When to Prefer Cross Flow Cooling Tower
You should strongly consider a Cross Flow cooling tower in the following scenarios:
1. Priority on Low Maintenance and Serviceability
This is often the single biggest advantage of cross flow design.
- Situation: The facility lacks highly specialized maintenance staff, or you want to minimize downtime for maintenance.
- Reason: The open, gravity-fed distribution basins are easily accessible from the top of the tower. Inspecting for debris, algae, or scale buildup and cleaning it out is a simple task. In counter flow towers, the pressurized spray nozzles are internal and can clog, requiring a more involved process to access and clean.
2. Water with High Suspended Solids or Scaling Potential
- Situation: The circulating water is from a source that is prone to carrying debris, silt, or minerals that cause scaling (e.g., river water, or in certain industrial processes).
- Reason: The large, non-clogging gravity orifices in the cross flow distribution basin are far less likely to plug up than the small, pressurized spray nozzles used in counter flow towers. This ensures consistent water distribution and prevents hot spots.
3. Energy Efficiency Focus on the Water Side (Pumping Power)
- Situation: Your energy cost analysis shows that reducing pumping head is a higher priority than reducing fan horsepower.
- Reason: Because the cross flow design uses a gravity-fed system, the water pump only needs to lift the water to the top of the basin, not build pressure for spray nozzles. This results in a lower Total Dynamic Head (TDH) for the pump, which can significantly reduce pumping energy costs.
4. Space Constraints are Not a Primary Issue, but Access Is
- Situation: You have ample ground space (a large rooftop or open yard) but limited overhead clearance or a need for easy physical access to all parts of the tower.
Reason: Cross flow towers have a larger footprint for the same capacity. However, all critical components (distribution basins, fan deck) are easily
- accessible from the top and sides, which can simplify both maintenance and installation.
5. Applications with Highly Variable Flow Rates
- Situation: The heat load on the tower varies significantly (e.g., seasonal operations, batch processes).
- Reason: The gravity distribution system in a cross flow tower maintains a very stable and even water distribution pattern even at low flow rates. Counter flow towers with spray nozzles can have uneven distribution at low flows, leading to reduced efficiency and potential dry spots on the fill.