Performance Evaluation of a Forced Draft Cooling Tower Using Cellulosic Honeycomb and Polyvinyl Chloride Fillings

Abstract

Improving the heat transfer equipment performance and understanding the effect of any relevant factors on it will contribute to energy conservation and mitigate environmental pollution. Cooling towers are among the heat transfer equipment widely employed in various fields. This study aims to investigate the effect of the cooling load, the flow rates of water and air passing through the tower, and ambient temperature on the cooling range and the approach value of the tower with two types of filling materials, i.e., CHC and PVC. To conduct the experiments, a laboratory bench-top cooling tower that operates with opposite flows for both the air and water streams was used. The study revealed that the cooling range increased with high cooling load and air flow rates; however, it decreased with rising water flow rates and ambient temperatures for both fillings. The approach value exhibited a direct relationship with cooling load, water flow rate, and ambient temperature, and improved notably with higher air flow rates through the tower. CHC filling consistently outperformed PVC filling, resulting in significantly lower mean approach value differences: 0.52°C for cooling load, 2.84°C for air flow rate, 1.73°C for water flow rate, and 2.5°C for ambient air temperature. In conclusion, CHC filling proved to be a superior choice for cooling towers, consistently achieving lower approach values in a variety of operating conditions.