Cooling tower with automatic cleaning system and method of cleaning thereof

Abstract

A cooling tower with an automatic cleaning system, characterized in that it comprises a cooling tower main frame for supporting the structure of the whole cooling tower; a filler part comprising at least one cooling tower filler and a filler supporting part, which is installed in the cooling tower for heat exchange; a cleaning part comprising a cleaning device and a vibrating device, the cleaning device being arranged on the inner and outer sides of the cooling tower filler, and the vibrating device being arranged on the cooling tower main frame or the filler supporting part for cleaning and vibrating off the dirt such as scale, silt and mud on the filler; and a water collecting device at the bottom of the cooling tower for collecting the cooling water and the cleaning sewage. The cooling tower of the present application can achieve deep cleaning without disassembling the structure, reduce filler corrosion, prolong the service life of the filler and reduce cleaning cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, and more specifically, to a cooling tower. Background Technology

[0002] A cooling tower is a device that uses water as a circulating coolant to absorb heat from a system and release it into the atmosphere to lower the water temperature. Its principle is to use the heat exchange between water and air to generate steam. The steam evaporates and carries away the heat, achieving heat dissipation through evaporation, convection, and radiation to dissipate waste heat generated in industrial processes or refrigeration and air conditioning systems, thereby lowering the water temperature and ensuring the normal operation of the system.

[0003] Cooling towers, especially open-type cooling towers, may develop the following problems after long-term operation: 1. Calcium and magnesium ions and acidic carbonates are present in the cooling water. These carbonates precipitate when flowing over the heat exchange surface. 2. Dissolved oxygen in the cooling water can cause metal corrosion, produce rust and scale, block pipes and nozzles, and lead to a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling tower or its failure.

[0004] 3. Scale and other deposits consume energy, thus increasing operating costs. They also cause under-deposit corrosion on the inner wall of the pipes, shortening the life of the pipes. 4. The water circulation cooling system of an open cooling tower is prone to dust and debris entering, and it also breeds a large number of microorganisms and deposits, which corrode the cooling tower, seriously reduce the cooling effect, and affect normal operation. The cooling performance of a cooling tower is crucial to the safe operation of the equipment. Keeping the cooling tower clean can improve equipment performance, extend its service life, and save energy.

[0005] An automatic cleaning device for cooling towers is disclosed in the prior art, specifically a cleaning device for cleaning the dust screen installed at the air inlet of a cooling tower. It includes a water spraying pipeline system, a pump device, and a timed start device. The water spraying pipeline system includes an inlet pipe connected to the spray pipe, allowing cleaning water to be delivered into the spray pipe. The spray pipe is located on the outside of the cooling tower and has multiple spray holes for cleaning the dust screen. The pump device is located on the inlet pipe of the water spraying pipeline system and delivers cleaning water into both the inlet pipe and the spray pipe. The timed start device is a timed power switch that periodically starts the pump device for timed operation.

[0006] However, in the process of implementing the above technical solution, it was found that the above technical solution has at least the following technical problems, such as the inability to thoroughly clean the filler and excessive cleaning costs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main objective of this invention is to provide a cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system to solve the problems of low cleaning efficiency and high cleaning cost of existing cleaning devices on cooling towers.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, a cooling tower with a cooling device is provided, comprising: a cooling tower main frame for supporting the entire structure of the cooling tower; a packing section including at least one cooling tower packing and a packing support component, the packing section being installed inside the cooling tower for heat exchange; a cleaning section including a cleaning device and a vibration device, the cleaning device being disposed on the inner and outer sides of the cooling tower packing, and the vibration device being disposed on the cooling tower main frame or the packing support component for cleaning scale, silt, and other contaminants on the packing and vibrating them off; and a water collection device located at the bottom of the cooling tower for collecting cooling water and cleaning wastewater from the cooling tower.

[0009] Furthermore, the support components for the packing also include a packing support slide rail and a packing rotation mechanism. The cooling tower packing is installed on the packing support, and the packing support is connected to the main frame of the cooling tower by a packing support transmission mechanism. The packing support transmission mechanism can drive the packing support to move in a plane on the packing support slide rail.

[0010] Furthermore, the cleaning device is movably mounted on the cleaning device guide rail, parallel to the cooling tower packing. Preferably, the cleaning device guide rail is perpendicular to the packing support. The cleaning device can move horizontally along the cleaning device guide rail on the plane where the cleaning device guide rail is located. The cleaning device is equipped with cleaning nozzles to clean the cooling tower packing.

