Oriented spray-assisted cooling tower

Patent · Tue Apr 18 04:00:00 EDT 1995

OSTI ID:131968

Bowman, C F

Apparatus useful for heat exchange by evaporative cooling when employed in conjunction with a conventional cooling tower. The arrangement includes a header pipe which is used to divert a portion of the water in the cooling tower supply conduit up stream of the cooling tower to a multiplicity of vertical pipes and spray nozzles which are evenly spaced external to the cooling tower so as to produce a uniform spray pattern oriented toward the central axis of the cooling tower and thereby induce an air flow into the cooling tower which is greater than otherwise achieved. By spraying the water to be cooled towards the cooling tower in a region external to the cooling tower in a manner such that the spray falls just short of the cooling tower basin, the spray does not interfere with the operation of the cooling tower, proper, and the-maximum increase in air velocity is achieved just above the cooling tower basin where it is most effective. The sprayed water lands on a concrete or asphalt apron which extends from the header pipe to the cooling tower basin and is gently sloped towards the cooling tower basin such that the sprayed water drains into the basin. By diverting a portion of the water to be cooled to a multiplicity of sprays external to the cooling tower, thermal performance is improved. 4 figs.

• Assignee: Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5,407,606/A/
• Application Number: PAN: 8-179,498
• OSTI ID: 131968
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
AUGMENTATION
EVAPORATIVE COOLING
HEAT TRANSFER
NATURAL DRAFT COOLING TOWERS
POWER PLANTS
SPRAY COOLING