Chapter Seven

Water Cooling Towers

Dr. Mohammed H. Al-Saleh
Department of Chemical Engineering
Jordan University of Science and Technology

Overview

In water cooling towers, the

he evaporation of small amount of water
m.
cools a warm water stream.
Counter-current process in
n

towers packed with slats of

wood/plastic OR packed bed

Flow of air by natural draftt

or action of fan

The water stream can be cooled up to .

Temperature and Concentration Profiles

Water vapor diffuses from the GL interface to the bulk gas

phase, i.e.   is the driving force.
The resistance to mass transfer is in the gas phase
What is the direction of sensible heat
At the top of the tower?
At the bottom of the tower?

Design Equation

Energy balance around the dashed-box

#$ + %#&! =

But we can assume that

! #$!

+ %#&
"

#$ #$! = %(#& #&! )

'$ *$ *$! = %(#& #&! )
#& =
-. /0123
4" . 6
*$ : Water temperature
-. 9;
#: Humidity of air
-. <>
#$ : Enthalpy of liquid
: Water flow

'$
%

*$ *! + #&!
-.
4" . 6
*8 : Air temperature

%: Dry air flow

#& : Enthalpy of Gas mixture

G2
TG+dTG
H+dH
Hy+dHy
G
Hy

G1

L2

L+dL
TL+dTL
dz
L
TL

L1

Making a balance on the differential element dz

'$ ?*$ = %?#&
n

This amount of energy is equivalent to the heat transferred by

convection
'$ ?*$ = %?#& = $ 0 *$ *B ?C

$ 0: liquid phase volumetric heat transfer coefficient

Rate of water evaporation

OP = -& (QB Q)
OP =

-& JK
(#B #8 )
JP

Rate of heat transfer in vapor as a result of water vapor latent heat

-& = -8 0L

FI = OP JP MN >

FI
= JK -8 0LMN #B #8 ?C
>

#JK
JP

Rate of sensible heat in the gas phase

F^
= 8 0 *B *8 ?C
>

%?#& =

8 0
'S
JK -& 0

FI F^
+ = JK -8 0LMN #B #8 ?C + 8 0 *B *8 ?C
>
0
8 0

'S
-& 0 = L-8 0
JK L-8 0

%?#& = JK -8 0L?C 'S *B + MN #B 'S *8 + MN #8

%?#& = JK -8 0L?C 'S *B *N + #B MN ('S (*8 *N ) + #8 MN )
#&B
%?#& = JK -8 0L?C(#&B #& )
YZ[
?#&
%
U ?C = C =
U
JK -8 0L YZ\ #&B #&
X
V

#&

Also
'$ ?*$ = %?#& = $ 0 *$ *B ?C
%?#& = JK -8 0L?C(#&B #& )
JK -8 0L?C #&B #& = $ 0 *$ *B ?C
#&B #&
$ 0
=
*$ *B
JK -8 0L

Design Using Film MTC

Construct the enthalpy (_ ) -temperature equilibrium curve

6kvz2 =

#& = 'S * *N + #MN

$ 0
-8 0JK L

Hy vs T

Hy2

Locate the terminal points

Hyi
#& H
y

*$! , #&! 0j? *$" , #&"

Plot a line with a slope of

$ 0
-8 0JK L

Start from point _` and stop at _b

For each point find _ (interfacial enthalpy)

Operating line
'$
%

Hy1
TL1 Ti

TL
*

TL2

Plot the function `/(_ ) vs _ then find the area under the curve.

Minimum Gas Flowrate

#& ~6 *

#&"

#&"

'$

%{B|

#&

Operating line

#&!
TL1

'$
%

TL2

'$ *$" *$! = %{B| (#&"

#&! )

% = 1.3%{B| 1.5%{B|

Example
A packed countercurrent water-cooling tower is being used to cool a
water stream from TL1 = 43.3oC to TL2 = 29.4oC. The water stream flows at
rate of L = 1.356 kg water/s.m2 and the gas stream flowrate is G = 1.356 kg
dry air/s.m2. The entering air at 29.4oC and has a wet bulb temperature of
23.9oC. The mass transfer coefficient kGa is estimated as 1.20710-7 kg
mol/s.m2.Pa and hLa/kGaMBP as 4.187104 J/kg.K. The tower operates at a
pressure of 10.1.3 kPa. Calculate:
1)

The height of packed tower

2)

Minimum gas flowrate

3)

Amount of water evaporated

4)

The humidity of the gas stream at the top of the tower