Although not silently, cooling towers do work in the background, keeping your systems from overheating. However, not all cooling towers are created equal. While some systems can work without breaking the bank, others can be energy hogs, burning through power just to stay running.
When that happens, your energy bills go through the roof, and you’re constantly dealing with repairs that keep your HVAC system from working at its peak. That’s where crossflow cooling towers stand out.
Their gravity-fed design, efficient heat exchange, and easy maintenance make them one of the most popular types of cooling towers around. But how do they work, and are they right for your facility?
Let’s find out.
What Are Crossflow Cooling Towers?
All cooling tower systems work on the same principle – removing excess heat to help maintain the desired temperature. What sets crossflow cooling towers apart is how the air moves across the falling water. These systems have:
Perpendicular Flow Design: In these cooling towers, the air moves horizontally across the falling water while water flows vertically. This design differs from counterflow towers, where air and water move in opposite directions.
Gravity-Fed Water Distribution: Instead of using pressurized nozzles, crossflow cooling towers rely on gravity to distribute hot water evenly over the fill media.
Easy Maintenance: The exposed hot water basins make cleaning and maintenance simpler compared to counterflow designs.
How do Crossflow Cooling Towers Work?
Crossflow cooling towers rely on gravity-fed water distribution, horizontal airflow, and evaporative cooling to maintain the desired temperature.
Gravity-Based Water Distribution Unlike other cooling towers that use pressurized spray nozzles, crossflow cooling towers use gravity to distribute water. Here’s how:
Warm water from your industrial system, power plant, or HVAC unit enters the hot water distribution basin at the top of the tower.
Instead of passing through nozzles, water flows naturally downward through drilled holes or weirs, which evenly distributes it over the fill media below.
Fill media (or splash pads) increase the surface area of the water, letting it spread out in a thin film or small droplets. The more surface area the water covers, the more effective the heat exchange process becomes.
Since crossflow cooling towers don’t rely on pressure nozzles, they need less pumping power, making them more energy-efficient. However, this design comes with a drawback – an increased risk of clogs in the distribution basin, which can lead to uneven water flow. Of course, regular cooling tower maintenance can help fix this issue.
Horizontal Airflow Unlike counterflow towers, where air moves vertically upward against the falling water, crossflow cooling towers have a perpendicular airflow design:
Large fans located at the top or side remove ambient air from one side of the tower.
This air moves horizontally across the falling water as it trickles down the fill media.
Passing through, it picks up heat through evaporation, cooling the remaining water.
The warm, moisture-laden air is then expelled through the top exhaust vents, while the cooled water collects in the cold water basin at the bottom.
This perpendicular air-to-water movement makes cooling tower servicing more convenient because their open-water basins are easy to reach. However, this also makes crossflow towers more susceptible to freezing in colder climates as the water remains exposed.
Evaporative Cooling
The genius of a crossflow cooling tower lies in evaporative cooling, a natural process where heat is removed from the water as it evaporates into the air.As air moves across the water, it absorbs heat, causing some of the water to evaporate. This evaporation carries the heat with it, lowering the temperature of the remaining water.
The process is incredibly efficient, allowing crossflow cooling towers to deal with enormous heat loads with minimal energy consumption.
Crossflow cooling towers require constant water supply because they depend on evaporation. Since they need a continuous water supply, you’ll need to invest in robust water treatment systems and proper filtration. If not, mineral buildup and biological growth can quickly degrade your tower’s cooling efficiency.
Recirculating the Cooled Water
Once the water has passed through the media and exchanged heat, it collects at the bottom of the tower in the cold water reservoir. This cooled water is then recirculated back into the system, where it absorbs more heat, and the process gets repeated over and over until your HVAC system reaches the desired temperature.Drift eliminators are installed at the top of the crossflow cooling towers to guarantee continuous and highly effective operation. It captures water droplets that might otherwise escape with the existing air, reducing water loss.
These towers also use blowdown systems to maintain water quality by removing a portion of the used water and replacing it with fresh water. This is a practical solution to prevent excessive mineral buildup.
This cycle keeps crossflow cooling systems running at their best, cost-effectively, and with minimal downtime.
Benefits of Crossflow Cooling Towers
These towers offer some important advantages, especially for industrial and commercial cooling applications. They are:
Energy Efficiency: Crossflow cooling towers need less fan power than counterflow designs because air moves naturally across the falling water.
Lower Pumping Costs: As mentioned, their water distribution system leans on gravity rather than pressurized spray nozzles. This means crossflow cooling towers need less pumping power, which reduces energy consumption.
Easy Maintenance: When you compare counterflow and crossflow cooling towers, the latter is easier to maintain, thanks to the open hot water basin design.
Ideals for Large Cooling Facilities: Crossflow cooling towers are best for large-scale cooling operations, such as power plants, manufacturing facilities, and HVAC systems for commercial buildings.
Quieter Operation: The design decreases air velocity and fan noise, making crossflow cooling towers perfect for buildings and plants near residential areas.
Final Thoughts
Crossflow cooling towers have a unique design that offers lower energy consumption, easy maintenance, and high cooling capacity, making them an ideal choice for almost all commercial and industrial operations. However, before investing in such a system, consider your local climate, available space, and maintenance needs. It’s best to consult a professional if you are unsure how to proceed.
If you want to install or upgrade your cooling tower, talk to Pinnacle Cooling Tower Services. We’re a go-to for all cooling tower requirements in the greater tri-state area. Plus, we offer 24/7 support for emergencies. Call us at 732-570-9392 or Contact us now to get started!
