University of Zakho

College of engineering
Mechanical department

Experiment No (4)
Investigation of the Impact of Cooling Load on
the Cooling Tower Performance

Name: Sarkaft Muhager Samad

Stage: 4th

Date: 6/12/2020

Dec-2020
PURPOSE:
To investigate the effect of cooling load on the cooling tower efficiency.

APPARATUS:
The apparatus consists of the following components and instruments as explained
in the followed figure below:
1. Air distribution chamber.
2. A tank with heaters to simulate cooling loads of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 kW.
3. A make-up tank.
4. A centrifugal fan with intake damper.
5. Pump.
6. A water collecting basin.
7. An electrical control panel.
8. Packed column.
9. Column cap.
10. Temperature indicator.
11. Inclined tube manometer.
12. Variable area flow meter.

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Figure 1 cooling tower apparatus

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THEORY:-
The performance of the cooling tower depends on various parameters like cooling
Range & Approach to wet-bulb.

Approach to wet bulb: The difference between the temperature of the water
leaving the tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the air entering.

Cooling Range: The difference between the water temperature at the entry to and
exit from the tower.

𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞
𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 % = ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎
(𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 + 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡)

Total cooling load = Applied load (heater) + Pump input load

Cooling tower efficiency is limited by the ambient wet-bulb temperature. In the

ideal case, the cold water temperature will be equal to the wet-bulb temperature.
This is practically not possible to achieve. This requires a very large tower and
results in huge evaporation. In practice the cooling tower efficiency between 70 to
75%.

Then the Cooling tower efficiency is the ratio of cooling range, to the ideal range,
i.e., the difference between cooling water inlet temperature and ambient wet-bulb
temperature.
(𝐓𝟓 − 𝐓𝟔)
𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 % = ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟎
(𝐓𝟓 − 𝐓𝟐)

The cooling tower efficiency is limited by the wet-bulb temperature of air entering.
In summer the ambient air wet-bulb temperature raises when compared to winter
thus limiting the cooling tower efficiency.

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 Figure 2 shows the effect of the parameters on cooling tower efficiency

Experimental Procedure:
1- Fill water in the make-up tank, the level of the water should always be greater than
the mark of minimum level on the load tank.
2- Fill water at two positions of the wet-bulb temperature (inlet and outlet air positions).
3- Switch on the experiment.
4- Open the cover of the air intake damper to set the flow of air such that the pressure
drop through the tower is (16mm) H2O.
5- Set water flow rate at 40 g/sec.
6- Keeping water and air flows constantly during the test, the load should be increased
by 0.5 kW every test (0.5kW, 1kW, 1.5kW)
7- Record all temperature readings for each load.

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EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:
1- Fill water in the make-up tank, the level of the water should always be greater
than the mark of minimum level on the load tank.
2- Fill water at two positions of the wet-bulb temperature (inlet and outlet air
positions).
3- Switch on the experiment.
4- Open the cover of the air intake damper to set the air flow rate such that the
pressure drop through the tower is 16 mm H2O.
5- Set water flow rate at 40 g/sec.
6- Switch on the heater at 1 kW.
7- Read all temperatures each 5 min. until the system reached a steady state.
8- Fill water with the make-up tank up and measure the volume of evaporated in
10 minutes to find the rate of evaporation.
9- For the final reading plot process on the psychometric chart.
10- Calculate the mass of air flow rate 𝑚̇a, ΔḢ of system, evaporating rate, make up
the rate(𝑀̇ 𝐸 ), cooling range, approach to the wet bulb.

Results and Discussions

The results and discussions based on the following calculations:
1. Calculate the approach to wet bulb and cooling range for each state.
2. Calculate the total cooling load for each state.
3. Calculate the efficiency of the cooling tower for each state.
4. Draw efficiency of the cooling tower with a total cooling load (in chart).
5. Draw cooling range and approach to the wet bulb in chart.
6. State the all temperatures that obtained from the experiment of the tower with a total
cooling load in a chart.
7. Discuss all results.
8. Discuss the effect of decreasing the relative humidity of the atmosphere air on the
performance of the cooling tower?

