Course No.
: ME 310 (Thermo Fluid System Design)
Project Name :
Authors :
• Maruf Md. Ikram (1510018)
• Mohammad Ali Noor Zaman (1510024)
• Md. Azizul Hakim (1510025)
Submitted To :
Professor Dr. Md. Zahurul Haq, Department of ME , BUET
Lecturer Musanna Galib, Department of ME , BUET
Submission Date : 12-February-2019
Copyright © by Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology . All
rights of the contents are reserved by Bangladesh University of Engineering &
Technology . Any part of this document ( electrical or mechanical or photocopy )
cannot be fully or partially rebuilt or reproduced without consent and written
permission from the authority of Bangladesh University of Engineering &
Technology .
1
Acknowledgement :
Before mentioning anything on the project, we would like to say ‘thanks to
Almighty Allah’ for the proper ending of our project.
The project was a new experience for us out of all the courses in Mechanical
engineering till now.
It had a lot of knowledge to offer as we were introduced with many
components about which we did not have significant information before.
The fact of project design and materialization of it by proper implementation
of relevant components resulted in the ultimate fruit of success for us.
Direct and indirect assistance with kind advices and necessary project
components from all sources are appreciated greatly.
We would also like to appreciate the efforts of our course teachers for
creating an urge to finish the job in time.
Our group partners were very helpful and co-operative. Chemistry among us
was excellent.
The project reminded us of an important fact that teamwork mixed with
dedication and hard work will bring nothing but success.
2
Contents
1. Abstract………………………………………………………………….…………..…………Page-05
2. Introduction…………………………………………………………….………….…………Page-06
3. Objective……………………………..………………………………….………….…………Page-07
4. Various Types of Cooling Tower……………………………….…………....………Page-08
5. Features And Dimensions……………………………………….………………………Page-19
6. Working Principle…………………………………………………….…………………….Page-20
7. Design Consideration for Cooling Tower………..……….……………..………Page-21
8. Calculation……………………………………………………………….…………………….Page-23
9. Calculation for Prototype……………………………………….………………………Page-26
10.Result Analysis……………………………………………………….……………………….Page-27
11.Limitations of Measurement………………………………….…………….…………Page-27
12.Cost Analysis……………………………………………………….………………………….Page-28
13.Future Modification …………………………………………….…………………………Page-29
14.Conclusion…………………………………………………………..………………….………Page-30
15.References…………………………………………………………..…………………….……Page-31
3
FIGURES
❖ Figure - 01 : Schematic Diagram Of Forced Draft Cooling Tower.….….Page-06
❖ Figure - 02 : Natural Draft Cooling Tower…………………………………………Page-08
❖ Figure - 03 : Mechanical Forced Draft Cooling Tower……………………...Page-09
❖ Figure - 04 : Mechanical Induced Draft Cooling Tower…………………….Page-10
❖ Figure - 05 : Counter Flow Cooling Tower………………………………………..Page-11
❖ Figure - 06 : Cross Flow Cooling Tower…………………………………………….Page-11
❖ Figure - 07 : Factory Assembled Cooling Tower.….………….…………….…Page-12
❖ Figure - 08 : Field Erected Cooling Tower…………………………………………Page-13
❖ Figure - 09 : Bottle Type Cooling Tower……………………………………………Page-14
❖ Figure - 10 : Square Type Cooling Tower………………………………………….Page-14
❖ Figure - 11 : Rectangular Type Cooling Tower………………………………….Page-15
❖ Figure - 12 : Hyperbolic Type Cooling Tower…………………………………..Page-15
❖ Figure - 13 : Open Circuit Cooling Tower…………………………………………Page-16
❖ Figure - 14 : Closed Circuit Cooling Tower……………………………………….Page-17
❖ Figure - 15 : Hybrid Cooling Tower………………………………………………….Page-17
❖ Figure - 16 : Diagram Showing Cooling Tower Range & Approach……Page-22
4
1. Abstract :
Cooling towers are used to remove excess heat that is generated in places
such as power station, chemical plant and even domestically in air conditioning
units. Here we designed a forced draught cooling tower of height 3ft which is very
much smaller compared to commercially used forced draught cooling tower and
fabricated it on steel frame and for delaying the contact of air and water we used
flat MS plate with hole so that water is turned into droplets and increase the air
water contact time .Then we studied the operation of cooling tower and examined
it various parameter such as feed flow rate ,air flow rate, inlet water temperature,
outlet temperature, dry and wet bulb temperature on the performance of cooling
tower. And the study the chosen variables are the heater power of 1.5 KW and flow
rater of water 9 liter per minute. The steady flow equations which is energy and
mass balances were employed in order to provide an insight on the amount of
energy transferred between phases under different conditions. After the effects on
the performances of cooling tower are determined by following parameters:
(1)temperature and flow rate of water
(2)Relative Humidity and flow rate of air
(3)cooling load.
