Client: A key national non-ferrous metal processing and new materials manufacturing base in Uzbekistan

Country: Uzbekistan

Equipment Model: Counter-flow Closed Circuit Cooling Tower

Media: High-purity process water

Quantity: 6 units

Project Description

counter-flow closed circuit cooling towers were installed to support the core furnace and induction heating system of a large-scale non-ferrous metal smelting project in Uzbekistan. Designed for the extremely arid and dusty climate of Central Asia, the project employed advanced fully enclosed counter-flow heat exchange technology and a highly efficient dust-proof structural design, achieving "zero-pollution" temperature control in industry while demonstrating excellent water-saving and weather-resistant performance. Recommended Standardized Case Name: Arid Region Integration:  Counter-flow Closed Cooling Tower Project for Uzbekistan Metallurgical Base (Arid Region Integration:  Counter-flow Closed Cooling Tower Project for Uzbekistan Metallurgical Base)

Background

Uzbekistan is located in the heart of Central Asia and has a typical continental climate with long, hot, and extremely arid summers (temperatures often exceed 40°C), and is frequently accompanied by desert sandstorms. In recent years, the country has vigorously promoted industrial modernization, and its core non-ferrous metal smelting and new building materials projects have placed extremely high demands on the cooling systems of high-power induction furnaces, crystallizers, and other equipment. 

These core heat exchange devices have highly sophisticated internal water systems. If traditional open cooling towers were used, the strong winds and sandstorms of Central Asia would directly contaminate the cooling water, leading to scaling, blockages, and even burnout within the equipment. Furthermore, Uzbekistan, as a landlocked and arid country, has extremely precious water resources, and industrial water use is subject to strict government quotas.

Task

This project requires solving the problem of continuous, high-intensity heat dissipation under three extreme environments: high temperature, abundant sand, and water scarcity.

• Completely prevent wind and sand pollution: It is essential to ensure that the cooling medium operates in a completely closed environment, preventing external desert sand from entering the cooling water system and ensuring zero scaling on the core, expensive equipment of the smelting line.

• Ensure heat dissipation under extreme high temperatures: Under conditions of extremely high dry-bulb temperatures and dry air in summer, it is crucial to ensure that the system has sufficient heat exchange redundancy to stabilize the circulating water temperature within the range required by the process.

• Respond to national water conservation policies: With six devices operating in tandem, it is necessary to minimize evaporation and drift losses to achieve extremely low water consumption and alleviate the plant's water quota pressure.

Standardized Action 

Shandong Casen's heat transfer solutions expert team, considering the climate characteristics of the "Belt and Road" region, customized a modular parallel group control solution for counter-flow closed-loop cooling towers:

• Fully Enclosed Counter-flow High-efficiency Heat Exchange: Utilizing the KCN counter-flow structure, air flows counter-currently upwards from the lower four sides of the tower, fully contacting the downward-spraying water. Process water circulates in a closed loop within the pipes. Combined with high thermal conductivity coiled tubes, this achieves ultra-high heat exchange efficiency in hot and dry climates.

• Customized Anti-sandstorm Design: Specifically designed for Central Asian sandstorms, the air inlet is equipped with high-density anti-sand louvers and a washable primary dust filter, effectively intercepting large particles of sand and preventing sediment buildup in the water collection tank.

• Ultimate Water-Saving System: The top of the tower is equipped with a high-efficiency axial flow fan and a high-density environmentally friendly PVC drift eliminator, minimizing drift loss carried away by the high-speed fan and reducing unnecessary water loss beyond evaporation.

• Flexible Parallel Operation and Intelligent Group Control: Six units are arranged in parallel and equipped with a central intelligent control cabinet. Considering the significant diurnal temperature variation in the area, the system automatically adjusts the number of units in operation and fan speed based on actual heat load and ambient temperature, avoiding unnecessary energy and water consumption.

Key Achievements

counter-flow closed-circuit cooling towers were delivered to Uzbekistan to high standards and put into operation, achieving significant results:

• Zero-scaling operation of industrial equipment: The high-power furnaces on the production line achieved continuous and stable operation without dust or scaling, reducing factory downtime for maintenance due to cooling failures by 100%. 

• Dramatic Reduction in Water Consumption: Thanks to its fully enclosed circulation and counter-current high-efficiency water collection technology, compared to open systems with equivalent heat dissipation capacity, the overall water replenishment volume has been reduced by more than 25%, perfectly complying with the industrial water use regulations of the Uzbek environmental protection department.

• Benchmark Effect in Central Asia: The successful operation of this project demonstrates the superior adaptability of Kaisen equipment to the harsh geographical and climatic environment of Central Asia, setting a benchmark for Kaisen in the industrial support market of Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries.

SMART Metrics

Standardized integrated delivery of  counter-flow closed-loop cooling towers

Dust intrusion and pipe scaling rate: 0% (core furnace body perfectly protected)

Overall water saving rate: >25% (compared to open heat exchange systems)

Single unit's extreme high-temperature adaptability: >+45℃ normal heat dissipation

Factory energy consumption and overall maintenance cost reduction: Approximately 28%

Reusability Takeaways

• Wind and sand resistant/special filtration closed-loop cooling technology: Ideal for replication and promotion in smelting, mining, and chemical projects in inland desert areas overseas (such as Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa) with high winds, sandstorms, and poor water quality.

• Modular group control energy efficiency management: 6 units connected in parallel can flexibly adjust the load according to different production shifts and diurnal temperature variations, providing extremely high production flexibility and energy-saving redundancy.

• High-standard transnational implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative: We have accumulated mature management experience in dealing with long-distance land transportation in Central Asia, rapid integration at high-temperature sites, and international technical briefings.