COOLING TOWER

Cooling towers are a very important part of many chemical plants. They represent a
relatively inexpensive and dependable means of removing low grade heat from cooling
water. The make-up water source is used to replenish water lost to evaporation. Hot water
from heat exchangers is sent to the cooling tower. The water exits the cooling tower and
is sent back to the exchangers or to other units for further cooling. A cooling tower is a
semi-enclosed device for evaporative cooling of water by contact with air. It is a wooden,
steel or concrete structure and corrugated surfaces or baffles or perforated trays are
provided inside the tower for uniform distribution and better atomization of water in the
tower. The hot water coming out from the condenser is fed to the tower on the top and
allowed to tickle in form of thin drops . The air flows from bottom of the tower or
perpendicular to the direction of water flow and then exhausts to the atmosphere after
effective cooling. To prevent the escape of water particles with air, draft eliminators are
provided at the top of the tower.
Components of Cooling Tower
Drift Eliminator
Located at the top of the tower, it avoids escaping of water droplets and vapors into the
atmosphere. Its foremost purpose is to ensure that the tower operates effectively by
maintaining the drift rate at a minimum level and minimize the occurrence of pressure
drop within a tower.
Cooling Tower Nozzles
These are made using high-quality plastics that enable and support in distributing the hot
water uniformly inside the tower.
Cooling Tower Fan Motor
The tower fan motor with explosion-proof prevents leaky heat exchangers. It offers
features like an overload relay system and an earth fault relay protection system.
Cooling Tower Fill
This type of tower uses efficient fill media that enables to have much more surface area
to expand hot water and allow quick cooling. Two types of cooling tower fill include
splash fill and film fill.
Cold Water Basin
It is manufactured using RCC. It collects and stores cold water at the bottommost part or
basin of the cooling tower.
Cooling Tower Mesh
The mesh prevents the inflow of unwanted particles from the atmosphere into the cooling
water.
Bleed Valve and Float Valve
These valves offer long life with less maintenance. Bled valve aids to maintain the
concentration of minerals, while the float valve in upholding the level of salt and level.
Cooling Tower Air Inlet
Air inlet valves inhibit entry of sunlight at the basin, which prevents algae growth and
decreases chemical cost with appropriate maintenance.
Cooling Tower Structure/Body
Modern towers are manufactured using FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) or RCC with
regards to the type of application that the tower should process
The designing & classification of these towers can be done based on build, airflow
generation methods, and heat transfer methods.
Construction
This tower differs in size from roof-top units to large hyperboloid structures. Based on
the type of application, the structure can be up to 200 meters tall and 100 meters in
diameter, while rectangular structures can be over 40 meters tall and 80 meters in
diameter.
The hyperboloid cooling towers are typically used in nuclear power plants, coal-fired
plants, food-processing industry, petrochemical, and other industrial plants. Hyperboloid
structures are used in large plants because of superior strength, resistance to external
forces and less usage of materials.
For example, the hyperboloid structure in petroleum refineries possesses the capability to
circulate about 80,000 cubic meters of water per hour.
The shape of the hyperboloid offers a wide base to fit both the water and the cooling
system. A unique narrowing effect of the tower helps in the streamlined flow of
evaporated water as it rises and pushes towards the wide opening at the top, where heated
air contacts the atmospheric air. 
Working Principle of Cooling Tower
There are various types of cooling towers developed to meet diverse industrial needs. The
common working principle employed by most of the towers is “evaporative cooling”.
Evaporative cooling is described as a process in which warm water from the industrial
process is pumped into the tower until it reaches the distribution system. This tower
nozzles distribute this water to the wet chamber and simultaneously draws the dry air to
process heated water. The water gradually loses its temperature and water droplets are
collected at the basin at the base of the tower. However, the lighter droplets that strive to
move upwards into the atmosphere is prevented by an eliminator provided at the top. This
type of process is utilized in the natural draught fan cooling tower. Some of the towers
employ forced and induced draught Fan. In this type, the fan is placed outside the tower
and at the top to circulate the atmospheric air from top to bottom.
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF COOLING TOWER
Cooling tower reduces temperature of circulating water so that water may be used in heat
exchange equipment and condensers. Cooling towers are equipment devices commonly
used to dissipate heat from power generation units, water cooled refrigeration, air
conditioning and industrial processes. Cooling towers offer an excellent alternative
particularly in locations where sufficient cooling water cannot be easily obtained from
natural sources or where concern for the environment imposes some limits on the
temperature at which cooling water can be returned to the surrounding.
