Can cooling tower water be treated without chemicals?

Name: Cooling tower water treatment · FIONER
Brand: FRIMONT

Yes. FIONER replaces biocides and anti-scalants with a controlled ionic input: it eliminates algae and biofilm, prevents new scale and breaks down existing deposits. It needs make-up water of acceptable quality and a pH between 7 and 8; the unit itself controls blowdown.

← All products

Water treatment

Cooling tower water treatment · FIONER

Control algae, biofilm and scale in cooling towers and evaporative condensers without dosing biocides or chemicals.

FIONER is developed by FRIMONT: a controlled ionic input keeps the circuit clean and lets you run more cycles of concentration, with less blowdown and less water.

Industrial water treatment

Request a quote Request information

Technical documentation

FIONER dispenser for cooling tower water treatment — FIONER dispenser, installed in line.

Applications

What it solves.

In a cooling tower, evaporating water leaves its salts in the circuit, while the air brings in dust, pollen and nutrients. The result is limescale and biofilm: less heat transfer, higher power consumption and bacteria sheltered where biocide cannot reach. FIONER tackles both problems from the water circuit itself.

Open cooling towers in industrial plants and air-conditioning systems.
Evaporative condensers in ammonia refrigeration plants.
Coils and heat exchangers with scale that currently requires acid cleaning.
Circuits that need to cut water consumption and blowdown volume.

Meat processing plants Food and beverage Oil & Gas Large buildings and infrastructure

Configurations

A configuration tailored to your application.

Technical selection defines the equipment and its integration with the process.

Biological control without biocides

FIONER electrodes release ions into the water flowing through the dispenser. Wherever there is liquid water they eliminate algae, fungi and biofilm; bacteria and viruses are eliminated fully or partially depending on the selected electrode. It helps prevent Legionella without handling or storing biocides.

Scale: prevention and recovery

Carbonates and bicarbonates lose their structural strength. New scale does not form, and existing deposits slowly break down into sludge and come off, with no acid or aggressive cleaning of the equipment. The coil recovers its heat-transfer surface.

Less water, less blowdown

FIONER controls the blowdown of the tower basin and allows higher cycles of concentration: less make-up water, less continuous blowdown and less effluent.

Installation and control

The dispenser is installed in line on the recirculation pipe and a control panel regulates the treatment. There are no chemicals to replenish: only the electrode kit is replaced when the controller calls for it.

Functions

Treatment power adjustable in 10 levels: shock or maintenance.
Automatic blowdown of the basin water.
Worn-electrode alarm and operating history.
Own consumption of about 200 W, depending on treatment power.
One controller handles up to 10 FIONER units and links to the FCX system.

Technical data

Reference values.

How much capacity scale takes away

Thermal capacity of a heat exchanger by limescale thickness.

Scale thickness	Thermal capacity	Performance
0 mm	1,019,207 kcal/h	100%
0.5 mm	751,283 kcal/h	74%
1 mm	593,887 kcal/h	58%
1.5 mm	493,947 kcal/h	48%
2 mm	420,844 kcal/h	41%
3 mm	327,169 kcal/h	32%

Calculated with Q = U · S · LMTD. With 1 mm of scale, the same unit delivers 42% less.

What a higher condensing temperature costs

Screw compressor in a refrigeration plant, by condensing temperature.

Condensing temperature	Refrigeration capacity	Absorbed power	COP
28 °C	685 kW	275 kW	2.49
30 °C	676 kW	286 kW	2.36
32 °C	666 kW	298 kW	2.23
35 °C	652 kW	316 kW	2.06
38 °C	637 kW	335 kW	1.90
40 °C	627 kW	348 kW	1.80
42 °C	616 kW	361 kW	1.71

Compressor manufacturer's selection. A condenser with scale and biofilm condenses hotter: from 28 °C to 42 °C the compressor absorbs 86 kW more and delivers 69 kW less cooling.

Evaporative condenser coil covered in limescale — Scale on an evaporative condenser: less heat transfer, more power.

Softened scale removed by hand from the basin of a treated unit — The limescale layer turns into sludge and comes out without acid cleaning.

Technician installing a FIONER dispenser on a cooling tower recirculation line — FIONER dispenser on a cooling tower recirculation line.

FIONER control panel with display — Control panel: power, times and blowdown.

Coil treated with FIONER: scale comes off in flakes.

Selection

How we define the solution for your process.

We start from what you need to achieve and your facility conditions. We guide you through defining requirements and selecting an appropriate configuration. You do not need to have all this data to start the conversation.

What we evaluate during technical definition

Equipment use: FIONER pays off when the tower or condenser operates more than 3 months a year.
Equipment to treat: Make and model, dimensions, materials, thermal capacity, water flow and recirculation pipe diameter.
Current condition: Photos of the outside and inside of fills, coils and basin. FIONER is not corrosive, but it does not repair earlier damage: if scale was covering corrosion, removing it exposes the metal. That is why we document the condition before installing.
Water and utilities: Make-up water analysis, pH between 7 and 8, power supply, level control and a discharge point for blowdown.

Documentation

Technical documentation.

Request technical documentation for the configuration required by your process. Tell us about your application and operating conditions to guide the inquiry.

Request technical documentation

Engineering and integration

Scope is defined with you.

From equipment selection to integration, installation, and commissioning, we agree on what the project needs and how it connects to your facility. Control systems and after-sales service are integral parts of that conversation.

What we can undertake