Counter Flow Closed Circuit Cooling Tower

A: Counter flow closed circuit cooling towers force the cooling liquid in the opposite direction to the ambient air. For example, water will flow downwards due to gravity, whilst a fan forces air to flow upwards. The two mediums are thus flowing in opposite directions (180 degrees apart). Cross flow closed circuit cooling towers force one medium to flow perpendicularly to another, they flow 90 degrees apart relative to each other. For example, air may flow perpendicularly across tubes containing cooling water.

A: The process water is discharged downwards from a network of sprinklers at the top of the tower. The water droplets fall through a multi-layer lattice structure called the fill, being cooled by heat and mass transfer with the upward moving air stream.

A: Crossflow towers will serve better for maintenance access, variable flow, and cold weather operation. Counterflow towers may serve better in tight spaces under 750 tons, or in spaces where lower operating weight is required.

A: Maintenance in counterflow closed circuit cooling towers is generally easier compared to crossflow closed cooling towers due to several factors: better accessibility, easier cleaning, better distribution system and easier access to some key components.

A: The eliminators prevent the water droplets and mist from escaping the cooling tower. Eliminators do this by causing the droplets to change direction and lose velocity at impact on the blade walls and fall back into the tower. Efficient drift eliminators will keep drift losses to less than .

A: In colder climates, many designers and operators are concerned with operating cooling towers in subfreezing temperatures. By following some simple operating guidelines, cooling towers can and have been successfully operated in very cold climates (-15°C / 5°F).

A: Essentially, a fill keeps water in contact with a surface for longer and increases the heat exchange area – this allows the process to happen much faster. Fills (or Fill Medias) can be crafted from a variety of materials, plastic being one of the most common.

A: A counter flow closed circuit cooling tower prevents the process fluid from being exposed to the environment, reducing contamination risks and water treatment needs. An open cooling tower, on the other hand, allows direct exposure, which can lead to higher fouling rates and requires more water treatment.

A: Water management also affects the operation and performance of your cooling tower. In counter flow closed circuit cooling towers, two key factors in water management are the water flow rate into the tower and providing seals and diverters to ensure that the water goes where it is intended.

A: Cooling tower range is the difference between the entering water temperature or return from the condenser minus the tower leaving water temperature or the supply to the condenser. Using the numbers above, 95°F water to the tower minus 85°F tower water outlet temperature equals a 10°F range.

A: Typically, counter flow closed circuit cooling towers are designed to cool a specified maximum flowrate of water from one temperature to another at an exact wet bulb temperature. For example, a designed tower may be guaranteed to cool 10,000 gpm of water from 95°F to 80°F at 75°F wet bulb temperature.

A: It is a ratio between parameter in Cooling Water to the parameter in Makeup water. It can be calculated from any the following formulae. The cycle of concentration (COC) normally varies from 3.0 to 7.0 depending on the Process Design and Manufactures Guidelines.

A: Calculating the counter flow closed circuit cooling tower range is very simple. The concept of Range refers to the difference in temperature between the hot water that enters a cooling tower and the cooled water that collects after the cooling process. Thus, the formula is simply HWT – CWT.