A cooling tower is an important component in today’s power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and manufacturing industrial plants. The main purpose of these towers is to remove the heat from a manufacturing or production process. The process of removing the heat can be as simple as a rooftop cooling tower air conditioning system or as complex as those towers used in oil refineries. It will vary in size depending on the cooling level needed. These towers allow the water to be cooled and then returned. The entire cooling process utilized in these towers saves a tremendous amount of money and energy.
Types of Cooling Towers
There are generally two types of cooling towers – those which cool by evaporation and those that cool by the use of air. The process that cools with air pumps the water to the top the tower. As gravity pulls the water down through a designated path, the droplets left by the water are exposed to a current of air. This cools the water, which is then returned to the production or manufacturing process.
The evaporation process is the result of a physical phenomenon. As water becomes a gas, the water temperature cools. The difference in temperatures between the air and the water affect how well this process works. The greater that difference in temperature is, the better the effect of cooling. It works in the same way as perspiration cools the body. If there is a large amount of water to cool and the environment where the plant is located is very dry, this is the best choice of cooling towers.
In most power plants and refineries, the evaporation method provides the cooling. There are exceptions, though, and the choice is often based upon the climate in the area. Dry climates seem to work better with the evaporation method, while the air cooling method works better in conditions that are more temperate.
In Closing
Cooling towers are quite beneficial and provide necessary cooling so that many of the world’s most important plants and factories can operate safely. It’s also an environmentally friendly way of cooling the water, especially since the water is reused once cooled.