Cooling Tower

"A cooling tower is a device that can cool water. The water undergoes heat and mass transfer with the passing air, resulting in a decrease in water temperature."

An open cooling tower is a device that dissipates waste heat produced in industrial processes or refrigeration and air conditioning systems by utilizing the contact between water and air through evaporation. The basic principle is: dry (low enthalpy) air, after being drawn by the fan, enters the cooling tower through the air intake mesh; high-temperature water molecules with a large saturated steam pressure flow towards the lower-pressure air. Wet (high enthalpy) water is sprinkled into the tower from the sprinkling system. When water droplets come into contact with air, two things occur: direct heat transfer between air and water, and a pressure difference between the water vapor surface and the air, which, under pressure, causes evaporation. This involves transferring heat from the water to unsaturated dry air, with some of the water evaporating to carry away the latent heat, thereby achieving the goal of lowering the temperature of the cooling water.

Closed-loop cooling towers utilize the contact between water and coils to transfer heat through the tube walls, thereby removing heat from the cooling medium inside the coils to achieve cooling. The circulating water in a closed-loop cooling tower only circulates within the tower, exchanging heat with the air for cooling and then coming into contact with the coils to carry away the heat of the medium inside. A make-up water pipe is used to replenish water as needed. Compared to open-loop cooling towers, the distinct feature of closed-loop cooling towers is the addition of coils. The liquid medium to be cooled flows through the steel coils without direct contact with water, exchanging heat through the tube walls.

Application Scope:

Waste heat generated during industrial production or refrigeration processes is typically carried away using cooling water. The function of a cooling tower is to exchange heat between the cooling water carrying the waste heat and the air within the tower, transferring the waste heat to the air and dissipating it into the atmosphere. For example, in a power plant, the boiler heats water into high-pressure steam, which drives the turbine to generate electricity. After the turbine's work, the exhaust steam enters the condenser, where it exchanges heat with the cooling water and condenses into water, which is then pumped back to the boiler for recirculation. During this process, the waste heat from the exhaust steam is transferred to the cooling water, causing the water temperature to rise. The cooling water carrying the waste heat then transfers the heat to the air in the cooling tower, which is expelled into the atmosphere through the air duct. The cooling tower is widely used in various fields, including air conditioning cooling systems, refrigeration series, injection molding, leather production, foaming, power generation, steam turbines, aluminum profile processing, air compressors, and industrial water cooling. The most common applications are in air conditioning cooling, refrigeration, and plastic chemical industries.