5
2. Introduction :
A cooling tower is a type of heat exchanger used to reduce the temperature
of a water stream by extracting heat from water and emitting it to the
atmosphere. Cooling towers use the evaporation of water to remove process heat
and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature. Cooling towers
are able to lower the water temperatures more than devices that use only air to
reject heat, like the radiator in a car, and are therefore more cost-effective and
energy efficient. They are generally used in HVAC application. There are many
types of cooling tower available. The forced draft cross flow and counter flow
cooling tower are the most common ones used in HVAC application. Forced draft
cooling tower is a type of mechanical draft tower which has a blower type fan at
the air intake. With the fan on the air intake, the fan is more susceptible to
complications due to freezing conditions. The benefit of the forced draft design is
its ability to work with high static pressure. Such setups can be installed in more-
confined spaces and even in some indoor situations. This fan geometry is also
known as blow-through. The fan forces air into the tower, creating high entering
and low exiting air velocities. The low exiting velocity is much more susceptible to
recirculation.
Figure 1 : Schematic Diagram Of Forced Draft Cooling Tower
6
Cooling tower reduces temperature of circulating water so that water may
be used in heat exchange equipment and condensers . Cooling towers are
equipment devices commonly used to dissipate heat from power generation
units, water cooled refrigeration, air conditioning and industrial processes.
Cooling towers offer an excellent alternative particularly in locations where
sufficient cooling water cannot be easily obtained from natural sources or where
concern for the environment imposes some limits on the temperature at which
cooling water can be returned to the surrounding.
3. Objective :
To design a cooling tower to meet certain performance requirement
with thermal performance, minimum cost, good mechanical
strength.
To design a scale down prototype of a cooling tower.
7
4. Various Types of Cooling Tower :
According to the method adopted to circulate the air , cooling tower may be
classified as :
i. Natural Draft Cooling Tower :
Figure 2 : Natural Draft Cooling Tower
As the name indicates, the air is circulated inside the cooling tower
by natural convection . The natural draft cooling towers are further
classified as :
a) Natural Draft Cooling Tower Spray Type : The entire
system is housed inside a box-shaped structure which also
accommodates spray headers, spray nozzles, and louvers. The
louvers (usually made of steel) are placed on the sides to
enhance natural circulation of air inside the cooling tower. To
prevent the carry over of water droplets to the atmosphere, the
8
louvers are slanted towards the inside. Usually these types of
cooling towers are located outside the building, so that the air
can pass freely through the tower.
b) Natural Draft Cooling Tower Splash Type : This type of
cooling tower is very similar to that of the spray type. Instead of
a spray header, a water box is used. The water box has small
holes at the bottom. It also contains decking inside the tower.
The hot water from the condenser enters into the water box and
splashes via holes in the water box on the decking. The main
objective of the decking is to increase the surface area of
contact of air with the warm water. This type of cooling tower
is 20-30% more effective than the spray type.
ii. Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower : The mechanical draft
cooling towers are very much similar to that of the natural draft
cooling towers. As the name indicates, air is circulated inside the tower
mechanically instead of natural circulation. Propeller fans or
centrifugal fans may be used.
a) Forced Draft Cooling tower :
Figure 3 : Mechanical Forced Draft Cooling Tower
9
In this system, fan is located near the bottom and on the side.
