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- Water in contact with air under adiabatic conditions eventually cools to the wet bulb temperature.
- In commercial units, 90% of saturation of the air is feasible.
- Relative cooling tower size is sensitive to the difference between the exit and wet bulb temperatures: DT (0F) 5 15 25 ; Relative volume 2.4 1.0 0.55
- Tower fill is of a highly open structure so as to minimize pressure drop, which is in standard practice a maximum of 2 in. of water.
- Water circulation rate is 1–4 gpm/sqft and air rates are 1300–1800 lb/(hr)(sqft) or 300–400 ft/min.
- Chimney-assisted natural draft towers are of hyperboloidal shapes because they have greater strength for a given thickness; a tower 250 ft high has concrete walls 5–6 in. thick. The enlarged cross section at the top aids in dispersion of exit humid air into the atmosphere.
- Countercurrent induced draft towers are the most common in process industries. They are able to cool water within 28F of the wet bulb.
- Evaporation losses are 1% of the circulation for every 108F of cooling range. Windage or drift losses of mechanical draft towers are 0.1–0.3%. Blowdown of 2.5–3.0% of the circulation is necessary to prevent excessive salt buildup.