How Does a Cooling Tower Work? | Cooling Towers | Parts of Cooling Tower

How Does a Cooling Tower Work?

Air conditioning equipment & industrial processes can generate heat in the form of tons of hot water that needs to be cooled. That’s where industrial cooling towers come in. The overheated waters flow through the cooling towers, where it is re-circulated and exposed to cold, dry air.

The heat leaves the recycling cooling tower water through evaporation. The cooling water then re-enters the air conditioning equipment or process to cool that device, and the cooling cycle repeats over and over.

When the heated condenser moves to the cooling tower, the water is passed through some nozzle, which sprays the water into smaller droplets as it fills, increasing the surface area of ​​the water and allowing for better heat loss through more evaporation.

The purpose of the fan above the water cooling tower is to bring air in from the bottom of the tower and the hot condenser at the top of the unit to move the water up and out in the opposite direction. The air will carry the heat into the atmosphere through the water evaporating from the cooling tower.

Also, Read: What Is Cooling Towers? | Working of Cooling Towers | Types of Cooling Towers

Cooling Towers:

In many industrial applications, the amount of increased heat in the system reaches such a high level that a device is needed to dissipate it. Cooling towers are a device that does this through waste heat rejection in the open air. One of the most trusted platforms for cooling tower parts and products suppliers.

We are here to help you meet your technical & business needs. Continue reading for more information about these towers and their parts. As an important component of many industrial processes, a cooling tower is classified based on several different criteria.

They come in varieties of size, from smalls roof-top units to very large hyperboloid structures, and can be used in HVAC or industrial applications. Cooling towers can be classified based on their methods of airflow generation, such as natural draft, mechanical drafts forced & induced, and fan-assisted natural drafts.

A cooling tower can be classified on the basis of its cooling flow into crossflow or counterflow cooling towers. The heats transfer method of cooling towers also classifies these devices into open-circuit wet cooling or closed-circuit wet, dry, or hybrid cooling towers.

It is possible to place these towers in package units or as a factory-assembled product (FAP) or a field-erected product (FEP). More information on the types and classification of cooling towers can be found here. Cooling towers consist of separate components, and they have different parts working together to ensure the efficiency & proper functionality of the systems.

These parts wear out over time & require maintenance or retrofitting throughout the life of the tower. Below you will see the major parts and functions of a cooling tower.

Also, Read: How Does a Condenser Work? | Different Types of Condensers

Parts of Cooling Tower:

To give you an overview, take a peek at this cooling tower parts diagram below. You can see the location of the cooling tower parts and how they are connected.

Following are the details of cooling tower parts, including cooling tower parts names and their functions.

1. Cooling Tower Louver

The air intake louver is a part of the cooling tower that acts as a block for water splashes, noise, and debris. They also block sunlight from entering the cooling tower. They can also increase the airflow of the cooling tower as well as improve the appearance of the device.

If the louver is not maintained properly, the cooling tower will not function properly. In case you need to replace the louver, we offer various louvers that can fit any brand and type of cooling tower. We will meet your louver needs based on your cooling towers specifications & install them properly.

2. Cooling Tower Fill Media

An important part of the cooling tower is the feed material/media. It is also known as a wet deck or surface. Its main functions in cooling towers are to accelerate the surface area of ​​the cooling tower to allow optimal contact between air and water for the longest period of time.

The fill also creates thin flowing sheets of water that can expose more surface area of ​​the water in contact. This can lead to a large evaporation rate. We offer two types of fill, i.e., splash and film fill. They are efficient, UV protected, and durable. Installing them is also easy.

3. Cooling Tower Fan

Types of cooling towers such as counterflows, crossflow, & mechanical drafts have fans. The main functions of these fans are to push & force the air into the cooling towers.

Most cooling towers fans are noisy. However, there are fans available that are quieters. It is also available to look for fans that are durable & can tolerate the complexity of using the device.

4. Cooling Tower Drift Eliminator

Another essential part of the cooling towers is the cooling tower drift eliminator. This part captures large droplets of water from the cooling tower’s air stream.

Water droplets contain chemicals & minerals that are affecting the environment. Meanwhile, drift eliminators prevent water droplets from leaking out into the cooling tower.

This changes the direction of the water droplets, which impact the blade walls and fall back into the cold water. Efficient drifts eliminators keep the undesirable loss of liquid water to less than .001% of the recirculating water flow rate.

Also, Read: What Is a Water-Cooled Condenser? | Types of Water-Cooled Condenser

5. Cooling Tower Gear Box

Cooling tower gearboxes are required for large cooling tower fans and powerful motors. They act as reducers in that they slow down the rotational speed from the motor to the cooling tower fan. The cooling tower gearbox also acts as a torque multiplier which keeps the motor in good shape.

They also make mechanical systems more cost-effective. Without these gearboxes, the larger and heavier motor would have been able to handle the torque required by the fan. And it would be very expensive.

6. Cooling Tower Float Valve

A cooling tower float valve is required to maintain the correct water level inside the cooling tower. They control and regulate the water level, which can contribute to the lifespan of the cooling tower. The maintenance of these float valves is also less.

Usually, the complete kit of float valve includes float arm, valve, and float. Setting up the float valve setting requires trial and error, requiring adjustments to balance the make-up water with the tower. Take care not to wastewater in the overflow when the pump is turned off.

7. Cooling Tower Nozzle

A cooling tower float valve is required to maintain the correct water level inside the cooling tower. They control and regulate the water level, which can contribute to the lifespan of the cooling tower.

Usually, the complete kit of float valve includes float arm, valve, and float. Setting up the float valve setting requires trial and error, requiring adjustments to balance the make-up water with the tower. Take care not to wastewater in the overflow when the pump is turned off.

