Generator next to cooling towers.

[Highlow]

Hello to all.
I Work as a maintenance man in the building. There is a new cooling tower getting installed next to the building.
Right behind new cooling tower is a new backup generator is being installed. Also cooling tower shut off valves right above generator, maybe 5-7feet away. The question I have is with water, moisture and chemicals, that are used for cooling towers, should it be a pretty large distance between this units? I know you can't have any water over electrical gear. Anybody know, so any problems in the future can be avoid it? Any help would be appreciate.
Big D.

 

[kwired]

As far as water goes - doesn't it ever rain where you are at? This is outdoors from what I read.

Chemicals - it is a good idea to keep away if they are going to have an effect on whatever they may come in contact with.

Other option is use of enclousres acceptable for use with the chemical involved - like stainless boxes instead of galvanized or painted.

 

[ron]

Is the heat output of one going to effect the other operation?

 

[Highlow]

Probably not, but corrosion issue, probably will be a huge factor. It seems that amount of moisture and chemicals from the towers should be at more distance, not at 10 feet apart!

 

[kwired]

What are chemicals for? Only thing I can think of is maybe occasional external washing of heat exchanger. If they are going to be hard on generator enclosure they are probably hard on the cooling tower enclosure also. If that the only use of the chemicals it may not be too big of a problem.

 

[texie]

What are chemicals for? Only thing I can think of is maybe occasional external washing of heat exchanger. If they are going to be hard on generator enclosure they are probably hard on the cooling tower enclosure also. If that the only use of the chemicals it may not be too big of a problem.

I worked many years with a contractor that also did mechanical contracting. Did a lot of cooling tower work. Trust me, you don't wan't anything to close to a tower unless it's made of stainless or plastic.

 

[kwired]

I worked many years with a contractor that also did mechanical contracting. Did a lot of cooling tower work. Trust me, you don't wan't anything to close to a tower unless it's made of stainless or plastic.

I guess maybe we need to be more specific on what is a cooling tower. Or at least what is the cooling tower in the OP. I have seen some units that the users call a cooling tower that is nothing more than a refrigerant condenser coil with fans to move air over them, and have no idea why they use the term 'tower' in the name either. I have also seen industrial processes where product is cooled as it flows, falls, whatever through a 'tower' but these are not typically located outside - especially in food processing plants.

 

[Highlow]

Cooling tower use

Cooling tower use

Cooling tower is for cooling of the whole building with chilled water. Inside of the tower is water, which is evaporating at tremendous rate-thousands of gallons per day especially in the summer! The water is treated with 3 separate chemicals so there is nothing growing inside of them or corrosion. The moisture around the towers is huge. That's why I brought up the issue with closeness of the generator.

 

[kwired]

Cooling tower is for cooling of the whole building with chilled water. Inside of the tower is water, which is evaporating at tremendous rate-thousands of gallons per day especially in the summer! The water is treated with 3 separate chemicals so there is nothing growing inside of them or corrosion. The moisture around the towers is huge. That's why I brought up the issue with closeness of the generator.

Chemicals are likely inside. Moisture on outside is likely just condensation from humidity in the air, and is not any more corrosive than rainwater, depending where you are it could be less corrosive than rainwater.

Are you sure water is evaporating inside the tower? Evaporation results in a cooling effect. In an outdoor unit of a cooling system you want condensation which results in giving up heat. If anything you probably have evaporation of a refrigerant within a heat exchanger that is cooling the water to be circulated to the interior of the building

 

[zog]

The sulphur from the chlorine used in the cooling towers will react with any silver contacts or plating in the gear and produce silver sulfide which can develop into whiskers that will eventually lead to a failure.