99-15: Online Cooling Tower Cleaning and Water Division

This paper highlights specific problems associated with a Cold Water Basin Cleaning in an eleven (11) cell cross flow cooling tower in Northern Alberta at the Syncrude Canada Site. The cleaning involved structural modifications of nine (9) of the eleven (11) cells and a diversion of 100,000 gallons of water per minute to maintain plant operation. This would be the first cleaning of the tower in 20 plus years of operation and two major hydrogen mishaps to the tower. The cleaning and diversion while maintaining tower operation and plant operation has never before been attempted anywhere in Canada and is possible the first ever done anywhere in the world.