I.

Introduction

II. Objectives
III. Cooling Tower
1. Background
2. Principle of Operation
A cooling tower cools water by a combination of heat and mass transfer. Water
to be cooled is distributed in the tower by spray nozzles, splash bars, or film-type
fill, which exposes a very large water surface area to atmospheric air. Atmospheric
air is circulated by either fans, convective currents, natural wind currents, or
induction effect from sprays. A portion of the water absorbs heat to change from a
liquid to a vapor at constant pressure. This heat of vaporization at atmospheric
pressure is transferred from the water remaining in the liquid state into the
airstream.

3. Types of Cooling Towers

4.
5. Type of Cooling Towers
Cooling towers are designed and manufactured in several types, with numerous
sizes and models available in each type. Not all types are suitable for application
to every heat load configuration. These towers are classified as follows
a. Atmospheric towers are towers that utilize no mechanical device fan

IV. Design Criteria

V. Design Problem
A plant requires that 15 kg /s of cooling water will flow through a condensation equipment
for distillation; thus eliminating 270 W from the condensers. The water leaves the condenser
at 45°C. To reuse water, it is planned to cool it by contact with air in a cooling tower of induced
draft. The design conditions are 30°C inlet air dry bulb temperature and 24ºC wet bulb the air
thus, to 29ºC; a ratio of air and steam of 1.5 times the minimum value will be used. Water
compensation will come from a dam at 10°C, with a hardness of 500 ppm dissolved solids. The
circulating water cannot have a hardness greater than 2000 ppm. Regarding the package that is
to be used, it is expected that the value (Kya) will be 0.90 kg/ (m³s) for a speed of the liquid of
at least 2.7 kg/ (m*s) and for a gas speed of 2.0 kg/ (m*s). Calculate the dimensions of the
packed section and water compensation required.

A. Material Balance

Assumptions made during mass balance.

 Steady state condition
 No leakage
 No accumulation

Cooling
Tower

B. Energy Balance
 The heat exchanger operates under steady state, steady flow conditions.
 Heat transfer to the surrounding is negligible.
 The pressure is constant throughout 1 atm.

C. Design Procedure
1. Specify the inlet and outlet temperatures and flow rate of warm water.
2. Select the design value of dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures of air (at the proposed
geographical location).
3. Draw the ‘equilibrium line curve’ i.e., saturation humidity curve H’ vs T. The enthalpy
data are calculated using vapor pressure equation for water and physical properties of
air and water vapor H '  1.005  1.88Y 'TG  T0   2500Y ' kJ / kg . T0 is 25°C.
4. Locate the lower terminal of the operating line, ‘B’ on T L-H plane by the point (TL1,
H1’). This point indicates the condition at the bottom of the tower.
5. Draw a tangent to the equilibrium line through the point ‘B’. The slope of the tangent
gives the ratio of the liquid and minimum gas flow rate. Hence, minimum air rate is
calculated. Actual air rate taken is usually 1.25 to 1.5 times the minimum [not required
if air rate is given].
6. The upper terminal of the operating line is located by the point ‘A’ (TL2, H2’). It is the
point where the operating line of the slope determined in step 5 meets the vertical line
through TL2. It can also be located by calculating the top end enthalpy H2’ from the
equation LcW L TL 2  TL1   GS H 2 ' H 1 ' .

dH '
7. Evaluate the integral in the equation N tG  
H2 '
, number of gas phase enthalpy
H1 ' H i ' H '
transfer units and calculate height gas-phase enthalpy transfer units,
Gs
H tG as H tG  . k y ' a and h L a are required. A set of parallel lines called the tie
ky 'a

 hL a
lines with slope of is drawn between the operating line and the equilibrium line.
ky 'a

H’ and Hi’ are taken from terminals. Integral is calculated numerically or graphically.
 TL 0 dTL Lc 
 N tG  T and H tG  wL .
Li H ' H '
 i k y ' a 

8. If the overall enthalpy transfers coefficient Ky’ is known and used, ‘tie lines’ are
vertical. For a given value of H’, value of H*’ is given by the point on the equilibrium
line vertically above it. The integral of equation
VI. Design Calculations

VII. Design Specifications

VIII. Mechanical Drawing
IX. References