Circulating device for cooling tower system

Abstract

The invention relates to a circulation device for a cooling tower system. A circulation device for a cooling tower system including a first cooling tower and a second cooling tower includes: a first liquid passage for discharging liquid from a tower pool of the first cooling tower into a tower pool of the second cooling tower; the second liquid channel is used for discharging liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower into the tower pool of the first cooling tower; the first temperature sensor is used for monitoring the first liquid temperature of the tower pool of the first cooling tower; the environment temperature sensor is used for monitoring the environment temperature around the circulating device; the first pump is used for adjusting the flow of the first liquid in the first liquid channel; and the controller is in communication coupling with the first temperature sensor, the environment temperature sensor and the first pump, and the controller is configured to control the first pump to control liquid circulation between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower through the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel based on the first liquid temperature and / or the environment temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of cooling tower antifreeze, and more particularly, to a circulation device for a cooling tower system. Background Art

[0002] In places such as data centers, electronic factories, and power stations that require cooling all year round, multiple cooling towers are usually installed to meet their cooling needs, but not all cooling towers need to be running all the time. In some cases, only some cooling towers can be operated and other cooling towers can be used as backup. For the backup cooling tower, although it is not running, the coolant (usually water) will be injected to the normal liquid level. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature drops to a temperature lower than the temperature of the liquid in the tower pool of the backup cooling tower (also known as the non-operating cooling tower), the backup cooling tower will naturally dissipate heat to the outside. When the outdoor temperature is lower than the freezing point of the liquid (for example, below zero degrees for water), the backup cooling tower is usually electrically heated to prevent the liquid in its tower pool from freezing and hindering the subsequent activation of the backup cooling tower. Summary of the invention

[0003] A brief overview of the disclosure is given below in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. However, it should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to identify the key or important parts of the disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Its purpose is simply to give some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description given later.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a circulation device for a cooling tower system is provided, the cooling tower system includes a first cooling tower and a second cooling tower, the circulation device includes: a first liquid channel, used to discharge liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower into the tower pool of the second cooling tower; a second liquid channel, used to discharge liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower into the tower pool of the first cooling tower; a first temperature sensor, used to monitor the first liquid temperature of the tower pool of the first cooling tower; an ambient temperature sensor, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a first pump, used to adjust the first liquid flow in the first liquid channel; a controller, respectively coupled to the first temperature sensor, the ambient temperature sensor and the first pump, the controller being configured to control the first pump based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower via the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a circulation device for a cooling tower system with a ring network configuration is provided, the cooling tower system comprising a first cooling tower and a second cooling tower, in the ring network configuration, a connecting pipe is provided between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower, the circulation device comprising: a liquid channel for discharging liquid from a tower pool of the first cooling tower into a tower pool of the second cooling tower; a first temperature sensor for monitoring a first liquid temperature of the tower pool of the first cooling tower; an ambient temperature sensor for monitoring the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a pump for regulating the liquid flow in the liquid channel; a controller, respectively communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor, the ambient temperature sensor and the pump, the controller being configured to control the pump based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower via the liquid channel and the connecting pipe.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a circulation device for a cooling tower system is provided, the cooling tower system comprising a plurality of cooling towers, the plurality of cooling towers comprising at least one first cooling tower and at least one second cooling tower, the circulation device comprising: a first liquid channel comprising a first portion and a second portion; a plurality of first liquid conduits each provided with a valve, each of the plurality of first liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first portion of the first liquid channel; a plurality of second liquid conduits each provided with a valve, each of the plurality of second liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from the second portion of the first liquid channel to the tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; a second liquid channel comprising a first portion and a second portion; a plurality of third liquid conduits each provided with a valve, each of the plurality of third liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the tower pool of the corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers The liquid in the tower pool of each cooling tower is discharged to the first part of the second liquid channel; a plurality of fourth liquid conduits each provided with a valve, each of the plurality of fourth liquid conduits is used to discharge the liquid from the second part of the second liquid channel to the tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower among the plurality of cooling towers; a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors is used to monitor the liquid temperature of the tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower among the plurality of cooling towers; an ambient temperature sensor is used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a first pump is located between the first part and the second part of the first liquid channel, and is used to adjust the flow rate of the first liquid in the first liquid channel; a controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors, the ambient temperature sensor and the first pump, and the controller is configured to control the first pump and the valve based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the plurality of cooling towers via the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a circulation device for a cooling tower system having a ring network configuration is provided, wherein the plurality of cooling towers include at least one first cooling tower and at least one second cooling tower, and the cooling tower system includes a plurality of cooling towers, wherein in the ring network configuration, the plurality of cooling towers are provided with communicating pipes, and the circulation device includes: a liquid channel including a first part and a second part; a plurality of first liquid conduits each provided with a valve, wherein each of the plurality of first liquid conduits is used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower in the plurality of cooling towers to the first part of the liquid channel; a plurality of second liquid conduits each provided with a valve, wherein each of the plurality of second liquid conduits is used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower in the plurality of cooling towers to the first part of the liquid channel; Discharge the liquid from the second part of the liquid channel to the tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower among the multiple cooling towers; multiple temperature sensors, each of the multiple temperature sensors is used to monitor the liquid temperature of the tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower among the multiple cooling towers; an ambient temperature sensor is used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a pump is located between the first part and the second part of the liquid channel, and is used to adjust the liquid flow in the liquid channel; a controller is communicatively coupled to the multiple temperature sensors, the ambient temperature sensor and the pump, and the controller is configured to control the pump and the valve based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the multiple cooling towers via the liquid channel and the connecting pipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, and are further used to explain the principles of the present disclosure and enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present disclosure. Among them:

[0009] Figures 1 to 4 Schematic structural diagrams of circulation devices for cooling tower systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown;

[0010] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a circulation device for a cooling tower system having a ring network configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 6 and Figure 7 Schematic structural diagrams of circulation devices for cooling tower systems according to other embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown;

[0012] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Schematic structural diagrams of circulation devices for a cooling tower system with a ring network configuration according to other embodiments of the present disclosure are respectively shown.

[0013] Note that in the embodiments described below, sometimes the same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings to represent the same parts or parts with the same functions, and their repeated descriptions are omitted. In some cases, similar numbers and letters are used to represent similar items, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0014] For ease of understanding, the position, size, range, etc. of each structure shown in the drawings and the like may not represent the actual position, size, range, etc. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the position, size, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings and the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is in fact merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure and its application or use. That is, the structures and methods herein are shown in an exemplary manner to illustrate different embodiments of the structures and methods in the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that they merely illustrate exemplary ways of the present disclosure that can be implemented, rather than exhaustive ways. In addition, the drawings need not be drawn to scale, and some features may be enlarged to illustrate the details of specific components.

[0017] In addition, technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered as part of the specification.

[0018] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0019] Since the standby cooling tower has a large storage volume and requires long periods of antifreeze protection (for example, in cold regions it may last the entire winter), high-power electric heating will generate huge power consumption. For example, for a flow rate of 400 cubic meters per hour (m 3 / h) cooling tower, the power consumed by electric heating is about 10 kilowatts (kW). This undoubtedly increases the maintenance cost and is not conducive to energy saving and environmental protection.

[0020] To this end, the present disclosure provides a circulation device for a cooling tower system, which enables the cooling tower to establish a liquid circulation with other cooling towers when antifreeze needs to occur, thereby reducing the possibility of freezing by keeping the liquid in the tower pool of the cooling tower in a flowing state. This can effectively shorten the start-up time of the electric heating of the cooling tower, and may even eliminate the need to start the electric heating, thereby not only reducing maintenance costs, but also being beneficial to energy conservation and environmental protection.

[0021] The following will describe in detail the circulation device for cooling tower system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is understood that the actual circulation device for cooling tower system may also include other components, but in order to avoid blurring the main points of the present disclosure, these other components are not discussed herein and are not shown in the accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that although the cooling tower system to which the circulation device is applied is shown in each of the accompanying drawings for ease of description, the cooling tower system itself does not constitute part of the circulation device.