There are several important factors that govern the operation of cooling tower: -
-The dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures of the air
- The temperature of warm water
- The efficiency of contact between air and water in terms of the volumetric mass transfer
coefficient and the contact time between the air and the water
- The uniformity of distribution of the phases within the tower
- The air pressure drop
- The desired temperature of the cooled water. Air might enter the tower driven by a
density gradient (natural draft), might be pushed into the tower (forced draft) at the base
or drawn into the tower (induced draft) assisted by a fan.
VARIOUS TYPES OF COOLING TOWERS:
The cooling tower might be classified into several types, but they are broadly
categorized by following considerations: 1. Whether there is direct or indirect contact 2.
The mechanism used to provide the required airflow 3. The relative flow paths of air and
water 4. The primary materials of construction 5. the type of heat transfer media applied
6. The tower’s physical shape
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF COOLING TOWERS
Classification based on air draft:
1) Atmospheric tower 2) Natural draft tower 3)Mechanical draft tower
Mechanical draft tower: Mechanical draft towers have large fans to force or draw air
through circulated wate . There are two different classes of mechanical draft cooling
towers a.
 a.Forced draft: It has one or more fans located at the tower bottom to push air into the
tower . During operation, the fan forces air at a low velocity horizontally through the
packing and then vertically against the downward flow of the water that occurs on either
side of the fan. The drift eliminators located at the top of the tower remove water
entrained in the air
b.Induced Draft: A mechanical draft tower with a fan at the discharge which pulls air
through tower [1] [6]. The fan induces hot moist air out the discharge. This produces low
entering and high exiting air velocities, reducing the possibility of recirculation in which
discharged air flows back into the air intake.
INDUCED DRAFT COOLING TOWER
DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR COOLING TOWERS:
Once a tower characteristic has been established between the plant engineer and the
manufacturer, the manufacturer must design a tower that matches the value . The required
tower size will be a function of:
1. Cooling range
2. Approach to wet bulb temperature
3. Mass flow rate of water
4. Wet bulb temperature
5. Air velocity through tower or individual tower cell
6. Tower height Other design characteristics to consider are fan horse power, pump horse
power make-up water source, fogging abatement, and drift eliminator
TYPES OF COOLING TOWERS
After many years of development of this technology, cooling towers are available in
different types and sizes. Each of these is applicable in a certain load configuration, the
reason it is important to outline the options available. Note that despite the different
designs, the basic function remains as that of dissipating heat from a building system or a
process to the air through evaporation. Here are some categorizations.
 Mechanical draft cooling tower
 Atmospheric cooling tower
 Hybrid draft cooling tower
 Air flow-characterised cooling tower
 Construction-characterised cooling tower
 Shape characterized cooling tower
 Cooling tower based on method of heat transfer
Each of these could carry several cooling towers. For instance, categorizing cooling
towers in terms of heat transfer method gives three options: Dry cooling towers, Open
circuit cooling towers and Closed circuit cooling towers/ fluid cooling towers.
AIR FLOW GENERATION METHODS:
The types of cooling towers based on the air flow generation are Natural draft,
Mechanical draft, Cross-flow and Counter-flow towers.
  Natural Draft cooling towers use the design and shape of the tower itself to move
up the air naturally using fans. They use the law of different densities between
ambient air and the warm air in the tower. Hence, these towers are tall to induce
the airflow and are shaped like a “hyperbole”. They are typically located outside
the buildings to allow for air flow.
Advantages:
 Superior strength, provides a close match to a natural flow of air through the tower
shell.
 Minimal operating costs.
Disadvantages:
 Only effective for large quantities of utility water.
 Sensitive to climatic changes.
 Physical appearance may be negative in the public eye.
 High cost of utility water
 Mechanical Draft towers tend to use a fan to force the air. Propeller or
centrifugal fans are used to circulate air inside the tower. These are much smaller
in structure than natural draft towers. Capacity control is easy in these types of
towers since the speed of the fan can be controlled. Unlike natural draft towers,
these can be located anywhere inside the building. 
 Cross Flow cooling towers are structured to allow air to flow horizontally while
the water flows down vertically. This is done through open trough systems in the
fan deck, fitted with nozzles. Since the airflow contact time is lesser, more air is
required for heat transfer to occur. This type of cooling tower has many
disadvantages such as higher power consumption due to the airflow required;
maintenance is time consuming and is susceptible to scaling and clogging of
openings.
