What Is a Cooling Tower Used For?
A cooling tower’s function is to remove the heat from a building—usually a large building, like an industrial plant. However, cooling towers can also be used for heat and ventilation. HVAC cooling towers are often used in hospitals, schools, and large office buildings. Larger, industrial-sized cooling towers may be used in chemical or power plants, food processing plants, and other large industrial buildings that require cooling or heating.
General Cooling Tower Build and Construction
Because cooling towers are used for different purposes, there are individual cooling tower designs. For example, the cooling tower design for a school will be much different from a nuclear power plant. Smaller cooling towers are often installed on the roof of a structure, and medium-sized cooling towers are stand alone structures near a building to help heat or cool it. Large, industrial-sized cooling towers are often hyperboloid and made from concrete.
Cooling tower construction is typically a hyperboloid shape, a tall tower that can hold and support objects above it. These are larger at the base and smaller at the top to provide enough space for the water and cooling system at the bottom.
How Cooling Towers Work
Generally speaking, a cooling tower’s structure is larger at the base and smaller at the top. Water collects in the base of the tower. This hot water comes in contact with air, which lowers the water temperature and allows water to evaporate.
Depending on what the cooling tower is used for, such as for HVAC air conditioning or for heating, the structure inside of the tower may be different, but the general process is the same across all types of cooling towers. All cooling towers perform a process of heat exchange.
Different Types of Cooling Towers
Cooling towers are often classified by either package type or field erection type. The package type of cooling towers are prefabricated and are often used in smaller settings, such as schools and hospitals. They are assembled before they are delivered to a facility, so setup is easy on arrival. Field erection type cooling towers are the larger type that are used in industrial settings. Cooling tower construction materials for these types of towers include concrete and these are built onsite. Like any construction project, these can take some time to build. These are not pre-assembled and are usually custom built. Cooling towers are also classified by their heat transfer methods, such as “wet” and “dry.”
Contact us
For more information on cooling tower design, or their installation, maintenance, or service, contact Pinnacle Cooling Tower Service today at 732-570-9392. We pride ourselves on safety, service, and customer satisfaction.
