12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

WHAT IS PIPING
AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN PROCESS PIPING ENGINEERING BASICS IN DETAIL TO HELP ALL THE PROCESS PIPING
ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE WORLD.
(http://www.whatispiping.com)

HOME (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/) ABOUT US (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/US)

PIPING STRESS  PIPING DESIGN  PIPING JOBS (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/JOBS)

MISC.  PRIVACY POLICY (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/PRIVACY-POLICY)

CONTACT US (HTTP://WWW.123CONTACTFORM.COM/FORM-645888/CONTACT)

› COOLING TOWER SEARCH THIS WEBSITE

(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/COOLING-
Custom Search
Search
TOWER) › COOLING TOWER BASICS

(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/COOLING-TOWER-

BASICS) › EQUIPMENT MODELLING

(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/EQUIPMENT-

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 1/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

97
MODELLING) › PIPING DESIGN
(https://www.linkedin.com/cws/share?

url=http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-
(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/PIPING-DESIGN) › PIPING
tower-and-cooling-

water-system-2)
ENGINEERING (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/PIPING-

ENGINEERING) › PIPING LAYOUT

(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/PIPING-LAYOUT) › STATIC

EQUIPMENT (HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/CATEGORY/STATIC-

EQUIPMENT) › COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A BRIEF

PRESENTATION: PART-2 OF 3

(HTTP://WWW.WHATISPIPING.COM/COOLING-TOWER-AND-COOLING-

WATER-SYSTEM-2)

COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER

SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3
 August 9, 2017      No Comment (http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-
cooling-water-system-2#respond)    

Continued from Part-1: Click here to go to Part 1…

(http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-1)

TYPES OF MECHANICAL DRAFT (Fig. 4) TOWERS:

Enter your email address:
http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 2/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

Forced draft is a
mechanical draft SUBSCRIBE FOR EMAIL
tower
blower
UPDATES
type fan at
the intake
Fan forces
air into the
Subscribe
tower,
creating Delivered by FeedBurner
high (http://feedburner.google.com)
entering
and low
exiting air
MOST POPULAR POSTS
velocities.
Induced draft, a
mechanical draft
Pressure Tests of Piping
tower
systems-Hydrotest Vs
with a fan at the discharge which pulls air through tower
Pneumatic Test
fan induces hot moist air out the discharge
(http://www.whatispiping.c
low entering and high exiting air velocities, reducing the possibility
tests-of-piping-systems-
of recirculation in which discharged air flows back into the air intake
hydrotest-vs-pneumatic-
Two configurations, Cross Flow and Counter Flow
test)
11 most important
questions & answers from
ASME B 31.3 which a
Piping stress engineer
must know
(http://www.whatispiping.c
b-31-3)
BASICS OF PIPE STRESS
ANALYSIS: A
PRESENTATION-Part 1 of 2
(http://www.whatispiping.c
of-pipe-stress-analysis)
Piping Elbows and Bends:
A useful detailed literature
for piping engineers

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 3/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

(http://www.whatispiping.c
elbows-and-bends)
Step by Step Methods for
WRC 107 and WRC 297
Checking in Caesar II
(http://www.whatispiping.c
107-and-wrc-297)
BALL VALVE DESIGN
FEATURES: A Literature-
Part-3 of 4
(http://www.whatispiping.c
valve-design-features-
literature-part-3)
Top 12 must have Piping
books for a begineer into
Piping industry
(http://www.whatispiping.c
books)
A brief presentation on Air
Cooled Heat Exchangers
(http://www.whatispiping.c
cooled-heat-exchangers)
Stress Analysis of PSV
connected Piping systems
using Caesar II
(http://www.whatispiping.c
analysis-of-psv-
connected-piping-
systems)
Must have Load cases for
stress analysis of a typical
piping system using
Caesar II
Fig. 2: Mechanical Draft Towers
(http://www.whatispiping.c
Cross Flow: cases)

