RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Description unit Air flow

100% 75% 50% 25%
Packing density m-1 110 110 110 110
Air inlet dry bulb, T1 °C 19.7 19.85 20.05 20.2
Air inlet wet bulb, T2 °C 30.8 30.85 31.2 31.3
Air outlet dry bulb, T3 °C 27.5 27.15 27.9 29.05
Air outlet wet bulb, T4 °C 26.25 25.85 26.4 27.8
Water inlet temperature, T5 °C 34.25 32.7 33.05 33.85
Water outlet temperature, °C 36.8 26.4 27.25 28.4
T6
Orifice differential, DP1 Pa 86.5 65 43.5 23
Water flow rate, FT1 LPM 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
Heater power, Q1 Watt 1000 1000 1000 1000
Pressure drop across Pa 31 26 16 10
packing, DP2
Table A

Description Air flow

100% 75% 50% 25%
Nominal velocity of air 1.7 1.471 1.21 0.88
(m/s)
Approach to wet bulb (K) 279.15 268.7 269.2 270.25
Pressure (mm H2O) 8.8206 6.6282 4.4358 2.3454

Air Flow 100% 75% 50% 25%

Specific volume, v(m3/kg) 0.8833562 0.87961052 0.88460476 0.889599
Air mass flowrate, ṁ (kg/s) 0.04329 0.03761 0.03068 0.02224

Table B
Air volumetric flowrate,(m3/s) 0.038240 0.0331 0.02714 0.01978

Table C

wet bulb approach and packing pressure vs

wet bulb approach or packing pressure

nominal air velocity

270.25 269.2 268.7 279.15
300
250
200
150
100
50 2.3454 4.4358 6.6282 8.8206
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
nominal air velocity

Approach to web bulb (K) Pressure (mm H 2O)

Graph 1: wet bulb approach and packing pressure vs nominal air velocity
 Cooling tower works basically on the principle of evaporation. In this process
the sensible heat of hot water is converted to latent heat of vaporisation. Thus reducing the
temperature of the exposed surface area of water to the air. More is the surface area of water
exposes to air greater is the cooling, thus requires lesser height of construction of cooling
tower. This is why water is generally sprinkled into the cooling tower. To create more
turbulence sometimes cooling towers have packings. However, in case of closed circuit
drying, the water is aircooled without immediate contact.

From this experiment, the instrument was used in this experiment is The Bench Top
Cooling Tower (model HE 152). All cooling towers operate on the principle of removing heat
from water by evaporating a small portion of the water that is recirculated through the unit.
The heat that is removed called the latent heat of vaporisation. The objectives of this
experiment are to investigate the effect of air velocity on the wet bulb approach and pressure
drop through the packing. The effect of air velocity on the parameter is based on four
different air flows which are 100%,75%, 50% and 25%.

There are six different temperatures that has been collected in this experiment which
are air inlet wet bulb (T1), air inlet dry bulb (T2), air outlet wet bulb (T3). In this experiment,
the readings for orifice differential (DP1), heater power(Q1) and pressure drop across
packing (DP2)are also taken. In theoretically, wet bulb approach seems to decrease as stated
that the decrease in evaporator capacity was mainly attributed to smaller overall heat transfer
coefficient of lower tubes with smaller air velocity in first row because overall tube heat
transfer coefficient varied remarkably at smaller air velocity and gently at greater air velocity.
(Xinzhou Songa, 2012). Based on graph 1 that result obtained, wet bulb approach and
packing pressure decrease and slightly increase at the last reading. In conlusion, this
experiment not meet the theory due the several factor that effect result.

As the nominal air increase whereby the packing pressure drop increase linearly from
2.3454 mm𝐻2 O to 8.8206 mm 𝐻2 O towards the nominal air velocity. Based from theory, the
wet bulb approach line should be decreased and cross the intersection line of the packing
pressure drop that is in increasing. This crossing point shows the limit of the wet bulb
approach and packing pressure drop at the highest nominal air velocity or at the 100% air
flow. Cooling tower selection and performance are based on the wet bulb approach. As the
nominal air velocity increased the wet bulb approach decreased. This is beacuse the increase
of air velocity means that the fan or blower is increase in speed can caused the wet bulb
approach decreased as the air is dry and can hold more water vapour rather than it can hold at
high temperature. Besides, as the nominal air velocity increased , the packing pressure drop
also increased. This is caused by as the fan or blower increase in speed, there will be more
pressure drop occurs to eliminate the temperature from hot water to cool water.to have of gas
upwards through the column, the presurre must be higher at the bottom of the column than at
the top. The liquid flows downward through the packing against the pressure and the flowing
gas phase because the liquid is appreciably denser than the gas and so is pulled down by
gravity.

While carry out this experiment, these are some errors occur. First the water flow
rate,FT1 is quite hard to control. As the water flow rate is not constant throughout this
experiment. The temperature might be not correct from T1 to T6. This might cause the
cooling tower loss its efficiency. Next, it is very hard to control the air flow with percentage
by using blower. For 100% it look easy because fully open but when it comes to 75%, 50%
and 25% it very difficult to measure the value correctly. As a result , the temperature from T1
to T6 might be not accurate as the air flow is not following the percentage it should be.
Lastly, the water inlet temperature shouldbe constant throughout the experiment so that the
efficiency of the cooling tower can be calculated correctly. These errors should be prevented
to improved the efficiency of the cooling tower so that it is suitable to use at real plant.

From the data, temperature from T1 to T6, Q1 and DP2 is written down in the table A.
From the data, the temperature for T1, T3, T4 and T6 is slightly increased. This is caused by
increasing of Q1. Whereas the temperature at T2 is slightly decreased, this may caused from
the cooling process. The result for the DP2 is shown in decreasing value at 31 Pa, 26 Pa, 16
Pa and 10 Pa. The differences in air flow give the value for wet bulb approach in ascending
orders which are 279.15 K, 268.7 K, 269.2 K and 270.25 K respectively.

After done the calculation part, the graph is plotted to show the relationship between
wet bulb approach and packing pressure dropsversus nominal air velocity in the same graph.
Basically, at the y-axis, there are two different data which are wet bulb approach( in kelvin
unit) and packing pressure drop ( in mm 𝐻2 O unit). The crossing point shows the limit of the
wet bulb approach and packing pressure drop at the highest nominal air velocity or the at
100% air flow. As a result, temperature from T1 to T6 might be not accurate as the air flow is
not following the percentage is should be.
REFERENCES

Understanding Wet Bulb Temperatures And How It Affects Cooling Tower Performance. (2019).
Retrieved from https://deltacooling.com/resources/news/understanding-wet-bulb-
temperatures-and-how-it-affects-cooling-tower-performance

Vetal, V. (2016). What are the principles of cooling tower? Retrieved from
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-principles-of-cooling-tower

Xinzhou Songa, D. H. (2012, july ). Effect of non-uniform air velocity distribution on evaporator
performance and its improvement on a residential air conditioner. Applied Thermal
Engineering, pp. 284-293.