Cooling towers, the often over-looked profit center

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States)

OSTI ID:6345236

Burger, R ^[1]

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1. Burger Associates, Inc., Dallas, TX (United States)

Because of their apparent simplicity, cooling towers are all too often taken for granted in the chemical process plant, electric-power generating station, and refrigeration or air conditioning system. Engineers assume that they will provide the desired cold water return. In reality, cooling towers are complex devices that require careful design and maintenance. Slight deviations from design specifications can have a real impact on overall plant economics. The paper discusses ways to optimize the operation of cooling towers, including the following: Seek lower outlet temperatures; wet-bulb temperature (WBT) determination; using the WBT to judge performance, and state-of-the-art upgrading of the air-handling system, the water distribution system, and heat transfer surfaces.

• OSTI ID: 6345236
• Journal Information: Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States), Journal Name: Chemical Engineering (New York); (United States) Vol. 100:5; ISSN CHEEA3; ISSN 0009-2460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200101 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320303 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Equipment & Processes
42 ENGINEERING
420400* -- Engineering-- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow
BLOWERS
CAPACITY
CONTROL
COOLING TOWERS
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
MAINTENANCE
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
RETROFITTING
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT