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MEC3018 Design for Industry – Group 31

An Investigation into Cooling

System Performance
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Introduction

 Intro to project
 Intro team
 Intro problem
 Aim of report
 Summarise from interim
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Team
Company
Project Secretary Liaison,
Manager, Task Reports
Academic
Manager Manager
Liason

Georgie Woolf Robert Johnson William Nightingale Hirtish Boodhoo

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Problem Statement

 Investigate cooling tower D2 system performance. What

changes need to be made to the manifold or pumps for greater
efficiency and power saving? Currently run on 3 pumps from one
manifold. Can this be changed?
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Aims and Objectives

IDENTIFY SOURCES INVESTIGATE THEM ADDRESS THEM

OF ENERGY LOSS IN
THE SYSTEM
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Water Cooling Tower

 Heat Exchanger which

use the principle of
evaporation to remove
excess energy.

 Water circulated
through system using
centrifugal pumps.
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The System Curve

 Graphical
representation of the
Steady Flow Energy
Equation.

 𝐻𝑠𝑦𝑠 = 𝛥𝑧 + 𝛴𝐻𝐿
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Cavitation

 Liquid’s pressure falls

below its vapor
pressure. Bubbles form
and implode when
crossing vapor
pressure again.

 Damaging to system.
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Legionella Consideration

 Potentially deadly Bacterium

 Water towers are perfect

breeding grounds

 Health and Safety Executive

L8
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Pipe Material

 The current pipe material is mild steel.

 The pipes are in very bad condition.
 They have a large surface roughness due
to the corrosion, this increases the friction
between the fluid and pipe wall.
 Head losses can be greatly reduced by
changing the pipe material.
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Major losses
𝐿 𝑐 ҧ2
 ℎ𝐿 = 4𝑓 .
𝐷 2𝑔

 Major losses are due to friction

between the pipe and fluid.
 Stainless-steel 𝑓 = 0.016113
 Mild carbon steel 𝑓 = 0.030731
Using the equation, the head losses
across a 5-metre pipe can be found:
 Stainless steel ℎ𝐿 = 1.156 metres
 Carbon steel ℎ𝐿 = 2.204 metres
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Minor losses

𝑣2
 ℎ𝐿 = 𝐾.
2𝑔

 Minor losses are due to components.

 Loss coefficient values for each geometry
are shown.
 Sharp turns produce larger head losses than
long radius bends.
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Pipe 2D CFD Analysis

 2D analysis compares velocity

profile between current pipes and
proposed new stainless steel
pipes.

 Internal diameter of current pipes

assumed to be 10% less than that
of when brand new due to
corrosion and internal build up.
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Pipe 3D CFD Analysis

 3D analysis illustrates pressure

drop across a 2m length of pipe
for corroded carbon steel and
stainless steel.
 Shows a greater pressure drop
across a length of corroded
carbon steel pipe than a new
stainless steel pipe.

Material Inlet Outlet Pressure

pressure pressure drop
Carbon steel 250000 Pa 249327.9 Pa 672.1 Pa
Stainless 250000 Pa 249838.2 Pa 161.8 Pa
steel
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New Manifold Layout
 During normal operation, the new
layout will operate with the 2 outer
butterfly valves open and the 2
inner ones closed.

 In the current design the 3 pumps

are ‘fighting’ against each other.
This new design eliminates this
problem.
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New Manifold Layout Pricing
Component Dimensions (mm) Quantity Price estimate

Pipe 200 diameter, 500 length 4 £280

Long radius 90o bend 200 diameter, 300 radius 4 £80  Price estimates made using a
Pipe 200 diameter, 900 length 2 £252 pricing list supplied by Sterling
Reducer 200 to 150, 200 length 2 £50
Pipe 150 diameter, 800 length 2 £195 Pharma Solutions.
Tee–junction 150 diameter, 250 radius, 325 3 £60
width, 500 length

Butterfly valve 150 diameter, 56 length 4 £1200

Pipe 150 diameter, 400 length 3 £146  Total price of components
Reducer 150 to 65, 340 length 3 £60
Pipe 65 diameter, 360 length 3 £59 roughly £2500 (not including
Pipe 150 diameter, 450 length 2 £110
labour considerations).
£2492
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Pumps

Assumptions:
 A flow rate of 150m3/h and 25m of discharge head.
 Estimated height between pump inlet and outlet is 2.5.
 Available distance to lower the pumps is 1.5m.
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Issues with the Pumps

 Oversized - Cavitation.
 Trimming of impellers - One pump 140mm, two pumps 182mm.
Reduction in efficiency.
 Net Positive Suction Head - NPSHa must be larger than NPSHr.
 Too many pumps in use - Only two pumps are necessary.
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Selecting the
Correct Pump

 Must consider flow rate, inlet

size, head required by the
system, product quality of pump.

 New pumps must support

current flow rate.

 System resistance head must

intersect with the duty point.

 Ideal (BEP) to real.

 NB 50-160/150 AF2ABQQE
sourced from Grundfos (£2455
each) with an impeller size of
150mm.
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Proposed Pump Solutions

 New pumps - NB 50-

160/150 AF2ABQQE.

 Lower the pumps –

Move pumps 1.5m
lower.

 Reducing the number

of pumps – 3 pumps
with 1 on standby.

 Estimated annual
savings £90,179.82.
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Total Cost of Project

 Labour of £15/hour for 20 personnel equates to £21,600 labour cost

assuming each individual works 8 hours per day for the full 9 days.
 Equipment hire e.g. crane estimated £3000.
 Total price of piping components roughly £2500.
 Total price of 3 new pumps £7365.
 Estimated total price of implementing design is £34,465.