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ABSTRACT ON
“PREMATURE FAILURE OF TIMBER IN COOLING TOWERS;
CAUSES, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE STRATEGIES”
By
Rajesh Shah, Creation Cooling Towers, 232, G.I.D.C. Industrial Estate, Waghodia – 391 760. URL:
http://www.creationhvac.com E-mails: sales@creationhvac.com, creationhvac@yahoo.com as on 25.10.2008
In India, hard wood is not available like Redwood of U.S.A. quality and hence, since long soft
wood quality is used in Cooling tower considering the easy availability, dimensional stability,
costing and after certain treatment structural stability point of view, mainly.
Indian wooden materials like (mentioning the local Trade Names) Chir (Pine), Fir, Deodar are
mainly utilised for manufacturing the new cooling towers, repairing & renovation of old cooling
towers.
However from published article till date, for water quality having oxidising acids like Nitric Acid
circulating thro’ Wooden construction Cooling Towers at PH around 2 to 3.5. The wooden
material recommended from Evergreen tree with fruit in the form of cone (Indian conifers) like
Chir are most suitable and Chemical treatment recommended for Preservative used and
retentions maintained Creosote (Fuel oil 50:50 160 to 192 Kgs./Sq. Cms.) but not
recommended for Chemical Treatment of ASCU (CCA). It has to be noted that all the
mentioned Indian Wooden material i.e. Chir, Fir and Deodar etc. grades recommended generally
between 2 PH and 9.5 PH. Study shows that ASCU chemical treatment recommended for PH
between 6 and 9.5 than Creosote and recommended Creosote chemical treatment for PH
between 2 PH and 6 PH than CCA. Generally Indian conifers are more resistant to acids than
hardwood.
CAUSES:
Following are the main causes identified for the premature failure of wooden material in cooling
tower:
CHALLENGES:
01. To maintain Engineering skills to manufacture & repair the wooden cooling tower.
02. To sustain the Skilled Labour during this down trend of demand in wooden construction
Cooling tower.
03. Awareness for Preventive Maintenance among the Users & Ordering Practices for
Techno – Commercial aspects to procure new or repair existing cooling towers.
04. Easy availability of indigenous wooden material.
05. Facilities for right process of Chemical Treatment Process for lower quantity of wooden
material along with its cost parameters.
06. Facility of local Testing Laboratory facilities.
07. Government Policies and Strategies to grow new plantation against imported material.
FUTURE STRATEGIES:
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