Coolmation has supplied and installed two 750kW air blast coolers to replace a cooling tower previously in use at DuPontSA’s huge polyester yarn texturing plant in Garforth, West Yorkshire. The new system is designed to eliminate the threat of legionella for the factory while making significant savings on water treatment, tower maintenance and associated cleaning costs for the factory.
DuPontSA - a joint venture company set up in January 2000 by DuPont and Haci Omer Sabanci Holding, A.S - is the largest European manufacturer of polyester filament, staple, resins, intermediates and related products. The Garforth facility produces high quality filament yarns, used in the making of various types of leisure and sportswear clothing.
As part of the process, DuPontSA had been using a 1500kW capacity closed circuit evaporative cooling tower, to dissipate the heat generated by a number of compressed air units which blow tempered air over the polyester yarn. The threat of legionella, together with spiralling maintenance, tower cleaning and water treatment costs persuaded DuPontSA to seek a safer, equally effective yet better value method of cooling.
Coolmation recommended the installation of two 750kW cooling capacity dry air coolers to replace the cooling tower, but to save costs, identified that the vast majority of pipework, pump and ancillary equipment from the existing cooling system could be retained. The two new air blast coolers are parallel connected and form a closed circuit cooling system, eliminating the increasing cost of water make-up and water treatment associated with evaporative cooling systems. The glycol solution circulated around the air compressors, is cooled from 44.5°C to 36°C.
This new cooling system eliminates any potential health and safety threat and complies fully with A.C.O.P L8-2000.
Coolmation’s skilled mechanical and electrical engineering team successfully carried out the complete installation within just 10 working days. This included the removal of the existing cooling towers, the manufacture and installation of new steel work for the dry air coolers and their craneage onto a 5m high platform outside the factory. The existing pipework was cut back and re-connected to the new pipework, a new control system was installed and the system fully commissioned to ensure as smooth a changeover for DuPontSA as possible.
