X.

COOLING TOWER DESIGN

A cooling tower is a heat rejection device, which extracts waste heat to the
atmosphere though the cooling of a water stream to a lower temperature. The type of heat
rejection in a cooling tower is termed "evaporative" in that it allows 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. The heat from the water stream transferred to the air stream
raises the air's temperature and its relative humidity to 100%, and this air is discharged to
the atmosphere. Evaporative heat rejection devices such as cooling towers are commonly
used to provide significantly lower water temperatures than achievable with "air cooled"
or "dry" heat rejection devices, like the radiator in a car, thereby achieving more costeffective and energy efficient operation of systems in need of cooling. Think of the times
you've seen something hot be rapidly cooled by putting water on it, which evaporates,
cooling rapidly, such as an overheated car radiator. The cooling potential of a wet surface
is much better than a dry one.
Common applications for cooling towers are providing cooled water for airconditioning, manufacturing and electric power generation. The smallest cooling towers
are designed to handle water streams of only a few gallons of water per minute supplied
in small pipes like those might see in a residence, while the largest cool hundreds of
thousands of gallons per minute supplied in pipes as much as 15 feet (about 5 meters) in
diameter on a large power plant.
The generic term "cooling tower" is used to describe both direct (open circuit) and
indirect (closed circuit) heat rejection equipment. While most think of a "cooling tower"
as an open direct contact heat rejection device, the indirect cooling tower, sometimes
referred to as a "closed circuit cooling tower" is nonetheless also a cooling tower.

From previous calculation:

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Approach

= 2.8

Temperature of Entering Water, t42

= 42.0316

Temperature of Leaving Water, t43

= 20

Wet bulb Temperature of Entering air, twa

= 17.2 , RH = 60 %

take, Temperature of Leaving air, tb = 28 , RH = 100 %

Temperature of Make-up water

= 32

Atmospheric Pressure (standard)

= 101.325 kPa

Amount of cooling water, mcw

= 633.978 kg/sec

Calculations:
1. Cooling Tower Range, CTR
CTR = t42 t43 = 42.0316 20 = 22.0316
2. Cooling Tower Efficiency
CT =

Range
Range+ Approach

t 42 t 43 42.0316 20
=
t 42 twa 42.0316 17.2

CT = 0.887 = 88.7 %
3. Mass of Air, ma
By Energy Balance:
m42h42 + maha = m43h43 + mbhb
Where:
m42 = m43 = water
ma = mb = air
ha = h at tw (17.2 oC) = 50 kJ/kg
hb = h at 28 oC DB and RH ( 100%) = 90 kJ/kg
mw(h43 h42) = ma (ha- hb)
ma =

633.978 ( 83.96176.042 )
(5090)

ma = 1459.45 kg/s

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4. Mass of Make-up Water

The mass of make-up water is equals to mass of water evaporated
Mmake-up = ma(wa-wb)
where:
wa = w at tw 17.2 oC and RH 60%) = 0.0075
wb = w at DBT 28 oC and RH 100%) = 0.024
Mmake-up = 1459.45 kg/s (0.024 0.0075) = 24.08 kg/s

5. Volume Flow Rate of Air, Va

P1V1 = M1RT1
V 1=

m 1 Ra T 1
(PP v )
Where:
T1 = T at tw (17.2 oC) and RH 60% = 22.5 oC
Pv = RH x Psat at 22.5 oC = (0.6)(2.72 kPa) = 1.632 kPa
P = 101.325 kPa
Va =

1459.45 ( 0.287 )(22.5+273.15)

(101.3251.632)

Va = 1242.179 m3/s
6. Cooling Tower Area
t = (23.34 + 20)/2 = 21.67 oC
vw = vf @ 21.67 oC
= .0010022 m3/kg

= 997.804 kg/m3

Thus,
Vw = 633.978/997.804 x (60 sec/min) (264.2 gal/m3)
Vw= 10, 071.937 gpm
Cooling Tower Area = 10, 071.937 gpm / 3

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Cooling Tower Area = 3, 357.312 ft2

The cross-sectional area of the cooling tower is square: L=W=S
ACT= S2
S = 3, 357.312 1/2
S = 57.942 ft = L = W
7. Height of the Cooling Tower, hCT
The height of a field erected induced draft tower, from the basin
curb to fan deck, ranges from 8 to 50 ft.
Use: hCT = 50 ft.
8. Number of Nozzles Required
Using 2.5 gpm capacity per nozzle
No. of nozzle =

10, 071.937 gpm

2.5

= 4, 028.775

9. Nozzle Arrangement
No. of Rows = with 1 ft distance between each rows and 2 ft.
allowance both ends.
Thus,
No. of Rows = 15
Number of Nozzle per rows =

Nozzle

4, 028.775 nozzles
=
15

269

row

10. Dimension of Line (Condenser to Cooling Tower)

Let water velocity = 2 m/s
Using pipe line to the cooling Tower =

633.978
997.804

= 0.635 m3/s

Then,

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Q/pipe = 0.635 /3 = 0.212 m3/s per pipe

Q = AV
0.635 m3/s = (D2/4) (2 m/s)
D = 0.636 m
No. of rows per pipe = 15/3 = 5 rows per pipe

11. Dimension of Heater

Secondary Heaters
0.636
4

= (D2/4)

D = 0.450 m
From Table 7-2 Page 136, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
(Stoecker and Jones)
Nominal
Size, mm

OD, mm

15
20
25
35
40
50
60
75
100
125
150
200
250
300

21.34
26.67
33.40
42.16
48.26
60.33
73.03
88.90
114.3
141.3
168.3
219.1
273
323.9

ID, mm
Schedule
Schedule
40
80
15.80
13.88
20.93
18.85
26.64
24.30
35.04
32.46
40.90
38.10
52.51
49.25
62.65
59.01
77.92
73.66
102.3
97.18
128.2
122.2
154.1
146.4
202.7
193.7
254.5
242.9
303.3
289

Use Schedule 40 steel pipe:

For Primary Header:

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Inside Diameter

= 303.3 mm

Outside Diameter

= 323.9 mm

Nominal Size

= 300 mm

For Secondary Header:

Inside Diameter

= 254.5 mm

Outside Diameter

= 273.0 mm

Nominal Size

= 250 mm

12. Decks (Alternate Arrangement)

a. Decks per column
Distance between decks

= 6 in

Number of decks/column

= 6 decks

b. Number of Column
= 40 /1.5 = 27 column
c. Total Number of decks
= 162 decks
d. Length of decks
= 10 ft.
13. Diameter of Fan Stack

Q = AV =

D 2
V
4

2gh

V=
Use h = 50 m
V=

2 ( 9.81 ) (50)

= 31.32 m/sec

Using two fan stack for two fans

Where:
Q = 614.5 m3/s
Therefore,
614.5 m3/s = D2/4 (31.32)

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D=5m
14. Induced Draft Fan (Axial fan)
a. Air Power
Air Power = Qgh
Where:
101.325
air = 0.287(28+273.15)

= 1.172 kg/m3

Thus,
Air Power = ( 1.172 ) (9.81 x 50)(614.5)/1000

= 353.3 kW

b. Fan Motor Horsepower

Assumptions:
Fan efficiency

= 75 %

Motor efficiency

= 90 %

Motor Power = 353.3 kW / (0.75 x 0.90) = 523.5 kW/.746

= 701.6 hp x 2
= 1403.23 hp, Use 1500 hp

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