Cooling Towers Laboratory

Overview

Cooling tower assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the design, operation, and maintenance practices of cooling systems in industrial environments. This assessment is crucial for identifying issues that may affect efficiency, equipment integrity, and overall performance while ensuring compliance with local and international regulations. Key focus areas include evaluating the effectiveness of current cooling tower designs, water treatment processes, and airflow dynamics. The assessment also examines maintenance practices to ensure optimal operation and evaluates emergency response readiness, analyzing procedures to manage potential incidents effectively. Additionally, the design of new cooling towers is an integral part of this evaluation, emphasizing innovative solutions that enhance efficiency and sustainability while meeting specific operational needs 

Capacity Estimation, supply, installation and commissioning  of following

• Natural Draft Cooling Tower: Uses the natural convection of air to cool the water; typically very large and used in power plants.
• Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower: Uses fans to force air circulation. These can be categorized as:
• Induced Draft: Air is drawn through the tower by fans located at the top.
• Forced Draft: Air is pushed into the tower by fans located at the bottom.
• Crossflow and Counterflow Towers: Refers to the direction of air and water flow. In crossflow, air flows horizontally through the water, and in counterflow, air moves opposite to the water.

We design the cooling towers as per the process and the final product requirements taking into consideration the critical aspects such as 

• Fill Media: Provides a large surface area to maximize contact between air and water for efficient heat exchange.
• Drift Eliminators: Reduce water loss by capturing water droplets that escape with the outgoing air.
• Fans: Mechanical systems used in forced or induced draft towers to improve airflow.
• Water Distribution System: Sprays water evenly over the fill to ensure proper heat exchange.
• Basin: Collects the cooled water before it’s pumped back into the system.
• Evaporation: Primary method of cooling where water is evaporated, removing heat from the remaining liquid.
• Convection: Heat is removed by air passing over the water.
• Conduction: Minor contribution, where heat is transferred between surfaces in contact.
• Approach Temperature: The difference between the temperature of the water leaving the tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the surrounding air.
• The smaller the approach, the more efficient the cooling.
• Range: The difference between the water temperature entering the cooling tower and the water temperature leaving it.
• Cooling Capacity: The amount of heat removed by the tower, typically measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs) or tons of cooling.
• Wet Bulb
• Temperature
• Quality of Water
• Makeup Water
• Collection of Condensable Material in Open Cooling
• Tower
• Cleaning Cycle
• Evaporation Loss
• Scaling: Calcium or magnesium salts can precipitate, leading to blockages and reduced efficiency. Proper water treatment, including softening or adding scale inhibitors, is important.
• Corrosion: Corrosive water conditions can damage components. Corrosion inhibitors are used to protect the metal parts.
• Biological Fouling: Bacteria, algae, and other organisms can grow in the warm, moist environment of a cooling tower.  Biocides are typically used to control growth.
• Blowdown: A portion of the water must be regularly removed to prevent the buildup of dissolved solids, which can cause scaling and corrosion.
• Water Consumption: Cooling towers consume water, particularly through evaporation, drift, and blowdown. Efficient design and operation minimize this.
• Drift Control: Drift (water droplets carried by air) can cause water and chemical loss. Proper design with drift eliminators reduces this.
• Legionella Risk: Cooling towers can pose a risk for Legionnaires’ disease due to the potential for waterborne bacteria growth. Regular maintenance, water treatment, and proper design minimize this risk.
• HVAC Systems Applications: Used to cool large buildings and commercial facilities.
• Industrial Processes Applications: Power plants, refineries, and chemical plants use cooling towers to remove excess heat from processes and machinery.
• Data Centers Applications: Critical for removing heat generated by servers and other IT infrastructure.