[0011] Furthermore, each cooling tower packing is equipped with two cleaning devices, the guide rails of which are installed on the inner and outer sides of the cooling tower packing and can be opened simultaneously or independently depending on the degree of dirt.

[0012] Furthermore, the cleaning medium sprayed by the cleaning device can be any one of water, high-pressure air, air-water mixture, foam, etc., preferably water.

[0013] Furthermore, the vibration device is a vibration generator that acts on the supporting components of the packing to vibrate the cooling tower packing and remove scale, silt, and other dirt adhering to the packing.

[0014] Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment, the vibration device may include a packing vibration motor and a transmission component. The packing vibration motor is connected to the packing support transmission mechanism, and the packing vibration motor drives the packing support transmission mechanism to generate vibration on the cooling tower packing.

[0015] Furthermore, the vibration mode of the vibration device can be any one of planar two-dimensional vibration, slapping, or transverse vibration.

[0016] Furthermore, the cleaning section also includes a cleaning device water pump, which is connected to the cleaning device and is used to supply water to the cleaning device.

[0017] Furthermore, the water collection device includes a cooling tower water collection tray, a cooling tower outlet, a movable base of the water collection tray, a drain outlet, and a tray base transmission mechanism. The movable base of the water collection tray is a liftable base plate mounted on the cooling tower chassis. The drain outlet is a long strip-shaped drain outlet located on both sides of the cooling tower chassis. The movable base of the water collection tray rotates and rises under the drive of the tray base transmission mechanism, causing the chassis to tilt towards the drain outlets on both sides of the water collection tray, preventing the washed-out dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet.

[0018] Furthermore, the sewage outlet can also be drained using a water pump.

[0019] Furthermore, the clean water in the cooling tower's water collection basin is supplied to the cleaning device via a water pump for cleaning the cooling tower.

[0020] Furthermore, the cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system can be any one of an open cooling tower, a closed cooling tower, or a semi-open cooling tower.

[0021] Furthermore, when the cooling tower has finished operating and is in a shutdown state, the equipment can automatically perform cleaning and maintenance: Step 1: The bottom transmission mechanism drives the movable bottom of the water collection tray to rise, causing the tray to tilt towards the drain outlets on both sides of the cooling tower water collection tray, preventing the cleaned-out dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet. Step 2: The water pump of the cleaning device starts to run, supplying clean water from the cooling tower water collection tray to the cleaning device. The cleaning device moves horizontally along the guide rail to clean the cooling tower packing. Step 3: After the cleaning device completes one round of cleaning, the packing vibration motor drives the packing support transmission mechanism to vibrate the cooling tower packing, which peels off the scale, mud and dirt adhering to the packing and flows downward into the cooling tower water collection tray. The dirt flows to the drain outlets on both sides of the cooling tower under the guidance of the inclined movable bottom of the water collection tray. Step 4: After completing one round of cleaning, open the drain outlet to release the dirt and dirty water. Step 5: After the sewage is discharged, the drain outlet is closed, the bottom of the movable plate of the water collection tray returns to the horizontal position, the packing vibration motor stops working, the water pump of the cleaning device stops running, the cleaning device returns to the initial standby position, and one round of cleaning procedure ends.

[0022] The cooling tower of the present invention includes a movable packing section that can be used in conjunction with a cleaning device to improve cleaning efficiency. The cleaning device is movably installed on both the inner and outer sides of each packing piece and can be opened independently according to the degree of dirt, realizing zoned cleaning and reducing cleaning costs. The combination of the cleaning device and the vibration device allows for thorough cleaning without dismantling the structure, reducing packing corrosion and extending packing life. The liftable base plate installed on the cooling tower chassis prevents the cleaned-out dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet.

