Effect of operating parameters on the performance of counter flow type cooling towers

Abstract EN

This paper presents an experimental work, which studies the performance of a counter flow type cooling tower.

The experimental results have been carried out at a test rig which designed and investigated in Misr Oil and Soap Company.

It consists of 12 cooling towers from these types.

Three types of film fill packing, used during experimentation, 0were made of PVC with height range 800 – 1200 mm.

During the experimentation the following quantities were varied: air flow velocity in the range 10.5-17.5 m/s and water flow rate in the range of 80-150 m3/h.

The variation of temperature along the height of packed was measured by means of 16 appropriate placed thermocouples.

The results show that when the mass flow rate ratio decreased, the number of transfer units (NTU) were increased.

Also by decreasing the inlet air wet bulb temperature, the tower range would be increased.

From this study the characteristic equation is in the form: 0.12 0.875 − ⎥⎦ ⎤ ⎢⎣= = ⎡ G L L K A V NTU a V , which can be used in designing the counter flow cooling towers.