8. Cooling Tower Basin

Cooling tower basins can be of different types, such as collection basins and distribution basins.
The collection basin is located at or below the cooling tower. Its purpose is to collect water and direct it to the sump or pump suction line.

Meanwhile, the distribution basin is a shallow type of elevated basin. It distributes hot waters to the towers through holes in the floor of the basin.

There is also a so-called cold water basin that can remove stagnant water and reduce the growth of any bacteria. Its suction strainer can be easily removed, and the basin takes little maintenance.

9. Cooling Tower Piping

Cooling tower piping’s main function is to distribute water in a cooling tower. The magnitude and route of water piping between the heat source and the location of the tower depend on the type of tower, site layout, and topography.

Typical supply piping layouts are that the supply lines are located adjacent to the tall side of the towers. Meanwhile, vertical riser pipes are provided & connected to the inlet connection to the supply line at the height of the tower’s distribution system.

10. Cooling Tower Motor

The purpose of a cooling tower motor is to drive fans on a type of cooling tower such as a mechanical draft cooling tower. The motors have to be efficient and durable to withstand the adverse environment in the tower.

There are two types of cooling tower motors, open and fully enclosed motors. The open motor generates outside air in the enclosure for cooling. Meanwhile, the fully enclosed motor prevents outside air from passing through the enclosure.

Also, Read: What Is HVAC Maintenance? | What Does HVAC Maintenance Mean? | How Do You Maintain an HVAC System? | Preventive HVAC Maintenance

11. Bottom-Line

Our Cooling Tower parts are highly efficient and of standard quality. They are made from durable materials and can meet the needs of your cooling tower. We encourage you to take a look at our cooling tower components, which are also low-cost.

You can contact us for more information and assistance. We are happy to meet your needs promptly. We will also briefly explain each cooling tower part and how to use and install it.

12. Hot Water Distribution Basin

The hot water distribution basins are located above the fill where the hot process water is stored. Due to corrosion & deterioration over time, they may not provide a proper flow distribution down the nozzle to spray on fill resulting in significant loss of thermal performance and consequently avoiding such degradation in system performance, for they are changed.

13. Cooling Tower Float Valve

The water inside the tower must be maintained at the correct level for the tower to operate properly. Therefore, over time, float valves also become one of the essential cooling tower parts, despite requiring only a little maintenance.

Float valves adjust the water level &, when properly calibrated, guarantee that no water is wasted when the pump stops at an overflow.

14. Driveshafts

Powers generated by the motors will be transmitted through the driveshaft to the gearbox, making it one of the essential members of cooling tower parts. It should be noted that since the shaft is in direct contact with the internal environment of the cooling tower, its manufacture requires the use of highly corrosion-resistant materials. The driveshaft should be able to be easily re-calibrated in case the shaft runs out.

15. Air Inlet Louver

Air inlet louvers are responsible for preventing water splashing from the tower’s interior, preventing debris from entering, and also reducing noise emissions from the tower.

To maintain good thermal efficiency, external sources of heating the tower should be minimized. Louvers also act as shades to block sunlight.

Also, Read: Keyless Remote Battery Is Low | When Does Key Fob Battery Replacing Replacing? | How to Replace a Keyless Remote Battery

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Cooling Tower Components

• Cooling tower packing. Cooling tower packing is one of the most important parts of a cooling tower.
• Drift separators.
• Gear and fans.
• Water distribution system.
• Air intake louvers.

Cooling Tower Parts

• Cooling Tower Louver
• Cooling Tower Fill Media
• Cooling Tower Fan
• Cooling Tower Drift Eliminator
• Cooling Tower Gear Box
• Cooling Tower Float Valve
• Cooling Tower Nozzle
• Cooling Tower Basin
• Cooling Tower Piping
• Cooling Tower Motor
• Bottom-Line
• Hot Water Distribution Basin
• Cooling Tower Float Valve
• Driveshafts
• Air Inlet Louver

How Does a Cooling Tower Work?

Cooling towers are essentially large boxes designed to maximize the evaporation of water. To do this, they contain material, typically PVC plastic sheets, that create large surface areas for water evaporation to occur. This material is what fills the inside of the cooling tower and is called “Cooling Tower Fill”.

Cooling Tower Work

Cooling tower systems work by using water to extract waste heat from a system and ejecting it into the atmosphere primarily through evaporation. The three key components of a cooling system are the cooling tower, recirculating pump, and heat exchanger. Water first passes through a heat exchanger where it absorbs heat.

Purpose of a Cooling Tower

A cooling tower is designed to remove heat from a building or facility by spraying water down through the tower to exchange heat into the inside of the building. Air comes in from the sides of the tower and passes through the falling water.

Cooling Tower Float Valve

Whether you are designing a regulation system for irrigation or merely looking for a new replacement, you will be able to find whatever type of cooling tower float valve that you need. Our products vary from check valves to pressure reducing valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, thermostatic mixing valves, and a lot more.

Inside a Cooling Tower

The inside of a cooling tower looks like no place on earth. Step into the vast, eerie structures at the heart of Drax Power Station.

Cooling Tower Motors

Cooling tower motors are specially designed flange mounted motors in Totally Enclosed construction to suit air conditioning & refrigeration industries. They are provided with special long shaft construction with externally threaded end to directly mount the fan blades.

Air Conditioning Cooling Towers

Cooling towers are heat exchangers that use water and air to transfer heat from air-conditioning systems to the outdoor environment. Most commonly, they are used to remove heat from the condenser water leaving a chiller. Cooling towers are usually located on rooftops or other outdoor sites.

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