Fall 2002 Technical Development Program

Cooling Tower Applications

Heat Rejection

How do cooling towers fit into an air conditioning system A cooling tower is a heat transfer device! A cooling tower will reject heat from water that is circ"lated thro"gh a chillers shell # t"$e condenser! A shell # t"$e condenser is the refrigerant to water heat e%changer "sed in an open water circ"it li&e a cooling tower!

How Cooling Towers 'or&

How Cooling Towers 'or&

'arm water leaving the condenser is p"mped to the top of the tower! This water is then distri$"ted thro"gh spray no((les or tro"ghs thro"gh the wet dec& s"rface )fill media* so that it may $e $ro"ght in contact with o"tdoor air! This ca"ses a small portion of the water to $e evaporated! This evaporation removes heat from the remaining water! The cooled water collect is a s"mp at the $ottom of the tower where it is ret"rned to the condenser to pic& "p additional load and repeat the cycle!

Definitions

+ntering 'et ,"l$ Temperat"reThe lowest temperat"re that water theoretically can reach $y evaporation! Entering Wet Bulb Temperature +ntering 'et.,"l$ temperat"re is an e%tremely important parameter in tower selection and sho"ld selected for yo"r specific climate (one in yo"r e%act location!

Definitions

ApproachThe difference $etween the temperat"re of the entering wet. $"l$ temperat"re of the air and the cold water leaving the tower! +sta$lishment of the approach fi%es the operating temperat"re of the tower and is an important parameter in determining $oth tower si(e and cost! /0 approach is common in H1AC!

Approach

Approach

Definitions

Cooling RangeThe difference in temperat"re $etween the hot water entering the tower and the cold water leaving the tower! 200 is Cooling Range is common in H1AC!
Cooling Range

Cooling Range

Definitions

Heat 3oadThe amo"nt of heat to $e removed from the circ"lating water within the tower! 4t is of primary importance that an acc"rate heat load determination $e made! 4f the heat load calc"lations are low the cooling tower will $e "ndersi(ed! 4f the calc"lations are high5 oversi(ed more e%pensive e6"ipment will res"lt!

Definitions

P"mping HeadThe press"re re6"ired to p"mp the water from the tower $asin5 thro"gh the entire system and ret"rn $ac& to the top of the tower! 78P9 per Ton of Refrigeration :r ;08P9 < appro%imately 70 ton tower

Definitions

9a&e."p4s the amo"nt of water re6"ired to replace normal losses ca"sed $y drift evaporation and $leed off!
Make-up Water

Definitions

Drift'ater that is entrained in the airflow and discharged to the atmosphere appro%imately 2=! Drift loss does not incl"de water lost $y evaporation!

Drift

Definitions

+vaporationFor each po"nd of water that a cooling tower evaporates5 it removes somewhere near 2000,T>?s from the water that remains! The more evaporation that ta&es place5 the more heat that is removed!

Evaporation

Definitions

,leed :ff'ater contains imp"rities5 when water is evaporated these imp"rities are left $ehind! 4f nothing is done a$o"t it5 the concentration of imp"rities in wo"ld $"ild "p rapidly! ,leed off of some of the water is contin"o"sly re6"ired to limit this $"ild "p! The $leed off rate re6"ired is $est determined $y a water treatment specialist who is prepared to ma&e the necessary tests and recommendations!

Bleed Off

Cooling Tower Design

'hen air circ"lation is provided $y a fan or $lower the tower is called a mechanical draft tower! 4nd"ced draft- Draws air thro"gh the tower Force draft,lows air thro"gh the tower!

Cooling Tower Design

4nd"ced Draft Co"nterflow Cooling Tower Air goes "p 'ater goes down

Cooling Tower Design

4nd"ced Draft Crossflow Cooling Tower Air goes across 'ater goes down

Cooling Tower Design

Hyper$olic @at"ral Draft Co"nterflow Cooling Tower

Cooling Tower Design

Atmospheric Apray Tower

Cooling Tower Design

Forced Draft Co"nterflow Cooling Tower

Application of Cooling Towers

2! 'hen selecting the location5 s"fficient clearance sho"ld $e Wind allowed for the free flow of air to the inlet of the tower and for its discharge from the tower! :$str"ctions will red"ce airflow ca"sing a red"ction in capacity!

