DESIGN AND ESTIMATION OF COOLING TOWER

A cooling tower is a device that rejects waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a coolant stream, usually a water stream to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature or, in the case of dry cooling towers, rely solely on air to cool the working fluid to near the dry-bulb air temperature using radiators. The natural draft cooling tower is an open, direct-contact system. It works using a heat exchanger, allowing hot water from the system to be cooled through direct contact with fresh air. To increase the heat transfer surface area (and optimize the cooling process), hot water is sprayed from nozzles within the tower. Cooling towers in the 19th century through the development of condensers for use with the steam engine. Condensers use relatively cool water, via various means, to condense the steam coming out of the cylinders or turbines.