This fan forces the air from bottom to top. An eliminator is used
to prevent loss of water droplets along with the forced air.
b) Induced Draft Cooling Tower :
Figure 4 : Mechanical Induced Draft Cooling Tower
In this system, a centrally located fan at the top, takes suction
from the tower and discharges it to the atmosphere. The only
between the induced draft cooling tower and forced draft
cooling tower is that the fan is located at the top in the induced
draft cooling tower.
10
According to air and water contact , cooling towers may be categorized as
follows :
1) Counter Flow Cooling Tower :
Figure 5 : Counter Flow Cooling Tower
In a counter-flow system, the in-flowing air travels in a vertical path
over the splash fill as the water streams down from the reservoir
above. Counter-flow systems are usually smaller than their cross-flow
counterparts. These cooling towers are more expensive due to the fact
that more energy is needed to push the air upward against the down-
flowing water.
2) Cross Flow Cooling Tower :
Figure 6 : Cross Flow Cooling Tower
11
Cross-flow cooling towers use a splash fill that allows in-flowing to air
move in a horizontal path over the stream of water from the upper
reservoirs. Cross-flow systems are some of the more expensive
equipment types, but they are also some of the easiest to maintain.
However, these cooling systems are more vulnerable to frost than
others.
According to type of production :
I. Factory Assembled Package(FAP) Cooling Tower :
Figure 7 : Factory Assembled Cooling Tower
Factory-assembled towers (FAP) are rebuilt and shipped in as few
sections as the mode of transportation will permit. A relatively small
tower will ship essentially intact. A larger, multi-cell cooling tower is
manufactured as modules at the factory, and shipped ready for final
assembly. Factory-assembled towers are also known as "packaged" or
"FAP" (factory-assembled product). Factory-assembled cooling towers
can be cross-flow or counter-flow, induced draft or forced draft,
depending on the application.
12
II. Field Erected Cooling Tower :
Figure 8 : Field Erected Cooling Tower
Field erected cooling towers are primarily constructed at the site of
ultimate use. All large cooling towers, and many of the smaller towers,
are prefabricated, piece-marked, and shipped to the site for final
assembly. The manufacturer usually provides labor and supervision for
final assembly. Field-erected towers can be cross-flow or counter-
flow, depending on the application. For power and heavy industrial
applications, the field-erected cooling tower can be customized to
meet customer’s exact specifications for performance, structure, drift
and plume abatement .
13
According to shape :
1. Bottle Type Cooling Tower :
Figure 9 : Bottle Type Cooling Tower
2. Square Type Cooling Tower :
Figure 10 : Square Type Cooling Tower
14
3. Rectangular Type Cooling Tower :
Figure 11 : Rectangular Type Cooling Tower
4. Hyperbolic Cooling Tower :
Figure 12 : Hyperbolic Type Cooling Tower
15
Hyperbolic systems are well-built and require a minimal amount of
resources. Though they require few resources, these cooling towers
are able to efficiently manage large-scale tasks within big chemical or
power plants. Hyperbolic systems use a chimney stacking technique
that allows the cooler, outside air to push the damp, warmer air inside
the tower. Splash fill is placed around the bottom of the tower and the
water that sprays over it is cooled by the passage of upward-flowing
air.
There are also another category which includes :
A. Open Circuit Cooling Tower :
Figure 13 : Open Circuit Cooling Tower
An open cooling tower is a heat exchanger that cools the water
through direct contact with the air. The heat transfer happens partially
through the heat exchange between air and water, but mainly through
the evaporation of part of the water that needs to be cooled.
16
B. Closed Circuit Cooling Tower :
Figure 14 : Closed Circuit Cooling Tower
A closed circuit cooling tower, or dry cooling tower, involves no
contact between the air and the fluid being cooled. This tower has two
separate fluid circuits, one in which the fluid is re-circulated on the
outside of the second circuit, which is a bundle of tubes through which
the hot water is flowing.