[0022] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 100 for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the cooling tower system includes a first cooling tower 10 and a second cooling tower 20 .

[0023] Also like Figure 1 As shown, the circulation device 100 includes a first liquid channel 102 and a second liquid channel 104. The first liquid channel 102 is used to discharge the liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 into the tower pool of the second cooling tower 20. The second liquid channel 104 is used to discharge the liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower 20 into the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10.

[0024] Specifically, each of the first liquid channel 102 and the second liquid channel 104 can be coupled between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20, so that the two ends thereof are respectively connected to the tower pool fluid of the corresponding cooling tower. For example, the liquid discharge end of the first liquid channel 102 (the second liquid channel 104) can extend below the liquid level of the tower pool of the second cooling tower 20 (the first cooling tower 10), or can be kept above the liquid level, as long as the liquid can be discharged to the tower pool of the second cooling tower 20 (the first cooling tower 10). In addition, the liquid receiving end of the first liquid channel 102 (the second liquid channel 104) can directly extend into the liquid in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 (the second cooling tower 20), or can be connected to the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 (the second cooling tower 20) via other components such as pipelines, as long as the liquid can be received from the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 (the second cooling tower 20).

[0025] The circulation device 100 includes a first temperature sensor 106, an ambient temperature sensor 108, and a first pump 110. The first temperature sensor 106 is used to monitor the temperature of the first liquid in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10, and can be disposed, for example, in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 or other suitable locations suitable for monitoring the temperature of the first liquid. The ambient temperature sensor 108 is used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device 100, and can be disposed at any suitable location at or near the circulation device 100 or the cooling tower system, for example, it can be disposed at or near the controller 112. The first pump 110 is used to adjust the flow rate of the first liquid in the first liquid channel 102, and can be disposed, for example, in the first liquid channel 102 or other suitable locations suitable for adjusting the flow rate of the first liquid.

[0026] The circulation device 100 includes a controller 112 that is communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor 106, the ambient temperature sensor 108, and the first pump 110. The controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to control the circulation of the liquid between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 via the first liquid channel 102 and the second liquid channel 104 based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

[0027] Liquid circulation can enhance the fluidity of the liquid in the tower pool, thereby advantageously reducing the risk of freezing. In order to achieve the desired liquid circulation, the power of the first pump 110 can be around 200 watts, which is much less than the tens of kilowatts required for electric heating. Therefore, the circulation device 100 can significantly reduce the power consumption for cooling tower antifreeze.

[0028] The controller 112 may be, but is not limited to, a microcontroller, a computer, a microprocessor, or any device capable of sending and receiving control signals and data. As a non-limiting embodiment, the controller 112 may include an automatic control unit and a frequency conversion unit. The controller 112 may control the frequency conversion unit through the automatic control unit to control the start and stop and operating frequency of the first pump 110 according to the temperature measurement result of the temperature sensor, thereby controlling the start and stop and flow rate of the liquid circulation.

[0029] Generally speaking, the liquid temperature of the cooling tower pool is higher when the cooling tower is in operation. Taking the cooling tower of the data center as an example, the cooling tower usually receives liquid at about 21°C from the data center when it is in operation, and supplies liquid at about 14°C to the data center, so the liquid temperature in its pool can be maintained at about 14°C. Since the cooling tower has a higher pool liquid temperature at this time, it can be considered that the cooling tower has no antifreeze demand at this time. When the cooling tower is not in operation, the liquid temperature in its pool will be kept higher than the liquid freezing point in order to prevent freezing, and a certain temperature margin will be reserved to ensure the antifreeze effect. For example, when the cooling tower of the data center is not in operation, the liquid temperature in its pool is usually maintained at about 6°C to prevent freezing. It can be seen that the liquid temperature of the pool when the cooling tower is not in operation is significantly lower than the liquid temperature of the pool when it is in operation. Therefore, the liquid temperature of the pool can be used to judge whether the cooling tower has an antifreeze demand and the level of the antifreeze demand.

[0030] In addition, when the ambient temperature is lower than the tower pool liquid temperature, the cooling tower naturally dissipates heat to the outside. When the heat dissipation is large (for example, the ambient temperature is lower than the freezing point of the tower pool liquid), the cooling tower is at risk of freezing. Therefore, the ambient temperature can be used additionally or alternatively to determine whether the cooling tower needs to be protected from freezing and the level of the protection.

[0031] Furthermore, the liquid circulation may be controlled according to whether there is an antifreeze demand and / or the level of the antifreeze demand. Specifically, the start and stop of the liquid circulation and / or the flow rate of the liquid circulation may be controlled.

[0032] In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than the first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold. Exemplarily, the controller 112 may be configured to control the first pump 110 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than the first preset temperature threshold and the ambient temperature being lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold. The controller 112 may also be configured to control the first pump 110 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than the first preset temperature threshold and the ambient temperature being lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold.

[0033] The preset ambient temperature threshold may be determined based on the freezing point of the tower pool liquid. The preset ambient temperature threshold may be equal to the freezing point of the tower pool liquid, or may not be equal to the freezing point of the tower pool liquid, for example, higher or lower than the freezing point of the tower pool liquid by a certain temperature margin. These temperature margins may be specifically set according to actual conditions.

[0034] As a non-limiting embodiment, in winter, especially in the north, the outdoor temperature often drops below zero degrees, and the preset ambient temperature threshold can be set to zero degrees (of course, other temperatures can also be set according to actual needs). Once the outdoor temperature is below zero degrees, the controller 112 will control the first pump 110 to start the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 to prevent the liquid from freezing by providing fluidity to the liquid.

[0035] The first preset temperature threshold may be determined based on the tower pool liquid temperature that the cooling tower is expected to maintain when it is not in operation. For example, the start-up temperature and target temperature of the electric heating antifreeze mechanism of the cooling tower may both reflect the tower pool liquid temperature that the cooling tower is expected to maintain when it is not in operation. The first preset temperature threshold may be equal to these temperatures, or may be higher or lower than these temperatures by a certain temperature margin. These temperature margins may be specifically set according to actual conditions.

[0036] As a non-limiting embodiment, assuming that the starting temperature of the electric heating antifreeze mechanism of the cooling tower is 5°C and the target temperature is 6°C, the first preset temperature threshold can be set to 6°C (of course, other temperatures can also be set according to actual needs), so that when the first liquid temperature of the liquid in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, the controller 112 will control the first pump 110 to start the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 to prevent the liquid from freezing by providing fluidity to the liquid.

[0037] Thus, the circulation device 100 can be automatically turned on when there is a risk of freezing or a high risk of freezing in the cooling tower in the cooling tower system, sharing the antifreeze pressure of electric heating and even replacing electric heating to provide antifreeze protection in some cases.

[0038] In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to stop the circulation of the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being not lower than the first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being not lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold. Exemplarily, the controller 112 may be configured to control the first pump 110 to stop the circulation of the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being not lower than the first preset temperature threshold and the ambient temperature being not lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold. The controller 112 may also be configured to control the first pump 110 to stop the circulation of the liquid in response to either the first liquid temperature being not lower than the first preset temperature threshold and the ambient temperature being not lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold.

[0039] Thus, the circulation device 100 can be automatically shut down when there is no freezing risk or a low freezing risk of the cooling tower in the cooling tower system, thereby reducing power consumption and saving resources.

[0040] In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

[0041] In some examples, the controller 112 may perform flow control directly based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature itself. For example, the controller 112 may pre-store or be allowed to access a temperature-flow mapping relationship (e.g., in any suitable form such as a lookup table, function, model, etc.), and the controller 112 may determine the flow corresponding to the temperature through the mapping relationship to adjust the flow of the current liquid circulation. Specifically, the flow rate may increase as the temperature decreases, thereby providing enhanced liquid fluidity in response to an increased risk of freezing.

