction and heat transfer enhancement are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single water treatment composition: corrosion inhibition, scale prevention, and surface tension reduction. The composition integrates surfactants (such as alkyl polyglucosides) with traditional corrosion and scale inhibitors, allowing one treatment solution to simultaneously address all three issues, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency while maintaining protection against corrosion and scale.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the water treatment formulation by incorporating specific surfactants that reduce surface tension. By adjusting the concentration and type of surfactant components (e.g., using alkyl polyglucosides with specific chain lengths), the treatment achieves optimal surface tension reduction to enhance heat transfer while maintaining effective corrosion and scale prevention.
2Use of energy by moving object
If high levels of surfactant are added to reduce surface tension, then heat transfer improves, but economic feasibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the surfactant concentration parameter to achieve effective surface tension reduction at economically feasible dosage levels. By selecting surfactants with high surface activity (such as alkyl polyglucosides) and optimizing their concentration in the treatment composition, the patent achieves significant heat transfer enhancement without requiring excessive amounts of surfactant, thus maintaining economic feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite water treatment composition that synergistically combines surfactants with corrosion and scale inhibitors. This composite formulation allows the surfactant component to work more efficiently at lower concentrations, as the combined composition provides multiple benefits simultaneously, reducing the need for high surfactant dosages while maintaining heat transfer enhancement.
3Reliability
If existing water treatment compositions are used, then corrosion control is achieved, but wetting of metal surfaces and heat transfer are not significantly improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges corrosion control functionality with surface tension reduction functionality in a single treatment composition. By integrating surfactants that improve wetting of metal surfaces with corrosion inhibitors, the composition simultaneously achieves reliable corrosion protection and enhanced heat transfer through improved surface wetting, eliminating the need for separate treatment approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the water treatment composition by incorporating surfactants that specifically target surface tension reduction. This parameter change in the treatment formulation enables better wetting of metal heat transfer surfaces, thereby increasing the heat transfer rate while maintaining effective corrosion control through the integrated formulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves a 5-15% decrease in energy use in HVAC and refrigeration systems and enables increased production rates in various processes without energy consumption increases, enhancing heat transfer and reducing energy use in industries like power generation.
Implementation Method 1
the surface tension of the treated water is substantially reduced
Implementation Method 2
The reduced surface tension of the treated cooling water improves wetting of metal surfaces
Implementation Method 3
The improved wetting increases transfer of heat from the metal into the treated cooling water
Data Source
AI summary
Water treatment compositions useful to decrease surface tension of cooling tower waters are provided as are treated cooling tower waters. The compositions increase the transfer of heat from metal surfaces in contact with the treated cooling water. The increased heat transfer can decrease energy use, for example, in water-cooled HVAC and refrigeration compressors, and can enable increased production rates in many industrial processes, including, for example, plastics molding, metal billet production, petroleum refining, power plants, and condensers for steam turbines. Also provided are cooling tower water compositions formulated to control corrosion, scale, and deposition in a cooling tower and in treated cooling tower water.