Working Principle of Cross Flow Cooling Tower.
- Hot Water Inlet: Hot water from the industrial process or HVAC system is pumped to the top of the cooling tower and enters the distribution basin (a hot water pan).
- Gravity Distribution: The water flows from the distribution basin through gravity-fed nozzles or holes in the basin floor. This ensures a uniform sheet of water falling down through the tower.
- Fill Media: The falling water passes through the “fill” or “packing.” This is a material with a large surface area designed to break the water into small droplets or thin films, maximizing the exposure between air and water.
- Air Flow: Simultaneously, a large fan (located at the top or the side of the tower) draws ambient air horizontally through the open sides of the tower. This air flows directly across the falling water sheets and droplets.
- Heat and Mass Transfer: As the air and water make contact:
- A small portion of the water evaporates.
- The process of evaporation absorbs a significant amount of sensible heat from the remaining bulk of the water.
- This cools the water down.
- Cool Water Collection: The now-cooled water falls into the cold water basin at the bottom of the tower, from where it is pumped back to the process to absorb more heat, and the cycle repeats.
- Exhaust: The warm, moist air created from the heat transfer and evaporation is exhausted out the top of the tower by the fan.