[0042] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 112 may also perform flow control based on data calculated from either the first liquid temperature or the ambient temperature and an associated temperature threshold. In some examples, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to adjust the flow rate of liquid circulation based on the difference or ratio between the first liquid temperature and the first preset temperature threshold and / or the difference or ratio between the ambient temperature and the preset ambient temperature threshold. Similar to the above, the controller 112 may pre-store or be allowed to access a temperature difference or ratio-flow mapping relationship (e.g., in any suitable form such as a lookup table, function, model, etc.), and the controller 112 may determine the flow rate corresponding to the temperature difference or ratio through the mapping relationship to adjust the flow rate of the current liquid circulation.

[0043] In some embodiments, a second temperature sensor may be provided to monitor a second liquid temperature of a sump of a second cooling tower, and the second liquid temperature may be used for liquid circulation control.

[0044] refer to Figure 2 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 100A for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, compared with the circulation device 100, the circulation device 100A further includes a second temperature sensor 114 for monitoring the second liquid temperature of the second cooling tower 20. The controller 112 is communicatively coupled to the second temperature sensor 114, and is configured to control the first pump 110 to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 further based on the second liquid temperature.

[0045] If the second liquid temperature is higher than the first liquid temperature, the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 can not only enhance the fluidity of the liquid in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10, but also increase its temperature, further reducing the risk of freezing. For example, as mentioned above, taking the data center as an example, the liquid temperature in the tower pool of the cooling tower is usually maintained at about 14°C when it is in operation, and the liquid temperature in the tower pool is usually maintained at about 6°C when it is not in operation to avoid freezing. For non-limiting purposes, in an exemplary application scenario, the first cooling tower 10 is in a non-operating state, and the second cooling tower 20 is also in a non-operating state. At this time, if the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 is started, freezing can be prevented by enhancing the fluidity of the liquid. In another exemplary application scenario, the first cooling tower 10 is in a non-operating state, and the second cooling tower 20 is in an operating state. At this time, if the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 is started, the tower pool liquid of the first cooling tower 10 can be prevented from freezing by enhancing the fluidity of the liquid and increasing the temperature of the liquid, and the second cooling tower 20 will continuously receive 21°C liquid returned from the data center because it is in an operating state, so there is basically no risk of freezing. Therefore, illustratively, the controller 112 may be configured to control the first pump 110 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold, and in response to the second liquid temperature being higher than the first liquid temperature.

[0046] In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than the first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold, and in response to the second liquid temperature being not lower than the second preset temperature threshold. In some cases, the second preset temperature threshold may be greater than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold. For example, still taking the aforementioned example application scenario as an example, the first preset temperature threshold may be 5-6°C (for example, 6°C), and the second preset temperature threshold may be 13-14°C (for example, 14°C). In this case, the liquid circulation will bring a liquid warming effect to the first cooling tower 10, thereby reducing the possibility of freezing in combination with the liquid flow effect brought by the liquid circulation to the first cooling tower 10. In other cases, the second preset temperature threshold may also be less than the first preset temperature threshold, and the degree of "less than" may be controlled, for example, so that the increase in the possibility of freezing caused by the liquid cooling effect brought by the liquid circulation to the first cooling tower 10 is lower than the decrease in the possibility of freezing caused by the liquid flow effect brought by the liquid circulation to the first cooling tower 10. In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to stop circulating the liquid in response to the second liquid temperature being lower than a second preset temperature threshold.

[0047] As a non-limiting embodiment, in order to further enhance the antifreeze effect of the first cooling tower 10, the second preset temperature threshold can be determined based on the liquid temperature in the tower pool when the cooling tower is in operation, thereby being used to identify whether the second cooling tower 20 is in operation, so as to start liquid circulation when the second cooling tower 20 is in operation, and / or stop liquid circulation when the second cooling tower 20 is not in operation. In an exemplary application scenario, the cooling tower system may include a first cooling tower 10 and a plurality of second cooling towers 20, and a corresponding circulation device 100 may be provided between the first cooling tower 10 and each second cooling tower 20, and these circulation devices 100 may be provided with a separate or shared (one or more) controllers 112. Among these second cooling towers 20, when the second liquid temperature of the tower pool of some second cooling towers 20 is lower than the second preset temperature threshold (it can be considered that these second cooling towers 20 cannot provide effective antifreeze assistance for the first cooling tower 10), the controller 112 does not start the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and these second cooling towers 20; when the second liquid temperature of the tower pool of some second cooling towers 20 is not lower than the second preset temperature threshold (it can be considered that these second cooling towers 20 can provide effective antifreeze assistance for the first cooling tower 10), the controller 112 starts the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and these second cooling towers 20. That is, only the liquid circulation between the second cooling towers 20 whose second liquid temperature is not lower than the second preset temperature threshold and the first cooling tower 10 is started. In the case where the second preset temperature threshold can be used to identify whether the second cooling tower 20 is in operation, it is equivalent to starting the liquid circulation between only the second cooling towers 20 in operation and the first cooling tower 10 (when there is a need for antifreeze, they are usually in a non-operating state). For the first cooling tower 10, the increased fluidity and temperature of the tower pool liquid can effectively prevent freezing, reducing or eliminating the use of electric heating for antifreeze. In addition, for the second cooling tower 20 in operation, receiving the low-temperature liquid brought by the liquid circulation from the first cooling tower 10 helps the second cooling tower 20 to refrigerate the high-temperature liquid returned from the cooling object such as a data center. Therefore, for the overall cooling tower system, the circulation device disclosed in the present invention not only has the effect of antifreeze for the non-operating cooling tower, but also has the effect of refrigeration for the operating cooling tower, which is energy-saving and environmentally friendly.

[0048] Further, in some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the first pump 110 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature, and based on the second liquid temperature. Similar to the above, the controller 112 can perform flow control based on these temperatures themselves and / or data calculated from their associated temperature thresholds, which will not be described in detail here. Exemplarily, the flow rate can increase as the first liquid temperature decreases, and can decrease as the second liquid temperature increases. This is because a decrease in the first liquid temperature means an increased possibility of freezing, while an increase in the second liquid temperature means that the liquid warming effect brought about by the liquid circulation can share more of the liquid flow effect brought about by the liquid circulation in terms of antifreeze, and a reduction in flow rate can help reduce pump power consumption.

[0049] In some embodiments, the flow rate of the liquid circulation is configured so that the first liquid flow rate in the first liquid channel 102 is equal to the second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel 104. This can advantageously maintain the tower pool liquid level of each cooling tower. For example, a non-operating cooling tower will basically not consume the liquid in the tower pool, so there is basically no need to replenish the non-operating cooling tower. In order to ensure that the non-operating cooling tower can be put into operation at any time, the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the non-operating cooling tower and the flow rate of the liquid discharged to the non-operating cooling tower can be set to be substantially the same, so that the liquid level in the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower can be maintained.

[0050] In some embodiments, the flow rate of the liquid circulation is configured so that the first liquid flow rate in the first liquid channel 102 is greater than the second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel 104. This can advantageously reduce the possibility of freezing of the cooling tower refill pipe. For example, the refill pipe of the non-operating cooling tower includes a portion (external refill pipe) laid outside the non-operating cooling tower and a portion (internal refill pipe) laid inside the non-operating cooling tower. For the external refill pipe, it is easier to access than the internal refill pipe, and there are usually a variety of feasible antifreeze measures (such as electric heating). However, for the internal refill pipe, since liquid often wets the internal refill pipe inside the non-operating cooling tower, the electric heating antifreeze measure has a safety hazard. Therefore, the antifreeze of the internal refill pipe of the non-operating cooling tower is a difficulty. By making the first liquid flow rate in the first liquid channel 102 greater than the second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel 104, the first cooling tower 10 can have a refill demand even if it is in a non-operating state. Since there is liquid flowing in the infusion tube and the temperature of the liquid in the infusion tube is usually higher than the ambient temperature (for example, the tap water temperature in winter is usually 10℃~15℃, and the ambient temperature may be 0℃~10℃ or even below zero), the infusion tube can be antifreeze, especially the internal infusion tube antifreeze which is difficult to achieve in the past, and the need for electric heating antifreeze of the external infusion tube can be reduced or eliminated.

