Chemical cleaning of multiple evaporative condensers

The project

An Estonian district heating plant contacted Goodway Benelux with a critical issue at one of their customers’ manufacturing sites. Three large evaporative condensers were heavily fouled with calcium carbonate (scale). The buildup was so severe – exceeding 5 millimeters on each tube bundle – that equipment failures began to occur and the required cooling capacity could no longer be achieved.

The challenge

With four evaporative condensers on-site and three of them repeatedly tripping due to inefficiency, the cleaning had to be carried out urgently. Without fast intervention, the facility risked a production slowdown or complete shutdown. Additionally, the site had no water treatment system, allowing severe and rapid deposit growth.

There was also a significant risk of under-deposit corrosion. Because the scale had accumulated over a long period, it was impossible to determine the corrosion level beneath the multi-layered deposits. At the same time, the galvanized steel tube bundles and other condenser components needed to remain fully protected during the chemical cleaning process. Selecting the right cleaning chemical was therefore very important.

The solution

The Goodway Benelux team supplied the customer with ScaleBreak-MP industrial descaler for initial on-site testing. The results were immediately positive, leading the customer to order several 1000-liter IBC containers, delivered from Holland to Estonia within just two working days.

Due to the extreme degree of fouling, the cleaning had to be performed in multiple phases, with extended circulation times to break down the hard, layered scale. By the end of the project, a total of nineteen (19) 1000-liter IBC containers of ScaleBreak-MP were used to restore the tubes to nearly original condition – without causing any damage to the galvanized steel bundles or other critical condenser components.

Summary

• 19,000 liters of industrial descaler used to restore three evaporative condensers to near-original condition
• Goodway Benelux supported the customer remotely throughout the cleaning process. Over several days, multiple cleaning cycles were performed – with excellent results
• The descaler was delivered from the Netherlands to Estonia within a few working days, allowing the customer to begin the cleaning process without delay