Cooling Towers

Natural Draft Hyperbolic Cooling Tower in Thermal Power Plant

Typical power-plant cycles which incorporate the natural-draft hyperbolic

cooling tower are shown in the schematics.

Note that only 40% of heat-energy input is converted to power in the

fossil-fuel plant, while 45% is discharged to condenser cooling water; the
remaining 15% is lost up the stack and in the ash.

A nuclear plant is even less efficient, converting only about 33% of its
heat energy input into power, with 62% discharged to cooling water and
5% lost.

Remember, nonetheless, that heat discharges from electric power plants

are among the lowest of all energy-conversion processes.

A natural draft hyperbolic cooling tower are evaporative in design, they

contain no fans.
Flow of air through shell is created by the density difference between
atmospheric air and that inside the tower which has been warmed by the
hot water from plant condensers.
As with the mechanical-draft-type, two basic airflow schemes in relation
to water flow are cross flow and counter flow.
The latter design provides the more efficient means for heat transfer
because coolest water contacts coolest air initially, although uniformity of
air and water distribution achieved in cross flow type may offset this
advantage.
In the cross flow design, air flow is normal to water movement, and
usually more fill is required to transfer a given amount of heat; however,
the cross flow tower has a lower air-pressure drop. Selection of either
arrangement depends primarily upon operating conditions required.

Heat transfer, of course, takes place within the tower's fill area: with
cross flow towers, this section is outside the shell.
Typically, the area consists of wood, asbestos-cement or plastic fill,
glass-reinforced polyester grids for supporting the fill; poured or precast
support beams and support columns; and asbestos-cement or polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) drift eliminators, placed behind the fill to separate water
droplets that may become entrained in the air stream.
Basic fill arrangements are splash packing and film packing (sketches
above).
Function of both is to generate as much air/water interface as possible
with minimum air-pressure loss.
In the splash type, usually selected for cross flow towers, hot water falls
over wave shaped fill in such a way that the droplets are constantly
reforming, and thus presenting a fresh surface to the cooling air.
In the film type, most often found in counter flow towers. The sheet-like
fill consists of multiple vertical surfaces down which hot water flows in
extremely thin continuous films; cooling air passes over these films.
Film-type fill occupies less volume, generally requires less shell height,
but is more subject to clogging; splash packing is somewhat easier to
repair or replace, if necessary.

A distribution system dispenses inlet hot water evenly over the fill.
Typically system for a cross flow tower consists of vertical risers and an
open water-distribution basin (left sketch above). Condenser hot water is
pumped through risers to the basin" from which water flows through
holes set in a precast-concrete slab. A nozzle is installed in each hole,
with an integral splash plate that distributes hot water evenly over the fill
surfaces below" For a counter flow tower, risers feed a closed-pipe
system; cross piping contains nozzles for even distribution of water to
the fill.

The basin at the bottom of the tower collects the cooled water for return
to plant condensers.
It is sized to hold enough water to parried tower operation for several
hours without having to add makeup water.
A drain system is normally integral with the basin, for removal of silt
deposits; this system also acts to control basin water level in case of flow
surges.

Cold-water return is most often a sloped canal at bottom of the collecting

basin, which feeds into circulation pumps. Screens are placed ahead of
the pumps to prevent debris and other foreign matter from entering
return system.

A hyperbolic tower, then, is an hour, glass-shaped structure sitting on

"stilts" in a shallow basin of water. The stilts, or diagonal support
columns, provide an open area through which air enters the shell. In a
counter flow tower, the fill is located above the columns inside the shell;
in a cross flow tower, the fill is external to the shell and forms an annular
ring around the base. A canopy seals the ring to the shell.

In either type of tower, hot water from plant condensers is pumped to the
Top of the fill, and flows or splashes down through the fill to the basin,
while air sweeps either up or across the fill area. Above the fill the 300
feet or more of the tower is empty, functioning merely as a chimney.

Natural vs mechanical draft

The initial decision that has to be made, of course, is whether to use
once through cooling, cooling lakes or "wet" or "dry" towers, as
discussed in the introduction.
Once the decision has been narrowed to evaporative cooling. The next
big choice is between mechanical draft and natural-draft towers. For
industrial applications, the hyperbolic natural-draft tower has not been
found to be economically feasible to date in the U S. In utility
applications, however. The tower is a reai competitor in numerous areas
across the country. Here are key criteria to consider: Initial investment.
Mechanical-draft towers can be built with less materials and with less-
expensive materials. Induced- draft design eliminates the need for a
chimney section, which represents about a third to a half of the
hyperbolic tower's size and cost. Fan cost in the mechanical-draft tower
(including wiring and controls) is more than offset by the increased use
of relatively expensive materials like prestressed, precast and reinforced
concrete, and asbestos-cement for fill, in the hyperbolic tower.
Compare this with the wood, asbestos cement board and plastic
materials most often selected for the mechanical draft type. Also, a
smaller investment will carry lower interest and depreciation charges.
Operating, maintenance costs. Pumping head will be less for the
mechanical draft tower, so power cost for the circulating- water pumps
will favor this type of unit. Power cost for the fans, though, is
considerable, and can amount to 0.57o of the total cost of running a
power plant. Cost for maintaining fans and associated drives and
transmissions is also significant. Cost of maintaining the structures
should also be somewhat greater for the mechanical-draft type, in which
less-permanent materials are used. Total operating and maintenance
costs will favor the natural-draft tower.

There are two type of natural draft hyperbolic cooling towers

 Counter flow (right)
 Cross flow (left)
Although this arrangement may seem to produce a lower water pumping
head than the counter flow, fill inside the counter flow tower is spread out
over a much larger area; thus, its depth is shallower and vertical water
risers are shorter. Pressure drop through fill in cross flow tower is less
than in counter flow tower, however, leading to less resistance to air
flow. Selection of either tower will depend upon design conditions at the
particular installation.