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Cooling Towers
A cooling tower dissipates waste heat to the atmosphere by cooling a water stream (typically via evaporative cooling)
Hot process water flows through the tower, is distributed as spray or trickle over fill media, and ambient air is drawn or forced through. Evaporation of a small portion of water removes heat, cooling the rest of the water which recirculates back to the process (HVAC, industrial plant, power station). In summary, a cooling tower “rejects waste heat” to air
Type of Cooling Towers
The main types are natural-draft (very tall hyperboloid structures relying on buoyancy for airflow) and mechanical-draft towers (using fans). Mechanical-draft towers are either forced-draft (fans push air through) or induced-draft (fans pull air). Towers also classify as open-circuit (wet), closed-circuit, or dry. Size varies from small roof-top units to massive power-plant towers (hundreds of meters tall)
Material-wise, towers may be made of wood, concrete (for large hyperbolic towers), FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) or galvanized/painted steel. Fill (the surface for heat transfer) is usually PVC or wood slats.
Application in Various Industries
Cooling towers are common in power plants (cooling turbine condensers), petrochemical and chemical plants, and HVAC systems for large buildings
Any process requiring bulk rejection of heat (e.g. refineries, data centers, manufacturing) may use cooling towers. In India’s growing industries (energy, steel, heavy chemicals), cooling towers are integral equipment. For example, thermal power stations often have multiple induced-draft towers.
Material Selection Considerations
Materials depend on tower type and duty. Industrial towers often use FRP or corrosion-resistant steel (e.g. stainless or hot-dipped galvanized) for external structures, since constant wetting can cause rust. Large hyperboloid towers use reinforced concrete. Fill media is typically treated wood or poly vinyl chloride (PVC) for high heat transfer and longevity. Fans are usually fiberglass or aluminum. Pumps and piping (cooling water loop) are often carbon steel or ductile iron (sometimes lined or epoxy-coated). Choice balances cost, corrosion resistance, and strength: e.g. FRP wet decks are cost-effective vs. SS but may have temperature limits, whereas concrete towers last decades in power plants.FAQ's
Which type of cooling tower is more efficient?
Due to heat rejection to tower water at or near wet-bulb temperatures, water-cooled chillers are usually more energy-efficient than air-cooled chillers. Since air-cooled chillers must reject heat at higher dry-bulb temperatures, their average reverse-Carnot cycle efficiency is lower.
What are the types of cooling towers?
Cooling towers are now available in a variety of styles and sizes after many years of production. Each of these is applicable in a specific load configuration, which is why it's necessary to go through the various options. It's worth noting that, despite the various designs, the basic purpose of evaporation is to dissipate heat from a building system or process to the air. Here are some of them, Atmospheric cooling tower, Hybrid draft cooling tower, Mechanical draft cooling tower, Construction-characterised cooling tower, Air flow-characterized cooling tower, Shape characterized cooling tower and there are many others too.
What are the applications of Cooling Towers?
Cooling the flowing water used in oil refineries, petrochemical, and other chemical plants, thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, and HVAC systems for cooling buildings are all popular applications. The key types of cooling towers are natural draught and induced draught cooling towers, which are classified based on the form of air induction into the tower.