17
C. Hybrid Cooling Tower :
Figure 15 : Hybrid Cooling Tower
The hybrid cooling towers represent a suitable combination of wet and
dry cooling with a favorable impact on the environment, meeting
demanding environmental requirements. The hybrid cooling tower
works with the principle of wet cooling, whereas it is supplemented
with the dry cooling module. The purpose of this module is to reduce
the cooling water temperature, using the surrounding air before the
water enters the wet section. Hot air from dry cooling is mixed with
saturated air from the wet section, thus eliminating the steam plume.
18
5. Features & Dimension :
➢ Length: 2.5 ft
➢ Width: 2.5 ft
➢ Height: 3 ft
➢ No fills were used here
➢ To increase contact time 10 inclined plates were used
➢ Slope of inclination is 1 to 30 inch
➢ Plates were punched to increase no of droplets, exposing more surface area
for evaporation
➢ Sprinkler system wasn’t used. Rather holes were made in pipes for
subdividing the flow into tiny streams.
➢ Fan is placed in one side as it sucks most of the air from topmost chamber
when it is placed at the top.
➢ Flow in one plate is parallel to air flow whereas on the other plate it is
counter flow.
➢ Water falling time is about 6s which indicates inclined plates served well,
fulfilling its purpose.
➢ Water reservoir also works as collecting bucket for recirculation of water.
➢ Ball valve were used for flow control to avoid over flow of water from the
plate
➢ Plates dimensions are : length 2.5 ft , width 1.5 ft , cut 6 inches
19
6.Working Principle :
All the cooling towers are working on the principle of water evaporation.
On evaporation of water, both heat and mass transfer takes place, and water gets
cooled. Rate of evaporation is increased by increasing air velocity. In case of
cooling tower we call this an air draft. This air draft is created by mechanical
system of power driven fan. We create the same air draft in our cooling tower, by
using specially designed spray nozzles.
Evaporation is a natural phenomenon. Water will evaporate till air in
contact with it gets saturated with moisture. Evaporation cannot be more than
the saturation point of air. Thus total evaporation will depend upon the moisture
holding capacity of air, which depends on humidity.
When hot water is sprayed from top of the cooling tower through our
nozzles, it gives jet effect and air is sucked from the area surrounding each nozzle.
Air and water travel in co current direction down to the basin. During this travel,
air cools down the water to desired temperature, and escape through FRP
louvers.
Thus our cooling tower does the same performance as done by the Fan
Operated Cooling Tower, without the use of fan.
With the above characteristics our cooling tower has dual benefits, one
there is no power requirement and second there is no break down / no
maintenance. Another important advantage is that, because there is no fan, there
is no scope for electrical spark or friction spark. It can be installed safely in the,
inflammable area.
20
7. Design Consideration For Cooling Tower :
• Inclined plates were used to create obstacle on the flow path of water for
better contact with air
• Inclined plates are made of Mild steel so that they can work as fins and thus
convection heat transfer can be incorporated along with evaporation effect
• A cut of 25% is given on plate.
• Total travelling length of water = 12.5 ft
• Holes on plates allow water to fall by creating a number of droplets for
better evaporation effect
• Fan is placed at one side so that fluid in one plate flow parallel to air flow
and opposite to air flow on the next plate.
• Recirculation system is introduced for further temperature drop.
• Due to lack of resource makeup water supply was not added.
• Although drift loss might be significant but no drift eliminator was used.
• In fills are substituted by inclined plates.
• Dissolved solid in water wasn’t taken into account for simplicity
• Ends of pipes are plugged so that water can divide into tiny streams due to
high pressure.
• Ball valve was used for flow control to eliminate the risk of overflow
21
Figure 16 : Diagram Showing Cooling Tower Range & Approach
22
8.Calculation :
This section is dedicated to present an actual cooling tower specification
with proper data. We have collected data for the cooling tower of “Bashundhara
Group “. All data with proper calculations are given below.
