File:Reference cooling tower model CASJL080104.

EES
8/01/2008 12:00:31 Page 1
EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege

Cooling tower
twb,su

twb,ex
Conceptual scheme

Output variables:

Input variables:

Fictitious Fluid

AUf

tw,su,ct = 35 [C]
Water

tw,ex

tw,ex,ct = 28.92 [C]

Simulation model

Qct = 331163 [W]

ta,su,ct = 25.13 [C]

tw,su

WFAN,ct = 4383 [W]

RHsu,ct = 0.5 [-]

Patm = 101325 [Pa]

range = 6.084 [K]

Calculate

approach = 10.92 [K]

Mw,ct = 13 [kg/s]

Mw,ct,consumed = 0.1259 [kg/s]

-1

rpmFAN,ct = 2000 [min ]

Parameters:
Cw,ct = 0.5 [m/s]

Mw,n,ct = 12 [kg/s]

pn,ct = 400 [Pa]

AUdry,n,ct = 10000 [W/K]

Ma,n,ct = 8.5 [kg/s]

mct = 0.1 [-]

FAN,ct = 0.65 [-]

nct = 0.6 [-]

-1

rpmFAN,n,ct = 2000 [min ]

ct = 0.95 [-]

DIRECT CONTACT COOLING TOWER MODEL

The cooling tower model is based on the same theory as used for the wet cooling coil.
The influence of the water flow rate on the air side pressure drop is taken into account.
The tower over-pressure supply is supposed to depend from the fan speed only.
The influences of air and water flow rates on the heat transfer coefficient are also taken into account.
The cooling tower is characterized by its heat transfer coefficient, air side pressure drop, water fall speed and fan efficiency in
nominal conditions.
The 6 outputs, 6 inputs and 10 parameters are given in the control panel.

Outputs:
Water temperature at tower exhaust: tw,ex,ct
Range and approach:
Cooling and electrical powers: Qct, Wfan,ct
Water consumption: Mw,consumed,ct

Inputs:
Water and air supply conditions: Mw,su,ct, tw,su,ct, ta,su,ct, RHsu,ct, patm
Fan speed: rpmfan,ct

Parameters:
AUdry,n,ct=10000 [W/K]
Cw,ct=0.5 [m/s]
DELTApn,ct=400 [Pa]
etact=0.95 [-]
etaFAN,ct=0.65 [-]
mct=0.1 [-]
Ma,n,ct=8.5 [kg/s]

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EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege

Mw,n,ct=12 [kg/s]
nct=0.6 [-]
rpmFAN,n,ct=2000 [min-1]

Simulation:
Air side energy balance:
Q ct

= M a,ct

h a,ex,ct h a,su,ct

with
h a,su,ct = h 'AirH2O' , T =t a,su,ct , P =P atm , R =RH su,ct
or
Q ct

= C af,ct

t wb,ex,ct t wb,su,ct

with reference to a fictitious capacity flow rate:

C af,ct

= M a,ct c p,af,ct

and with:
t wb,ex,ct

= t a,ex,ct

t a,ex,ct = T 'AirH2O' , h =h a,ex,ct , P =P atm , R =1

(assuming that the air is saturated at cooling tower exhaust)
t wb,su,ct

= WB 'AirH2O' , T =t a,su,ct , P =P atm , R =RH su,ct

Water side energy balance:

Q ct

= C w,ct

t w,su,ct t w,ex,ct

with reference to the water capacity flow rate:

C w,ct = M w,ct c w
cw

= 4187

Definition of heat exchanger effectiveness:

Q ct

= f,ct C min,f,ct

t w,su,ct t wb,su,ct

with
C min,f,ct

= Min C w,ct , C af,ct

and, in the case of a counter flow arrangement,

f,ct

1 exp NTU f,ct

1 f,ct

1 f,ct exp NTU f,ct

1 f,ct

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EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege

with

NTU f,ct =

f,ct

C max,f,ct

AU f,ct
C min,f,ct

C min,f,ct
C max,f,ct
= Max C w,ct , C af,ct

According to the Merckel's theory,

the fictitious 'wet' heat transfer coefficient
can be related to its 'dry' value as follows:

AU f,ct = AU dry,ct

c p,af,ct
c p,a,ct

with
c p,a,ct = Cp 'AirH2O' , T =t a,su,ct , P =P atm , R =RH su,ct

Reference variables used by practitioners :

approach = t w,ex,ct t wb,su,ct
range = t w,su,ct t w,ex,ct
Combined influences of both water and air flow rates
on the global heat transfer coefficient:

