A Presentation on Cooling Towers

Basic Definition
Heat Rejection Device Extracts waste heat to the atmosphere though the cooling of a water stream to a lower temperature.

Basic Principle
Evaporative Cooling A small portion of the water being cooled to evaporate into a moving air stream to provide significant cooling to the rest of that water stream.

Animation of Cooling Towers

Importance of Cooling Towers

Terms used in Cooling Towers

Dry Bulb Temperature Wet Bulb Temperature Range

Approach
Heat Load Make Up

Drift

Basic Definitions of Cooling Towers

Blow Down Cycles of Concentration L/G Ratio

Definitions of Terms
Dry Bulb Temperature: Temperature of air measured by a thermometer freely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture. Wet Bulb Temperature: Lowest temperature that can be reached under current ambient conditions by the evaporation of water only. Range: Temperature difference between the water inlet and exit states. Approach: Difference in temperature between the cooled-water temperature and the entering-air wet bulb.

Definitions of Terms
Heat Load: The amount of heat to be removed from the circulating water within the tower. Make Up: The amount of water required to replace normal losses caused by bleed off, drift, and evaporation. Drift: The water entrained in the air flow and discharged to the atmosphere. Drift loss does not include water lost by evaporation. Blow Down: The portion of the circulating water flow that is removed (usually discharged to a drain) in order to maintain the amount of TDS & other impurities at an acceptably low level. L/G Ratio: A ratio of the total mass flows of water and dry air in a cooling tower.

Cycles of Concentration
When water evaporates is leaves it solids behind. If you completely evaporate a sample of water and then refill the container with the same water the mineral content doubles. This is called Cycling Up.

1 Cycle

Cycles of Concentration

As cycles increase the amount of solids increase.

This means: The Conductivity increases.

The total hardness increases

The pH will go up as the alkalinity increases The risk of scale formation increases
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Cycles of Concentration

Formula of Calculating C.O.C . . = =

( ) 1

Make up = Evaporation + Bleed

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Components of Cooling Towers

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Components of Cooling Towers

Frame and casing: support exterior enclosures Fill: facilitate heat transfer by maximizing water / air contact
Splash fill Film fill

Cold water basin: receives water at bottom of tower

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Components of Cooling Towers

Drift eliminators: capture droplets in air stream

Air inlet: entry point of air

Louvers: equalize air flow into the fill and retain water within tower Nozzles: spray water to wet the fill

Fans: deliver air flow in the tower

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Working of Cooling Towers

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Types of Cooling Towers

2 main types of Cooling Towers

Cooling Towers Natural Type Mechanical Type

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Natural Draft Cooling Towers

Density Diff is the main reason for air flow. Hot air moves through tower Fresh cool air is drawn into the tower from bottom No fan required Material of Construction : Concrete

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Mechanical Draft Cooling Towers

Mechanical Type
Induced Draft Forced Draft
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Induced Draft Cooling Towers

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Forced Draft Cooling Towers

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Forced Draft Cooling Towers

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Cooling Towers

Types of Cooling Towers

Forced Draft Cooling Towers

Process

Advantages

Disadvantages

Air is blown through the Suited for high air resistance Re-circulation due to high airtower by a fan located in due to centrifugal blower. entry and low air exit the air inlet. velocities which can be solved by locating towers in plant rooms combined with discharge ducts.

Induced Draft Cooling Towers 1. Water enters at the top Less re-circulation than forced Fans and the motor drive
and passes over fill. draft towers because the speed 2. Air enters on one side of exit air is 3-4 times greater or opposite sides. than entering air. 3. An induced draft fan draws air across fill towards exit at the top of tower. mechanism require weatherproofing against moisture and corrosion because they are in the path of humid exit air.

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COOLING TOWER SETUP AT EEAP

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Components of CT on EEAP

Cooling Tower-1 (CT-501) Cooling Tower-2 (CT-502)

Cooling Water Supply Pump (P-501 A/B/C)

Inline Split-Stream Filter (FT-501) Cooling Towers are Induced Draft.

