Humidification

Operation and
Cooling Tower
Introduction, Performance,
and Design

Content
Basic Concept of Humidification
Humidity Chart
Cooling Tower
Basic Terms and Parameters
Types

Design Equation

Outcomes
Basic knowledge of humidification
Reading of Humidity chart
Basic concept of Cooling tower
Energy Balance of Cooling Tower
Hydraulic and operational design
Analyze the performance of cooling Tower

Basic Concept of
Humidification
Humidification
Addition of vapor of a pure liquid into gas.
Dehumidification
Reverse process of humidification in which
gas
added into the liquid stream.
In Humidification heat and mass transfer
Simultaneously.

Humidity
Mass of vapor carried
by a unit mass of vapor free gas
H = humidity (lb of vapor/lb of dry air)
M = Molecular Weight of vapor
M = Molecular weight of gas
P = Partial pressure of Vapor (psi)
P = Total Pressure (Psi)

Saturation Humidity
Saturated gas in which vapor in
equilibrium with the liquid at gas temperature.
Humidity at this point is saturation humidity
P= Vapor pressure of the liquid
Hs = Saturation Humidity

Relative Humidity
Ratio of Partial pressure and
vapor pressure of liquid vapor
Where:
HR = Relative Humidity
P = Vapor pressure (Psi)

Percentage of Humidity
Ratio of humidity and
saturation humidity

Cs= Cpb +
C = Humid Heat
C = Specific Heat of gas (Btu/lb.F) Cpa H
Humid Heat
s

pb

Cpa = Specific Heat of Vapor (Btu/lb.F)

Dry Bulb Temperature

Temperature of the humid gas.
Most of the time is the atmospheric temperature

Wet Bulb Temperature

Steady state, non equilibrium temperature reached by a
small
mass of liquid exposed under adiabatic condition to
continues
stream of gas

Dry Bulb
Temperature
Wet Bulb
Temperature

Introduction, Design and Performance

COOLING TOWER

Introduction
Equipment which evaporate a part of the liquid
(water) and cool down temperature of rest of the
liquid(water).
Water Air system in which water vapors are
added in the main Air stream.
Remove heat from the system by evaporating
vapor in air/gas stream.
Simultaneous mass and heat transfer in this
operation

Types
Natural Draft
Air/Gas flow under the natural convection of the tower which is
produced by height.
Use in huge capacity operation like power plants

Induced Draft
Air/Gas flow under the induced pressure of the fan which is
placed at the top of the tower.
Use in small capacity operation

Forced Draft
Air/Gas flows under the forced pressure of the fan which is
placed at
The bottom of the tower
Use in small capacity operation

Forced Draft Cooling

Tower

Counter Current
Induced Draft
(Common Design)

Natural Draft Cooling

Tower

Basic terms and Parameters

Approach
Difference between the water supply temperature
and the entering wet bulb temperature.

Range
Temperature difference of water inlet and outlet streams.

Capacity
Total amount of heat that the cooling tower can reject at a
given
flow rate, approach, and ambient wet bulb temperature.

Evaporation Rate
Mass of the liquid vaporize per unit time

Drift
Unevaporated water droplets that are lost from the
cooling
tower.

Evaporation (Loss)
Water that undergoes a phase change from liquid to
vapor and exits the tower as part of an airvapor mixture.

Make-Up (Water)
Water added to overcome water lost to evaporation, drift
and blow down.

Blow down
Water discharged from the system to control
concentration of
solids or other impurities in the water.

Design Of Cooling Tower

Hydraulic Design
Operational Design
Mechanical Design

Leaving Gas
contain vapor
with high
energy
Air/Gas Entering
Gyb = Mass Flux of
Air/Gas lb/Sq.ft. h.
Ha = Enthalpy of

gas Leaving (BTU/lb)

T = Temperature of
gas leaving (F)

ZT

Air/Gas Entering
Gyb = Mass Flux of Air/Gas
lb/Sq.ft. h.
Hb = Enthalpy of gas entering

(BTU/lb)
TD = Dry Bulb Temperature (F)

Circulation Water Inlet

Gxa = Mass Flux of water
lb/Sq.ft. h.
C = Circulation Rate ft/h
Twi = Water inlet Temperature
(F)

Circulation Water Outlet

Gxb = Mass Flux of water
lb/Sq.ft. h.
C = Circulation Rate ft/h
Two = Water out Temperature

Hydraulic Design
Enthalpy of Entering Gas

HB = Cs(TD TR) + 0 H
Where:
HA = Enthalpy of entering gas (Btu/lb)
TD = Dry bulb temperature (oF)
TR = Reference Temperature (oF)
0 = Heat of vaporization of liquid at TD (Btu/lb)

Overall Energy Balance Equation of

cooling
Tower

Gy(HA - HB) = GxCL(TWi - Two)

Where:
Gy = Gas mass velocity per unit area (lb/h.m2)
HA = Enthalpy of gas leaving (Btu/lb)
Gx = Liquid mass velocity per unit area (lb/h.m2)
CL = Specific heat of liquid (Btu/lb.oF)
TWi = Liquid inlet Temperature
Two = Liquid outlet Temperature

Total height of Contact section

ZT = Noy x Hoy
Where:
ZT = Total height of contact section (ft)
Noy = Total number of transfer height or number of Ideal
stages
Hoy = height of one transfer unit or one ideal stage (ft)

Where:
Ka = Volumetric mass Transfer Coefficient (lb/ft3.s)
H = Enthalpy of gas at leaving (Btu/lb)
H =Enthalpy of gas in equilibrium with liquid (Btu/lb)

Thermal Capacity

TC = mw CL(TWi - Two)
TC = Thermal Capacity (Btu/s)
mw = Mass Flow rate (lb/s)
CL = Specific Heat of water (btu/lb.oF)
TWi = Temperature water inlet stream (oF)
Two = Temperature Water outlet stream (oF)

Operational Design
Circulating Cooling
Water
Evaporation Rate
Drift Losses
Blow Down
Cycle of
concentration

Design Equation
Evaporation Rate
E

= TC/ L

E = Evaporation rate ft/s

TC = Thermal capacity (Btu/s)
L = Latent heat of vaporization

Total Water Loss (ft/h )

TWL = E + BD + DL + L
Drift losses
0.05 0.2% of RR
Mackup Water (ft/h)
M = TWL = E + BD + DL+ L

Cycle of Concentration
Represents the accumulation of dissolved minerals
in the
recirculation cooling water. Blow Down is used to
control the
buildup of these minerals.

COC = XC / XM
Blow Down

BD = (M/COC) - D

Where:
M = Make-up water in ft/h
C = Circulating water in ft/h
BD = Blow Down ft/h
E = Evaporated water in ft/h
DL = Drift loss of water in ft/h
COC = Cycles of concentration (dimensionless)
XM = Concentration of chloride in make-up water (M), in
ppmw
XC = Concentration of chlorides in circulating water (C), in
ppmw

Conclusion
Mass transfer from vapor phase to
gas phase is Humidification
Cooling tower is industrial application
of humidification
Cooling below the wet bulb
temperature is impossible
Approach is the actual parameter to
analyze the performance of cooling
tower

Thank You for Attention