AU dry,ct

= AU dry,n,ct

M w,ct
M w,n,ct

m ct

M a,ct

n ct

M a,n,ct

Air side pressure drop:

p ct

C a,ct

2 v a,ct

v a,ct = v 'AirH2O' , T =t a,su,ct , P =P atm , R =RH su,ct

Air side free area:

C a,ct = M a,ct

v a,ct
A a,ct

This area is supposed to be a part of the total area,

the other part being occupied by water:

A a,ct = A a,0,ct A w,ct

Water side free area:

A w,ct = M w,ct

vw
C w,ct

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EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege
vw

= 0.001

(The supposed-to-be constant water falling speed Cw,ct

is a parameter of the cooling tower model)
Nominal conditions:

p n,ct

C a,n,ct 2
2 v a,n,ct
v a,n,ct

C a,n,ct = M a,n,ct

A a,n,ct

v a,n,ct = 0.83 [m 3/kg]

A a,n,ct = A a,0,ct A w,n,ct
vw

A w,n,ct = M w,n,ct

C w,ct

Fan characteristic:

p ct

= p n,ct

rpm FAN,ct

rpm FAN,n,ct

(the head of a centrifugal fan with forward oriented blades is almost independant of the air flow rate)
Fan power:

W FAN,ct

= V a,ct

p ct
FAN,ct

V a,ct = M a,ct v a,ct

Water consumption:

M w,ct,consumed

= M a,ct

W ex,ct W su,ct
ct

W ex,ct

'AirH2O' , T =t a,ex,ct , R =1 , P =P atm

W su,ct

'AirH2O' , T =t a,su,ct , R =RH su,ct , P =P atm

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Default values taken in ASHRAE primary toolkit:

Air flowrate:
Ma,n,ct,default = act * Qn,ct + bct
with centrifugal fan:

a ct

= 0.0275

b ct = 2.6

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EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege

with axial fan:

act = 26.5E-3
bct = 11.7
Water flowrate:
Mw,n,ct,default = 42.7E-3 * Qn,ct
Heat transfer coefficient:
AUdry,n,ct,default = cct * Qn,ct + dct
with centrifugal fan:

c ct

= 0.07

d ct = 61000
with axial fan:
cct = 67.7E-3
dct = -10.6E3
--------------------------------------------------------Example of solution:
Variables in Main
approach=10.92 [K]
AUdry,ct=9935 [W/K]
AUdry,n,ct=10000 [W/K]
AUf,ct=38008 [W/K]
Aa,0,ct=0.2978 [m2]
Aa,ct=0.2718 [m2]
Aa,n,ct=0.2738 [m2]
act=0.0275 [kg/J]
Aw,ct=0.026 [m2]
Aw,n,ct=0.024 [m2]
bct=2.6 [kg/s]
Ca,ct=26.21 [m/s]
Ca,n,ct=25.77 [m/s]
cct=0.07 [K1]
Caf,ct=32542 [W/K]
Cmax,f,ct=54431 [W/K]
Cmin,f,ct=32542 [W/K]
Cw,ct=54431 [W/K]
cp,af,ct=3922 [J/(kg*K)]
cp,a,ct=1025 [J/kg-K]
cw =4187 [J/(kg*K)]
Cw,ct=0.5 [m/s]
DELTApct=400 [Pa]
DELTApn,ct=400 [Pa]
dct=-61000 [W/K]
epsilonf,ct=0.5985 [-]
etact=0.95 [-]
etaFAN,ct=0.65 [-]
ha,ex,ct=90581 [J/kg]
ha,su,ct=50666 [J/kg]

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EES Ver. 7.966: #1206: Jean Lebrun, Laboratoire de Thermodynamique, Univ. Liege

m ct=0.1 [-]
Ma,ct=8.297 [kg/s]
Ma,n,ct=8.5 [kg/s]
Mw,ct=13 [kg/s]
Mw,ct,consumed=0.1259 [kg/s]
Mw,n,ct=12 [kg/s]
NTUf,ct=1.168 [-]
nct=0.6 [-]
omegaf,ct=0.5979 [-]
Patm=101325 [Pa]
Qct=331163 [W]
range=6.084 [K]
RHsu,ct=0.5 [-]
rpmFAN,ct=2000 [min-1]
rpmFAN,n,ct=2000 [min-1]
ta,ex,ct=28.17 [C]
ta,su,ct=25.13 [C]
twb,ex,ct=28.17 [C]
twb,su,ct=18 [C]
tw,ex,ct=28.92 [C]
tw,su,ct=35 [C]
va,ct=0.8585 [m3/kg]
va,n,ct=0.83 [m3/kg]
Va,ct=7.123 [m3/s]
vw =0.001 [m3/kg]
WFAN,ct=4383 [W]
Wex,ct=0.02437 [-]
Wsu,ct=0.009959 [-]