[0051] As a non-limiting embodiment, the first liquid channel 102 is 5m 3 / h of water at a temperature of 6°C is discharged from the first cooling tower 10 to the second cooling tower 20, and the second liquid channel 104 transfers 3.5m 3 / h of water with a temperature of 14°C is discharged from the second cooling tower 20 to the first cooling tower 10, and the water supply pipe of the first cooling tower 10 supplies 1.5m 3 / h of tap water with a temperature of 10°C to 15°C. Therefore, the liquid supply pipe provides liquid to the first cooling tower 10, which not only ensures that the liquid supply pipe itself is not easy to freeze, but also brings a liquid heating effect to the first cooling tower 10 while maintaining the liquid level of the first cooling tower 10, thereby effectively reducing the opening time of the electric heating of the first cooling tower 10.

[0052] In some embodiments, a second pump may be provided to adjust the second liquid flow in the second liquid channel 104. The second pump may be used in conjunction with the first pump for liquid circulation control. Compared to a single pump configuration, a dual pump configuration may optimize liquid circulation. For example, when the first cooling tower 10 is not in operation and the second cooling tower 20 is in operation, the liquid level difference between the cooling towers is usually small, and the operating cooling tower may have a fluctuating liquid level due to fluctuations in the replenishment pressure or load fluctuations, etc., resulting in uneven air storage in the second liquid channel 104, which will hinder the normal flow of the liquid and cause instability and unevenness of the flow. By providing a second pump, the second liquid flow in the second liquid channel 104 can be well controlled, thereby jointly promoting liquid circulation in a desired manner with the first pump.

[0053] refer to Figure 3 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 100B for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, compared with the circulation device 100, the circulation device 100B also includes a second pump 116 for adjusting the second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel 104. The controller 112 is communicatively coupled to the second pump 116, and is configured to control the first pump 110 and the second pump 116 to control the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature. Here, the specific control examples of the liquid circulation are similar to those described above with respect to the first pump 110, except that they are implemented by the first pump 110 and the second pump 116, so it can be similarly referred to the various embodiments described above, and will not be repeated here. In some examples, the circulation device 100B may further include a second temperature sensor 114, as indicated by the dotted line.

[0054] In some embodiments, the second pump 116 is configured to provide a flow rate not less than a flow rate threshold G2, which is determined based on the tower pool heat dissipation of the non-operating cooling tower. Here, G2 represents the capacity of the flow rate that the second pump 116 is initially designed to provide.

[0055] As a non-limiting implementation, the flow threshold G2 can be determined by the following calculation process. Since the heat dissipation of the non-operating cooling tower mainly includes the heat dissipation of the tower pool liquid evaporation and the heat dissipation of the tower pool outer wall, it can be:

[0056] G2=3.6 (Qz+Qs) / (C (Tc2-Tc1)),

[0057] Wherein, Qz represents the heat loss due to evaporation of liquid on the liquid surface of the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower (in kW), Qs represents the heat exchange between the outer surface of the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower excluding the liquid surface and the outdoor air (in kW), C represents the heat transfer coefficient of the liquid (for example, when the liquid is water, C is 4.18 kW / (kg·℃)), Tc2 represents the normal liquid temperature of the tower pool of the second cooling tower as required (in ℃), and Tc1 represents the normal liquid temperature of the tower pool of the first cooling tower as required (in ℃).

[0058] Qz=r A (Pb-Pq) (0.0174vf+0.0229) (760 / B) / 3600,

[0059] Where r represents the latent heat of evaporation of the saturated vapor of the liquid equal to the liquid temperature of the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower (in kJ / kg), Pb represents the liquid vapor partial pressure of the saturated air equal to the liquid temperature of the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower (in mmHg), Pq represents the liquid vapor partial pressure of the ambient air of the non-operating cooling tower (in mmHg), vf represents the conventional surface wind speed of the tower pool liquid of the non-operating cooling tower (in m / s, 0.5 for indoors and 2 for outdoors), A represents the liquid surface area of ​​the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower (in m 2 ), B represents the local atmospheric pressure (in mmHg).

[0060] Qs=K S (Tc-Ta),

[0061] Where Tc represents the liquid temperature that the non-operating cooling tower needs to maintain (in °C), Ta represents the minimum outdoor air temperature (in °C), which is the minimum outdoor air temperature that needs to be considered in a certain period of time in the local area defined in the HVAC industry, and S represents the external surface area of ​​the water storage part of the tower pool of the non-operating cooling tower (in m 2 ), K represents the heat transfer coefficient (unit: kW / (m 2 ·℃)).

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 112 is configured to control the flow rate provided by the first pump 110 to be no less than the flow rate provided by the second pump 116 and no more than the sum of the flow rate provided by the second pump 116 and the available replenishment flow rate of the first cooling tower 10. This can be beneficial to maintaining the liquid level of the first cooling tower 10.

[0063] Continue to refer Figure 3 In some embodiments, the first liquid channel 102 includes a first liquid conduit 1022 near the first cooling tower 10 and a second liquid conduit 1024 near the second cooling tower 20, the first pump 110 is located between the first liquid conduit 1022 and the second liquid conduit 1024, the second liquid channel 104 includes a third liquid conduit 1042 near the second cooling tower and a fourth liquid conduit 1044 near the first cooling tower 20, and the second pump 116 is located between the third liquid conduit 1042 and the fourth liquid conduit 1044.

[0064] In some embodiments, the port of the first liquid conduit 1022 for receiving liquid from the first cooling tower 10 and the port of the fourth liquid conduit 1044 for discharging liquid to the first cooling tower 10 are located on both sides of the first cooling tower 10, and the port of the third liquid conduit 1042 for receiving liquid from the second cooling tower 20 and the port of the second liquid conduit 1024 for discharging liquid to the second cooling tower 20 are located on both sides of the second cooling tower 20. Such an arrangement can better achieve liquid circulation.

[0065] For the purpose of providing liquid circulation to shorten the duration of the antifreeze electric heating, the first pump 110 and / or the second pump 116 do not need to provide too much flow. On the contrary, the first pump 110 and / or the second pump 116 can provide a smaller flow, and accordingly, the liquid guide tube used can have a smaller diameter. As a non-limiting embodiment, the diameter of each of the first liquid guide tube 1024 to the fourth liquid guide tube 1044 can not exceed the nominal diameter of 32 mm (DN 32). Thanks to this, each of the first liquid guide tube 1024 to the fourth liquid guide tube 1044 can use a plastic hose or a galvanized steel pipe, which is very convenient for on-site construction. In the case where the liquid guide tubes used in the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel have a small diameter, the dual pump configuration may be able to achieve better liquid circulation than the single pump configuration.

[0066] In some examples, none of the first to fourth liquid conduits 1024 to 1044 is provided with a valve. In other examples, each of the first to fourth liquid conduits 1024 to 1044 may be provided with a valve, so that the controller 112 controls each pump and each valve to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 via the first liquid channel 102 and the second liquid channel 104 according to the temperature detected by each temperature sensor.

[0067] refer to Figure 4 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 100C for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the circulation device 100C includes an electrical control cabinet 120, and the controller 112 and the ambient temperature sensor 108 are located inside the electrical control cabinet 120. In some examples, the circulation device 100C may further include a second temperature sensor 114 and / or a second pump 116, as indicated by dashed lines.

[0068] As a non-limiting embodiment, the electric control cabinet 120 can be installed outside the cooling tower system and close to the cooling tower, so that the temperature measured by the ambient temperature sensor 108 is closer to the ambient temperature of the cooling tower system, so that the controller 112 can start and control the liquid circulation more accurately. In addition, the controller 112 and the ambient temperature sensor 108 are installed inside the electric control cabinet 120 to prevent adverse weather such as rain, snow, strong wind, sandstorm, etc. from interfering with the operation of the controller 112 and the ambient temperature sensor 108.