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Specifications of Components of CT
Operating Flow (in each): 1500 m/hr

Number of cells (in each): 4

Cooling Water Return Temperature: 37C Cooling Water Supply Temperature: 30C Design Wet bulb Temperature: 27C Operating Duty (Refrigeration Ton): 6,900 Design Duty (Refrigeration Ton): 8,000 Approach = 4-5C

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Specifications of Pump

Pump Specification Design Flow-rate: 1500 m/hr Differential Pressure: 6 barg

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Specifications of Filter

Pressure Drop (Maximum): 0.2 barg

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Pictures of CT on EEAP

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Pictures

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Pictures

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Pictures

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Flow Diagram of CT
Water coming from exchanger

Air

CT-501 and CT-502 Basin

Water from T-100 for Make up

Filter

To ETP Drain

Towards Turbine Hall Filter Pump

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Parameters of Selection of CT

1. Entering air Wet Bulb Temperature

2. Approach 3. Condenser Water Flow rate

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Choice b/w Diff. Types of Fills

Parameters

Splash Fill

Film Fill

Possible L/G Effective A Fill Height Required

1.1-1.5 30-45 m 5-10 m 9-12 m High

1.5-2.0 150 m 1.2-1.5 m 5-8 m Much Low

Pumping Head Required

Quantity of Air Required

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Problems on CT

Scaling

Corrosion
Biological Growth

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What is Scale?

Deposits of pre-dominantly inorganic material on heat transfer surfaces caused by the precipitation of mineral particles in water. Decreases heat transfer rate.

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Reasons for formation of Scale

As alkalinity increases, calcium carbonate- the most common scale constituent in cooling systems decreases in solubility and deposits. High TDS water will have greater potential for scale formation.

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Salts that promote Scale

Calcium Carbonate Scale Calcium Sulfate Scale Calcium and Magnesium Silicate Scale Calcium Phosphate Scale Calcium and Magnesium Bi-carbonates

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How to Control Scale Formation

Water Softening Equipment (Ion Exchange Method) Adjusting pH to lower values (Addition of Acid) Controlling Cycles of Concentration Chemical Dosage (e.g. PMA, Phosponate, Aluminates etc.) Physical Water Treatment Methods (Filtration)

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What is Corrosion?

Destruction or loss of metal through chemical or electrochemical reaction with its surrounding environment. M.O.C is mostly Mild Steel which is more susceptible to corrosion.

Other metals in general, such as copper, stainless steel, aluminum alloys also do corrode but the process is slow.
However in some waters and in presence of dissolved gases, such as H2S or NH3, the corrosion to these metals is more severe & destructive than to mild steel

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Reasons for Corrosion

Dissolved Oxygen Alkalinity and Acidity

TDS
Microbial Growth Temperature

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How to Control Corrosion

Selection of suitable M.O.C

Control of Scale and Microbial Growth Addition of protective film- forming chemical inhibitors that the water can distribute to all wetted parts of the system.
Chromate, Zinc, Molybdate, Azoles, Nitrate, o-phosphate, polyphosphate

Apply protective coatings such as paints, metal plating, tar or plastics on external surface.

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Biological Growth?

Biological Growth is due to the presence of biological materials like

Algae Bacteria Fungi

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Problems that are caused by Algae

Provide a nutrient source for bacterial growth

Deposit on surface contributes to localized corrosion process

Loosened deposits can block and foul pipe work and other heat exchange surfaces

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Problems that are caused by Fungi

Proliferate to high number and foul heat exchanger surfaces

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Problems that are caused by Bacteria

Some types of pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella may cause health hazards Sulfate reducing bacteria can reduce sulfate to corrosive hydrogen sulfide.

Cathodic depolarization by removal of hydrogen from the cathodic portion of corrosion cell.

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Control of Microbiological Growth

Three types of Chemical Biocides

Oxidizing

Non-Oxidizing
Bio-dispersent

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Oxidizing Biocide

Chlorine (Most Effective)

Chlorine Dioxide
Bromine Ozone

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Non-Oxidizing Biocide

Organic compounds
ammonium salts,

Isothiazolinones,
organo-metallics organo-sulfur compounds. which kill micro-organisms by targeting specific element of the cell structure or its metabolic or reproductive process.

Not consumed as fast as Oxidizing Biocides and have a good retention time. Effective in the non-effectiveness of chlorine. Broke down into the non-toxic and harmless materials after doing their necessary action. Very Costly.

High pH sensitivity

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Bio-dispersants

Do not kill micro-organism. Just loosen the microbial deposits which then can be flushed away.

Effective in increasing action of Oxidizing biocide.

Possible bio-dispersants include:
Acrylates Lignosulphonates

Methacrylates
Polycarboxylic Acids

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THANK YOU
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