Overview of Cooling Tower

Prepared By: Shubham katiyar auxizen@gmail.com

LDPE
PRODUCT
PRODUCT GRADE PLANT TECHNOLOGY PLANT CAPACITY COMMISSIONING YEAR DETAIL ENGINEERING TYPE OF POLYMERISATION NATURE OF REACTION

Low Density PolyEthylene

Indothene ATO FRANCE 80,000 MTPA (U-11 & U-12) 1978 Technip and EIL Free Radical Mechanism Highly Exothermic (803 Kcal/Kg of polymer)

UNIQUE FEATURES OF LDPE Tubular reactor Operating pressure is very high (2000-2400 bars). Operating Temp. is very high (300-310 0C). Conversion is 20 23 %. High power consumption. Reaction control needs skill . Control room panel equipped with DCS. DM Water based cooling tower.

PROCESS BLOCK DIAGRAM OF LDPE PLANT

Fresh ethylene

Primary comp. Booster Comp.

Top injection
Hyper Comp.

Tubular reactor

LP steam

Oxygen
LPG/Propylene OFF GAS

MPR Cooler LPR Cooler

Side injection

Hot Water Drum

LP Separator

MP Separator

Let down valve

Extruder Storage & Bagging

Industries generate tremendous amount of Heat This Waste Heat is to be taken by cooling water in various heat exchangers. From cooling water the heat is dissipated into the atmosphere and water is chemically treated and recirculated.

There are two industrial method for disposing heat. Cooling of water on surface of a pond by Spray ponds .

By a Cooling Tower.

 WHY COOLING TOWER ???

Rather than spray ponds , cooling tower has more efficiency due to more exposure of water surface and also occupies less area.

COOLING TOWER THEORY

Each particle of water is assumed to be surrounded by a film of air. Difference in temperature of hot water and cold air causes heat transfer and phase change of water .

 PRINCIPLES
The heat transfer process involves
Latent Heat Transfer by vaporization of a small portion of the water. Sensible Heat Transfer by the difference in temperature of water and air. About 80% of heat transfer is due to latent heat and 20% to sensible heat.

Cooling tower Theory The Merkel Equation is KaV/L = integral of (dT/h1-h2) under limits of T1 and T2 which is entering and leaving water temperature.
K=mass transfer constant A = contact area V = active cooling volume L = water rate T1 and T2 = entering and leaving water temperatures. h1 and h2 = entering and leaving water enthalpy.

The integral part of this equation is called as L/G ratio which is said as Tower characteristics .

Cooling Tower heat balance

L/G= h2-h1/T1-T2
Where L/G =liquid to gas mass flow ratio h2= enthalpy of air-vapor mixture at outlet wet bulb temperature h1= enthalpy of air-vapor mixture at inlet wet bulb temperature T1= hot water temperature T2=cold water temperature

Choosing a cooling tower

TYPES OF COOLING TOWER

Natural Draft Cooling Tower This type of cooling tower has a unique design of converging diverging area which causes air to flow naturally from downwards to upwards This type of tower is used for energy saving

Mechanical draft cooling tower

This is of two type. Forced draft This tower has a fan mounted at its base and air is forced from bottom and discharge at low velocity through top. (* Fan is subjected to less corrosion but low exit air velocity causes recirculation.*)

Induced draft tower

This tower has a fan at top. Classification based on relative direction of water and air. Counter flow arrangement. water and air flows in opposite direction obtaining max. heat transfer, water is sprayed through nozzle.

 Cross flow Cooling tower Water and air flows perpendicularly.Fill material is at sides. * Ultimately, the economic choice between counter flow and cross flow is determined by the effectiveness of fill,design conditions and the cost of tower manufacture.

Cross flow type cooling tower

Counter v/s cross flow

Cooling tower at LDPE

Multi-Blade 1.Fan Distribution Area
Splash Bar Grid And Supports Air Flow End Wall Casing

Air Flow Louvers

Air Flow

Drift Eliminators

Longitudinal Partition

Cooling tower at LDPE

Fan blades

Special rubber bush coupling

Cooling Tower Operation

Water make up (Wm) is sum of losses in cooling tower. We = Evaporation loss Wd = Drift loss Wb = Blow down Wm= We +Wd +Wb We= 0.00085Wc(T1-T2) Wc= Circulating water flow Wd= 0.1% of Wc

Cycles of Concentration
Blowdown is for discarding a portion of concentrated circulating water due to the evaporation process in order to lower the systems solid concentration. Cycles of concentration (COC) is the ratio of dissolved solids in recirculated water to dissolved solids in make up water. COC = (We+Wb)/Wb So Wb= We/(COC-1) Normally COC is in range of 5-7 cycles.

Factors governing Performance of cooling tower

Time of contact between water and air. Water concentration Cooling Range Approach to wet bulb temperature. Quantity of water to be cooled Wet bulb temperature. Air velocity through the cell Tower height

At LDPE we have Induced Draft Cross Current flow type cooling tower.

Construction details
Multi-Blade Distribution Area1.Fan Splash Bar Grid And Supports Air Flow End Wall Casing

Air Flow
Louvers

Air Flow

Drift Eliminators

Longitudinal Partition

Water circulation

LDPE Cooling Tower Details

Equipment No. 36-34-113 Capacity 4500 m3/hr Heat load 56 X 10e6 Kcal/hr Hot water temp. design 46.5 deg. C Cold water temp.design 33 deg. C Design ambient wet bulb temp. 29 deg C Approach 4 deg C Make up water DM water

Volume of cooling tower sump 780 m3 Volume of pump sump 355 m3 Volume of connecting channel 35 m3 Volume of distributed lines 500 m3 Total hold up 2000 m3 LDPEs water consumption is 2700 m3/hr

 Two pumps of 2285 m3/hr each ( GA 165/166/167) = 4570 m3/hr One pump of 350 m3/hr (GA 333/334) = 350 m3/hr Total = 4920 m3/hr assuming 80% pump efficiency total discharge is 4000 m3/hr

Water Treatment
Water treatment is done by Chembond Drewtreat Ltd. Chemicals added.. Orthophosphate For maintaining ph of water. 7.2-7.8 and corrosion inhibition

Biocide

For microbiological control Methyle Base Thiocynide.(MBT) Quartarnary Amonium Compound (* Temp. inside the cooling tower supports the bacteria which generates HNO3 and other acids.)

 A Dispersant is also added to not settle down the phosphate in sump or heat exchangers. Candy Filter is used to remove turbidity from water. Its a column of sand gravels,pebbles and water passes from it. 30% of total flow passes from it.

Candy Filter

Cooling tower inside cell