TYPES OF HEAT TRANSFER IN COOLING TOWERS
The cooling towers work by dispersing heat by using coolants or water to transfer heat from one place, like a building, process, etc. The heat transfer method can be different depending on the operation. A facility owner has a variety of heat transfer systems to choose from. Check out these 3 heat mechanisms.
Heat Transfer by Wet Cooling
Large facilities and applications often use wet cooling transfer mechanisms. As the heat travels towards the fill media, it is transferred to water. As the evaporation occurs, water is brought into direct contact with air. As the heat and hot water travels out of the tower, they mix with the air. The remaining water is collected in a basin at the base of the tower. Open circuit is the term used to describe this type of heat transfer system. This system has the main advantage of spreading the water as widely as possible as it contacts the fill media. This system allows maximum heat transfer across a large area, allowing the process to occur quickly.
Dry Cooling Heat Transmission
Water or coolant is transported through tubes in the dry cooling process. Heat is transferred to the liquid, which then moves toward the cooling tower. The cooling tower air circulates around the tubes as heat from the liquid is transferred through the tube walls and into the air. The air is then blown out of the cooling tower. This process is different from wet-cooling because the water is completely enclosed and never directly comes into contact with air. Closed recirculating systems are used to describe these processes, as the water in our tech system does not evaporate.
Fluid Cooling Heat Transfer
Some fluid cooling processes involve wet and dry cooling systems. As a closed-circuit system, water and air are both contained in coils. The heat is absorbed by water, which travels to the coil and comes into direct contact with air. Heat is transferred to the air when hot air leaves the cooling tower. This system has the main advantage of preventing contaminated air to mix with water from the outside, reducing the amount of pollutants that enter the system. You can find prefabricated cooling towers that are suitable for commercial applications.