Cooling towers are used to remove the heat from condenser discharge water. The released water is returned to the plant or disposed of to cool the system. However, chillers use coolant to absorb heat, which they then transmit to the air in the vicinity.
Cooling towers and chillers serve a similar purpose, but the kinds and components they employ, as well as the sort of equipment they cool and run, are vastly different.
TOWERS FOR COOLING
In general, cooling towers are classed according to the airflow they receive.
Mechanical Cooling Towers: Mechanical cooling towers depend mostly on power-driven fans to pull the air through the tower, so they are sometimes referred to as mechanical draught cooling towers. The two forms of mechanical draught cooling towers are induced and forced.
- Induced Draft Cooling Tower: This form of mechanical draught tower is equipped with one or more fans situated at the top of the tower and pulls air upwards against the downward flow of water that passes around the wooden decking or packing tower.
- Forced Draft Cooling Tower: The power consumption of forced-draft cooling towers is substantially higher than that of induced-draft cooling towers. They are more susceptible to recirculation if they are not properly ducted.
Cooling Towers with Natural Draft: Cooling towers with natural draught use the cooling tower’s chimney for ventilation. The difference in temperature between the air inside and outside a natural draught cooling tower causes the air to move.
Types of Water Chillers
Air-cooled or water-cooled chillers may be found in a variety of applications.
Air-cooled Chillers: In air-cooled chillers, ambient air rejects heat from the condenser before condensation and recirculation. Fan attachments aid in the cooling process by increasing airflow.
Water-cooled Chillers: Chillers cool the gaseous refrigeration in the condenser using water from an external tower. To return the refrigerant to the system, it first goes through a phase shift, becoming a liquid.
What are the Main Components?
Cooling Towers: Pumps and pools are the two most important cooling tower parts. Pumps deliver water to the cooling towers and create a stream of water that aids in the cooling process. The circulating water system discharges water into the distribution basin, collected.
Chillers: Compressors, evaporator heat exchangers, and condenser heat exchangers are the main components of cooler/chillers. The condenser heat exchanger is critical to transferring the heat from the radiator into the air.
EFFICIENCY IN POWER USE
Cooling Towers: To keep cooling towers running, water pumps are essential. A lot of energy is used by these pumps. Fans used to circulate coolant via cooling towers also use electricity. Because of the cooling towers’ increased capacity, the cooling process is more efficient.
Chillers: Compressors and heat exchangers power chillers, making them less energy efficient than cooling towers. When comparing refrigerators, water-cooled refrigerators are the greatest option since they use the least energy while providing adequate cooling. A moist surface is more effective in transferring heat than a dry one. As a result, water-cooled chillers use 10 percent less energy than air-cooled chillers.
Application and Usage
Cooling Towers: As a general rule, coolant cooling towers are used in large-scale cooling operations. They offer chilled water for electrical power production, oil and gas refining, thermal power plants, and other mechanical operations. Water heated in the condenser of a power plant is circulated through a cooling tower to keep it from overheating.
Chillers: Refrigeration and plastics industries are two of the most common uses for chillers. For the most part, they are employed in applications that aren’t harmed by the additional heat it produces. The extra heat is used to keep plants warm throughout cold months.
Installing Cooling Towers is Important
Heat rejection devices may recycle the bulk of the water used in cooling towers. This prevents a massive quantity of water from being wasted. They also extend the life of the whole system by maximizing the chiller’s efficiency.
As with other HVAC systems, cooling towers must be properly maintained to operate efficiently. After installation, be sure to do routine checks on your cooling towers.
A major industrial cooling tower manufacturer in India, Tower Tech India aims to supply clients with high-quality cooling tower parts and its after-services. Contact us to learn more about our services.