Thermo-Fluid Calculations:
Psychometric Calculations were
done using:
http://www.flycarpet.net/en/Psy
Air Inlet
Dry Bulb Temperature 24 ℃
Wet Bulb Temperature 17.5 ℃
Relative Humidity 53%
Air Outlet
Dry Bulb Temperature 21.4 ℃
Wet Bulb Temperature 20.6 ℃
Relative Humidity 93%
The Cooling tower was designed for,
Dry Bulb Temperature 35 ℃
Wet Bulb Temperature 28.3 ℃
(at 35 degree Celsius)
Water Density 998.3562kg/m3 ℃ Approach (actual) 1
Specific Heat of Water 4.15429KJ/kg.k ℃
Exit RH 93%
Exit WBT 20.6 ℃
Flow Rate 3450 gallon/min
207 kg/s
Volumetric Flow rate 0.207341 m3/s
746.4269 m3/hr.
Dissolved Solids in circulating Water 1247 ppm
Dissolved Solids in makeup Water 427 ppm
COC 2.920375
Drift Loss 0.149285 m3/hr.
For Design
Range 5.6 ℃
Approach 3.9 ℃
Effectiveness 58.95%
23
Cooling Capacity 4815.653 kJ/s
1369.308 Tons
Capacity 1150 Tons
Heat Rejection factor 1.190702
Evaporation loss 6.395386 m3/hr.
[0.02% of flow rate]
Actual:
Range 5.60C
Approach 14.70C
Effectiveness 27.59%
% of Evaporation loss 0.86%
Blow down loss 3.33028 m3/hr.
Makeup Water needed 9.874952 m3/hr.
with RH = 93%
Enthalpy of Water-vapor mixture at outlet WBT at 20.6 ℃ DB
= 59.527 kJ/kg(d.a)
with RH =53%
Enthalpy of Water-vapor mixture at inlet WBT at 17.5 ℃ DB
= 49.259 kJ/kg(d.a)
Air flow Calculations:
Air:
𝑚̇𝑎 = 𝑚𝑎̇ 1 =𝑚𝑎̇ 2
∑𝑚𝑎̇ 𝑖 = ∑𝑚𝑎̇ 𝑒
Water:
∑𝑚𝑎̇ 𝑖 = ∑𝑚𝑎̇ 𝑒
⇒ 𝑚3 + 𝑚𝑎1 𝑤1 =̇ 𝑚4 + 𝑚𝑎2 𝑤2
⇒ 𝑚3 − 𝑚4 = 𝑚𝑎 (𝑤2 − 𝑤1 ) = 𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑢𝑝
Energy balance:
𝐸𝑖𝑛 = 𝐸𝑜𝑢𝑡
⇒ 𝑚𝑎2 ℎ2 + 𝑚4 ℎ4 − 𝑚𝑎1 ℎ1 − 𝑚3 ℎ3 = 0
⇒ 𝑚𝑎 (ℎ2 − ℎ1 ) + (𝑚3 − 𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑢𝑝 )ℎ3 = 𝑚3 ℎ3
⇒ 𝑚𝑎 { (ℎ2 − ℎ1 ) − (𝑤2 − 𝑤1 )ℎ4 } + 𝑚3 ℎ4 − 𝑚3 ℎ3 = 0
24
h1 49.25 kJ/kg
w1 0.0099
v1 0.855 m^3/kg
ρ1 1.18 kg/m^3
for RH =93%
h2 59.37 kJ/kg
w2 0.0149
v2 0.855 m^3/kg
ρ2 1.19 kg/m^3
h3 155 kJ/kg
h4 134.11 kJ/kg
ma 457.61711 kg/s
Q 384.5521933 m3/s
makeup water 1.922760966 kg/s
6.933336201 m3/hr.
for RH = 100%
h2 62.3 kJ/kg
w2 0.0161
v2 0.856 m3/kg
ρ2 1.19 kg/m3
ma 353.9079 kg/s
Q 297.4016 m^3/s
makeup 2.194229 kg/s
7.91223 m3/hr.
