Cooling Towers Review

Industrial, Testing, and Engineering Equipment Menu

Cooling Towers are used in industrial operations to remove heat energy from cooling fluids. All cooling towers utilize radiation type heat transfer to remove heat energy. The heat energy is removed by air flow through a radiator containing the cooling fluid. Cooling towers operate at ambient temperature environment and may use evaporative action from water to increase heat capacity removal. Cooling towers range in size from small roof mounted to very large (200 - 400 ft) industrial units.

Cooling towers are classified by their function and application. The classifications are HVAC cooling and industrial cooling tower.

Cooling towers may use natural draft or forced air flow through the radiators to facilitate energy removal. Natural flow cooling towers tend to be much larger than forced air cooling towers. The natural draft cooling towers utilize a very tall or long tower. The heat energy will rise from the natural flow of air through the cooling tower. Air flow is very similar to that produced by a home fire place. Forced flow cooling towers are configured to force air flow either down and through the radiating condenser or are designed to pull or force air through the radiating condenser. Forced flow cooling towers utilized mechanical driven fans to force the air through he radiator components. Both types of cooling towers may utilize evaporation of water to assist in the removal of heat energy from the system.

Industrial cooling towers are used in power plants, refineries, petrochemical plants, and other industrial processing plants. HVAC cooling towers are typically used for large water source or industrial HVAC cooling systems.