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Reading:

Test No. 1 2 3
Cooling Load in kW 0.5 1 1.5
height (cm) 1.9 2.5 3.2
Water Flow Rate, g/s 40 40 40
Orifice Differential, mm H2O 16 16 16
Air Inlet Dry Bulb Temp. T1, °C 23.2 23.7 24.2
Air Inlet Wet Bulb Temp. T2, °C 17.7 17.6 18.7
Air Outlet Dry Bulb Temp. T3, °C 21.2 22.5 24.1
Air Outlet Wet Bulb Temp. T4, °C 21.3 22.5 24.6
Water Inlet Temp. T5, °C 23.4 28 32.7
Water Outlet Temp. T6, °C 20.2 20.2 23.7
Total Cooling Load, KW
Approach to wet bulb
Cooling Range
Efficiency

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Calculation:
For reading No.1:
𝑇1 = 23.2℃ 𝑇2 = 17.7 ℃ 𝑇3 = 21.2 ℃ 𝑇4 = 21.3℃ 𝑇5 = 23.4 ℃ 𝑇6 = 20.2 ℃
𝑃𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 = 0.1𝑘𝑊 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 (ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) = 0.5𝑘𝑊

Calculate the approach to wet bulb and cooling range:

𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 = (𝑇6 − 𝑇2)
𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 = (20.2 − 17.7)
𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑏 = 2.5 ℃

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 = (𝑇5 − 𝑇6)

𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 = (23.4 − 20.2)
𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 = 3.2 ℃

Calculate the total cooling load:

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 = 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 (ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) + 𝑃𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 = 0.5 + 0.1
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅 = 𝟎. 𝟔 𝒌𝑾

Calculate the efficiency of the cooling tower:

𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆
𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 % = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
(𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 + 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉)
𝑇5 − 𝑇6
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 % = × 100%
𝑇5 − 𝑇2
23.4 − 20.2
Efficiency % = × 100%
23.4 − 17.7

𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 % = 56.14%

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Results:

Test No. 1 2 3
Cooling Load (kW) 0.5 1 1.5
Total Cooling Load (kW) 0.6 1.1 1.6
Approach to wet bulb (℃) 2.5 2.6 5
Cooling Range (℃) 3.2 7.8 9
Efficiency % 56.14 75 64.28

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Draw efficiency of the cooling tower with a total cooling load (in chart):

No. Efficiency % Total Cooling Load (𝐤𝐖)

1 56.14 0.5

2 75 1.1

3 64.28 1.6

80

75

70
Efficiency %

65

60

55

50
0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75
Total Cooling Load (kW)

Chart 1

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Draw cooling range and approach to the wet bulb in chart:

No. Cooling Range (℃) Approach to wet bulb (℃)

1 3.2 2.5

2 7.8 2.6

3 9 5

9.5

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Cooling Range (℃)

6.5

3.5

2
2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5
Approach to wet bulb (℃)

Chart 2

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 State the all temperatures that obtained from the experiment of the tower
with a total cooling load in a chart.

State Total cooling load (kW) 𝑇1 ℃ 𝑇2 ℃ 𝑇3 ℃ 𝑇4 ℃ 𝑇5 ℃ 𝑇6 ℃

1 0.6 23.2 17.7 21.2 21.3 23.4 20.2

2 1.1 23.7 17.6 22.5 22.5 28 20.2
3 1.6 24.2 18.7 24.1 24.6 32.7 23.7

1.7
State 3
1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3
Total cooling load (kW)

1.2 T1
State 2
T2
1.1
T3
1 T4
T5
0.9 T6

0.8

0.7
State 1
0.6

0.5
15 17.5 20 22.5 25 27.5 30 32.5 35

Temperature (℃)
Chart 3

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Discuss all results:

At state 3 of Chart 2, approach of wet bulb increased, due to the increase

cooling load and inlet wet bulb temperature. In state 2, the value
approach of wet bulb is less than state 1, this means that while the
student was writing the reading status 3, the relative humidity affected
the device, for that we can say mistake was at state 3 and effected by
relative humidity.
At state 3, inlet wet bulb temperature increased because relative
humidity increased, so when water coming to the Pack the wet bulb
temperature will increase the outlet water temperature also outlet wet
temperature will increase. These are the reasons of decreasing the
efficiency and decreasing cooling range and increasing Approach to wet
bulb at state 3.

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Discuss the effect of decreasing the relative humidity of the atmosphere
air on the performance of the cooling tower?
The performances of the cooling tower depend on various parameter Approach to
wet-bulb.
So, when decreasing the relative humidity it means the wet bulb temperature is
low. When the relative humidity is low much evaporation will take place, and
Approach of weld bulb will increase and it will decrease the efficiency of the
cooling tower.
That means the cooling tower isn't transferring much heat (energy) to the
environment.
The web bulb temperature is nothing but relative humidity. Wet bulb temperature
essentially measures how much water vapor the atmosphere can hold at current
weather conditions.

Effect:
When decrease the relativity humidity, wet bulb
temperature also will decrease, Approach of wet
bulb will increase, Efficiency of cooling tower
decrease.

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