Development of designs for polymeric water traps in cooling towers using centrifugal separation forces

Abstract

It is noted that in virtually all establishments of the gas and petrochemical industry, basic and auxiliary production equipment is cooled by a circulating water-supply system equipped with cooling towers. Here, the working tower releases air saturated with water vapor to the atmosphere, and the establishment must maintain the water-circulating systems from natural sources. A water-trap design for cooling towers, the use of which will make it possible to reduce appreciably the moisture content in the vapor-gas flow released by the tower, is described.The water resources of Russia are a national treasure, and not only the level of economic development of the country, but also the health of the people depend on their condition. In this connection, the problem of rational utilization and protection of surface water from contamination and depletion requires serious attention [1].Autonomous closed water-supply systems function for the purpose of rational utilization of water resources at industrial establishments. Water cooling of basic and auxiliary equipment is currently most economically expedient. In turn, the circulating water that passes through a production cycle is cooled to the required temperatures in air-cooled vessels, chimney-type cooling towers, and mechanical draft towers.One of the negative factors in the operation of cooling towers is the carry-off of drops of circulating water in which various chemical compounds are found, for example, heavy-metal ions, detergents, pesticides, biogenic elements, toxic chemical compounds, phenols, petroleum products, and chlorine-based organic compounds. The amount of atmospheric carry-off from cooling towers is regulated by the Construction Rules and Regulations, and is defined as the water lost due to carry-off by the wind (in chimney-type cooling towers), and a fan-blown discharge of air (in mechanical-draft towers).The amount of carry-off allowed by the Construction Rules and Regulations depends on the type of coolant and the harmfulness (toxicity) of the water. It ranges from 0.05 to 0.20% for cooling towers with water traps, and from 0.5 to 1.0% for chimney-type cooling towers without water traps [2]. Even at chemical plants, however, mechanical-draft towers are not often equipped with water traps, and the slightly effective designs currently installed fail to meet modern ecological requirements. As a result, drop carry-off amounts to 5-7%; this results in appreciable degradation of the ecological situation in the industrial regions and areas within their immediate vicinity. Here, feed maintenance of the circulating-water system is increased by fresh water from natural sources.

The study of gas-liquid flow dynamics in the inclined-corrugated elements of cooling tower filler unit

“…Due to such arrangement of plates, the self-distribution of liquid within the checker filling takes place, and the number of nozzles can be significantly reduced. Another advantage of this design is that each plate, located a stage above the previous one, acts as a drop collector, allowing us not to install additional separation devices [12].…”

Experimental study on thermal performance in three-flow cooling tower

“…The authors presented the results of studying the influence of different factors on this phenomenon, which makes it possible to select operating conditions that minimize the entrainment of vapors. And last but not least, when designing the new cooling towers, the crucial factor is to select the optimal design of the fill pack, which can intensify heat and mass transfer processes between interacting phases and decrease the amount of droplet entrainment with minimal energy resources [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

The use of non-metal materials in the filler units of cooling towers with circulating water supply system

“…The checker filling units, made of polymer materials are widely used today [21]. These units are not affected by many chemical compounds and characterized by cheapness and durability.…”