Advanced dry cooling tower concept
Name
MIT-EL-75-023-02365358.pdf
Size
3.52 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
d3142bb296e07d8aa82d3f201c6a94f6
Author(s)
Curcio, John Lorenzo
Date Issued
1975
Publisher
MIT Energy Lab
Series/Report no.
MIT-EL
75-023
Abstract
The purpose of this year's work has been to develop a new dry
cooling tower surface. The new surface utilizes a modification of film
type packing in wet cooling towers. It is a concept which may eliminate
excessive water loss. Cost of fabrication, and effectiveness of heat
transfer surface were among the major design considerations.
Based on preliminary water wetting investigations over simple
geometric surfaces, a conductive plate was shaped to form a series of
V-troughs. It provided open chennelled water flow separated by fin-like
dry surfaces, and simultaneously self distributed random spraying water.
The design not only channels the water flow, but also provides a
convenient means to vary the air-water interfacial area to the water-plate
and dry plate contact area. Varying these ratios will become necessary
as optimization studies are completed.
To investigate the effectiveness of this design and of future advanced
wet-dry concepts, a model heat transfer test apparatus was constructed. It
provided operating conditions (water temperature, water flow rates and
air flow rates) similar to those of existing wet cooling tower packing
sections. All of the design requirements have been satisfied: hot water
flow recirculation and counter flow air stream.
A computer simulation of the proposed surface was made. The simulation
modeled heat and mass transfer from the air-water interface as well as
heat transfer from the dry surface area. Initial parametric runs were made
using the program. They indicate that when the ratio of wet surface area
to total surface area is five percent, approximately seventy-five percent
of the energy transfer takes place as sensible heat transfer; whereas, for
a wet tower at similar conditions approximately eighty-five percent of the
total energy transfer takes place by evaporation.
Description
Prepared in association with Heat Transfer Laboratory, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Subjects
Cooling towers
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