5 replies to this topic

[shan]

Hi Everyone,

Do the cooling towers still work at 100% relative humidity? I would say "no" based on the theory. However, why do the power plants and refineries keep operation at the rainy days (100% RH) if they loose cooling water?

Regards

Shan

[S.AHMAD]

Hi Everyone,

Do the cooling towers still work at 100% relative humidity? I would say "no" based on the theory. However, why do the power plants and refineries keep operation at the rainy days (100% RH) if they loose cooling water?

Regards

Shan

It works by sensible heat only so it is not that efficient in another words we need bigger cooling tower size for the same heat removal capacity - bigger fan, bigger fan driver bigger packing etc.

[katmar]

If you have ever been on top of a cooling tower you must have felt how hot the exiting air is. As S.AHMAD has pointed out, the air is heated by absorbing sensible heat from the water. When you heat air you reduce its relative humidity and so some evaporation will take place as the air heats up. But the capacity of a cooling tower is severely reduced during high humidity periods and I have seen the cooling water temperature suddenly rise 3 or 4 degrees in a rainstorm.

[Qalander (Chem)]

If you have ever been on top of a cooling tower you must have felt how hot the exiting air is. As S.AHMAD has pointed out, the air is heated by absorbing sensible heat from the water. When you heat air you reduce its relative humidity and so some evaporation will take place as the air heats up. But the capacity of a cooling tower is severely reduced during high humidity periods and I have seen the cooling water temperature suddenly rise 3 or 4 degrees in a rainstorm.

High humidity conditions are most usually detrimental to Cooling tower's efficiency;since whole concept is designed and driven with the available margins between wet bulb and dry bulb temperature readings for that environment.

Here again I second ''katmar' that experience of exiting heated(wet) air on top of a cooling tower is almost similar to as if being blown by low temperature steam flow!

Hope this proves helpful conceptually for 'shan'

[shan]

Thank you all for the responses. However, I think it will be better off using air cooler instead of cooling tower to take advantage of air sensitive heat.

Shan

[Qalander (Chem)]

Dear,Although you have probably made up your mind.

But just to remind that location's

• weather,
• meteorological data for maximum part of the year&
• corresponding Wet bulb and Dry bulb temperature(s)

Help us determining the optimum solution for the 'cooling issue at hand'. that you might have already considered if I understand correctly!

Hoping for you success.