Experimental study of a natural draft hybrid (wet/dry) cooling tower with a splash fill type

Abstract

Cooling towers have such a significant influence on work and efficiency that researchers and designers are working tirelessly to enhance their performance. A prototype design for a natural draft hybrid (wet/dry) cooling tower has been created, relying on geometrical, dynamic, and thermodynamic similarities. Based on Iraqi weather, experiments have been conducted using splash fill (150 mm) in summer (hot and dry) weather conditions. This study investigated heat transfer mechanisms of both air and water in a natural draft hybrid cooling tower model(NDHCTs), both directly (wet section) and indirectly (dry section). The tower is filled with splash-style packing, and the warm water is spread throughout the building using sprayer nozzles. The influences of water flow rates, fill thickness, and air velocity on the cooling range, approach, cooling capacity, thermal efficiency of the cooling tower, water evaporation loss into the air stream and water loss percentage were explored in this study. The experimental were carried out with four different water flow rates, ranging from 7.5 to 12 (Lpm) litres per minute, and eight different air velocities, all while keeping a constant inlet water temperature and a zero (m/s) crosswind. Data has been gathered, and performance variables have been determined. The findings demonstrate that the cooling tower's efficacy increases when the water flow rate is low, and the cooling range increases with increasing air velocity and decreases with increasing water flow rate; for a 7.5 Lpm water flow rate and a 2.4 m/s air velocity, it expanded to 19.5 ℃. The cooling capacity increased to 23.2 kW for a water flow rate of 12 Lpm and an air velocity of 2.4 m/s.