contamination of water tower bassin

[BZLAM21]

hi dears,
I am trying to find a solution for the cooling water basin due to hydrocarbon contamination the water collector is equipped with a hydrocarbon analyzer the return water passes through cooling towers and i fear the evaporation of hydrocarbons leading to fire.
possible contaminations are:
a/water with kerosene
b/water with hydrogen
c/water with HC (C10-C13)
d/water with aromatic
e/ water with benzene
is the implementation of gas detectors on cooling tower system will solve the problem?

best regards.

 

[1503-44]

I was thinking of running it through filters.
Is it contaminated now, or do you need a warning alarm if it happens?

Einstein gave the same test to students every year. When asked why he would do something like that, "Because the answers had changed."

 

[EdStainless]

Your alarm would need to be well ahead of the cooling tower.

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P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[LittleInch]

It sounds like you're trying to mitigate a potential issue?

If the contamination is small and starts low then I think monitoring of the cooling tower air by a gas detector is probably your best initial bet,though it only gives you an alarm at some setting below LEL - usually 5 or 10%.

So then you need to figure out how to get rid of the contamination.

Have I got that right?

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[BZLAM21]

the only solution that comes to mind to relate to this problem is to install a three-phase separator with two compartments inside and a residence time largely sufficient to separate HC and water by density difference. then the HCs will be routed to the slip network, the water to the cooling tower and the gas to the flare.
but the water flow is important (550m3)

 

[LittleInch]

Well if you're looking at"oily water" then just stick it through a standard separator.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[georgeverghese]

You could convert the cooling tower hot well into this 3 phase degasser / sep and float the sep on the LP or LLP flare; then you'd save one set of pumps. Also install a corrugated cross flow inclined plate pack in the degasser to get as much oil out of the CWR as possible.
In the interim, find the leaking heat exchangers and plug the broken tubes.

 

[LittleInch]

If you mean 550m3/hr? then that's a fairly decent flow, but its not clear what the contamination levels are.

But in e), do you mean pure benzene or is this a local name for Gasoline?

Pure benzene is very dangerous to humans and you shouldn't be sending it into the atmosphere.

But by far the best idea as George says is to stop the contamination in the first place...

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[shvet]

@BZLAM21
There is no a simple answer or guide.
You should separate explosive, fire, acute toxic, chronic toxic risks. Each of these risks can be tolerated or treated depending on many factors. This pre-step is important for to determine countermeasures as those can be much more expensive than cooling system itself (per my experience with refineries and petrochemicals).
Your case is rather common so there are widely accepted practices to mitigate or compensate unacceptable risks. Question is too general as all risks together from "a" to "0"e look too expensive to compensate. You should ask more particular. Otherwise some kind of a book to be written to guide you. It will not look like a small internet forum format, will it?
Note that inherently safer design of cooling water system prescribes that process side pressure should be less than water one.

 

[0707]

BZLAM21
Analyzers on return lines to cooling tower of each system you mention will help to find which is the contaminated circuit, making a zoom of the problem, signaling from where it comes.

regards

luis