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About Cooling Towers
Cooling towers, sometimes referred to as heat rejection
devices, are systems that provide cooling of water and other fluids through
the removal of heat from the fluid. Essentially, a cooling tower is comprised
of a water
tower and a water reservoir pumping system. Hot process water is
fed to a cool water reservoir and then pumped to the process again. Heat
in the process water is eliminated as spray nozzles distribute it over
the wet deck surface. Air is simultaneously blown upward over the wet
deck surface. As the stream of air flows past the heated water, the air
absorbs the heat, lowering the water temperature. During the process,
some of the water evaporates, which increases the amount of heat transfer.
The cooled water is returned to the process after being collected in
the reservoir.
Cooling tower systems produce the airflow through a couple methods. Mechanical
draft towers utilize fans located on the sides of the tower in order to create
airflow. Forced draft towers have fans located on the side of the cooling towers,
while induced draft cooling towers have fans located on the top of the cooling
tower to pull air through the tower. Natural draft cooling towers do not use
fans but depend upon the rising exhaust air to create the airflow. These cooling
towers use very large concrete chimneys and are typically in place only at utility
power stations. In some cases, the two methods are used in conjunction with one
another to create the required draft of air.
Fill pack is located on the wet deck surface and is the heart of most cooling
towers. Cooling tower systems typically use PVC or polypropylene materials for
fill, although other materials may be used. The labyrinthine design is formed
by individual vacuum
formed sheets. The sheets space themselves apart when arranged vertically
side-by-side, leaving passageways for water and air. The sheets may press against
each other or may be glued together. Strength may be gained by folding the edges.
The channels (flutes) formed between the adjacent fill sheets are usually at
an angle to vertical in order to increase the “hang time” of the
water as it falls through the wet deck.
Cooling tower systems remain beneficial in cooling fluids, particularly water,
in a variety of industrial applications. Useful applications for cooling towers
include air conditioning units, dry cleaning, water treatment and power generation.
Numerous industries, including water/wastewater, chemical, electric, pulp and
paper and plastics industries, utilize the products made by cooling
tower manufacturers to reduce heat in industrial facilities and systems.
When selecting a cooling tower, consider industrial application, fluid type and
volume, tower placement within the facility and environmental factors. Many different
cooling
tower designs remain available to fulfill customer needs. In addition to
standard cooling
tower designs, many cooling
tower manufacturers offer custom cooling
tower design services.
Featured
Articles
http://www.coolingtechnology.com/About_Process_Cooling/cooling-towers/default.html
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Types of Cooling Towers
- have
quite an attractive appearance, but are usually more expensive than
other cooling towers.
- are cooling towers in which the air
and cooled water or other fluid do not have direct contact.
- determines
cost, performance, and efficiency.
- are
companies that make units that cool fluids.
- contain opposing air and water flows.
The airflow moves up and the water flow moves downward.
- contain perpendicular air and water flows.
The airflow is horizontal, and the water flows vertically downward.
- are used in drinking water and wastewater
treatment facilities to assist in the elimination of bacteria,
chemicals and other impurities in the water.
- have great weather resistance, which makes
them useful in harsher environmental conditions. These cooling
towers also provide good corrosion resistance, which remains advantageous
in applications such as water treatments, in which the tower
will be exposed
to chemicals.
- consist of forced draft towers, which
contain side fans that force the air through the system, and
induced draft cooling towers, which contain overhead fans that
pull the
air through the system. Mechanical draft cooling towers are often
used
in smaller
cooling tower systems.
- do not utilize fans but rely on exhaust
air buoyancy and natural winds to move the air through the
system. Natural draft cooling towers are used in applications involving
large volumes
of water, such as power generation plants.
- are cooling towers in which water is
internally distributed within the system with direct contact
with the entering
air.
- are
basic cooling systems used to cool water through contact with airflow.
Applications
utilizing
water cooling towers include
air conditioning and water/wastewater.
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