[0069] As a non-limiting embodiment, the electric control cabinet 120 may be a strong and weak electricity integrated cabinet, in which an electrical device for a coolant circulation pump is installed for frequency conversion regulation of the pump. The electric control cabinet 120 may be provided with a controller (e.g., the controller 112) to regulate the flow rate according to the temperature detected by each temperature sensor, and may also sound an alarm when the cooling tower temperature is lower than a set value.

[0070] The present disclosure also provides a circulation device for a cooling tower system with a ring network configuration (hereinafter referred to as a "ring network cooling tower system"). For the ring network cooling tower system, a connecting pipe is configured between each cooling tower in the ring network cooling tower system to automatically achieve liquid level balance between each cooling tower. Therefore, the connecting pipe of the ring network cooling tower system can be used as a liquid channel of the aforementioned circulation device.

[0071] refer to Figure 5 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 200 for a cooling tower system with a ring network configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5As shown, the cooling tower system includes a first cooling tower 10 and a second cooling tower 20 . In a ring network configuration, a connecting pipe 202 is provided between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 .

[0072] The circulation device 200 includes: a liquid channel 204 for discharging liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10 into the tower pool of the second cooling tower 20; a first temperature sensor 206 for monitoring the temperature of the first liquid in the tower pool of the first cooling tower 10; an ambient temperature sensor 208 for monitoring the ambient temperature around the circulation device 200; a pump 210 for adjusting the liquid flow in the liquid channel 204; and a controller 212 communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor 206, the ambient temperature sensor 208, and the pump 210, respectively. The controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 via the liquid channel 204 and the connecting pipe 202. The controller 212 can be installed in an electric control cabinet together with the ambient temperature sensor 208, for example.

[0073] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to start circulating the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

[0074] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to stop circulating the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being not lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being not lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

[0075] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

[0076] In some embodiments, the circulation device 200 includes a second temperature sensor 214 for monitoring the temperature of the second liquid in the tower pool of the second cooling tower. Figure 5 The controller 212 is communicatively coupled to the second temperature sensor 214 and is configured to further control the pump 210 based on the second liquid temperature to control the liquid circulation.

[0077] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to start liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold, and in response to the second liquid temperature being not lower than a second preset temperature threshold.

[0078] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to stop circulating the liquid in response to the second liquid temperature being lower than a second preset temperature threshold.

[0079] In some embodiments, the controller 212 is configured to control the pump 210 to adjust the flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature, and based on the second liquid temperature.

[0080] Continue to refer Figure 5 In some embodiments, the liquid channel 204 includes a first liquid conduit 2042 near the first cooling tower 10 and a second liquid conduit 2044 near the second cooling tower 20, and the pump 210 is located between the first liquid conduit 2042 and the second liquid conduit 2044. Specifically, in some embodiments, the diameter of each of the first liquid conduit 2042 and the second liquid conduit 2044 does not exceed one tenth of the diameter of the connecting pipe 202. Specifically, the diameter of the connecting pipe 202 of cooling towers of different capacities may be different, but the diameter of the connecting pipe 202 will generally reach the diameter of a single water inlet pipe of the cooling tower or slightly smaller. For example, the cooling liquid flow rate of the first cooling tower 10 and the second cooling tower 20 is 1200m 3 / h, the diameter of the communicating pipe 202 can reach DN350 (nominal diameter 350 mm), and the diameter of the liquid channel 204 can be about DN 32 or smaller.

[0081] Various embodiments of the circulation device 200 are similar to the various embodiments of the circulation devices 100, 100A, 100B, and 100C described above, and therefore reference may be made to the description of the various embodiments of the circulation devices 100, 100A, 100B, and 100C described above, which will not be repeated here.

[0082] In another aspect, the present disclosure also provides a circulation device for a cooling tower system including a plurality of cooling towers. Figure 6 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 300 for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 As shown, the cooling tower system includes a plurality of cooling towers 20, 21, 22, 10, 11. Exemplarily, cooling towers 10 and 11 are first cooling towers, and cooling towers 20, 21, and 22 are second cooling towers. This is merely exemplary and not restrictive. It is understood that the present teaching is also applicable to cooling tower systems including more or fewer cooling towers.

[0083] The circulation device 300 includes: a first liquid channel 302 including a first part 3022 and a second part 3024; a plurality of first liquid conduits 306 each provided with a valve 316, each first liquid conduit 306 being used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first part 3022 of the first liquid channel 302; a plurality of second liquid conduits 308 each provided with a valve 316, each second liquid conduit 308 being used to discharge liquid from the second part 3024 of the first liquid channel 302 to the tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers.

[0084] The circulation device 300 includes: a second liquid channel 304 including a first part 3042 and a second part 3044; a plurality of third liquid pipes 310 each provided with a valve 316, each third liquid pipe 310 is used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first part 3042 of the second liquid channel 304; a plurality of fourth liquid pipes 314 each provided with a valve 316, each fourth liquid pipe 314 is used to discharge liquid from the second part 3044 of the second liquid channel 304 to the tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers.

[0085] The circulation device 300 includes a first pump 322 , which is located between the first portion 3022 and the second portion 3024 of the first liquid channel 302 , and is used to adjust the flow rate of the first liquid in the first liquid channel 302 .

[0086] The circulation device 300 includes a plurality of temperature sensors 318 , each of which is used to monitor the liquid temperature of a tower sump of a corresponding cooling tower among the plurality of cooling towers. The circulation device 300 includes an ambient temperature sensor 320 for monitoring the ambient temperature around the circulation device 300 .

[0087] The circulation device 300 includes a controller 326 communicatively coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors 318, the ambient temperature sensor 320, and the first pump 322. The controller 326 is configured to control the first pump 322 and the respective valves 316 to control the circulation of the liquid between the plurality of cooling towers via the first liquid passage 302 and the second liquid passage 304 based on the liquid temperature (provided by the plurality of temperature sensors 318) and / or the ambient temperature (provided by the ambient temperature sensor 320).

[0088] For example, the start and stop of the liquid circulation may be controlled by the valve 316 , and the flow rate of the liquid circulation may be controlled by the first pump 322 .

[0089] Exemplarily, the controller 326 can be configured to, in response to the liquid temperature provided by the first temperature sensor for monitoring the first cooling tower among the plurality of temperature sensors 318 being lower than the first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than the preset ambient temperature threshold: turn on the valve 316 at the first liquid conduit 306 for discharging the liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower to the first portion 3022 of the first liquid channel 302 among the plurality of first liquid conduits 306; turn off the valve 316 at the first liquid conduit 306 for discharging the liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower to the first portion 3022 of the first liquid channel 302 among the plurality of second liquid conduits 308; A valve 316 at the second liquid conduit 308 for discharging the liquid from the second part 3024 of the channel 302 to the tower pool of the first cooling tower; a valve 316 at the third liquid conduit 310 among the plurality of third liquid conduits 310 for discharging the liquid from the tower pool of the first cooling tower to the first part 3042 of the second liquid channel 304; and a valve 316 at the fourth liquid conduit 314 among the plurality of fourth liquid conduits 314 for discharging the liquid from the second part 3044 of the second liquid channel 304 to the tower pool of the first cooling tower.

[0090] Exemplarily, the controller 326 can be configured to, in response to the liquid temperature provided by the second temperature sensor for monitoring the second cooling tower among the multiple temperature sensors 318 being not lower than the second preset temperature threshold, shut off the valve 316 at the first liquid conduit 306 among the multiple first liquid conduits 306 for discharging the liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower to the first part 3022 of the first liquid channel 302; connect the valve 316 at the second liquid conduit 308 among the multiple second liquid conduits 308 for discharging the liquid from the second part 3024 of the first liquid channel 302 to the tower pool of the second cooling tower; connect the valve 316 at the third liquid conduit 310 among the multiple third liquid conduits 310 for discharging the liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower to the first part 3042 of the second liquid channel 304; and shut off the valve 316 at the fourth liquid conduit 314 among the multiple fourth liquid conduits 314 for discharging the liquid from the second part 3044 of the second liquid channel 304 to the tower pool of the second cooling tower.