[0023] The benefits of adopting the above technical solutions are as follows: 1. Reduced manpower resources for cooling tower maintenance; 2. Fully automatic cleaning allows for unattended operation; 3. Thorough cleaning can be achieved without dismantling the structure; 4. Reduced packing corrosion and extended packing life; 5. Maintaining cooling tower performance at a high level and reducing cooling system energy consumption; 6. Improved cooling water quality and extended overall cooling system equipment quality; 7. Reduced risk of bacterial growth due to open cooling towers and ensured personnel health. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0025] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 A structural side view of an embodiment of a cooling tower according to the present invention is shown; Figure 2 A front view of the structure of an embodiment of a cooling tower according to the present invention is shown; 1-Cooling tower packing, 2-Packing support slide rail, 3-Packing support, 4-Cleaning device, 5-Packing vibration motor, 6-Cooling tower main frame, 7-Packing support transmission mechanism, 8-Water collection tray movable tray bottom, 9-Cleaning device water supply pump, 10-Tracking mechanism of tray bottom, 11-Cleaning device guide rail, 12-Cooling tower water collection tray, 13-Drain outlet, 14-Cooling tower water outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of this application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0028] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] This invention provides a cooling tower, please refer to... Figures 1 to 2 The system includes: a cooling tower main frame 6, which supports the entire cooling tower structure; multiple packing sections inside the cooling tower, each packing section including cooling tower packing 1, packing support 3, packing support slide rail 2, and packing support rotation mechanism 7. The cooling tower packing 1 is installed on the packing support 3, and the packing support 3 is connected to the cooling tower main frame 6 by the packing support transmission mechanism 7. The packing support transmission mechanism 7 can drive the packing support 3 to move horizontally on the packing support slide rail 2; and a cleaning section, including a cleaning device, a vibration device, and a water supply pump, used to clean scale, mud, dirt, and other contaminants on the packing and vibrate them off. The cleaning device 4 is movably mounted on the cleaning device guide rail 11, parallel to the cooling tower packing 1. Preferably, the cleaning device guide rail 11 is perpendicular to the packing support 3. The cleaning device 4 can move planar along the plane of the cleaning device guide rail 11. The cleaning device 4 is equipped with cleaning nozzles to clean the cooling tower packing 4. This allows for the coverage of the entire cooling tower packing 1 with only a small number of cleaning devices 4, avoiding dead zones. Each side of the cooling tower packing 1 is equipped with two cleaning devices 4. The cleaning device guide rail 11 is installed on the inner and outer sides of the cooling tower packing 1, and can be opened independently according to the degree of dirt accumulation, achieving zoned cleaning. The cleaning medium sprayed by the cleaning device can be any one of water, high-pressure air, air-water mixture, foam, etc., but water is preferred in this embodiment. The vibration device is a vibration generator that acts on the packing installation component to vibrate the packing, removing scale, silt, and other dirt adhering to the packing. In this embodiment, the vibration device is preferably a vibration motor and a transmission component. The packing vibration motor 5 is connected to the packing support transmission mechanism 7, driving the packing support transmission mechanism 7 to vibrate the cooling tower packing 1, removing scale, silt, and other dirt adhering to the packing. The water pump 9 of the cleaning device is connected to the cleaning device 4 and is used to supply water to the cleaning device 4; the water collection device includes the cooling tower cold water collection pan 12, which is used to collect the cooling water of the cooling tower and discharge the cooling water of the cooling tower through the cooling tower outlet 14.

[0030] It also includes a movable base 8 for the cooling tower water collection pan, which is a liftable base plate mounted on the cooling tower chassis; elongated drain outlets 13 on both sides of the cooling tower chassis; and a base transmission mechanism 10. The movable base 8 can be rotated and raised by the base transmission mechanism 10, causing the chassis to tilt towards the drain outlets 13 on both sides of the water collection pan 12, so that the wastewater after cleaning is discharged from the drain outlets 13, preventing the cleaned dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet 14. The clean water in the cooling tower water collection pan 12 is supplied to the cleaning device 4 by the cleaning device water pump 9 for cleaning the cooling tower.

[0031] One specific implementation method is as follows: When the cooling tower has finished operating and is in a shutdown state, the equipment can automatically perform cleaning and maintenance work.

[0032] Step 1: The bottom transmission mechanism 10 drives the movable bottom 8 of the water collection tray to rise, so that the tray tilts towards the drain outlets 13 on both sides of the cooling tower water collection tray 12 to prevent the cleaned dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet 14. Step 2: The water pump 9 of the cleaning device starts to operate, supplying clean water from the cooling tower water collection tray 12 to the cleaning device 4. The cleaning device 4 moves horizontally along the cleaning device guide rail 11 to clean the cooling tower packing 1. Step 3: After the cleaning device 4 completes one round of cleaning, the packing vibration motor 5 drives the packing support transmission mechanism 7 to vibrate the cooling tower packing 1, which peels off the scale, mud and dirt and other dirt attached to the packing and flows downward into the cooling tower water collection tray 12. The dirt flows to the drain outlets 13 on both sides of the cooling tower under the guidance of the inclined movable bottom of the water collection tray 8. Step 4: After completing one round of cleaning, drain outlet 13 is opened, and dirt and dirty water are discharged from here; Step 5: After the sewage is discharged, the drain outlet 13 is closed, the movable bottom 8 of the water collection tray is returned to the horizontal position, the packing vibration motor 5 stops working, the water pump 9 of the cleaning device stops running, and the cleaning device 4 returns to the initial standby position, thus completing one round of cleaning.

