What is Single Pass Cooling?
In chemistry labs, water cooling is common. Labs use condensers using water. The water provides the heat removal and then is diverted to the drain. One of Ohio State's sustainability efforts is our Resource Stewardship. One of the resource stewardship initiatives is reducing potable water consumption. In Chemistry and Biochemistry, we have the ability to greatly reduce OSU's potable water consumption
Problems with Single Pass Water
There are a few issues using single pass water for cooling including
- Unsustainable water consumption
- Flood Risks
Unsustainable Water Consumption
If a water condenser uses the minimum flow rate of 0.5 liters per minute and the reaction runs for 8 hours. The researcher is using 240 liters or 63.5 gallons of water for one reaction. How reactions did you run in the last year using a water condenser?
Flood Risks
There is an increased risk for lab floods when using single pass water. If the reaction is run overnight and if one of the hoses pops off the condenser with no one in the lab, the lab will continue to flow until it is found. This has the potential to cause significant damage to a building along with financial and research loss.
What can you do to help?
There are a few different options to replace single pass water