Air flow directed perpendicular to the water flow

Air flow enters one or more vertical faces of the cooling tower to meet the
fill material PREVIOUS POSTS

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 4/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

Air continues through the fill and thus past the water flow into an open
plenum area
Select Month
Water flows (perpendicular to the air) through the fill by gravity
Gravity distributes the water through the nozzles uniformly across the fill
material
SELECT CATEGORY OF
Counter Flow:

The air flow is directly opposite of the water flow

INTEREST
Air flow first enters an open area beneath the fill media and is then drawn
up vertically
The water is sprayed through pressurized nozzles and flows downward Select Category
through the fill, opposite to the air flow

INDUCED DRAFT TOWERS (CROSS FLOW) ADVANTAGES:

SITEMAP

SiteMap
(http://feeds.feedburner.com/wh

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 5/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

pH Theory Guide An article on pipe Correct Filling Weight Requirement of

support span for Flexibility in Piping
beginners. Design: An overview

Ad METTLER TOLEDO whatispiping.com Ad ChemicalQualityExchange whatispiping.com

Lightweight Bolt ASME B 31J & B 31J Pipe Rack and Rack final report – What is
Tensioner - Hydraulic Essentials: Why these Piping: A presentation Piping
Nuts are useful in Piping...

Ad smarttensioner.com whatispiping.com whatispiping.com whatispiping.com

Low pumping head, lower first cost pumping systems

Lower energy and operating costs
Accepts larger variation in water flow without adverse effect on the water
distribution system
Easy maintenance access to distribution nozzles
Low static pressure drop
Reduced drift, less make-up
More air per fan horsepower
Large diameter fans can be used so that fewer cells are required for a
given capacity
Due to more fill gap choking is minimized

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 6/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

Cost lower than counter flow

INDUCED DRAFT TOWERS (CROSS FLOW) DISADVANTAGES:

Larger footprint
Approach to cooling tower limited to 4 deg C
Icing of louvers during cold weather, Larger louver surface area makes
icing more difficult to control
Low pressure head on the distribution pan may encourage orifice clogging
and less water breakup at spray nozzle

INDUCED DRAFT TOWERS (COUNTER FLOW) ADVANTAGES:

Increased tower height accommodates longer ranges and closer

approaches (can be less than 4 deg C)
More efficient use of air due to finer droplet size from pressure sprays
Vertical air movement across the fill allows the coldest water to be in
contact with the driest air maximizing tower performance

INDUCED DRAFT TOWERS (COUNTER FLOW) DISADVANTAGES:

Ads by Google Heating and Cooling Cooling Tower Design Water Cooling

Cost higher than Cross flow tower

Height is more
Increased system pumping head requirements
Increased energy consumption and operating costs
Difficult to inspect and clean distribution nozzles
Requires individual risers for each cell, increasing external piping costs
Fill gap is less so choking is possible
Resistance to upward air travel against the falling water results in higher
static pressure loss and a greater fan horsepower than in cross flow
towers
Restricted louver area at the base with high velocity of inlet air increases
the fan horsepower
Tendency for uneven distribution of air through the fill with very little
movement near the walls and centre of the tower
High inlet velocities are liable to suck airborne trash and dirt into the tower

When to choose – Cross flow:

To minimize pump head

To minimize pumping and piping first costs
http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 7/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

To minimize operating costs

When flow variance is expected from process
When ease of maintenance is a concern

When to choose – Counter flow:

When space (footprint) is a concern

When icing is of extreme concern
When pumping is designed for additional pressure drop

MATERIAL BALANCE:

