Cooling Tower Technologies - Basic Layout Considerations

Open Towers and Fluid Coolers both have several items which need to be addressed during the conceptual phase of your design. Complete layout guides are available at BAC for download and are also printed in the BAC handbook, which can be ordered from the bottom of this page, or delivered by an Applied Systems sales engineer.

The following are highly simplified statements. Each application has unique variables that should be completely evaluated by your tower professionals at Applied Systems.

Location, Location, Location. The classic Real Estate adage is extremely important to your tower layout. Indoors or outdoors, will drive the type of tower selected. Typically, indoor installations will require a forced draft tower (such as the Series V). With outdoor applications, you may still select forced draft, however open tower are generally less expensive and require less fan motor HP.

Mitigating the towers impact on surrounding structured are important too, The towers will generate a "cloud", or plume during most operational hours. Keeping the plume out of sightlines, away from air intakes and off of the structure itself is an important consideration.

Towers require a lot of air for operation. A 300 ton tower might draw 160,000 CFM. Walls, architectural screening, and other elements may impact airflow being drawn into the tower or create a short cycling affect that inhibits performance. BAC has many recommendations for minimum setbacks from obstacles, but please call Applied Systems to discuss the options available.

Induced Draft or Forced Draft - Indoor units will always be directed towards forced draft towers, such that the pressure drop of the associated ductwork can be overcome. Induced draft towers, with large prop fans are not capable of generating any serious static pressure. Induced draft towers consume less energy, due to their larger media surface area, and are often a lower cost alternative to their forced draft brethren.

Closed Circuit or Open Tower - different primary cooling systems have different requirements from the heat rejection technology (cooling tower). Large water cooled chiller will often operate with an open tower. Heat pumps systems, modular chiller, manufacturing industrial processes and other devices which might suffer greater effects from heat exchanger fouling are typically pressed into the Closed Circuit selections. Open towers are often combined with heat exchangers for similar results.

Performance - Performance sets the bar, for which all other layout considerations must meet. Performance is net result, when the combination of your cooling load, the waste heat generated by the compressors, water flow rates, design wetbulb temperature and the tower your selected. Using other criteria, it's our job to find a tower that satisfies all of your criteria.

Service Access - This will usually be satisfied by the free area required for proper airflow. However, you have many options for accessing the upper sections of the tower, or internal drive train components.

Sound - Mitigating sound can be a major issue on large residential condo projects. There many different means for reducing sound at the unit, BAC's standard design prevents most water noise, but solving the sound derived from airflow can be challenging. Applied Systems can assist you with any of the numerous considerations for sound attenuation. Screen walls, low sound fans, larger towers with reduced airflows, inlet and outlet attenuators, and BAC's new Whisper Quiet Fan.

Piping- Most towers have various configuration available for supply and return piping piping. Some can bring water through the bottom or the side, others on the top of the tower. Right hand and left hand are the easy choices, but you also have optional mounting locations for make up water, overflow drains, equalizer lines.

Seismic- Does your building require IBC seismic certification for these system? Is the unit mounted on the roof, ground level or indoors? Will it be installed on a concrete or steel base. All towers need to be properly supported and anchored, but consider how you intend to mount the tower.

 QUICK FACT: Did you know that BAC's Whisper Quiet Fan can reduce the tower sound profile by up to 17 dba.

Applied Systems sales engineers can help you find the system that fits your building, mitigates sound, footprint and maximizes performance.

 

Typical Open Cooling Tower Sketch