FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

JENGKA, PAHANG

LABORATORY MANUAL

COURSE

BUILDING SERVICES

COURSE CODE

ECG226

LEVEL OF OPENNESS

CATEGORY

PARTIALLY OPEN ENDED

DEGREE OF OPEN-ENDED
(%)

33

PERIOD OF ACTIVITY

1 WEEK (WEEK 8)

TITLE

COOLING TOWER
1.1 Introduction
Level 1 laboratory activity refers to condition where the problem and ways &
means are guided and given to the students. However the answers to the
assignment are left to the students to solve using the group creativity and
innovativeness. The activity is to slowly introduce and inculcates
independent learning amongst students and prepare them for a much
harder task of open-ended laboratory activities.
In this laboratory activity students will be exposed to the characteristic
equation of the Hilton Bench Top Cooling Tower.
1.2 Objective
The objective of the laboratory session is:
To determine the characteristic equation of the Hilton Bench Top Cooling
Tower.
1.3 Learning Outcomes

PREAMBLE

At the end of the laboratory activity, students would be able to:

Understand the characteristic equation of the Hilton Bench Top Cooling
Tower.
1.4 Theoretical Background
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste
heat to the atmosphere. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of
water to remove process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wetbulb air temperature or, in the case of closed circuit dry cooling towers, rely
solely on air to cool the working fluid to near the dry-bulb air temperature.
Common applications include cooling the circulating water used in oil
refineries, petrochemical and other chemical plants, thermal power stations
and HVAC systems for cooling buildings. The main types of cooling towers
are natural draft and induced draft cooling towers. The classification is
based on the type of air induction into the tower.
Cooling towers vary in size from small roof-top units to very large
hyperboloid structures (as in the adjacent image) that can be up to 200
metres tall and 100 metres in diameter, or rectangular structures (as in
Image 3) that can be over 40 metres tall and 80 metres long. The

FKA, UiTM, PAHANG

June 2013

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
JENGKA, PAHANG

LABORATORY MANUAL

hyperboloid cooling towers are often associated with nuclear power plants,
although they are also used to some extent in some large chemical and
other industrial plants. Although these large towers are very prominent, the
vast majority of cooling towers are much smaller, including many units
installed on or near buildings to discharge heat from air conditioning.

PROBLEM
STATEMENT

Reproduces all the processes that are found in an industrial system

serviced by a forced draught cooling tower. The unit incorporates a process
load, circulating pump, packed column, water distribution, volume control
system and fan. Standard instrumentation allows measurement of the air,
circulating water mass flow rate and all end state temperatures using wet
and dry bulb thermocouples. Evaporation rates under varying load and flow
conditions can also be investigated.
As a group you are required to determine the characteristic equation of the
Hilton Bench Top Cooling Tower.
The group must carry out the test following the procedures outline and
subsequently analyse the data and present it in a proper technical format.

WAYS & MEANS

1.1 Apparatus
The Hilton Bench Top Cooling Tower fitted with the Packing
Characteristic Column.
1.2 Procedures
1. Fully open the fan inlet damper and set the water flow to its maximum
2. Switch the water heaters to give a heat input of 1.0 or 1.5 kW.
3. Allow temperature to stabilize.
4. Observe :
iOrifice differential pressure
iiWater flow rate
iiiAll temperature
5. Repeat the observations at a number of lower water flow rates down
to about 10gm s1, always allowing conditions to stabilize and

FKA, UiTM, PAHANG

June 2013

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
JENGKA, PAHANG

LABORATORY MANUAL

making any temperature corrections necessary.

6. Partly close the air intake damper and repeat the foregoing at
manometer reading of say 6 and 2 mm H2O.
REMOVAL OF WET AND DRY BULB SENSORS
1. Remove the cap from the cable conduit at the back of the
column and release sufficient thermocouple cable to allow
withdrawal of the sensor.
2. Hold the end of the sensor to prevent rotation, then unscrew the
black hexagonal gland nut to free the sensor.
3. Still holding the sensor, unscrew and withdraw the black
hexagonal gland body.
4. Carefully withdraw the sensor, rotating it thought 900 so that
wick clears the ports in the sensor hood.
5. When replacing the sensor, it is helpful if the wick clears the
ports in the to clear the ports in the hood.
6.1 Data Acquisition
Test No.
Packing Installed
Packing Density
m
Air Inlet
t1
Dry Bulb
C
Air Inlet
t2
Dry Bulb
C
Air Outlet
t3
Dry Outlet
C
Air Outlet
t4
Dry Outlet
C
Water Inlet
t5
Temperature
C
Water Inlet
t6
Temperature
C
Water Make-up
t7
Temperature
C
(Assumed same as ambient
dry bulb temperature t1)
Orifice
X
Differential
H2O
Water flow
mw
Rate
gms
Cooling Load
Q

1
B
110

2
B
110

3
B
110

4
B
110

16

16

16

16

40

40

40

40

0.5

1.0

1.5

kW
Make-up Quantity

FKA, UiTM, PAHANG

June 2013

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN AWAM

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
JENGKA, PAHANG

LABORATORY MANUAL

mE
kg
Time Interval
y
s
Pressure Drop
p
Across Packing
mm H2O

4 Results, Analysis and Conclusion

RESULTS

The group is required to submit the technical report of the laboratory results
highlighting the data acquisition process, analysis carried out and the
relevancy of the set-out output to achieve the objective. The format of the
report is left to the creativity discretion of the group.
The report must be submitted 7 days after the completion of the test.

FKA, UiTM, PAHANG

June 2013