A water balance around the entire system is: M = E + B + W (where, E =

Evaporation, B = Blowdown and W = Windage losses, in m3/hr)
Evaporation Losses, E = {C X (T1- T2) X Cp} / Hv (where, C = amount of
circulating water in m3/hr, T1/T2 = return/supply temperature, Cp =
specific heat of water and Hv = latent heat of vaporization of water)
Windage or drift losses, W from large-scale industrial cooling towers, in
absence of manufacturer’s data, may be assumed to be:
W = 0.3 to 1.0 percent of C for a natural draft cooling tower without
windage drift eliminators
W = 0.1 to 0.3 percent of C for an induced draft cooling tower without
windage drift eliminators
W = about 0.005 percent of C (or less) if the cooling tower has windage
drift eliminators
Since the evaporated water has no salts, a chloride balance around the
system is: M (Xm) = B (Xc) + W (Xc) = Xc (B + W) where, M = Make-up
quantity in m3/hr, Xm = conc. of chlorides in make-up water in ppmw and
Xc = conc. of chlorides in circulating water in ppmw.
Xc/Xm = Cycles of concentration = ppm chloride in circulating water/ppm
chloride in make-up water = M / (B+ W) = M / (M – E) = 1 + { E / (B + W) }

Lower COC means high operating cost due to higher make-up

As the cycles of concentration increase the water may not be able to hold
the minerals in solution, once solubility is exceeded, they precipitate and
cause fouling in exchangers
Cycles of concentration vary from 3 to 5 depending upon the make-up
water quality

COMPONENTS OF A COOLING TOWER:

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 8/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

Cooling Tower Hot Water distribution system – The collection header and
branch headers to the individual cells via flow control valves
Cooling Tower Fans – with on-off, dual speed, variable speed motors
Cooling Tower Fill, Louvers and Drift Eliminators – Each fill sheet has
louvers and drift eliminators
Cooling Tower Cold Water Basin – Screens, Sluice gates, pump suction
lines
Types of pump used – Horizontal Centrifugal, Vertical turbine
Fill, the heat transfer surface, most important component of a cooling
tower
Efficiency of the tower depends upon its ability to promote both the
maximum contact surface and the maximum contact time between air and
water
Two basic types of fill – Splash type and Film type
In cross flow, either type can be applied but in counter flow though either
type can be used but tends toward almost exclusive use of the film fills

MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION:

Wood: Available, Workable, Low Cost and Durable.

Metals: Steel, Cast Iron, copper alloys and aluminum alloys. Special care
required for corrosion control for metals other than steel. Used for fan
hubs, basins, partitions, fan cylinders, bolts, nuts, washers, gear cases,
anchor castings, etc.
Plastics: Capable to be molded into single parts of complex shape and
dimensions. Used for fan blades, fan cylinders, fill supports, drift
eliminators, louvers, etc.
Concrete: Higher initial cost but decreased fire risk and higher load
carrying capacity.

SPECIAL TYPES OF COOLING TOWERS:

Dry Cooling Towers

Hybrid Cooling Towers (also called plume abatement towers)

DRY COOLING TOWERS:

Basically an air-cooled heat exchanger

Sensible cooling of water through finned coils
Low temperature of inlet air is essential
Less efficient cooling – large surface areas
Water temperatures higher than evaporative type cooling towers

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 9/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

HYBRID COOLING TOWERS:

Combines both dry and wet sections

Operational flexibility in case of variation in ambient conditions
More effective cooling than dry type towers
Avoids plume formation

HYBRID COOLING TOWERS – SUB TYPES:

Parallel path tower

Series path tower
Adiabatic air pre-cooler

PARALLEL PATH TOWER (Fig. 5):

Coil section located vertically on top of fill section

Induced draft fan
Hot water flows through coil and fill section in series
Parallel streams of air flows through coil and fill sections
Dry and saturated air streams mix in the fan section

Fig. 5: Parallel Path Towers

Ratio of two sections depend on the inlet air characteristics

Supply of air to each section may be adjusted with louvers at inlet
During low ambient temperatures fill section may be completely isolated
Requires more height of tower

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 10/11
12/16/2017 COOLING TOWER AND COOLING WATER SYSTEM: A Brief Presentation: Part-2 of 3 – What is Piping

SERIES PATH TOWER:

Air flows through coil and fill sections in series

Induced draft fan – cross flow

http://www.whatispiping.com/cooling-tower-and-cooling-water-system-2 11/11