Mass Transfer Operations - 1

MODULE 6
HUMIDIFICATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

LECTURE NO. 5

6.6 Design calculations of cooling tower

Primarily we need to calculate,
(i) tower cross-section required to take the given load of warm water
(ii) height of the packing required to achieve the desired cooling

Basic assumptions for the design of cooling tower are as follows:

(i) the rate of vaporization of water is much less than the rate of water input to the tower
(about 1% loss of feed water)
(ii) evaporative or adiabatic cooling of water occurs in the tower
The schematic of cooling tower is shown in Figure 6.10.

Gs, TG2 L, TL2,

HL2
,
Gs, TG+dTG L,
Y/+dY/, TL+dTL,
H/+dH/ HL1+dHL
Envelope II Envelope I
dz

Gs, TG L, TL
Y/, H/ HL

Gs, TG1 L, TL1,

HL1
,

Figure 6.10: Schematic of water cooling tower

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Dr. S. K. Majumder & Dr. Chandan Das
Mass Transfer Operations - 1

Let, L is the constant water flow rate (kg/m2s) and Gs is the air rate (kg dry air/m2s). Across a
differential thickness dz of the bed, temperature of water is decreased by dTL and the enthalpy of
air is increased by dH/.
Hence, change in enthalpy of water=L.cWL.dTL
and, change in enthalpy of air =Gs.dH/
Differential enthalpy balance over dz is L.cWL.dTL=Gs.dH/ (6.16)
Enthalpy balance over envelope I,
LcWL (TL TL1 ) Gs ( H / H1/ ) (6.17)
This is the operating line for air-water contact.
Enthalpy balance over entire tower (envelope II)
LcWL (TL 2 TL1 ) Gs ( H 2/ H1/ ) (6.18)
The equilibrium curve for air-water system on TL-H/ plane is the plot of enthalpy of saturated air
versus liquid temperature at equilibrium.
Rate of transfer of water vapor to air in the differential volume is
Gs dY / kY/ a(Yi / Y / ) (6.19)
The decrease in temperature of air for sensible heat transfer to water is
Gs cH dTG hG a dz(TG Ti ) (6.19)
Differentiation of Equation (6.6) and multiplication with Gs gives
Gs dH / Gs cH dTG Gs dY / 0 (6.20)

hG a dz(TG Ti ) kY/ a dz(Yi / Y / ) 0

hG
kY/ a dz (Ti TG ) (Yi / Y / ) 0 (6.21)
kY/

kY/ a dz cH (Ti TG ) (Yi / Y / ) 0 (6.22)

kY/ a dz cH (Ti T0 ) cH (T0 TG ) Yi / 0 Y/ 0 (6.23)

kY/ a dz cH (Ti T0 ) Yi / 0 [cH (TG T0 ) Y / 0 ] (6.24)

kY/ a dz( H i/ H/) (6.25)

The height (z) of the packing in the cooling tower is obtained by

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Dr. S. K. Majumder & Dr. Chandan Das
Mass Transfer Operations - 1

H 2/ z
dH / kY/ a kY/ a
dz z (6.26)
H1/
( H i/ H / ) Gs 0 Gs

Number of gas-enthalpy transfer units

H 2/
dH /
N tG (6.27)
H1/
( H i/ H / )

Height of gas-enthalpy transfer units

Gs
H tG (6.28)
kY/ a
Hence, height of cooling tower (packing section), z
z=HtG.NtG (6.29)
Volumetric mass or enthalpy transfer coefficient ( kY/ a ) should be known. Then HtG can be
estimated from given mass flow rate.
There is no direct relation available between enthalpy of bulk gas H/ and that of H i/ . So, integral
cannot be evaluated analytically. For numerical or graphical evaluation of the integral, we have
to know the values H i/ (interfacial enthalpy) for a set of values of H/.
Let, hLā is volumetric heat transfer coefficient on the water side,
Gs dH / LcWLdTL hL a(TL TLi ) (6.30)

kY/ a dz( H i/ H/) hL a dz(TLi TL ) (6.31)

( H i/ H / ) hL
(6.32)
(TLi TL ) kY/

A point (TL, H/) on the operating line meets the equilibrium line at the point (TLi, H i/ ).

Substituting Gs dH / LcWLdTL in Equation (6.25) we have,

LcWLdTL kY/ a dz H i/ H/
and
TL 0 z
dTL kY/ a kY/ a
dz z (6.33)
TLi
(Hi H / )
/
LcWL 0 LcWL

Equation (6.33) is called ‘Merkel Equation’.

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Dr. S. K. Majumder & Dr. Chandan Das
Mass Transfer Operations - 1

A simplified design equation based on overall enthalpy transfer coefficient:

If overall enthalpy transfer coefficient K Y/ is used, differential mass balance equation becomes

Gs dH / KY/ a dz H * / H/ (6.34)
Here, H*/ is the enthalpy of saturated air at TL (bulk liquid temperature).
H 2/ z
dH / KY/ a KY/ a
dz z (6.35)
H1/
( H */ H / ) Gs 0 Gs

This is overall enthalpy transfer units (NtoG).

Expression of overall enthalpy transfer coefficient in terms of individual coefficients:

q kY/ Hi/ H/ hL (TL TLi ) KY/ H * / H/ (6.36)

H */ H/ H */ H i/ H i/ H/

q H * / H i/ q
q
KY/ hL (TL TLi ) kY/

1 H * / H i/ 1
(6.37)
KY/ (TL TLi ) kY/
Equation (6.33) (Merkel Equation) is also expressed as:
TL 0
KY/ a V dTL
(6.38)
L TLi
(H H / )
i
/

The left hand side of the equation is called “tower characteristic” where, V is active cooling
volume/plan area.

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Dr. S. K. Majumder & Dr. Chandan Das