COOLING TOWERS

1. A mechanical-draft cooling tower receives 115 m3 per second of atmospheric air at 103 kPa, 32 C dry
bulb temperature, 55% RH and discharges the air saturated at 36 C. If the tower receives 200 kg/s of
water at 40 C, what will be the exit temperature of the cooled water?

Solution:

m& 3 = 200 kg s
t 3 = 40 C

t db2 = 36 C saturated

V1 = 115 m 3 s
t db1 = 32 C
φ1 = 55%

at 1, for t db1 = 32 C
pd = 4.799 kPa
hg1 = 2559.9 kJ kg

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 COOLING TOWERS

ps = φ1 pd = 0.55(4.799 ) = 2.639 kPa

0.622 p s 0.622(2.639)
W1 = = = 0.0164 kg kg
pt − ps 103 − 2.639

h1 = c pt db1 + W1hg = (1.0062)(32) + (0.0164)(2559.9) = 74.2 kJ kg

v1 =
RT
=
(0.287 )(32 + 273) = 0.8722 m 3 kg
pt − p s 103 − 2.639
V& 115
&a = 1 =
m = 131.85 kg s
v1 0.8722

at 2, tdb2 = 36 C , saturated
ps = pd = 5.979 kPa
hg 2 = 2567.1 kJ kg

0.622p s 0.622(5.979)
W2 = = = 0.0383 kg kg
pt − p s 103 − 5.979

h2 = c p t db2 + W2 hg = (1.0062)(36 ) + (0.0383)(2567.1) = 134.5 kJ kg

At 3, t 3 = 40 C
h3 = h f at 40 C = 167.57 kJ kg

To solve for m &4:

By Mass Balance:
m&3 +m& a + W1 m
&a =m & 4 +m & a + W2 m
&a
m&4 =m & 3 + (W1 − W2 )m& a = 200 + (0.0164 − 0.0383)(131.85) = 197.1 kg s

To solve for h4 :
m& a h1 + m
& 3 h3 = m
& 4 h4 + m
& a h2
(131.85)(74.2) + (200)(167.57 ) = (197.1)(h4 ) + (131.85)(134.5)
h4 = 129.70 kJ kg
∴ t 4 = 31.9 C - exit water temperature.

2. In a cooling tower water enters at 52 C and leaves at 27 C. Air at 29 C and 47% RH also enters the
cooling tower and leaves at 46 C fully saturated with moisture. It is desired to determine (a) the
volume and mass of air necessary to cool 1 kg of water, and (b) the quantity of water that can be
cooled with 142 cu m per minute of atmospheric air.

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 COOLING TOWERS

Solution:

t 3 = 52 C
t db2 = 46 C sat
t db1 = 29 C
φ1 = 47%
t 4 = 27 C

From psychrometric chart

At 1, t db1 = 29 C , φ1 = 47%
h1 = 59 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0116 kg kg
v1 = 0.873 m 3 kg

at 2, t db2 = 46 C , saturated
ps = pd = 10.144 kPa
hg 2 = 2585.0 kJ kg

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 COOLING TOWERS

0.622p s 0.622(10.144)
W2 = = = 0.0692 kg kg
pt − p s 101.325 − 10.144

h2 = c p t db2 + W2 hg = (1.0062)(46 ) + (0.0692)(2585) = 225.2 kJ kg

At 3, t 3 = 52 C
h3 = h f at 52 C = 217.69 kJ kg

At 4, t 4 = 27 C
h4 = h f at 27 C = 113.25 kJ kg

(a) Volume of air necessary to cool 1 kg of water = V1 = ma v1

To solve for ma when m3 = 1 kg

By energy balance:
Eq. (1) ma h1 + m3 h3 = ma h2 + m 4 h4
By mass balance
m3 − m4 = ma (W2 − W1 )
Eq. (2) m 4 = m3 − ma (W2 − W1 )
Substitute in (1)

Eq. (3) ma h1 + m3 h3 = ma h2 + [m3 − ma (W2 − W1 )]h4

(ma )(59) + (1)(217.69) = (ma )(225.2 ) + [1 − (ma )(0.0692 − 0.0116)](113.25)
ma = 0.654 kg

Volume of air = V1 = ma v1 = (0.654)(0.873) = 0.5709 m 3

Mass of air required = ma = 0.654 kg

(b) Let m& 3 = quantity of water.

V& 142
m&a = 1 = = 162.66 kg min
v1 0.873

Use Eq. (3), change ma → m & a , m3 → m &3

m& a h1 + m
& 3 h3 = m& a h2 + [m
& 3 −m& a (W2 − W1 )]h4
(162.66)(59 ) + (m& 3 )(217.69) = (162.66 )(225.2) + [m& 3 − (162.66 )(0.0692 − 0.0116)](113.25)
9597 + 217.69m & 3 = 36,631 + 113.25m & 3 − 1061.1
m& 3 = 248.7 kg min

∴ Quantity of water = m& 3 = 248.7 kg min

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 COOLING TOWERS

3. A cooling tower receives 6 kg/s of water of 60 C. Air enters the tower at 32 C dry bulb and 27 C
wet bulb temperatures and leaves at 50 C and 90% relative humidity. The cooling efficiency is
60.6%. Determine (a) the mass flow rate of air entering, and (b) the quantity of make-up water
required.

Solution:

m& 3 = 6 kg s , t 3 = 60 C
t db2 = 50 C
φ 2 = 90%
t db1 = 32 C
t wb1 = 27 C

Cooling tower efficiency = 60.6%

To solve for t 4 :
t −t
Efficiency = 3 4
t 3 − t wb1
60 − t 4
0.606 =
60 − 27

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 COOLING TOWERS

t 3 = 40 C

at 1, t db1 = 32 C , t wb1 = 27 C
h1 = 85 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0208 kg kg

at 2, t db2 = 50 C , φ 2 = 90%
pd = 12.349 kPa
ps = φ 2 pd = (0.90 )(12.349) = 11.114 kPa
hg 2 = 2592.1 kJ kg
0.622p s 0.622(11.114)
W2 = = = 0.0766 kg kg
pt − p s 101.325 − 11.114

h2 = c p t db2 + W2 hg = (1.0062)(50) + (0.0766)(2592.1) = 248.9 kJ kg

At 3, t 3 = 60 C
h3 = h f at 60 C = 251.13 kJ kg

At 4, t 4 = 40 C
h4 = h f at 40 C = 167.57 kJ kg
By mass balance
m3 − m4 = ma (W2 − W1 )
m 4 = m3 − ma (W2 − W1 )

By energy valance
m& a h1 + m& 3h3 = m& a h2 + m& 4h4
m& a h1 + m & a h2 + [m
& 3 h3 = m & 3 −m& a (W2 − W1 )]h4
(m& a )(85) + (6)(251.13) = (m& a )(248.9) + [6 − (m& a )(0.0766 − 0.0208)](167.57 )
85m & a + 1506.8 = 248.9m & a + 1005.4 − 9.35m &a
m& a = 3.244 kg s

& a = 3.244 kg s
(a) Mass flow rate of air = m
(b) Make Up Water = ma (W2 − W1 ) = (3.244)(0.0766 − 0.0208) = 0.1810 kg s