Cooling Towers

Kinds of Cooling Equipment

1. Atmospheric or Natural Draft Cooling

Tower – Air is humidified, some of the
warm water goes off into the
atmosphere and fresh water must be
added. The make-up water is 2-5% of
the water flow. These are towers with
long narrow structures of considerable
height placed with the long axis normal
to the prevailing mind.
2. Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower –
air circulation is obtained through
the levity of a confined column of
warm air with a fan providing
dependable air movement. A cooling
tower such as this does not have to
be as high as a natural draft.
3. Evaporative Coolers – This
cooler is built entirely of steel,
including a heat exchanger for
cooling the water of the engine
circuit.
Schematic Diagram of a Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower
𝑚𝑎 ℎ2 𝑆𝐻2

𝑚𝑎 1 ℎ1 𝑆𝐻1
𝑚𝑤3 ℎ𝑓
3

3
Make-up water

4
𝑚𝑤4 ℎ
𝑓4
From Energy Balance

𝑚𝑤3 ℎ𝑓3 + 𝑚𝑎 ℎ1 = 𝑚𝑤4 ℎ𝑓4 + 𝑚𝑎 ℎ2

𝑚𝑤3 ℎ𝑓3 − 𝑚𝑤4 ℎ𝑓4 = 𝑚𝑎 ℎ2 − ℎ1

Where:
𝑚𝑤3 = mass of entering water, kg/s ℎ1 = enthalpy of entering air, kJ/kg

𝑚𝑤4 = mass of leaving water, kg/s ℎ2 = enthalpy of leaving air, kJ/kg

𝑚𝑎 = mass of air, kg/s ℎ𝑓3 = enthalpy of entering water, kJ/kg
ℎ𝑓4 = enthalpy of leaving water, kJ/kg
For the Mass Balance
𝑚𝑤3 + 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑚𝑎 𝑆𝐻1 = 𝑚𝑤4 + 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑚𝑎 𝑆𝐻2

Water Evaporated
𝑚𝑤3 − 𝑚𝑤4 = 𝑚𝑎 𝑆𝐻2 − 𝑆𝐻1
Where:
SH1 = specific humidity ratio of air entering; kgw/kga
SH2 = specific humidity ratio of air leaving; kgw/kga

For Cooling Tower Efficiency

𝑡3 − 𝑡4
% 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝐸𝑓𝑓. =
𝑡3 − 𝑡𝑤𝑏1
Where:

t3 = temperature of water entering; 0C

t4 = temperature of water leaving; 0C
twb1 = wet buld temperature of air entering; 0C
Example
In a cooling tower 28.34 m3/min of air at 32°C db and 24°C wb enter
the tower and leave saturated at 29°C.
a) To what temperature can the air stream cool a spray of water which
enters at 38°C, with a flow of 34 kg/min of water?
b) How many kg per hour of make-up water is needed to compensate for
the water that is evaporated?
 𝑡𝑑𝑏2 = 29°C
RH=100% (saturated)

Given:

Air properties at
Water properties at entry point:
entry point: 𝑡𝑑𝑏1 = 32°C
𝑡𝑤3 = 38°C 𝑚3
𝑉𝑎1 = 28.34 𝑡𝑤𝑏1 = 24°C
𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑚𝑤3 = 34 𝑚𝑖𝑛
 ℎ2

𝑆𝐻2

ℎ1

𝑆𝐻1

𝑡2𝑑𝑏 𝑡1𝑑𝑏
ν1
Solution:

𝑚𝑤3 ℎ𝑓3 − 𝑚𝑤4 ℎ𝑓4 = 𝑚𝑎 ℎ2 − ℎ1 Then:

𝑚3
From the mass balance: 28.34 𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑎 = 𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 32.2
𝑚𝑤3 − 𝑚𝑤4 = 𝑚𝑎 𝑆𝐻2 − 𝑆𝐻1 𝑚 3 𝑚𝑖𝑛
0.88
𝑘𝑔
From the psychrometric chart (Air)
@𝑡𝑑𝑏1 = 32°𝐶 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑤𝑏1 = 24°𝐶
𝑘𝐽
ℎ1 = 72
𝑘𝑔
𝑘𝑔𝑤
𝑆𝐻1 = 0.016
𝑘𝑔𝑎
𝑚3
𝑣1 = 0.88
𝑘𝑔
Also @𝑡𝑑𝑏2 = 29℃; 𝑅𝐻 = 100%
𝑘𝐽
ℎ2 = 95
𝑘𝑔
𝑘𝑔𝑤
𝑆𝐻2 = 0.0256
𝑘𝑔𝑎
Thus:

𝑚𝑤4 = 𝑚𝑤3 − 𝑚𝑎 𝑆𝐻2 − 𝑆𝐻1

𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑤4 = 34 − 32.2 × 0.0256 − 0.016
𝑚𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑤4 = 33.71
𝑚𝑖𝑛