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Title: Method and system for simulating heat and mass transfer in cooling towers

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for simulating the performance of a cooling tower. More precisely, the simulator of the present invention predicts values related to the heat and mass transfer from a liquid (e.g., water) to a gas (e.g., air) when provided with input data related to a cooling tower design. In particular, the simulator accepts input data regarding: (a) cooling tower site environmental characteristics; (b) cooling tower operational characteristics; and (c) geometric characteristics of the packing used to increase the surface area within the cooling tower upon which the heat and mass transfer interactions occur. In providing such performance predictions, the simulator performs computations related to the physics of heat and mass transfer within the packing. Thus, instead of relying solely on trial and error wherein various packing geometries are tested during construction of the cooling tower, the packing geometries for a proposed cooling tower can be simulated for use in selecting a desired packing geometry for the cooling tower.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Lakewood, CO
  2. Golden, CO
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871123
Patent Number(s):
5661670
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
G - PHYSICS G05 - CONTROLLING G05B - CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
method; simulating; heat; mass; transfer; cooling; towers; performance; tower; precisely; simulator; predicts; values; related; liquid; water; gas; air; provided; input; data; design; particular; accepts; regarding; site; environmental; characteristics; operational; geometric; packing; increase; surface; interactions; occur; providing; predictions; performs; computations; physics; relying; solely; trial; error; various; geometries; tested; construction; proposed; simulated; selecting; desired; geometry; mass transfer; input data; cooling tower; accepts input; data regarding; values related; data related; /703/

Citation Formats

Bharathan, Desikan, and Hassani, A Vahab. Method and system for simulating heat and mass transfer in cooling towers. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Bharathan, Desikan, & Hassani, A Vahab. Method and system for simulating heat and mass transfer in cooling towers. United States.
Bharathan, Desikan, and Hassani, A Vahab. Wed . "Method and system for simulating heat and mass transfer in cooling towers". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871123.
@article{osti_871123,
title = {Method and system for simulating heat and mass transfer in cooling towers},
author = {Bharathan, Desikan and Hassani, A Vahab},
abstractNote = {The present invention is a system and method for simulating the performance of a cooling tower. More precisely, the simulator of the present invention predicts values related to the heat and mass transfer from a liquid (e.g., water) to a gas (e.g., air) when provided with input data related to a cooling tower design. In particular, the simulator accepts input data regarding: (a) cooling tower site environmental characteristics; (b) cooling tower operational characteristics; and (c) geometric characteristics of the packing used to increase the surface area within the cooling tower upon which the heat and mass transfer interactions occur. In providing such performance predictions, the simulator performs computations related to the physics of heat and mass transfer within the packing. Thus, instead of relying solely on trial and error wherein various packing geometries are tested during construction of the cooling tower, the packing geometries for a proposed cooling tower can be simulated for use in selecting a desired packing geometry for the cooling tower.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}