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COOLING TOWER EXPERIMENT

Conference Paper · September 2006

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Pavol Vitkovic Jiri Nozicka

Czech Technical University in Prague Czech Technical University in Prague
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 COOLING TOWER EXPERIMENT
Pavol Vitkovič, Viktor Syrovátka, Jiří Nožička

Department of Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,

Czech Technical University in Prague, Technická 4, CZ 166 07 Prague, Czech Republic.
(pavol.vitkovic@fs.cvut.cz, viktor.syrovatka@fs.cvut.cz, jiri.nozicka@fs.cvut.cz)

Abstract The third part is joined to a centrifugal fan. In this

The paper deals with design of model of cooling
tower build in a laboratory of department of Fluid
Dynamics and Thermodynamics and measurement
on this cooling tower. The construction, process
of measurement, evaluation of measured data
together with used measuring instruments and
devices are described. Further the results of
measurements and graphs are presented. At the
close the control quantity is compared (balance of
enthalpy flow).
part the Pitot tube with a static pressure probes is
installed.
The air is pulled from the atmosphere and passes
through a cooling tower by a centrifugal fan. The
water circuit consists of water reservoir with
heating elements, main pipeline with an adjusting
valve and an orifice plate, pipeline with spray
nozzles and thermocouples for inlet water
temperature measurement and receiving reservoir.
On Fig. 2 there is an overview of the facility.

Design of model of cooling tower

The design comes from a real cooling tower.
The model of cooling tower contains of three
independent parts, Fig. 1. The first part is a
section for fill. It is made from aluminium profiles
and acrylic glasses for better observation of a fill.
The test area has shape like a rectangular and its
dimensions 1300 x 500 mm. The pressure probes
are situated over and under the fill.
The second part includes thermocouples for outlet
air temperature measurement, humidity sensor and
turning vanes.

Fig. 2 Overview at the experimental facility

Data acquisition
During experiment following data are measured:
1. Entering water temperature,
2. Entering air temperature,
3. Entering air humidity,
4. Entering water flow rate,
5. Entering air velocity,
6. Exiting water temperature,
7. Exiting air temperature,
8. Exiting air humidity,
9. Pressure losses at fill.

Fig.1 The model of cooling tower

 Energy balance for cooling tower On Fig. 5 and 6 there are pressure loses of the fill
For checking of experimental results the enthalpy as function of air velocity for 4 and 5 layers of fill
change of water is compared with the enthalpy without water and with water flow rate.
rise of air. Theoretically, these values should be
equal – efficiency E [-] or ratio of these values
equates to one. The flatness variations may be due
by thermocouple error, error measurement of flow
rate and humidity.
The formula for calculation of energy balance:

m w  c pw  Tw1  Tw2 
1 (1)
ρa  ca  Δha

 w is the water flow rate [kg / s], c pw is

where m
the specific thermal capacity of water [J / kg .K],
Tw1 is the entering water temperature [K], Tw2 is
Fig. 5 Pressure loses of the fill for 4 layers
the exiting water temperature [K], ρa is the
density of exiting wet air [kg / m3], ca is the air
velocity [m /s], Δha is the difference of air
enthalpy [J / kg].

Results
For the experiment 8 modes with different input
parameters for 4 and 5 layers of fill were use.
On Fig. 3 and 4 there are Efficiency E errors for 4
and 5 layers of fill.

Fig. 6 Pressure loses of the fill for 5 layers

Fig. 3 Efficiency error for 4 layers
Conclusion
The experimental facility is able to providing
results with a sufficient accuracy and good
illustrations of principles of cooling tower for
education.
In the future we have plane to upgrade our
experimental facility for drift eliminator study by
IPI.
This project has been supported by the Research
Centre of MEYS № 1M06059.

References
[1] Chyský, J. : Humidity air, SNTL, Praha, 1977
[2] Kreidl, M. : Measurement of temperature –
sensors and measurement circuits, BEN, Praha,
2005
[3] Ježek, J.; Váradiová, B.; Adamec, J. : Fluid
mechanics, ČVUT, Praha, 2000

Fig. 4 Efficiency error for 5 layers

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