Biofilm Sensor for Power Plants - Brochure

In a heat exchanger, a major component of any power plant, a 20 microns thick bacterial layer (biofilm) can cause a 30% decrease in thermal efficiency: biofilm, indeed, is up to 4 times more insulating than calcium carbonate scale. Moreover, biofilm can increase inorganic fouling, producing sticky substances that increase particles adhesion. For these reasons, large amounts of chemical substances (biocides) are used to limit microbiological growth in such systems. The manager of this power plant decided to install an ALVIM Biofilm Monitoring System, in order to verify that the biocide treatment (chlorination, in this case) was effective in removing the bacteria settled inside the cooling water system.