Cooling Distribution

The district cooling distribution system has proven extremely reliable over its life. Cornell has maintained this reliability with an aggressive program of installing and maintaining a cathodic protection system for exterior corrosion protection. Interior corrosion protection is maintained with an extensive corrosion protection and monitoring program, which has resulted in an average corrosion rate of less than one mil per year on average over the last ten years. In the past two years leading up to the startup of LSC, that corrosion rate was reduced to .25 mil per year by stripping iron (corrosion byproducts) from the circulating water.  In addition, the system is "looped" and "segmented" using high performance butterfly valves installed in vaults. This allows sections of the distribution system to be shut down for maintenance, repairs or upgrades without affecting the customer base.

District Cooling Availability and Reliability

The normal operating criteria for the district cooling system is to maintain a minimum differential pressure at the furthest point in the distribution system (2-4 psid) and also maintain an acceptable leaving chilled water temperature at the production facilities.