Evaporative Cooling Towers Explained

Summers in the tri-state area and throughout the US are getting hotter every year. For instance, the first half of the summer in the Garden State has been the second hottest on record since 1985.

The demand for energy-efficient cooling is on the rise as the intensity and frequency of heat waves is growing. This is where evaporative cooling towers play a role. These systems have offered cost-effective, reliable cooling solutions for decades.

But what are evaporative cooling towers, and how do they work? 

At Pinnacle CTS, we live and breathe cooling systems, and in this post, we will specifically talk about evaporative cooling towers.

Let’s dive right in!

How Do Evaporative Cooling Towers Work

At its core, an evaporative cooling tower is a heat rejection device. It removes heat from a building or industrial process and releases it into the atmosphere. Unlike traditional air conditioning units, which rely on refrigerants and compressors, these industrial cooling towers use natural evaporation to cool water.

Here’s how it works: 

Hot water from your building or industrial equipment flows to the cooling tower. As this water flows over the fill media inside the tower, it gets distributed evenly. A fan blows the air onto the fill media.  

As the air passes over the water, a small portion of the water evaporates. This evaporation cools the remaining water, which then goes back into the system to absorb more heat. The cycle repeats, providing consistent and reliable cooling.

Key Components of Evaporative Cooling Towers

Evaporative cooling towers are complex systems with several components working together to provide desired cooling. Each part plays a vital role in ensuring the system’s efficiency and performance. 

Here’s a lowdown on these cooling components and how they work:

1. Fill Media

Fill media increases the surface area of the water to enhance the contact between water and air, allowing for better heat transfer. 

Generally, there are two types of fill media:

• Film fill media, where water forms a thin layer that spreads over the surface of the fill material for better contact with air.
• Splash fill media, where water droplets are broken into smaller droplets as they fall, maximizing exposure to airflow.

2. Fan

The fan helps blow the air over the fill media, which absorbs heat from the water and cools it down. The cooled water then goes back to your building or industrial process. 

Usually, evaporative cooling towers have:

• Axial fans are similar to propeller fans and are typically used in large cooling towers as they can blow large amounts of air at lower pressures.
• Centrifugal fans use a rotating wheel to move air and are often used in smaller or indoor cooling towers as they can generate higher pressure.

3. Drift Eliminator

A drift eliminator helps capture water droplets that escape the cooling tower with the exhaust air. For one, this reduces the loss of water, which helps your cooling tower run more efficiently. Secondly, it minimizes the risk of waterborne contaminants, such as Legionella, from escaping into the environment.

4. Cold Water Basin 

The cold water basin is located at the bottom of the cooling tower and collects the cooled water after it passes through the fill media. From here, the water gets recirculated to your industrial process or building for the next cooling cycle.

5. Air Intake Louvers 

Louvers are installed on the sides to control airflow into the tower. They help reduce water splash-out and keep debris from entering your system.

6. Motor

Think of the motor as the beating heart of your industrial cooling tower. It keeps the fan going and ensures steady airflow over the fill media. Motors in cooling towers are often designed to be energy-efficient.

7. Pumps

Pumps circulate the water throughout the system, moving it from your industrial process or building into the cooling tower and then back again. Like motors, pumps also need to be energy-efficient to keep your bills from skyrocketing. 

Other than these, evaporative cooling towers also consist of nozzles, water distribution systems, valves, and a casing.

Where Can You Use Evaporative Cooling Towers

Evaporative cooling towers are widely used in commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and power plants to manage heat loads efficiently.

• Power Plants: In power plants, cooling towers manage the heat produced by turbines and other machinery.
• Manufacturing Plants: Industrial cooling towers play a critical role in steel manufacturing, chemical production, and oil refining, where equipment generates significant heat.
• Chemical Processing Facilities: Many chemical reactions are temperature sensitive, which require high-precision industrial cooling towers like these.
• Data Centers: Data centers rely on cooling towers to prevent overheating servers and IT equipment. 
• Commercial Buildings: In office buildings, hospitals, and shopping malls, these cooling towers help regulate indoor temperatures through HVAC systems.

Benefits of Evaporative Cooling Towers

Evaporative cooling towers offer a few unique advantages:

1. Energy Efficiency

These cooling towers consume less energy compared to traditional air conditioning systems. Since they use water evaporation, these towers require significantly less electricity to achieve the same cooling effect, which helps reduce your energy usage and utility bills.

2. Reduced Environmental Impact

Evaporative cooling towers can help reduce your environmental impact. They use water as the primary cooling medium, eliminating the need for refrigerants that can harm the environment. Additionally, these systems release less heat into the atmosphere than air-cooled systems, making them a more sustainable option.

3. Lower Operating Costs

Cooling towers can help lower overall operational costs because they use less energy and water, making them perfect for industries where large-scale cooling is a must.

4. Scalability

Customization is another benefit of evaporative cooling towers. Whether a small office building or a large industrial plant, you can get a custom solution that meets your requirements.

5. Consistent Cooling Performance

Evaporative cooling towers provide reliable and consistent cooling, even in high-temperature environments. This quality makes them perfect for data centers, where temperature control is critical to prevent equipment failure.

Final Thoughts

Evaporative cooling towers are an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly option. These systems use the natural process of evaporation to provide consistent cooling. But although they are energy-efficient and built to last, these cooling towers require regular maintenance and upgrades to perform at their peak. That’s where we come in.

Pinnacle CTS can help you design, install, and maintain cooling towers for your facility. We serve clients across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Contact us today!