Control Solutions for Power Plants
Invasive biofouling pests such as mussels (e.g. Mytilus spp.) and barnacles (e.g. Semibalanus spp.) result in impaired heat transfer, corrosion damage, increased pressure drop, flow blockages, flow instabilities, fretting, and premature failure of electrical heating elements.
Sudden blockage of heat exchangers can lead to sudden plant closures, resulting in significant revenue reduction from lost generation.
Increased energy input is required to compensate for reduced output caused by fouling, and increased use of cooling water in once-through systems.
Chlorine dosing is used by many power plants as a control solution. However, mussels and barnacles sense such toxins in the water and close their valves for up to three weeks, making prolonged dosing necessary. Furthermore, chlorine reacts with organic material in the water to produce ecotoxic trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).
Please contact us for more information on control solutions available from BioBullets Ltd.