University of Zakho

Collage of Engineering
Department of Mechanical

Experiment No (5)
Investigation of the effect of air
velocity on the Cooling Tower
Performance

Name: Masoud Salih Fareeq

Group: B
Stage: 4ed Stage
1-Purpose:
To study the effect of air velocity on the Approach to Wet Bulb, cooling range, and
efficiency for cooling tower.
2-Apparatus: The apparatus consists of the following components and instruments (Figure
1):-
1. Air distribution chamber.
2. A tank with heaters to simulate cooling loads of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kW.
3. A make-up tank.
4. A centrifugal fan with intake damper.
5. Pump.
6. A water collecting basin.
7. An electrical control panel.
8. Packed column.
9. Column cap.
10. Temperature indicator.
11. Inclined tube manometer.
12. Variable area flow meter.

Fig. 1: Cooling Tower Apparatus

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3- Theory :
Approach to wet bulb: The difference between the temperature of the water leaving the
tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering.
Cooling Range: The difference between the water temperature at the entry to and exit from
the tower.
𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 (𝐓𝟓−𝐓𝟔)
Cooling Tower 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 % = ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = (𝐓𝟓−𝐓𝟐) ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎
(𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞+𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡)

Air volume flow rate(v̇ ) = mȧ . vB = 𝑚̇𝑎 (1 + 𝜔𝐵 )v𝑎𝐵

v̇
Air velocity = (m/s )
A
Dimensions of the cooling tower column: 150mm*150mm*600mm high
Cross section area of empty tower (A)= 0.15*0.15= 0.0225 m2

4- Experimental Procedure:
1- Fill water in the make-up tank, the level of the water should always be greater than the
mark of minimum level on the load tank.
2- Fill water at two positions of the wet-bulb temperature (inlet and outlet air positions).
3- Switch on the experiment.
4- Keeping water flow rate and cooling load constant during the test, (water flow rate 40
g/sec. and cooling load 1kw).
5- Open the cover of the air intake damper to set the flow of air rate such that the pressure
drop through the tower is (5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 19 mm) H2O and take the reading of
all temperatures at a steady state.
6- Calculate the mass flow rate of air and its velocity of each condition.
7- Calculate the efficiency of the cooling tower of each condition.

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 Test No. 1 2 3 4
Cooling Load, kW 1 1 1 1
Water Flow Rate g/sec. 40 40 40 40
Orifice Differential (x) mm H2O 10 15 20 25
Air Inlet Dry Bulb Temp. T1,°C 19.4 19.3 19 18.9
Air Inlet Wet Bulb Temp. T2,°C 14.1 14.3 14.1 13.7
Air Outlet Dry Bulb Temp. T3,°C 22.7 22.2 22 21.8
Air Outlet Wet Bulb Temp. T4,°C 21.9 21.8 21.2 19.6
Water Inlet Temp. T5,°C 27.4 27 26.2 25
Water Outlet Temp. T6,°C 21.9 20.2 19.2 17.9

4-calculation

For first reading:

From T3 and T4, we find the x=6mm 𝑤=0.0162 v𝑏=0.860 𝑚2⁄𝑘𝑔 in a
psychometric chart. (A)= 0.15*0.15= 0.0225 m2

𝒙 𝟔
𝑚̇=0.0137√(𝟏+𝒘𝒃)𝒗𝒃 = √ = 0.0357 𝑘𝑔\𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝟎.𝟖𝟕𝟒𝟏𝟗

𝑽̇̇. = 𝑚̇(1+𝑤)𝑣=0.0312 𝒎𝟑 \s
𝑽̇̇.
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦= = 1.38 m\s
𝑨

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒=𝑇5−𝑇6=27.4−21.9=5.5 ℃

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ=𝑇6−𝑇2=21.9−14.1=7.8℃

𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦= ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟑𝟓%
𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞+𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

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second reading:
From T3 and T4, we find the x=10mm 𝑤=0.0160 v𝑏=0.873 𝑚2⁄𝑘𝑔 in a
psychometric chart. (A)= 0.15*0.15= 0.0225 m2

𝒙 𝟏𝟎
𝑚̇=0.0137√(𝟏+𝒘𝒃)𝒗𝒃 = √ = 0.046 𝑘𝑔\𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝟎.𝟖𝟗

𝑽̇̇. = 𝑚̇(1+𝑤)𝑣=0.042 𝒎𝟑 \s

𝑽̇̇.
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦= = 1.83 m\s
𝑨

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒=𝑇5−𝑇6=27−20.2=6.8℃

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ=𝑇6−𝑇2=20.2−14.3=5.9 ℃

𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦= ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟓𝟐%
𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞+𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

3rd reading:
From T3 and T4, we find the x=15mm 𝑤=0.0156 v𝑏=0.872 𝑚2⁄𝑘𝑔 in a
psychometric chart. (A)= 0.15*0.15= 0.0225 m2

𝒙 𝟏𝟓
𝑚̇=0.0137√(𝟏+𝒘𝒃)𝒗𝒃 = √ = 0.055 𝑘𝑔\𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝟎.𝟖𝟗

𝑽̇̇. = 𝑚̇(1+𝑤)𝑣=0.048 𝒎𝟑 \s
𝑽̇̇.
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦= = 2.21 m\s
𝑨

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒=𝑇5−𝑇6=26.2−19.2=7℃

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ=𝑇6−𝑇2=19.2−14.1=5.1 ℃
𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦= ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟓𝟕%
𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞+𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

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For forth reading:
From T3 and T4, we find the x=19mm 𝑤=0.0147,=0.863 𝑚2⁄𝑘𝑔 in a
psychometric chart. (A)= 0.15*0.15= 0.0225 m2

𝒙 𝟏𝟗
𝑚̇=0.0137√(𝟏+𝒘𝒃)𝒗𝒃 = √ = 0.060 𝑘𝑔\𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝟎.𝟖𝟖𝟎

𝑽̇̇. = 𝑚̇(1+𝑤)𝑣=0.0550 𝒎𝟑 \s
𝑽̇̇.
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦= = 2.5 m\s
𝑨

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒=𝑇5−𝑇6=25−17.9=7.1℃

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ=𝑇6−𝑇2=17.9−13.7=4.2 ℃
𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦= ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 = 𝟔𝟑%
𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞+𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡

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Discussion:
Q1:

chart between all temperatures in the tower

with the velocities of air
30

25
TEMPERATURE

20

15

10

5
0
1 2 3 4
VELOCITY

T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

When the Orifice differential of water increase the

velocity will increase, and if decrease it the velocity
decreased. From T1 to T5 when increase the velocity will
be increase or decrease it, but T6 increased.

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 chart between the approaches
and the velocities of air
10
APPROACH
5

0
1 2 3 4
VELOCITY

𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ

When we open the damper Air velocity Increase and Approach will
decreas.

Q3-

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COLLING RANGE

0
1 2 3 4
VELOCITY
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒

When the air velocity increased the cooling range and temp decreased .

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 𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦
Q4
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑦

70%
60%
50%
effeciency

40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Velocity

Effect of air velocity on the Efficiency, velocity can change the

Cooling range and Approach then the efficiency will be change,
When we open damper or increase the Air velocity (m/s) the
efficiency it will be increase.

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What do you think if we increase the flow rate of air more?

Higher pressure causes increased flow rate. If the flow rate increases, it is caused by
increased pressure. Four properties of air affect the way in which it flows past an
object: viscosity, density, compressibility, and temperature. Viscosity is the resistance
of a fluid to flow.