Application of Cooling Towers

2! Cooling towers sho"ld $e located so that noise created $y air or water is not a so"rce of annoyance! 7! Cooling tower location sho"ld $e s"ch that the air discharge will not ca"se condensation on near$y s"rfaces or wetting $eca"se of drift!

Wind

Water

oi!e

Application of Cooling Towers

B! The tower sho"ld $e located away from so"rce of e%ha"st heat and contamination!

Application of Cooling Towers

C! +ach cooling tower sho"ld $e located and positioned to prevent the introd"ction of the warm discharge air and the associated drift! This drift may contain chemical or $iological contaminants incl"ding 3egionella5 which may get into the ventilation systems of the $"ilding on which the tower is located or those of adjacent $"ildings!

To select a cooling tower5 the following m"st $e &nown

Wet Bulb Temperature

)this is the year ro"nd environmental temperat"re for yo"r e%act location*!

Cold Water Temperature )this is the desired water

temperat"re to ret"rn to yo"r condenser*

"ot Water Temperature

yo"r system*

)the water temperat"re leaving

The #allon! $er Minute re%uirement! of &our !&!tem'

To select a cooling tower5 the following m"st $e &nown

Aelection of de!ign wet.$"l$ temperat"re m"st $e made on the $asis of conditions e%isting at the site proposed for a cooling tower5 and sho"ld $e that which will res"lt in the optim"m cold water temperat"re at5 or near5 the time of pea& load demand!

Cooling Tower Ratings

Conden!er Entering Water Temp -.'. -2'. 4.'. 42'. CA$AC(T) +W TO * ( $,T //.'/.1'3 /./'1 40'/ 0/'1 01'. -.'5 -1'2

,ased on 70HDC20E Acrew Chiller5 R27BA BCF 3eaving Chilled 'ater Temperat"re

To select a cooling tower5 the following m"st $e &nown

A wet $"l$ chart is arranged to show the s"mmertime fre6"ency of occ"rrence! Anaheim wo"ld have a EF degree wet $"l$ that is e%ceeded !C= of s"mmertime ho"rs 8enerally5 the designer engineer wo"ld select the design wet $"l$ for a specific installation5 $"t some installations aren?t critical allowing the "se of a red"ced design val"es and smaller cooling towers! :ther installations may wor& only in the winter or at night when the wet $"l$ temperat"re is low! The designer m"st select the design wet $"l$ for hisGher project! 'hen in do"$t5 select the highest anticipated wet $"l$ temperat"re to ins"re satisfactory year aro"nd operation!

Cooling Tower Ai(ing 4nformation

Entering Water Temperature )the EWT hot water temperat"re leaving yo"r shell and t"$e
condenser and entering the cooling tower*

HHH -2 HHH 02 HHH 1HHH /2.

HHH 42 HHH -2 HHH 0HHH /2.

6eaving Water Temperature )this is 6WT

the desired cold water temperat"re to ret"rn to yo"r shell and t"$e condenser*

Entering Wet Bulb )this is the year

ro"nd environmental temperat"re for yo"r e%act location*!

EWB

The gallon! per minute #$M re%uirement! of &our !&!tem' )7

gallons per ton*

Cooling To7er Model

*T/.. HHH *T-. HHH

Cooling Tower Ai(ing 4nformation

Apending a little more for a tower with a 1FD and last a little longer is almost always the wisest decision than selecting a tower that is too small!

Cooling Tower Capacity Control

Capacity of a cooling tower can $e red"ce $y airflow thr" the tower $y "sing a onGoff contactor or varia$le fre6"ency drive )1FD*! Temperat"re of the towers water $asin can $e "sed for operating the fan control!

Condenser Temperat"re Control

Three way valve For condenser temperat"re control on ICarrier Acrew ChillersJ a three way valve sho"ld $e specified to maintain temperat"res a$ove Carriers minim"m /0K water temperat"re for the condenser! The water loop $etween condenser and valve sho"ld $e &ept as small as possi$le so the water will heat "p 6"ic&ly!

Condenser Temperat"re Control

4n concl"sion
Application checkli!t !hould include8

Correct selection "sing act"al Entering Wet Bulb Accepta$le location on site 'et dec& compati$ility Piping )inlet5 o"tlet5 drain5 ma&e."p5 overflow5 s"pport5 e6"ali(er* Capacity control Pan water free(e protection Ao"nd