[0091] The specific setting embodiments of each temperature threshold value can be similarly referred to the previous description, and will not be described in detail here. In an exemplary application scenario, each cooling tower in a non-operating state in the cooling tower system will discharge a low-temperature liquid (e.g., 6°C) to the first part 3022 of the first liquid channel 302 and receive a high-temperature liquid (e.g., 14°C) from the second part 3044 of the second liquid channel 304, and each cooling tower in an operating state in the cooling tower system will receive a low-temperature liquid (e.g., 6°C) from the second part 3024 of the first liquid channel 302 and discharge a high-temperature liquid (e.g., 14°C) to the first part 3042 of the second liquid channel 304. In this way, the liquid circulation established between each non-operating cooling tower and each operating cooling tower has both the effect of antifreezing the non-operating cooling tower and the effect of refrigerating the operating cooling tower. It can be understood that the "high temperature" and "low temperature" mentioned in this article are relative concepts, not absolute concepts.

[0092] In some embodiments, Figure 6 As indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3 , the circulation device 300 includes: a second pump 324, located between the first portion 3042 and the second portion 3044 of the second liquid channel 304, for adjusting the flow rate of the second liquid in the second liquid channel 304. The controller 326 is communicatively coupled to the second pump 324 and is configured to control the first pump 322, the second pump 324 and the valve 316 to control the liquid circulation based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature. For reasons similar to those mentioned above, the dual pump configuration can optimize the liquid circulation compared to the single pump configuration.

[0093] Various embodiments of the controller 326 controlling liquid circulation through the first pump 322 and / or the second pump 324 can be similarly referred to the various embodiments described above regarding the controller 112 controlling liquid circulation through the first pump 110 and / or the second pump 116, and will not be described in detail here. In particular, in some embodiments, the controller 326 is configured to control the first pump 322 (and the second pump 324, if any) and the valve 316 to control liquid circulation based on the number of liquid temperatures below the first preset temperature threshold and / or the number of liquid temperatures not below the second preset temperature threshold among the liquid temperatures provided by the plurality of temperature sensors 318. The tower pool liquid temperature can reflect the operating state of the cooling tower, so in the aforementioned example application scenario, the controller 326 can adjust the operating frequency of the first pump 322 (and the second pump 324, if any) according to the number of cooling towers in the operating state / non-operating state to adapt to the operation under different loads.

[0094] In addition, for the first liquid conduit 306 (for transmitting low-temperature liquid), the second liquid conduit 308 (for transmitting low-temperature liquid), the third liquid conduit 310 (for transmitting high-temperature liquid), and the fourth liquid conduit 314 (for transmitting high-temperature liquid) used in each cooling tower, each of the first liquid conduit 306 and the second liquid conduit 308 can be arranged adjacent to at least one of the third liquid conduit 310 and the fourth liquid conduit 314, for example, can be wrapped in the same insulation material, so as to use the warmer liquid conduit for transmitting high-temperature liquid to protect the cooler liquid conduit for transmitting low-temperature liquid from freezing. For example, in Figure 6 In the example of , for each cooling tower, the first liquid conduit 306 and the third liquid conduit 310 can be wrapped together with insulation material, and the second liquid conduit 308 and the fourth liquid conduit 314 can be wrapped together with insulation material. In addition, shortening the length of each liquid conduit is also beneficial to antifreeze.

[0095] refer to Figure 7 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 300A for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared with the circulation device 300, in the circulation device 300A, the first portion 3022 and the second portion 3024 of the first liquid channel 302 each have a ring shape, and the first portion 3042 and the second portion 3044 of the second liquid channel 304 each have a ring shape, so as to prevent dead water from forming in the pipeline (especially when not in use) and thus causing the pipeline to freeze.

[0096] Various embodiments of the circulation devices 300 and 300A are similar to various embodiments of the aforementioned circulation devices 100, 100A, 100B, and 100C. Therefore, reference may be made to the aforementioned descriptions of various embodiments of the circulation devices 100, 100A, 100B, and 100C, which will not be repeated here.

[0097] In another aspect, the present disclosure also provides a circulation device for a cooling tower system having a ring network configuration. Figure 8 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 400 for a cooling tower system with a ring network configuration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, the cooling tower system includes a plurality of cooling towers 20, 21, 22, 10, 11, and these cooling towers are provided with connecting pipes 402. Exemplarily, cooling towers 10, 11 are first cooling towers, and cooling towers 20, 21, 22 are second cooling towers.

[0098] The circulation device 400 includes: a liquid channel 404 including a first part 4042 and a second part 4044; a plurality of first liquid conduits 406 each provided with a valve 416, each first liquid conduit 406 being used to discharge liquid from a tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first part 4042 of the liquid channel 404; a plurality of second liquid conduits 408 each provided with a valve 416, each second liquid conduit 408 being used to discharge liquid from the second part 4044 of the liquid channel 404 to the tower pool of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers.

[0099] The circulation device 400 includes: multiple temperature sensors 418, each temperature sensor 418 is used to monitor the liquid temperature of the tower pool of a corresponding cooling tower among the multiple cooling towers; an ambient temperature sensor 420, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device 400; a pump 422, located between the first part 4042 and the second part 4044 of the liquid channel 404, used to adjust the liquid flow in the liquid channel 404.

[0100] The circulation device 400 includes a controller 426, which is communicatively coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors 418, the ambient temperature sensor 420, and the pump 422, respectively, and is configured to control the pump 422 and the respective valves 416 based on the liquid temperature (provided by the plurality of temperature sensors 418) and / or the ambient temperature (provided by the ambient temperature sensor 420) to control the circulation of the liquid between the plurality of cooling towers via the liquid channel 404 and the connecting pipe 402.

[0101] For example, the start and stop of the liquid circulation may be controlled by the valve 416 , and the flow rate of the liquid circulation may be controlled by the pump 422 .

[0102] Exemplarily, the controller 426 can be configured to, in response to the liquid temperature provided by a first temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors 418 for monitoring a first cooling tower among the plurality of cooling towers being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold: connect a valve 416 at a first liquid conduit 406 among the plurality of first liquid conduits 406 for discharging liquid from a tower pool of the first cooling tower to a first portion 4042 of a liquid channel 404; and close a valve 416 at a second liquid conduit 408 among the plurality of second liquid conduits 408 for discharging liquid from a second portion 4044 of a liquid channel 404 to a tower pool of the first cooling tower.

[0103] Exemplarily, the controller 426 can be configured to, in response to the liquid temperature provided by a second temperature sensor among the multiple temperature sensors 418 for monitoring a second cooling tower among the multiple cooling towers being not lower than a second preset temperature threshold, shut off the valve 416 at the first liquid conduit 406 among the multiple first liquid conduits 406 for discharging liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower to the first part 4042 of the liquid channel 404; and connect the valve 416 at the second liquid conduit 408 among the multiple second liquid conduits 408 for discharging liquid from the second part 4044 of the liquid channel 404 to the tower pool of the second cooling tower.

[0104] The specific setting embodiments of each temperature threshold value can be similarly referred to the previous description, and will not be elaborated here. In an exemplary application scenario, each cooling tower in a non-operating state in the cooling tower system will discharge low-temperature liquid (for example, 6°C) to the first part 4042 of the liquid channel 404 and achieve liquid level balance through the connecting pipe 402, and each cooling tower in an operating state in the cooling tower system will receive low-temperature liquid (for example, 6°C) from the second part 4044 of the liquid channel 404 and achieve liquid level balance through the connecting pipe 402. In this way, the liquid circulation established between each non-operating cooling tower and each operating cooling tower has both the effect of antifreezing the non-operating cooling tower and the effect of refrigerating the operating cooling tower.

