The primary function of cooling towers is the removal of heat from manufacturing and production processes. A cooling tower can work on simple principles of air conditioning or it could involve more complex processes such as those used in chemical plants, oil refineries or power plants in North Ridgeville .
The size of a cooling tower is determined by the size of the process for which it is being used. While some cooling towers can be found in the form of small chimney-like structures, others can be the size of an entire office building. Regardless of their size, however, these structures are used to cool water and return it to an HVAC or related system for further use which saves a lot of energy as well as time and money.
During the removal of heat, cooling towers either use air or the process of evaporation. When heat is removed using evaporation, the process of wet-bulb air temperature is used to measure the temperature of the air. On the other hand, when the temperature is taken by exposing water to cooler air, it is known as dry-bulb. Most of these cooling towers operate in pairs so if one system fails, the other one can take over.
Cooling Using Air
When air is used to cool the water in cooling towers, the water is directed towards the top of the tower. It is then made to follow a path that leads it to flow down in the form of droplets. When this happens, cool air is blown upwards against the water droplets. As the air passes these droplets, the temperature of the water drops and it is then returned to the bottom to be used further in the production process.
Cooling Using Evaporation
When water is heated, it turns into vapor, rises up, cools and comes back down again as a liquid. This process is based on the natural phenomena of evaporation and condensation. The contrast of temperature between the water and the air is what determines the efficacy of this process.
The larger the temperature gradient, the more efficient the process of cooling is. This is why humid regions are not great for this kind of cooling. While these processes can be either open circuit or closed circuit, many systems use both these types of circuits to maximize effectiveness. For more information about cooling towers or commercial HVAC in North Ridgeville, give Westland Heating and Air Conditioning a call today!
