Cooling towers are biggest heat exchangers of an industry and directly influence plant efficiency, its throughput, its reliability and its safety and environmental operations. Survey of cooling tower provides trimming opportunities to enhance its performance and also provides a platform to forecast and avoid future problems.

Extended survey of cooling tower focuses on basic review for the design and debottlenecking of cooling tower, its mechanical components, Chemical treatment section, water filtration system and operation of cooling tower. General mechanical survey of cooling tower focuses on fan performance improvement fills inspection, nozzles inspection and its components which increase performance of cooling tower. However survey for chemical feeding systems, dosing points and operation of cooling tower including water optimization and blow down systems are necessary to sustain performance of cooling tower and cooling water system of complete plant.

Side stream filters and water filtration screens are small and mostly neglected areas of a cooling tower but their role in scaling, corrosion and microbiological problems in cooling water system is much higher.

This paper also shares a case study for extended survey of cooling tower and troubleshooting of problems at Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited where In summer 2012, Plant production was limited due to deteriorated performance of cooling tower. A drastic increase in cooling water supply and approach temperatures caused serious load limitations at downstream plants (Ammonia; Urea; Nitric acid, CAN and NP). Huge biological growth and bacterial colonies in high performance fill and excessive air recirculation has caused the overall performance deterioration of cooling tower.