Cooling tower

1) Objectives:
The main purpose of the cooling tower is to remove
heat from the water and this adds heat to the air which
entered from the bottom of the tower. And by this process
increase in humidity and temperature of the air occurs. In this
experiment our objective is to study the effect of air and
water flow rate, dry and wet bulb temperatures of the water
along the height of the cooling tower.
2)Theory:
Cooling towers are very important in the industries. Because
sometime we need cooled water or other solvent for a
process so we have to install cooling tower there. Actually
cooling tower works under the principle of heat transfer. Heat
is exchanged between the water or any liquid which is going
to be cooled and the air which enters from the bottom of the
cooling tower. The water is introduced from the top of the
cooling tower. Air entered from the bottom and we adjust the
pressure of the air at a specific point. Hot water entered from
the top and the flow rate of the water is adjust with the Rota-
meter. We note the dry and wet bulb temperatures at
different positions of the cooling tower. Temperatures are
noted from the top to bottom. Water is collected from the
bottom and de-humidify air leaves the cooling tower from the
top.
Definition:
Cooling tower is a device used to reject heat from
water and extracts heat to the atmosphere by cooling
the water present in the cooling tower. This type of
cooling tower is termed as evaporative. Because in this
water evaporate in the moving stream of the air coming
from the bottom of the cooling tower.
The heat from the water transferred to the air stream
and increases its temperature. Cooling tower is of two
types.

1) Direct (open circuit) cooling tower
2) Indirect (closed circuit) cooling tower

Direct or open circuit cooling tower contain a packing
inside it and warm water fed into it and distribute in it in
the form of droplets. Then the heat transfer occurs and
water cooled as a product which collects in a basin and
then it is pumped back to reject more heat and air
leaves at the top of the cooling tower in the
atmosphere.

In the case of indirect (closed circuit) cooling tower we
have closed tubes in which air and water interacts with
each other and transfer heat. Heat is rejected from the
water present inside of the tube toward the external
tube and air leaves the system with some heat and the
water droplets which gets evaporated during the
process.
Equipment classification:
Cooling tower
consists of many parts according to the working principle. It
consists of a fan which pressurize the air so that it can go easily to
the top of the tower. And also we have a pump to move the water.
In short cooling tower has following parts.
1)Fan
2) Pump
3) Rota meter
4)Heaters
5) A long vertical cooling tower
6) Packing inside the cooling tower
Rota meter measures the flow rate of the water. We note the flow
rate with the help of Rota meter and then adjust the flow rate.
Heaters are here to heat the water to a specific level. Then heated
water entered from the top of the cooling tower and air enters
from the bottom. Cooling tower consists of many compartments.
And there are holes at the end of every compartment from where
we can easily measure the dry and wet bulb temperatures. Packing
is present inside the cooling tower. This packing is done to give the
specific path to the streams and to increase the contact time by
this heat transfer rate increases.
Applications and limitations:

Cooling towers have many applications in the industry. Cooling
tower find its applications in refineries, in petrochemical and
chemical plants.
Applications:
1)It provides cooling water for air conditions.
2) It is used for small and large scale applications for example if we
need few gallons of water per minute we can use it. And also if we
want large no. of gallons of cooling water per minute on industrial
scale then also we can install a larger cooling tower there.
3) We can use the cooling tower in manufacturing the electric
power generation.
Limitations:
The limitations of the cooling tower are as follows.
1) It requires the treatment of the water before the cooling of the
water.
2) Although it has to be cleaned after some specific period.
3) In the summer when the atmospheric temperature is about 30oC
the water is only cool about 5oC of the ambient temperature
because air already have higher temperature so because of less
temperature difference water not cool above 5oC.
4) Also cooling tower has high capital and maintenance cost.
Important equations:
Simplified material balance equation around the cooling tower is.

E=CTCp/Hv
Here,
T=water temperature difference from top to bottom
Cp=specific heat for the water=4.18 kj/kg oC
Hv=latent heat of vaporization of water.
3) Experimental set-up: (construction of equipment)

Hot air out

Hot water
Air flow water inlet packing






Heaters
Blower





Rota meter Air flow cooled water out
Over flow
Operating procedure:


This experiment takes place in the following steps.
First of all we will look at the flow sheet diagram and will
learn all the parts of the cooling tower.
Then we will start the pump and will adjust the flow rate of
the water at specific level.
Also we will start the blower and allow air to enter from the
bottom.
Than we will start the electric heaters and water will be
heated in these heaters.
Then this hot water entered from the of the cooling the
cooling tower.
Rotameter is there to check the flow rate of the water and
barometer also there to note the pressure of the air.
Inside of the cooling tower there is packing present which
allows good contact area and larger heat transfer.
We will note the dry and wet bulb temperatures at definite
height from top to bottom along the height of the cooling
tower.
Both temperatures are noted at alternate points along the
packing or for each compartment.
After the process in cooling tower air leaves the cooling tower
from the top and water leaves from the bottom.
Excess water also removed with the help of a pipe from the
top of the tower.
4) Table of observations:
Room temperature:
Dry bulb temperature=15C
Wet bulb temperature=13C
Cooling tower data:
Maximum water flow=40L/hr
Maximum air flow=275ft^3/min
Overall height=92 inch
Packed height=48 inch
Width of rectangular section=1 inch
Packed type: structured (corrugated metallic screen)
Material of packing: stainless steel
Maximum water level=25 inch


Sr.
No
height Air dry
bulb
temperat-
ure
Air wet bulb
temperature
Water
temperature
Water
flow rate
Air flow
rate
humidity
Cm C C C m^3/hr m^3/hr (%)
1 117 21 19 53 0.144 250 72
2 90 21 20 32 0.144 250 90
3 60 22 20 29 0..144 250 82
4 30 24 23 24 0.144 250 92
5 0 21 20 22 0.144 250 90


Summary of results:(graphical)


2
7
12
17
22
27
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
a
i
r

t
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

height
height vs air temperature
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
w
a
t
e
r

t
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

height
height vs water temperature





Results and discussions:
The results are shown
above in graphical form as well as in the tabular form. we can
say that results are quiet same as some can expect. air
temperature is increasing when it reaches the top and also
water temperature decreases as it reaches the bottom.
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
h
u
m
i
d
i
t
y

height
height vs humidity
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
t
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

a
p
p
r
o
a
c
h

height
height vs temperature approach

Humidity also decrease as air leaves the tower .So we can say
that cooling tower is very good industrial operation can be
used for the recovery of waste heat. So it is an important
operation in the industries.