Cooling Tower Working Principles

COOLING TOWER WORKING PRINCIPLES:

An industrial cooling tower operates on the principle of removing heat from water by evaporating a small portion of water that is recirculated through the unit. The process by which evaporative cooling occurs is as simple as it is ancient: the archaic amphorae made of terracotta, a porous material, allowed the water to leach outwards in minimal quantities. In this way, an evaporative process took place: the water inside was kept cool even in high ambient temperatures.

How Does It Work?

Air conditioning equipment and industrial processes can generate heat in the form of tons of hot water that needs to be cooled down. That’s where an industrial cooling tower comes in. 

The working principle of a cooling tower involves the evaporation of water to dissipate heat. Here’s a basic overview of how a cooling tower operates:

Hot Water Inlet: Overheated water flows through the cooling tower where it’s recirculated and exposed to cool, dry air. 

Distribution System: The water is distributed over the wet deck fill by means of nozzles.

Airflow: Air is induced or forced through the fill material using fans. As the hot water spreads over the fill surfaces, it comes into contact with the flowing air.

Evaporation: This phase change from liquid to vapor absorbs heat from the remaining water, cooling it down.

Cooled Water Outlet: Cooled water, now at a lower temperature, is collected at the bottom of the cooling tower and returned to the industrial process or system for further use.

Axial or centrifugal fans: The purpose of the fan on top of the water-cooling tower is to bring in air from the bottom of the tower and move it up and out in the opposite direction of the warm condenser water at the top of the unit.

Air Discharge: The air will carry the heat by evaporating water from the cooling tower into the atmosphere and discharged from the top of the cooling tower into the atmosphere.

Then, the resulting cold water is then recirculated back through the heat source in a continuous cycle.

The internal components of the cooling tower represent the core of the heat transfer efficiency. Different models use various components to achieve the best results. 

The various Components offer a wide variety of cooling tower products that can be custom selected for new and existing cooling towers. Just as a cooling tower has a principle of operation, each component has a principle of operation specifically suited to operating conditions.