25
9.Calculation for Prototype :
Results from thermal test:
Water inlet temperature, Ti= 460C
Water outlet temperature, TO= 280C
Temperature drop = 180C
Mass flow rate, mw = .15 kg/s
Specific heat of water, Cp= 4168 J/kg.k
Inlet dry bulb temperature, Tdi = 260C
Inlet wet bulb temperature, Twi = 210C
Outlet dry bulb temperature, Tdo = 270C
Outlet wet bulb temperature, Two = 220C
Humidity at inlet, Ri = 64%
Humidity at outlet, RO = 71%
Humidity ratio at inlet = .0136 kg/kg
Humidity ratio at outlet = .015 kg/kg
[Source: https://www.kwangu.com/work/psychrometric.htm]
Speed of fan, ω = 1400 rpm
Air suction rate, S = 1350 CFM
= .637 m3/s
Atmospheric pressure = 101325 Pa (assumed)
26
Mass flow rate of air, ma = .752 kg/s (From ideal gas law)
Evaporated mass of water, mev = (0.015-0.0136)*0.752 kg/s
= 1.0534 g/s
Enthalpy of saturated water at 370C = 2413.85 KJ/kg
Heat loss due to evaporation, HL = 2.41385*1.0534 = 2.543 kw
Temperature drop due to evaporation of water, ΔTev = 4.10C
10.Result Analysis :
Here we find that, due to evaporation highest temperature fall should be ≤ 4.10C.
But our thermal analysis gives different value. This can be explained in the
following ways:
1. Conduction effect: We have used 10 inclined plates, made of Mild Steel.
When hot water falls on them maximum heat is transferred from water to
inclined plates by conduction causing high temperature fall
2. Convection effect: Forced convection effect of flowing air is also present
there which isn’t considered.
Such errors can be minimized by recording temperature when steady state
condition is achieved.
27
11.Limitations of Measurement :
1. Size of water reservoir wasn’t sufficient for supplying water for a long time
to achieve steady state.
2. Enough hot water couldn’t be supplied.
12.Cost Analysis :
Product Name No of products used Cost (in BDT)
Pump 1 1200
ID Fan 1 1200
Mild Steel plate 10 6500
Frame 1 3000
Roof cover 1 1200
Pipes 3 150
Fittings 5 200
Accessories - 750
Labour cost - 4500
Transportation - 500
Heater 1 250
Total = 19450
28
13. Future Modification :
❖ Effect of inclination on heat transfer characteristics should be investigated.
❖ Effect of number of punched holes on the plates and their size of holes
should be analyzed.
❖ Attempts should be taken to use plates as fins to introduce convection effect
for heat transfer characteristics.
❖ Corrugation on inclined plates will favor droplet formation and hence further
analysis is necessary .
29
14. Conclusion :
Modification over conventional ones:
- Inclined plates act as fins and hence effectiveness increases
- Greater flowing length within a small size
Based on the study on the assigned project, it is recommended to reduce the
water leakages in the tower by overcoming the construction flaws of the project.
The field will unleash the wide spectrum of cost effective and environmental
friendly operating practices which would be next to the international eco-efficiency
standards. Water conservation will not only reduce the load on environment and
natural resources, but would also enable the organization to claim for eco-
efficiency indicator points – a new brand image perspective. The adoption of
chemical free platforms completely or partially will reduce the cost of chemical
purchases, dependence of service provider and most important – regional
leadership in emerging the cooling water treatment technologies, since the
application has only been adopted mostly in Western continents.
30
15.References :
https://www.hunker.com/13407187/how-to-calculate-cfm-from-rpms
http://www.towertechglobal.com/articles/types-and-advantages-of-
cooling-towers.html
http://www.matangi.in/principle-operation.html
https://www.engineering.com/calculators/airflow.htm
http://materias.df.uba.ar/f4aa2015c1/files/2015/03/Tableswater.pdf
https://www.kwangu.com/work/psychrometric.htm
https://www.amarillogearservice.com/different-types-cooling-towers/
http://www.mech4study.com/2017/12/what-is-cooling-tower-what-are-
main-types-of-cooling-tower.html
https://www.fansct.com/en/natural-draft-cooling-towers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooling_tower.html
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