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Cross Flow Cooling Towers

Heat removal devices or cooling towers for industrial set ups are the cross flow cooling towers. Their primary function is to cool water by dissipating the heat into the surrounding atmosphere. Cooling towers can be broadly classified under two heads according to their configuration: cross flow and counter flow. The particular configuration is indicative of the direction of the flow of air in relation to the flow of water. The main concern that determines the optimal configuration is maximizing the efficiency of heat rejection. Water distribution in cross flow cooling towers is distinctively different and are quieter and smaller than a counter flow tower and their performance statistics are near perfect.

In the design of cross flow cooling towers, the water flow is kept perpendicular to the air flow. The water is made to enter one or more vertical sides of the cooling tower to meet up with the fill material. Water is made to flow perpendicular to the air through this fill by gravity and is distributed uniformly over it. The air blows through the fill, into a large basin. To maximize contact with the hot water, the moving air is made to flow in the infill structure. The movement of the air is horizontal through the infill, across the cascading water. A fan disperses the hot and moist air from the cross flow cooling towers into the atmosphere. The warm water is cooled by the air drawn upwards by the fan. Direct heat exchange and evaporation cause a rapid fall of the temperature.

Some of the advantages of cross flow cooling towers are: lower initial and long-term cost mainly due to the pump requirements. The variable flow is simplified by the non-pressured spray. Water distribution by gravity reduces the cost of installing large pumps, as well as that of maintenance. These cooling towers produce less sound and use less power. There are certain disadvantages too. The cross flow design is more prone to freezing as compared to counter flow design. In some conditions, the variable flow is ineffective. Hard-wearing material like stainless steel, polyester, or synthetics is used for the construction of those components of the tower that come in contact with water and are likely to suffer corrosion.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Limorgreen .