CPB 20104
Experiment 1
COOLING TOWER
______________________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
When warm liquid is brought into contact with saturated gas or air, part of the
liquid evaporates and the liquid temperature drops. This principle is used in the
operations of cooling towers. In the cooling towers the temperature of the re-circulated
water used for condensers and heat exchangers in chemical plants, is brought down by
cooling using air humidification process. Cooling towers are the cheapest way to cool
large quantities of water. In the cooling tower when the water is distributed over a
packing of a certain height through which the air passes up wards causing evaporation
and hence cooling of the water stream. This packing would be able to make the surface
of air or water contact area as large as possible. Hot water sprayed onto the top of the
tower trickles down through packing or wooden slats, evaporating as it goes. Air is
passed through the packing by forced-draft or induced draft fans or it is drawn by
natural convection.
The reduction in water temperature in the cooling tower comes mainly from
evaporation, although when the air temperature is low, there is also some sensible heat
transfer to the air. However, even when the air is warmer than the water, water can be
cooled by evaporation if the wet bulb temperature is below that of the water. In practice,
the discharge temperature of the water is 3 to 8 degree C above the wet bulb
temperature. The water temperature from inlet to exit is generally 6 to 17 degree C.
The Bench Top Cooling Tower (Model HE 152) has been designed for students
demonstration and to give them an understanding of the construction, design and
operational characteristics of a modern cooling system. The unit resembles very much
like a full size forced draught cooling tower and it is actually an open system through
which two streams of fluid (in this case air and water) pass and in which there is a
mass transfer from one stream to the another. The unit is self-contained supplied with
a heating load and a circulating pump. Once energy and mass balances are done,
students will then be able to determine the effects on the performance of the cooling
tower by the following parameters:
1)
2)
3)
4)
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
General Start-up:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Note:
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
Experiment A
Investigation of the effect of air velocity on wet bulb approach and pressure drop through
the packing
Objectives:
To investigate the effect of air velocity on:
a. wet bulb approach
b. pressure drop through the packing
Procedures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to general start-up
procedures.
Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about
15 minutes.
Water flow rate
: 2.0 LPM
Air flow rate
: Maximum
Cooling load
: 1.0 kW
Column Installed
: Column A (110 m2/m3)
Dimension of Column
: 15 cm (w) x 15 cm (d) x 60 cm (h)
After the system stabilizes, record a few sets of measurements and then
obtain the mean value for calculation and analysis.
Temperature (T1-T6)
Orifice differential pressure (DP1)
Water flow rate (FT1)
Heater power (Q1)
Pressure drop across packing (DP2)
Repeat the test with three different sets of orifice pressure drop values (75% ,
50% and 25% of the maximum value) without changing the water flow rate
and cooling loads.
Finally, measure the cross sectional area of the column.
Calculate the nominal velocity of air and find the wet bulb approach.
Plot a graph to show that the relationship between wet bulb approach and
packing pressure drops versus nominal air velocity in the same graph.
Discuss the effect of nominal air velocity on the approach to wet bulb and
pressure drop through packing.
Discuss the relationship between the approach to wet bulb and pressure
drop through packing.
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
Table of Results:
Table A
Description
unit
Packing density
m-1
Pa
100%
110
LPM
Heater power, Q1
Watt
Air Flow
75%
50%
110
110
25%
110
Pa
Table B
Description
Air Flow
75%
100%
50%
25%
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
Useful Information:
In order to plot the graph, it is necessary to follow the steps of calculation.
1. Calculate approach to wet bulb.
Approach to wet bulb = Outlet water temperature (T6) Inlet air wet bulb
temperature (T2)
2. Check the value of specific volume of air at outlet in the humidity chart (plotting
air outlet dry buld and air outlet wet bulb on psychometric chart)
o
m 0.0137
m (kg/s)
(m3/s)
m
5. Calculate nominal air velocity, (m/s)
o
A
A : packing area (m2)
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
Experiment B
Investigation of the relationship between cooling load and cooling range
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between cooling load and cooling range
Procedures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to general start-up
procedures.
Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about
15 minutes.
Water flow rate
:
2.0 LPM
Air flow rate
:
Maximum
Cooling load
:
0.0 kW
Column Installed
:
Column A (110 m2/m3)
After the system stabilizes, record a few sets of measurements and then
obtain the mean value for calculation and analysis.
Temperature (T1-T6)
Orifice differential pressure (DP1)
Water flow rate (FT1)
Heater power (Q1)
Without changes in the conditions, increase the cooling load to 0.5 kW.
When the system stabilized record all the data.
Similarly, repeat the experiment at 1.0 kW and 1.5 kW.
Switch off heaters and let the water to circulate through the cooling tower
system for 3-5 minutes until the water cooled down.
Switch off the fan and fully closed the fan damper.
Switch off the pump and power supply.
Retain the water in reservoir tank for the following experiment.
Completely drain off the water from the unit if it is not in used.
REFERENCES
1.
Perry, R.H., Green, D.W. and Maloney, J.O., Perrys Chemical Engineering
Handbook. 6th edition, McGraw Hill, 1984.
FG/Exp1/Jan2015
Mass Transfer 2
CPB 20104
Table of Results:
Table A
Description
unit
Packing density
m-1
Pa
LPM
Heater power, Q1
Watt
0.5kW
110
Cooling Load
1.0kW
110
1.5kW
110
FG/Exp1/Jan2015