[0105] Various embodiments of the controller 426 performing liquid circulation control through the pump 422 can be similarly referred to the various embodiments described above regarding the controller 212 performing liquid circulation control through the pump 210, and will not be described in detail here. In particular, in some embodiments, the controller 426 is configured to control the pump 422 and the valve 416 to control the liquid circulation based on the number of liquid temperatures below the first preset temperature threshold and / or the number of liquid temperatures not below the second preset temperature threshold among the liquid temperatures provided by the multiple temperature sensors 418. The tower pool liquid temperature can reflect the operating status of the cooling tower, so in the aforementioned example application scenario, the controller 426 can adjust the operating frequency of the pump 422 according to the number of cooling towers in the operating state / non-operating state to adapt to the operation under different loads.

[0106] refer to Fig. 9 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a circulation device 400A for a cooling tower system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Compared with the circulation device 400, in the circulation device 400A, the first part 4042 and the second part 4044 of the liquid channel 404 each have a ring shape to prevent dead water from forming in the pipeline (especially when not in use) and causing the pipeline to freeze.

[0107] Various embodiments of the circulation devices 400 and 400A are similar to various embodiments of the circulation device 200 described above, and thus reference may be made to the above description of various embodiments of the circulation device 200 , which will not be repeated herein.

[0108] The circulation device 200, 400, 400A can be advantageously applied to a ring network cooling tower system. However, it is understood that the circulation device 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 300, 300A can also be applied to a ring network cooling tower system. In fact, the circulation device 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 300, 300A can be applied to cooling tower systems having various configurations such as a one-to-one configuration and a ring network configuration.

[0109] The words "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "up", "down", "high", "low", etc., in the specification and claims, if present, are used for descriptive purposes and are not necessarily used to describe an unchanging relative position. It should be understood that the words so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein, for example, can operate in other orientations than those shown or otherwise described herein. For example, when the device in the drawings is turned over, features originally described as "above" other features may now be described as "below" the other features. The device may also be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the relative spatial relationships will be interpreted accordingly.

[0110] In the specification and claims, when an element is referred to as being "on", "attached", "connected", "coupled", or "contacting" another element, the element may be directly on, directly attached, directly connected, directly coupled, or directly contacting another element, or one or more intermediate elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly" "on", "directly attached", "directly connected", "directly coupled", or "directly contacting" another element, there will be no intermediate elements. In the specification and claims, a feature being arranged "adjacent" to another feature may refer to a feature having a portion that overlaps with an adjacent feature or a portion that is located above or below an adjacent feature.

[0111] As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" rather than as a "model" to be exactly copied. Any implementation described as an example herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not to be limited by any expressed or implied theory given in the technical field, background, summary, or detailed description.

[0112] As used herein, the term "substantially" is intended to include any minor variations due to design or manufacturing imperfections, device or component tolerances, environmental influences, and / or other factors. The term "substantially" also allows for deviations from a perfect or ideal condition due to parasitic effects, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in actual implementations.

[0113] In addition, the terms "first", "second" and the like may also be used herein for reference purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms "first", "second" and other such numerical terms referring to structures or elements do not imply a sequence or order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0114] It should also be understood that when the term “include / comprises” is used in this document, it indicates the presence of the specified features, integers, steps, operations, units and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units and / or components and / or their combinations.

[0115] In this disclosure, the term "provide" is used in a broad sense to cover all ways of obtaining an object, and thus "providing an object" includes but is not limited to "purchasing", "preparing / manufacturing", "arranging / setting up", "installing / assembling", and / or "ordering" an object, etc.

[0116] As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0117] In addition, when used in this application, the words "herein", "above", "below", "hereafter", "above" and words of similar meaning shall refer to the entirety of this application rather than any particular portion of this application. In addition, unless otherwise expressly stated or understood in other ways in the context of use, conditional language used herein, such as "may", "might", "for example", "such as", etc., is generally intended to express that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include certain features, elements and / or states. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require features, elements and / or states in any way, or whether these features, elements and / or states are included or performed in any particular embodiment.

[0118] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the boundaries between the above operations are merely illustrative. Multiple operations can be combined into a single operation, a single operation can be distributed in additional operations, and operations can be performed at least partially overlapping in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a specific operation, and the order of operations may be changed in various other embodiments. However, other modifications, variations, and replacements are equally possible. Aspects and elements of all embodiments disclosed above may be combined in any manner and / or in combination with aspects or elements of other embodiments to provide multiple additional embodiments. Therefore, this specification and accompanying drawings should be considered illustrative, not restrictive.

[0119] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A circulation device for a cooling tower system, the cooling tower system comprising a first cooling tower and a second cooling tower, the circulation device comprising: a first liquid passage for discharging liquid from a sump of the first cooling tower into a sump of the second cooling tower; a second liquid passage for discharging liquid from the sump of the second cooling tower into the sump of the first cooling tower; A first temperature sensor, used for monitoring a first liquid temperature of a tower pool of a first cooling tower; An ambient temperature sensor, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a first pump, used for adjusting the flow rate of the first liquid in the first liquid channel; A controller is communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor, the ambient temperature sensor and the first pump, respectively, and is configured to control the first pump based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control liquid circulation between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower via the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel.

2. The circulation device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump to start the liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

3. The circulation device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump to stop the circulation of the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being not lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being not lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

4. The circulation device according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump to adjust a flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

5. The circulation device according to claim 1, further comprising: A second temperature sensor is used to monitor the second liquid temperature of the tower pool of the second cooling tower, The controller is communicatively coupled to the second temperature sensor, and the controller is configured to control the first pump to control the liquid circulation further based on the second liquid temperature.

6. The circulation device according to claim 5, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump to start the liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold, and in response to the second liquid temperature being not lower than a second preset temperature threshold.

7. The circulation device according to claim 5, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump to adjust a flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature and based on the second liquid temperature.

8. The circulation device according to claim 4 or 7, wherein: The flow rate of the liquid circulation is configured such that a first liquid flow rate in the first liquid channel is greater than a second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel.

9. The circulation device according to claim 4 or 7, wherein: The flow rate of the liquid circulation is configured such that a first liquid flow rate in the first liquid channel is equal to a second liquid flow rate in the second liquid channel.

10. The circulation device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second pump, used for adjusting the flow rate of the second liquid in the second liquid channel; The controller is communicatively coupled to the second pump, and the controller is configured to control the first pump and the second pump to control the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

11. The circulation device according to claim 10, wherein: The second pump is configured to provide a flow rate not less than a flow rate threshold value, wherein the flow rate threshold value is determined based on a tower sump heat dissipation of the non-operating cooling tower.

12. The circulation device according to claim 10, wherein: The controller is configured to control the flow rate provided by the first pump to be no lower than the flow rate provided by the second pump, and no higher than the sum of the flow rate provided by the second pump and the available replenishment flow rate of the first cooling tower.

13. The circulation device according to claim 10, wherein: The first liquid channel includes a first liquid conduit close to the first cooling tower and a second liquid conduit close to the second cooling tower, and the first pump is located between the first liquid conduit and the second liquid conduit. The second liquid channel includes a third liquid conduit close to the second cooling tower and a fourth liquid conduit close to the first cooling tower, and the second pump is located between the third liquid conduit and the fourth liquid conduit.

14. The circulation device according to claim 13, wherein: The diameters of the first to fourth catheters are each no more than a nominal diameter of 32 mm.

15. The circulation device according to claim 13, wherein: The port of the first liquid conduit for receiving liquid from the first cooling tower and the port of the fourth liquid conduit for discharging liquid to the first cooling tower are located on both sides of the first cooling tower, and the port of the third liquid conduit for receiving liquid from the second cooling tower and the port of the second liquid conduit for discharging liquid to the second cooling tower are located on both sides of the second cooling tower.

