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Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculations

The document discusses cooling tower efficiency calculations. It defines key terms like cooling tower approach, range, and efficiency. The efficiency is calculated as the range divided by the sum of the range and approach, and represents how close the cold water temperature gets to the wet bulb temperature. Higher efficiencies between 70-75% are possible, but require larger towers. The document also covers other calculations like cycle of concentration, blowdown, evaporation loss, and makeup water requirements.

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Pramod Sharma
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60 views3 pages

Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculations

The document discusses cooling tower efficiency calculations. It defines key terms like cooling tower approach, range, and efficiency. The efficiency is calculated as the range divided by the sum of the range and approach, and represents how close the cold water temperature gets to the wet bulb temperature. Higher efficiencies between 70-75% are possible, but require larger towers. The document also covers other calculations like cycle of concentration, blowdown, evaporation loss, and makeup water requirements.

Uploaded by

Pramod Sharma
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Cooling Tower Approach
  • Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculations
  • Other Cooling Tower Calculations
  • Cooling Tower Range

Cooling Tower

Cooling Tower Efficiency


Calculations
Last updated April 8, 2018

Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculation is described in this article. Cooling Towerplays a


major role in Chemical Process Industry. They reject process heat from the cooling
water to atmosphere and keep the water cool. The performance of the cooling tower
depends on various parameters like Range & Approach. We shall see those
terminologies in Detail.

Cooling Tower Approach


The difference between the Cold Water Temperature (Cooling Tower Outlet)

And ambient Wet Bulb Temperature is called as Cooling Tower Approach.

Approach = Cold Water Temperature – Wet Bulb Temperature

Cooling Tower approach is the better indicator of the performance.

Cooling Tower Range


The difference between the Hot Water Temperature (Cooling Tower Inlet) Temperature
and Cold water (Cooling Tower Outlet) temperature is called Cooling Tower Range.

Range = Hot Water Temperature – Cold Water Temperature


Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculation
The calculation of cooling tower efficiency involves the Range and approach of the
cooling Tower. Cooling tower efficiency is limited by the ambient wet bulb temperature.
In the ideal case, the cold water temperature will be equal to the wet-bulb temperature.
This is practically not possible to achieve. This requires very large tower and results in
huge evaporation and windage or drift loss resulting in a practically not viable solution.
In practice, the cooling tower efficiency will be in between 70 to 75%.

Cooling Tower Efficiency =

(Hot Water Temperature – Cold water Temperature) x 100/

(Hot Water Temperature – Wet bulb temperature)

Or Simply

Cooling Tower Efficiency = Range/ (Range + Approach) x 100

In summer the ambient air wet bulb temperature raises when compared to winter thus
limiting the cooling tower efficiency.

Other Cooling Tower Calculations


This includes determination of cycle of concentration, Evaporation loss, Drift or Windage
Loss, Blow down water requirement makeup water requirement.

Cycle of Concentration
The cycle of concentration is a dimensionless number. It is a ratio between parameter in
Cooling Water to the parameter in Makeup water. It can be calculated from any the
following formulae.

COC= Silica in Cooling Water / Silica in Makeup Water

COC = Ca Hardness in Cooling Water/ Ca Hardness in Makeup water

COC = Conductivity of Cooling Water / Conductivity of Makeup water


The cycle of concentration normally varies from 3.0 to 7.0 depending on the Process
Design. It is advisable to keep the Cycle of concentration as high as possible to reduce
the makeup water requirement of the cooling tower. At the same time, the higher cycle
of concentration increases the dissolved solids concentration in circulating cooling water
which results in scaling and fouling of process heat transfer equipment.

Draw off or Blowdown


As the cooling water circulates the cooling tower part of water evaporates thereby
increasing the total dissolved solids in the remaining water. To control the Cycle of
Concentration blow down is given. Blowdown is the function of Cycle of concentration.
Blowdown can be calculated from the formula:

B = E/ (COC-1)

B = Blow Down (m3/hr)

E = Evaporation Loss (m3/hr)

COC = Cycle of Concentration. Varies from 3.0 to 7.0 depending upon Manufactures
Guidelines

Evaporation Loss Calculation


Evaporation Loss in the cooling tower is calculated by the following empirical equation.

E = 0.00085 x R x 1.8 x C

E = Evaporation Loss (m3/hr)

R= Range

C = Circulating Cooling Water (m3/hr)

Cooling Tower Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculations Last updated April 8, 2018 Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculation is d
Cooling Tower Efficiency Calculation The calculation of cooling tower efficiency involves the Range and approach of the coo
The cycle of concentration normally varies from 3.0 to 7.0 depending on the Process Design. It is advisable to keep the Cycl

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