Crossflow cooling towers are used extensively, such as in:
 Air conditioning and refrigeration systems
 Chemical and industrial processes
 Plastic industry processes
 Dairy, citrus, and other food industry processing
 Jacket water cooling for engines and air compressors
 Batch and welder cooling

Advantages:
 Can operate at higher velocities than counterflow towers - lower power
consumption.
 Constructed wider and shorter than counterflow towers - leads to lower pumping
costs.
 Relatively easy to maintain.
Disadvantages:
 Air travels through a shorter path than in counterflow towers - leads to lower
thermal efficiency.
 Coldest air does not contact the hottest water - leads to lower thermal efficiency.
  Counter flow uses hot water that enters at the top, while the air is introduced at
the bottom and exits at the top. Both forced and induced draft fans are used. The
distribution is done through channel with lateral pipes, fitted with splash spray
nozzles. Growth of algae is highly restricted, as the lateral pipes are a closed unit
and not located in direct sunlight. Their power consumption is lower than cross
flow units and offers the advantage of easy maintenance. Counterflow cooling
towers are used for air conditioning, process cooling, and power generation. They
can be seen in steel industries, automotive foundries, and waste-to-energy plants.
Advantages:
 Highly efficient - designed to cool within 5°F of the wet bulb temperature.
 Design allows air to flow at a relatively high velocity preventing the backflow of
humid air.
 More economical than natural draft towers for water flow rates less than 19,200
gallons/min.
Disadvantages:
 Fan power is required (this is the largest operational cost for a cooling tower).
 Induced air design places the fan at the top of the tower - leads to structural and
noise problems.

HEAT TRANSFER METHODS:

 Dry cooling towers:  Dry cooling towers operate by transferring heat through a
surface that separates the working fluid from ambient air. This operates on the
principle of heat transfer by a heat exchanger with extended fins. The fan is driven
by an electric motor. Hence, dry cooling towers don’t consume any water.
 Wet cooling towers or Open Circuit cooling towers:  These are the most
popular cooling towers because they are cost-effective and renewable. They use
water to cool the facility and the heat transfer is measured by the decrease in the
process temperature and a corresponding increase in both the moisture content and
the wet bulb temperature of the air passing through the cooling tower.
 Wet cooling towers typically produce drift emissions. Although they are not
hazardous to the environment, multiple drift eliminators are used to minimize the
cooling tower drift. They evaporation of water in a wet-mechanical draft is
inherently more energy efficient when compared to the other types of cooling
towers like dry or fluid.
 Fluid cooling towers or closed circuit cooling towers:  In closed circuit cooling
towers, often water is mixed with glycol to form a fluid. This fluid circulates in a
coil throughout the tower and is not directly exposed to the air. They are typically
used where the surface needs to be clean and free of contaminants. The advantage
is that there is no scale formation and hence makes for better productivity and
lesser downtime.
Advantages of Wet / Dry cooling towers:
 Take advantage of a lower heat-sink temperature attainable with evaporative
cooling when there is enough water available, and still allow the plant to operate,
although at a reduced efficiency, when cooling water is scarce.
 Cooling tower fog formation during cold weather minimized by modifying the
tower exhaust air condition.
Disadvantages:
 Expensive.
 Coil scaling and restricted air flow are possible.
COOLING TOWERS BY BUILD:
 Package type: Package type cooling towers are pre-fabricated. The shell is
usually made of corrosion-free, heat resistant and durable material like fiberglass-
reinforced polyester. Since they are pre-assembled, they can be easily transported
to a facility of choice. Since they are compact, they are preferred in facilities with
low heat rejection requirements like hospitals, malls, and office buildings.
 Field erection type: These are large units that are generally used in power plants,
huge manufacturing facilities such as steel processing plants or oil refineries. They
are large structures compared to the package type. They can be manufactured
according to custom specifications.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages
 High cooling efficiency
 Needs less maintenance
 Reliability and sustainability
 Can be operated for a longer time
Disadvantages
 Possibility of scale and corrosion at the base and body of cooling towers
Applications
The applications of the cooling tower include the following.
Traditional HVAC cooling systems are used in hospitals, malls, schools, and office
buildings. Much larger towers are used to reduce the temperature of circulating water in
oil refineries, petrochemical plants, natural gas processing plants, and other major
industrial plants to process huge volumes of heated water.