What effect does scale have on cooling water system

During the operation of the Keepwin air compressor, the deposits deposited from the cooling water gradually accumulate on the cooling surface of the cylinder, which is commonly known as "scale".

Scale hinders heat conduction, reduces cooling efficiency, and makes the temperature of compressed gas and its unit electric energy consumption increase sharply. In serious cases, it may cause overheating and bursting of compressor.

The rate of scale increase depends on the quality and temperature of cooling water, because scale formation is due to the presence of dissolved salts and suspended mechanical impurities in the water.

When the water is heated, it accumulates and adheres to the wall of the cooling water jacket in the form of sediment, and gradually forms the scale layer with the increase of time.

Therefore, it is necessary to check the thickness of scale regularly, which should not exceed 2mm in general.

When the cooling efficiency is found to be reduced, the inspection hole on the cylinder shall be opened to check the formation of scale. The ways to remove scale are:

(1) The scale on the cooling water jacket can be cleaned by mechanical means, such as brush, scraper and other tools.

(2) Remove the scale by chemical cleaning method: drain the water from the cylinder water jacket of the compressor, and then pour it into the water solution containing 25% hydrochloric acid (i.e. 1g hydrochloric acid vs. 4G water), or caustic soda solution (100g soda vs. 1L water). According to the thickness and hardness of the scale, keep it for 12-24h.

During this period, an opening shall be opened to release hydrogen generated by the interaction between hydrochloric acid and metal, and open fire shall not be allowed to approach this opening to prevent explosion.

If the acid (alkali) liquid pump can be used to clean the above solution circularly, the effect will be better.

If the compressor is to be stopped for a long time after cleaning, clean the cooling water jacket (0.5kg soda vs. 12L water) with soda solution to neutralize the residual hydrochloric acid.

The most fundamental way is to use cooling water with better water quality to avoid excessive scale.