Fan cooling tower: what it is, types, application

Fan cooling towers are installed to cool closed industrial water systems and equipment. The air is forced by fans through a heat exchanger and lowers the water temperature. Let's consider the peculiarities of fan cooling towers, their types and application.

Fan cooling towers and their features

The design of a cooling tower with fans includes a heat exchanger unit with a radiator and fans. It also consists of such parts:

• A device that supplies the cooled liquid.
• Nozzles.
• Sprinkler.
• A drift eliminator.

The hot liquid is directed into the system from the upper side. Through the nozzles it falls in the form of splashes on the sprinkler. Through it, the drops flow into a special tank. A fan creates an air flow that rises to the hot liquid. The cold air partially draws heat from the water. To minimize moisture loss, there is a drip eliminator in the design.

Advantages of fan cooling towers:

• It is an energy efficient design.
• They do not require high capacity water pumps.
• The coolant flow rate is minimized.
• They are compact designs.
• The system can be used in winters in freezing weather.
• Fan cooling tower of sectional type is resistant to strong winds, to freezing, as fans can be turned off to reduce the draft.
• Easy installation of the system, possibility of repair.

Types of fan cooling towers

The main difference in the design of fan cooling towers is the type of sprinkler. This element is of three types:

• Film irrigator.
• Drip irrigator.
• Drip-film irrigator.

Drip-film sprinklers are more efficient than the others. They have high cooling capacity and low aerodynamic drag coefficient.

Also, the type of fan has a significant effect on the performance of the cooling tower. An axial fan produces less air pressure, so the temperature may not be sufficient to cool hot liquids. A centrifugal fan provides cooler airflow, and the system can cool hotter liquids. However, these fans consume more electricity than axial models.

Open and closed cooling towers are manufactured. Closed designs are more expensive. They are chosen if it is necessary to maintain the highest possible frequency in the system. Open cooling towers need to be cleaned periodically; debris can enter the entire circuit. Open cooling towers have minimal energy consumption. In a closed system, the liquid must be cooled through the surface of the containment tube. This requires cooler air in a larger volume.

Fan-assisted sectional cooling towers are suitable for areas where the design air temperature does not drop below -40° and wind pressure does not drop to 1.2 kPa. They are economical systems that are easy to maintain.

Fan Cooling Tower Applications

Such a system is primarily needed to maintain a given temperature differential in the equipment system or at a specific point in the system. Thanks to this, it is possible to create the right conditions for the technological process and ensure high performance of refrigeration equipment.

Open-type fan cooling towers are installed in cogeneration plants, compressor stations, condenser turbines and other systems. They cool the condensers and compressors of industrial refrigerators, air conditioners and other equipment where it is necessary to remove excess heat by means of a cooling medium.