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2/17/2016

FundamentalsofCoolingTowerHeatTransferPart2|IHSEngineering360
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FundamentalsofCoolingTowerHeatTransfer
Part2
ByBradBuecker,ProcessSpecialist,KiewitEngineeringandDesignCo.
06November2015

Coolingtowersareubiquitousaroundtheworldasamethodforindustrialplantcooling.InPart1ofthisseries,we
examinedfundamentalheattransfercalculationsincoolingtowers.InPart2,welookatdesignfeaturesthat
maximizeheattransfer,andparticularlyfillselectionandtheimportanceofselectingtheproperdesign.Part3will
outlinecorrectchemistrycontrolmethodstomaintainreliableoperation.
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CoolingTowerDesign
Forstandardcoolingtowers,twotypes
dominateindustrialapplications,the
counterflowandthecrossflowtypes.Of
these,counterflowtowersaremore
numerous.Thefiguresdepictthegeneral
waterandairflowpathsinthesetowers.

Schematicsofacounterflowandcrossflowcoolingtower.Source:Reference1.

Bothofthesedesignsareoftheinduced
drafttype,inwhichfanspullairthroughthe
towers.Thisiscommonforlargetowers.
Theothertypeistheforceddraftdesign,in
whichfanspushairthroughthetowers.

Thekeyheattransferconceptwithany
coolingtoweristomaximize(asmuchasthewaterqualitywillpermit)interactionbetweentheincomingairandthe
warmwaterbeingdischargedabove.Coolingtowerfillincreasesthesurfaceareaoftheincomingwaterand
improvesheattransfer.Intheearlydaysofcoolingtowers,splashfillwastheconfigurationofchoice.Thecommon
designthenwastousewoodenbarsorslatstobreakupthefallingwaterintosmalldroplets.
Splashfillimprovesheattransfer,andinsomecasesisstillused,albeitwith
plasticinsteadofwoodastheconstructionmaterialandforusewithwater
withhighfoulingpotential.However,inmostcasesfilmfillsarethecommon
choice.Thefiguresillustratethreespecificvarietiesoffilmfill.
As
the

ImagescourtesyofRichAull,BrentwoodIndustries.

nameimplies,filmfillinducesthecoolingwatertoformafilmonthematerial
surface.Thefilmingmechanismmaximizesliquidsurfacearea.Aguiding
principlebehindfilldesignandselectionistoincreaseairtowatercontact,
drivingupconvectionandevaporativecoolingwhilereducingpressuredropin
thesystem.[2]TypicalfillsaremadeofPVCbecauseofitslowcost,durability,goodwettingcharacteristicsand
inherentlylowflamespreadrate.
Clicktoenlarge.Schematicofatypical
coolingtower.

Theunderlyingdesignelementthatchangesforeachofthefilltypesistheflutegeometry.Flutesaretheairwater
passagewaysthatinfluencetheeffectivenessofthefillsthermalandfoulingcharacteristics.Flutespacingis

http://insights.globalspec.com/article/1695/fundamentalsofcoolingtowerheattransferpart2

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FundamentalsofCoolingTowerHeatTransferPart2|IHSEngineering360

important,andforthedesignsshownmayrangefrom19mmforhighefficiencyfilltoperhaps38mmforlowfouling
fill.Flutesizeandflowpathmustbeconsideredtogetherwhendesigningforthebestcombinationofheattransfer
andfoulingresistance.

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SomeProcessPhysics
Theunderlyinggoaloftowerdesignistosupplythecoolestwaterpossibletopowerplantcondensersandindustrial
plantheatexchangers.Part1ofthisarticleoutlinedstandardcoolingtowerheattransfercalculations,andnotesthat
mostheatisremovedbyevaporationofaslightamountoftheinletreturnwater.

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Animportantconceptiswetbulbtemperature.Considerbeinginashadyspotoutdoorsona90oFdayat40%
relativehumidity.Astandardthermometerwouldread90oF,whichisthedrybulbtemperature.However,ifanother
thermometerwasattachedalongsidethedrybulbthermometerwithasoakedpieceofclothplacedaroundthebulb
andwithbothonadevicethatallowsthemtobeswirledrapidlythroughtheair.Thissecondinstrumentisadevice
knownasaslingpsychrometer.Althoughthedrybulbthermometerwillstillread90oFafterithasbeenrotatedfora
while,theotherthermometerwillread71.2oF.Thislatterreadingisknownasthewetbulbtemperature,and
representsthelowesttemperaturethatcanbeachievedbyevaporativecooling.
Nomatterhowefficient,acoolingtowercanneverchilltherecirculatingwatertothewetbulbtemperature,andat
somepointcostsandspacerequirementslimitcoolingtowersize.Theseparationintemperaturebetweenthe
coolingtowerchilledwaterandthewetbulbvalueisknownastheapproach.Thedatainthetableshowthe
relativesizeofacoolingtowerforarangeofapproachtemperatures.
Asisevident,towersizebecomes
asymptoticasapproachtemperature
decreases.
Approachtemperatureplaysanimportant
roleintheongoingdebateoverwetcooling
vsdrycooling.Inaridareasoftheworld,an
aircooledcondenser(ACC)maybethe
onlylogicalselectionbecauseofthelackof
makeupwaterforwetcooling.However,
ACCsaresometimesinstalledatpower
plantswherewaterisnotscarce,butwherethedesignerswishtoavoidlargemakeupduetocost,ortoavoid
regulatoryissuesrelatedtocoolingtowerplumeandblowdowndischarges.
Withthisinmind,reconsiderourearlierexamplewithawetcoolingtowerthathasa10oFapproach.Thewater
leavingthetowertocoolapowerplantcondenserwillhaveatemperatureof81oF.However,foranACCoperating
atanambienttemperatureof90oF,theturbineexhauststeamwillonlybecooledtoatemperaturethatrelatively
approaches90o,butislikelytobehigher.Theeffectoncondenserperformanceandunitheatratecanbedramatic.
Part3ofthisserieswillexaminethereasonswhycoolingtowerwatertreatmentandchemistryarevitallyimportant
formaintainingsystemreliability.
References
1.PostR.andB.Buecker,PowerPlantCoolingWaterFundamentalsthepreconferenceseminarforthe33rd
AnnualElectricUtilityChemistryWorkshopJune1315,2013,Champaign,Ill.
2.Wallis,J.andR.Aull,GettingYourFillProcessCooling&Equipment,July/August2005.
3.J.C.Hensley,ed.,CoolingTowerFundamentals,2ndEditionTheMarleyCoolingTowerCo.(nowpartofSPX
CoolingTechnologies,OverlandPark,Kansas),1985.
Tocontacttheauthorofthisarticle,emailEngineering360Editors@ihs.com

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