16. A circulation device for a cooling tower system having a ring network configuration, the cooling tower system comprising a first cooling tower and a second cooling tower, wherein a connecting pipe is provided between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower in the ring network configuration, the circulation device comprising: a liquid passage for discharging liquid from the sump of the first cooling tower into the sump of the second cooling tower; A first temperature sensor, used for monitoring a first liquid temperature of a tower pool of a first cooling tower; An ambient temperature sensor, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a pump, used to adjust the flow rate of liquid in the liquid channel; A controller is communicatively coupled to the first temperature sensor, the ambient temperature sensor and the pump, respectively, and the controller is configured to control the pump based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the first cooling tower and the second cooling tower via the liquid channel and the connecting pipe.

17. The circulation device according to claim 16, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump to start the circulation of the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

18. The circulation device according to claim 16, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump to stop the circulation of the liquid in response to the first liquid temperature being not lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being not lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold.

19. The circulation device according to claim 16, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump to adjust a flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

20. The circulation device according to claim 16, further comprising: A second temperature sensor is used to monitor the second liquid temperature of the tower pool of the second cooling tower, The controller is communicatively coupled to the second temperature sensor, and is configured to control the pump to control the liquid circulation further based on the second liquid temperature.

21. The circulation device according to claim 20, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump to start the liquid circulation in response to the first liquid temperature being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold, and in response to the second liquid temperature being not lower than a second preset temperature threshold.

22. The circulation device according to claim 20, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump to adjust a flow rate of the liquid circulation based on the first liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature and based on the second liquid temperature.

23. The circulation device according to claim 16, wherein: The liquid channel includes a first liquid conduit close to the first cooling tower and a second liquid conduit close to the second cooling tower, and the pump is located between the first liquid conduit and the second liquid conduit.

24. The circulation device according to claim 23, wherein: The diameter of each of the first liquid guiding tube and the second liquid guiding tube does not exceed one tenth of the diameter of the connecting pipe.

25. A circulation device for a cooling tower system, the cooling tower system comprising a plurality of cooling towers, the plurality of cooling towers comprising at least one first cooling tower and at least one second cooling tower, the circulation device comprising: a first liquid channel comprising a first portion and a second portion; a plurality of first liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of first liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to a first portion of the first liquid channel; a plurality of second liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of second liquid conduits being used to discharge the liquid from the second portion of the first liquid channel to a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; a second liquid channel comprising a first portion and a second portion; a plurality of third liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of third liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first portion of the second liquid passage; a plurality of fourth liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of fourth liquid conduits being used to discharge the liquid from the second portion of the second liquid channel to a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors being used to monitor a liquid temperature of a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; An ambient temperature sensor, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a first pump, located between the first portion and the second portion of the first liquid channel, for adjusting a flow rate of the first liquid in the first liquid channel; A controller is communicatively coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors, the ambient temperature sensor and the first pump, respectively, and the controller is configured to control the first pump and the valve to control liquid circulation between the plurality of cooling towers via the first liquid channel and the second liquid channel based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

26. The circulation device according to claim 25, wherein: The controller is configured to, in response to a liquid temperature provided by a first temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors for monitoring a first cooling tower of the plurality of cooling towers being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold: connecting a valve at a first liquid conduit among the plurality of first liquid conduits for discharging liquid from a tower pool of the first cooling tower to a first portion of the first liquid channel; closing a valve at a second liquid conduit among the plurality of second liquid conduits for discharging the liquid from the second portion of the first liquid channel to a tower pool of the first cooling tower; closing a valve at a third liquid conduit among the plurality of third liquid conduits for discharging liquid from the tower sump of the first cooling tower to the first portion of the second liquid channel; as well as A valve at a fourth liquid conduit among the plurality of fourth liquid conduits for discharging the second portion of the liquid from the second liquid channel to the tower sump of the first cooling tower is opened.

27. A circulation device according to claim 25 or 26, wherein: The controller is configured to, in response to a liquid temperature provided by a second temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors for monitoring a second cooling tower of the plurality of cooling towers being not less than a second preset temperature threshold: closing a valve at a first liquid conduit among the plurality of first liquid conduits for discharging liquid from the tower sump of the second cooling tower to the first portion of the first liquid channel; connecting a valve at a second liquid conduit among the plurality of second liquid conduits for discharging the second portion of liquid from the first liquid channel to a tower pool of the second cooling tower; connecting a valve at a third liquid conduit among the plurality of third liquid conduits for discharging liquid from the tower pool of the second cooling tower to the first part of the second liquid channel; as well as A valve at a fourth liquid conduit among the plurality of fourth liquid conduits for discharging the second portion of the liquid from the second liquid passage to the tower sump of the second cooling tower is closed.

28. The circulation device according to claim 25, wherein: The first portion and the second portion of the first liquid passage each have a ring shape, and the first portion and the second portion of the second liquid passage each have a ring shape.

29. The circulation device according to claim 25, further comprising: a second pump, located between the first portion and the second portion of the second liquid channel, for adjusting a flow rate of the second liquid in the second liquid channel; The controller is communicatively coupled to the second pump, and is configured to control the first pump, the second pump, and the valve to control the liquid circulation based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature.

30. The circulation device according to claim 25, wherein: The controller is configured to control the first pump and the valve to control the liquid circulation based on the number of liquid temperatures below a first preset temperature threshold and / or the number of liquid temperatures not below a second preset temperature threshold among the liquid temperatures provided by the plurality of temperature sensors.

31. A circulation device for a cooling tower system having a ring network configuration, the cooling tower system comprising a plurality of cooling towers, the plurality of cooling towers comprising at least one first cooling tower and at least one second cooling tower, in the ring network configuration, the plurality of cooling towers are provided with communicating pipes, the circulation device comprising: a liquid channel comprising a first portion and a second portion; a plurality of first liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of first liquid conduits being used to discharge liquid from a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers to the first portion of the liquid channel; a plurality of second liquid conduits each having a valve, each of the plurality of second liquid conduits being used to discharge the liquid from the second portion of the liquid channel to a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; a plurality of temperature sensors, each of the plurality of temperature sensors being used to monitor a liquid temperature of a tower sump of a corresponding one of the plurality of cooling towers; An ambient temperature sensor, used to monitor the ambient temperature around the circulation device; a pump, located between the first portion and the second portion of the liquid channel, for regulating the flow rate of the liquid in the liquid channel; A controller is communicatively coupled to the multiple temperature sensors, the ambient temperature sensor and the pump, respectively, and the controller is configured to control the pump and the valve based on the liquid temperature and / or the ambient temperature to control the liquid circulation between the multiple cooling towers via the liquid channel and the connecting pipe.

32. The circulation device according to claim 31, wherein: The controller is configured to, in response to a liquid temperature provided by a first temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors for monitoring a first cooling tower of the plurality of cooling towers being lower than a first preset temperature threshold and / or the ambient temperature being lower than a preset ambient temperature threshold: Connecting a valve at a first liquid conduit among the plurality of first liquid conduits for discharging liquid from a tower pool of the first cooling tower to a first portion of the liquid channel; as well as A valve at a second liquid conduit among the plurality of second liquid conduits for discharging the liquid from the second portion of the liquid passage to the sump of the first cooling tower is closed.

33. A circulation device according to claim 31 or 32, wherein: The controller is configured to, in response to a liquid temperature provided by a second temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors for monitoring a second cooling tower of the plurality of cooling towers being not less than a second preset temperature threshold: closing a valve at a first liquid conduit among the plurality of first liquid conduits for discharging liquid from the tower sump of the second cooling tower to the first portion of the liquid channel; as well as A valve at a second liquid conduit among the plurality of second liquid conduits for discharging the liquid from the second portion of the liquid channel to the tower sump of the second cooling tower is opened.

34. The circulation device according to claim 31, wherein: The first portion and the second portion of the liquid passage each have a ring shape.

35. The circulation device according to claim 31, wherein: The controller is configured to control the pump and the valve to control the liquid circulation based on the number of liquid temperatures below a first preset temperature threshold and / or the number of liquid temperatures not below a second preset temperature threshold among the liquid temperatures provided by the plurality of temperature sensors.

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