Cooling Towers: Design and Operation Considerations

Cooling towers are a very important part of many chemical plants.  They represent a relatively inexpensive and dependable means of removing low grade heat from cooling water.

Closed Loop Cooling Tower System

The make-up water source is used to replenish water lost to evaporation.  Hot water from heat exchangers is sent to the cooling tower.   The water exits the cooling tower and is sent back to the exchangers or to other units for further cooling.

Types of Cooling Towers


Cooling towers fall into two main sub-divisions:  natural draft and mechanical draft.  Natural draft designs use very large concrete chimneys to introduce air through the media.  Due to the tremendous size of these towers (500 ft high and 400 ft in diameter at the base) they are generally used for water flowrates above 200,000 gal/min.  Usually these types of towers are only used by utility power stations in the United States.  Mechanical draft cooling towers are much more widely used.  These towers utilize large fans to force air through circulated water.   The water falls downward over fill surfaces which help increase the contact time between the water and the air.  This helps maximize heat transfer between the two.

Mechanical Draft Counterflow Tower and Mechanical Draft Crossflow Tower

Mechanical draft towers offer control of cooling rates in their fan diameter and speed of operation.  These towers often contain several areas (each with their own fan) called cells.