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Cooling Systems

Here are the key points about cooling tower classifications: - Cooling towers are classified based on their heat transfer method (wet vs dry), air flow generation method (natural draft, induced draft, forced draft), and air to water flow design (cross-flow vs counter-flow). - The most common type is a wet cooling tower that uses evaporative cooling and either induced or forced draft to move air. It will have either a cross-flow or counter-flow design for the air and water paths. - A large city power station would likely use an induced or forced draft wet cooling tower with a counter-flow design, as it provides for efficient heat transfer and the ability to handle large volumes of process water and waste

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Ta Den April
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153 views

Cooling Systems

Here are the key points about cooling tower classifications: - Cooling towers are classified based on their heat transfer method (wet vs dry), air flow generation method (natural draft, induced draft, forced draft), and air to water flow design (cross-flow vs counter-flow). - The most common type is a wet cooling tower that uses evaporative cooling and either induced or forced draft to move air. It will have either a cross-flow or counter-flow design for the air and water paths. - A large city power station would likely use an induced or forced draft wet cooling tower with a counter-flow design, as it provides for efficient heat transfer and the ability to handle large volumes of process water and waste

Uploaded by

Ta Den April
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cooling Water Systems

Three systems normally used are:

1). Once through

2). Open evaporative recirculating

3). Closed non-evaporative recirculating


Once through systems
Cooling water passes through the heat exchanger once. Once through systems
can be used when plenty of cheap cool water is available and adequate
facilities for disposal of warm water exist.
Advantages:
oNo cooling tower system;
oNo water treating

Disadvantages:
oCorrosion
oFouling
oWaste of water

oThermal pollution of river


Open evaporative recirculating systems
Cooling water evaporates about 1% water. Water is reused after make up.

Advantages:
o
Less water required
o
Enhanced corrosion control feasible

Disadvantages:
o
Higher capital cost than once through;
o
Large cooling towers may be unacceptable;
o
System purge may pose environmental problems
Closed non-evaporative re-circulating systems
Cooling water is cooled in a secondary (air) heat exchanger. No evaporate, no
makeup.

Advantages:
o
Water remains clear
o
Cooling water temperature above 100oC is possible

Disadvantages:
o
High capital cost
o
Limited by air temperature
Open evaporative systems are usually used.
Basic calculations for open evaporative recirculating cooling water systems

Make up
M = E + W + P = E + W + B + IL

Evaporative rate:
(m3/hr)

D T: temperature difference between feed and return water (oC)


F: circulation rate (m3/hr)

Windage loss, W:
due to liquid entrainment
normally specified by tower manufacturer
Purge and Blowdown
Liquid water loss other than windage loss is termed Total Purge (P).
P = B + IL
B: blowdown, to limit solid build up
IL: leaks

Concentration factor (CF)


Evaporation increases the concentration of solid in the circulation water.
CF = (%X in circulating water) ¸ (%X in make up)
Typically, "markers" for "X" are magnesium or chlorine ions.
Calculation of make up and blow-down rates
mass balance on the marker
M Xin = (P + W)Xout = (M - E)Xout

Hence

Since

Therefore, higher CF gives lower M and B.


Circulation rate = 1000 m3/hr, Tw to tower = 30oC, Tw from tower = 20oC.

Calculate the makeup rates for the concentration factors listed in the table
below.

CF 1.2 1.5 2.0 3.0 4.0


M (m3/hr) 85.8 42.9 28.6 21.5 19.1
Two problems in cooling water systems:

1). Fouling

• silting/sedimentation (particles in source water, e.g. sand)

• scaling (precipitation of salts)

• biological growth (heat, oxygen, phosphates promote

biological growth)

2) Corrosion
Cooling water treatment is required to overcome these
problems.
• The purpose of water treatment is to control fouling and
corrosion.
• Environmental considerations may restrict the disposal &
choice of treatment chemicals, e.g. chromate treatments are
widely applied in view of their corrosion protection. However,
the discharge of chromate treated water is viewed with
increasing concern.
Inlet water quality must first be known:
e.g. pH, total dissolved solids, suspended solids, Ca++, SO4--,
Scale formation
Precipitation of the least soluble salts may occur, e.g. CaCO3,

CaSO3.

Ca++ + 2(HCO3)-- → CaCO3 + H2 O + CO2

High concentration of Ca++ and SO4-- may also give calcium


sulphate scale (CaSO4).