[0033] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0034] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0035] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system, characterized in that, include: The cooling tower main frame (6) supports the entire cooling tower structure; the packing section includes at least one cooling tower packing (1) and a packing support component, the packing section is installed inside the cooling tower for heat exchange; the cleaning section includes a cleaning device (4) and a vibration device, the cleaning device is located on the inner and outer sides of the packing, and the vibration device is located on the cooling tower main frame (6) or the packing support component, for cleaning scale and silt on the cooling tower packing (1) and vibrating it off; the packing support component includes a packing support member (3) and a packing support member slide rail. (2), and the packing support transmission mechanism (7); the vibration device includes a packing vibration motor (5) and a transmission component. The packing vibration motor (5) is connected to the packing support transmission mechanism (7). The packing vibration motor (5) drives the packing support transmission mechanism (7) to generate vibration on the cooling tower packing (1). The cooling tower packing (1) is installed on the packing support (3). The packing support (3) is connected to the main frame of the cooling tower (6) by the packing support transmission mechanism (7). The packing support transmission mechanism (7) drives the packing support (3) to move on the plane of the packing support slide rail (2). A water collection device, located at the bottom of the cooling tower, is used to collect cooling water and cleaning wastewater from the cooling tower. The water collection device includes a cooling tower water collection tray (12), a cooling tower outlet (14), a movable bottom plate (8) of the water collection tray, a drain outlet (13), and a bottom plate transmission mechanism (10). The movable bottom plate (8) of the water collection tray is a base plate that can be raised and lowered on the cooling tower chassis. The drain outlet (13) is a long strip drain outlet located on both sides of the cooling tower chassis. The movable bottom plate (8) of the water collection tray rotates and rises under the drive of the bottom plate transmission mechanism (10), causing the chassis to tilt toward the drain outlets (13) on both sides of the water collection tray.

2. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning unit also includes a cleaning device guide rail (11), and the cleaning device (4) is provided with a cleaning nozzle. The cleaning device (4) is movably mounted on the cleaning device guide rail (11), and the cleaning device (4) can move horizontally along the cleaning device guide rail (11) on the plane where the cleaning device guide rail (11) is located.

3. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each cooling tower packing (1) is equipped with at least two cleaning devices (4), which are turned on simultaneously or independently.

4. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning medium sprayed by the cleaning device (4) is any one of water, high-pressure air, air-water mixture, or foam.

5. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning unit also includes a cleaning device water pump (9), which is connected to the cleaning device (4) and is used to supply water to the cleaning device (4).

6. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The clean water in the cooling tower water collection pan (12) is supplied to the cleaning device (4) by the cleaning device water pump (9) for cleaning the cooling tower.

7. The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system is either an open cooling tower, a closed cooling tower, or a semi-open cooling tower.

8. A cleaning method, applied to a cooling tower equipped with an automatic cleaning system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The cleaning method includes: Step 1: When the cooling tower is in a stopped state after operation, the bottom transmission mechanism (10) drives the movable bottom (8) of the water collection tray to rise, so that the tray tilts towards the drain outlet (13) on both sides of the cooling tower water collection tray (12) to prevent the cleaned dirt from entering the cooling tower outlet (14). Step 2: The water pump (9) of the cleaning device starts to run, supplying clean water from the cooling tower water collection tray (12) to the cleaning device (4). The cleaning device (4) moves horizontally along the guide rail (11) of the cleaning device to clean the cooling tower packing (1). Step 3: After the cleaning device (4) completes a round of cleaning, the packing vibration motor (5) drives the packing support transmission mechanism (7) to vibrate the cooling tower packing (1), peeling off the scale and mud dirt attached to the packing and letting it flow downward into the cooling tower water collection tray (12). The dirt flows to the drain outlets (13) on both sides of the cooling tower under the guidance of the inclined movable bottom of the water collection tray (8). Step 4: After completing one round of cleaning, the drain outlet (13) is opened, and the dirt and dirty water are discharged from here; Step 5: After the sewage is discharged, the drain outlet (13) is closed, the movable bottom of the water collection tray (8) is restored to the horizontal position, the packing vibration motor (5) stops working, the water pump (9) of the cleaning device stops running, the cleaning device (4) is restored to the initial standby position, and one round of cleaning procedure is completed.

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