COOLING TOWERS

1.

A mechanical-draft cooling tower receives 115 m3 per second of atmospheric

air at 103 kPa, 32 C dry bulb temperature, 55% RH and discharges the air
saturated at 36 C. If the tower receives 200 kg/s of water at 40 C, what will be
the exit temperature of the cooled water?
Solution:

3 = 200 kg s
m
t3 = 40 C

tdb2 = 36 C saturated
V1 =115 m3 s
tdb1 = 32 C

1 = 55%
at 1, for tdb1 = 32 C
pd = 4.799 kPa
hg1 =2559.9 kJ kg

COOLING TOWERS
ps = 1 pd = 0.55( 4.799 ) = 2.639 kPa
0.622 ps 0.622( 2.639 )
W1 =
=
= 0.0164 kg kg
pt ps
103 2.639

h1 = cptdb1 + W1hg = (1.0062)( 32 ) + ( 0.0164)( 2559.9 ) = 74.2 kJ kg

RT
( 0.287 )( 32 + 273) = 0.8722 m3 kg
=
pt ps
103 2.639
V
115
a= 1 =
m
=131.85 kg s
v1 0.8722

v1 =

at 2, t db2 = 36 C , saturated
ps = pd = 5.979 kPa
hg 2 = 2567.1 kJ kg

W2 =

0.622ps 0.622( 5.979 )

=
= 0.0383 kg kg
pt ps
103 5.979

h2 = cptdb2 + W2 hg = (1.0062 )( 36) + ( 0.0383)( 2567.1) = 134.5 kJ kg

At 3, t3 = 40 C
h3 =hf at 40 C =167.57 kJ kg

4:
To solve for m
By Mass Balance:
3 +m
a + W1m
a =m
4 +m
a + W2 m
a
m

4 =m
3 + ( W1 W2 ) m
a = 200 + ( 0.0164 0.0383)(131.85) = 197.1 kg s
m

To solve for h4 :
ah1 + m
3 h3 = m
4 h4 + m
ah2
m

(131.85)( 74.2) + ( 200)(167.57 ) = (197.1) ( h4 ) + (131.85)(134.5)

h4 =129.70 kJ kg
t4 = 31.9 C - exit water temperature.

2.

In a cooling tower water enters at 52 C and leaves at 27 C. Air at 29 C and

47% RH also enters the cooling tower and leaves at 46 C fully saturated with
moisture. It is desired to determine (a) the volume and mass of air necessary to
cool 1 kg of water, and (b) the quantity of water that can be cooled with 142 cu
m per minute of atmospheric air.

COOLING TOWERS
Solution:

t3 = 52 C
tdb2 = 46 C sat

tdb1 = 29 C

1 = 47%
t4 = 27 C
From psychrometric chart
At 1, tdb1 = 29 C , 1 = 47%
h1 =59 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0116 kg kg
v1 = 0.873 m3 kg

at 2, tdb2 = 46 C , saturated
ps = pd =10.144 kPa
hg2 =2585.0 kJ kg

COOLING TOWERS
W2 =

0.622 ps
0.622(10.144 )
=
= 0.0692 kg kg
pt ps 101.325 10.144

h2 = cptdb2 + W2 hg = (1.0062 )( 46) + ( 0.0692)( 2585) = 225.2 kJ kg

At 3, t3 = 52 C
h3 =hf at 52 C =217.69 kJ kg

At 4, t4 = 27 C
h4 =hf at 27 C =113.25 kJ kg

(a)

Volume of air necessary to cool 1 kg of water = V1 = mav1

To solve for ma when m3 =1 kg
By energy balance:
Eq. (1) mah1 + m3 h3 = mah2 + m4 h4
By mass balance

m3 m4 = ma (W2 W1 )
Eq. (2) m4 = m3 ma (W2 W1 )
Substitute in (1)

= mah2 + [ m3 ma ( W2 W1 ) ] h4
( ma ) ( 59) + (1)( 217.69) = ( ma ) ( 225.2) + [1 ( ma ) ( 0.0692 0.0116) ] (113.25)

Eq. (3) mah1 + m3 h3

ma = 0.654 kg

Volume of air = V1 = mav1 = ( 0.654 )( 0.873) = 0.5709 m3

Mass of air required = ma = 0.654 kg
(b)

3 = quantity of water.
Let m
V
142
a= 1 =
m
=162.66 kg min
v1 0.873

a , m3 m
3
Use Eq. (3), change ma m

ah1 + m
3 h3 = m
ah2 + [ m
3 m
a ( W2 W1 ) ] h4
m

3 ) ( 217.69) = (162.66)( 225.2 ) + [ m

3 (162.66)( 0.0692 0.0116 ) ](113.25)
(162.66)( 59) + ( m
3 =36,631 +113.25m
3 1061.1
9597 + 217.69m
3 = 248.7 kg min
m

Quantity of water =

3 = 248.7 kg min
m

COOLING TOWERS

3. A cooling tower receives 6 kg/s of water of 60 C. Air enters the tower at 32 C

dry bulb and 27 C wet bulb temperatures and leaves at 50 C and 90%
relative humidity. The cooling efficiency is 60.6%. Determine (a) the mass
flow rate of air entering, and (b) the quantity of make-up water required.
Solution:

3 = 6 kg s , t3 = 60 C
m
tdb2 = 50 C

2 = 90%
tdb1 = 32 C
twb1 = 27 C
Cooling tower efficiency = 60.6%
To solve for t 4 :
Efficiency =

0.606 =

t3 t 4
t3 twb1

60 t4
60 27

COOLING TOWERS
t3 = 40 C
at 1, tdb1 = 32 C , twb1 = 27 C
h1 =85 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0208 kg kg
at 2, tdb2 = 50 C , 2 = 90%
pd =12.349 kPa
ps = 2 pd = ( 0.90 )(12.349) = 11.114 kPa
hg2 =2592.1 kJ kg

W2 =

0.622 ps
0.622(11.114 )
=
= 0.0766 kg kg
pt ps 101.325 11.114

h2 = cptdb2 + W2 hg = (1.0062 )( 50) + ( 0.0766 )( 2592.1) = 248.9 kJ kg

At 3, t3 = 60 C
h3 =hf at 60 C =251.13 kJ kg

At 4, t4 = 40 C
h4 =hf at 40 C =167.57 kJ kg

By mass balance

m3 m4 = ma (W2 W1 )
m4 = m3 ma (W2 W1 )

By energy valance
a h1 + m
3h3 = m
a h2 + m
4 h4
m

ah1 + m
3 h3 = m
ah2 + [ m
3 m
a ( W2 W1 ) ] h4
m
( m a ) ( 85) + ( 6)( 251.13) = ( m a ) ( 248.9) + [ 6 ( m a ) ( 0.0766 0.0208) ](167.57 )

a +1506.8 = 248.9m
a +1005.4 9.35m
a
85m
a = 3.244 kg s
m
a = 3.244 kg s
(a) Mass flow rate of air = m

(b) Make Up Water = ma (W2 W1 ) = ( 3.244 )( 0.0766 0.0208) = 0.1810 kg s