Scale impairs heat transfer efficiency and may increase


pumping cost. With stainless steel, scaling may promote stress
corrosion cracking.
Factors affecting scaling
Concentration factor: unless acid is added, the alkalinity will increase in the
circulating water in evaporative systems → more CaCO3 scales.
pH value: high pH changes CO2/HCO3-/CO3--, in favour of carbonate →
more CaCO3 scales
Temperature: dissociation of HCO3- to CO3--, CO2, and H2O is greater at
higher temperature. Also CaCO3 solubility decreases, \ scaling increases with
temperature.
Bacteria slime: can give sites for scale growth, e.g. on cooling tower timbers.
Corrosion: roughens metal surfaces and gives scaling sites.
Flow velocity: low values (< 1m/s) increase silting and associated scaling.
Retention time/circulating rate: long half lives gives longer time for the
following equilibrium to be achieved
Ca(HCO3)2 → CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O
also with faster circulation there is more CO2 stripping in cooling tower.
Hence both factors reinforce scaling tendency.
Scale prevention

Higher system purge to reduce CF – at the expense of higher

water/chemical costs.

Soften makeup water: using external ion exchangers.

Acid treatment to reduce [CO3--]: with water of medium to high CaCO3, i.e.

> 800 mg/l, reducing the alkalinity to 20 - 40 mg/l will reduce CO3-- below

the scaling level. H2SO4 or HCl are normally used.

Scale inhibitors: modify crystal scale growth

inorganic: polyphosphates

organic: phosphorous compounds


Tutorial
1. Once through, Open evaporative and closed non-evaporative are three
types of water-cooling systems in common use.
Which one of these would be most suitable for cooling water at a city power
station? Explain. [3]

2. Draw a labeled sketch of an open evaporative cooling system [5]


Write an overall mass balance equation around this system. [1]
Explain clearly the meaning of each term in your mass balance equation. [5]
How is the value of each term estimated? [3]
Use the mass balance equation to derive an expression that shows the
. variation of blow down rate with concentration factor C F.

Explain how the following factors affect the rate of scaling in pipe-work in a
cooling system:
Concentration factor. [2]
pH [2]
Temperature [2]

Explain how each of the three factors above can be modified to reduce the
rate of scaling. [6]
Classification of cooling towers
Classified by

• Heat transfer methods

• Air flow generation methods

• Air to water flow


Heat transfer methods

• wet cooling towers


– use evaporative cooling.
– fill is used to increase the surface area between the air
and water flows.
• Splash fill consists of material placed to interrupt the water
flow causing splashing.
• Film fill is composed of thin sheets of material upon which the
water flows. Both methods create increased surface area.

• dry cooling towers operate by heat transmission


through a surface that divides the working fluid
from ambient air. (e.g. car radiator)
Air flow generation methods
• Natural draft: utilizes buoyancy via a tall
chimney.
– Warm, moist air naturally rises due to the
difference in density to the dry, cooler outside
air. This moist air buoyancy produces a
current of air through the tower.
Mechanical draft

Induced draft (or draw-through).


Use power driven fan motors to force or draw air through the
tower.
– a fan at the discharge pulls air through tower, which induces hot
moist air out the discharge.
– This produces low entering and high exiting air velocities, reducing
the possibility of recirculation in which discharged air flows back into
the air intake. This fan/fill arrangement is also known as
Mechanical draft

Forced draft (or blow-through )


– a blower type fan at the intake, which forces air into the tower, creating
high entering and low exiting air velocities. The low exiting velocity is
much more susceptible to recirculation.
– A forced draft design typically requires more motor horsepower than an
equivalent induced draft design.

– The forced draft benefit is its ability to work with high static pressure.

– They can be installed in more confined spaces and even in some indoor
situations.
– This fan/fill geometry is also known as.
Air to water flow
Cross-flow
the air flow is directed perpendicular to the water flow.
Air flow enters one or more vertical faces of the cooling tower to
meet the fill material.

Water flows (perpendicular to the air) through the fill by gravity.

A distribution or hot water basin consisting of a deep pan with


holes or nozzles in the bottom is utilized in a cross-flow tower.
Gravity distributes the water through the nozzles uniformly
across the fill material.
Air to water flow
Counter-flow

• In a counter-flow design the air flow is directly


opposite of the water flow. Air flow first enters an
open area beneath the fill media and is then
drawn up vertically. The water is sprayed through
pressurized nozzles and flows downward through
the fill, opposite to the air flow.

• Both cross-flow and counter-flow designs can be


used in natural draft and mechanical draft cooling
towers.

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