CASE STUDYThe subject power plant had a counter-flow cooling tower located in the Chicago area. We first inspected the tower in February of 2018 and witnessed excessive icing which was causing damage to the wood structural members as well as degrading performance.The customer attempted to install tarps to keep the heat in the tower and melt the ice. This was a temporary fix, not custom fitted and had to be removed and reinstalled on a yearly basis. In December of 2018, Galebreaker supplied a permanent solution with their retractable winterization screens which could be deployed in the winter and retracted back up in the summer.

RetractableWinterizationScreens

Excessive icing build-up just inside the air inlet as a result of leaks above and freezing temperatures.

The temporary tarp system that hadbeen previously installed annually.

Ice accumulations with no protection.

THE PROBLEM

The tube that the screen is threaded into is attached at the bottom to the concrete

curb with a series of ratchets.

The gear drive with the handle crank. The kadored tube attaches to the gear drive and can be retracted or deployed quickly and easily.

Galebreaker screens are custom manufacturedto fit the specific openings for the customer.

THE SOLUTION

This is the finished product on the west side of the tower. This is the

side most susceptible to icing.

Another picture of the west side. The icingon the inside had been melted due to theretention of heat just inside the screens.

This is a picture of the east side which had all of the obstructions. A series of (5) different screens were installed to miss all obstructions.

CONCLUSIONThe project was a huge success with the customer. The cost to install and remove temporary tarps was eliminated. With temperatures in the high 20’s F, the ice was removed on the structures at the air inlet and the following benefits realized:

• Improved performance• No damage to mechanical equipment• Complete seasonal protection• Fully retractable operation – quick and easy

The best practice for ice attenuation is proactive operation of the fans. A combination of proper fan operation and deployment of Galebreaker Screens will help you operate your tower safely and prolong the life of your cooling tower structure. Galebreaker provide both temporary and permanent solutions:

• Up to 64m wide (210ft) and 6m high (20ft)• Manual gear drive or chain hoist retractable

systems• Standard and saline specifications

The finished product on the north end of

the tower.

Galebreaker IndustrialGalebreaker Offices in Florida & Texas

Jim Baker – Wet Cooling Specialist, North & South AmericaOffice: Fort Worth, Texas 817-253-9980 & 817-888-0858 • jbaker@galebreaker.com

Gary Mirsky – Dry Cooling Specialist, WorldwideOffice: Florida 772 800 3844 • GMirsky@galebreaker.com

Manufactured by Galebreaker Industrial LimitedGalebreaker House, New Mills Industrial Estate, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2SS, United Kingdom