Adiabatic cooler with control system for reducing water and energy usage

Abstract

A thermal insulation system and method for reducing water and energy usage is provided. The system includes an adiabatic heat rejection system including a temperature sensor configured to measure an ambient wet bulb temperature of the adiabatic system based on a measured temperature of water exiting the wetting media pad. A method for adjusting operating parameters of a system to minimize water and energy usage is provided. The method includes the steps of determining an approximate ambient wet bulb temperature of the adiabatic heat rejection system based on a measured temperature of water exiting the adiabatic mat, determining whether the measured temperature of the process fluid flow is above a process fluid temperature setpoint, determining whether the adiabatic heat rejection system is in a water saving mode of operation or an energy saving mode of operation, and adjusting one or more operating parameters based on the operating mode.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 518,300, filed August 8, 2023, entitled “ADIABATIC CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WATER AND ENERGY USE REDUCTION”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally describes an adiabatic cooler with a control system and a method related to water and energy conservation. Background Technology

[0004] Heat dissipation equipment is commonly used in industrial, commercial, and residential environments to provide cooling. One common type of heat dissipation equipment is the adiabatic cooler. An adiabatic cooling system cools the air to below its dry-bulb temperature by drawing warm air through a moistened pad, increasing the relative humidity of the air. Therefore, adiabatic systems are well-suited for hot and dry environments because they consume less water than other types of evaporative heat dissipation systems. Furthermore, adiabatic systems can provide similar cooling capacity to conventional dry cooler or condenser systems, but with a smaller footprint and / or less energy.

[0005] The performance of an insulation system can be measured by the saturation efficiency of the pad, heat dissipation, water usage, and energy usage. Saturation efficiency, heat dissipation, water usage, and energy usage can depend on the psychrometric properties of the local environment in which the system is located. Psychrometric properties may include, for example, the dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature, saturated vapor pressure, relative humidity (RH), specific humidity, dew point temperature, and enthalpy or total heat of the surrounding air.

[0006] Some insulation systems utilize relative humidity (RH) sensors to measure the RH of the incoming air. However, RH sensors can be prone to failure and maintenance costs can be high. Therefore, without accurate and reliable hygrometer measurements and / or calculations, it may be difficult to operate an insulation cooling system in the most energy-efficient manner.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an adiabatic cooler that includes a control system for reliably measuring the properties of one or more hygrometers, so that the adiabatic system can be operated to save water and energy. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Based on some examples of this disclosure, systems and methods for controlling adiabatic cooling systems are provided. These systems and methods offer the ability to save water and / or energy, and in particular overcome the drawbacks associated with conventional adiabatic cooling systems.

[0009] An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling a process fluid is disclosed. The system includes an adiabatic cooler having at least one medium pad and at least one heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one medium pad. The cooler further includes a fluid distribution system designed to wet the at least one medium pad by distributing cooling water onto it. A fluid collection system is also disclosed, including a pool for collecting cooling water from the at least one medium pad, and a recirculation conduit in fluid communication with the pool and the fluid distribution system. A sensor is designed to sense the temperature of the cooling water on the at least one medium pad. The system further includes a control system designed to adjust one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system based on the sensed temperature.

[0010] In some instances, the system further includes a cooling water supply conduit and a water supply source in fluid communication with the pool fluid. The system also includes a first valve designed to control the flow of cooling water supplied through the cooling water supply conduit; a second valve designed to control the flow of cooling water to the fluid distribution system; a third valve designed to control the flow of cooling water through a drain conduit in fluid communication with the pool fluid; and a fourth valve designed to control the flow of cooling water through a fluid outlet conduit in fluid communication with the pool fluid.

[0011] The control system is also designed to determine an operating mode of the adiabatic heat transfer system when the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a process fluid temperature threshold, wherein the operating mode includes at least one of a water-saving mode and an energy-saving mode. Based on the determined operating mode, one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system are adjusted, including opening at least one of a third valve and / or a fourth valve to remove cooling water from the adiabatic heat transfer system and / or opening a first valve to replenish cooling water to the adiabatic heat transfer system.

[0012] In some aspects, the system further includes a second sensor designed to sense at least one environmental condition of the surrounding air. In some embodiments, the control system is designed to determine the evaporation rate of the heat transfer system using the cooling water temperature and the sensed environmental condition of the surrounding air. In yet another example, the system further includes a cooling water supply conduit in fluid communication with the pool and a fresh water supply source. The control system may be designed to open or close the supply valve based on the determined evaporation rate and discharge rate of the heat transfer system.

[0013] An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling a process fluid is also provided. The system includes an adiabatic cooler comprising at least one medium pad and at least one heat exchanger, the heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one medium pad. A fluid distribution system is designed to wet the at least one medium pad by distributing cooling water onto it. A fluid collection system is designed to collect the cooling water from either the at least one medium pad or the fluid distribution system. A fluid outlet conduit is in fluid communication with the fluid collection system. A valve is designed to control the flow rate of the cooling water through the fluid outlet conduit, and a first sensor is designed to sense one or more water quality parameters of the cooling water leaving the at least one medium pad. The system includes a second sensor designed to sense at least one ambient condition of the surrounding air. A control system is provided, which is designed to determine an approximate wet-bulb temperature of an adiabatic heat transfer system based on one or more sensed water quality parameters of cooling water in at least one medium pad; determine a concentration cycle threshold using the approximate wet-bulb temperature and at least one sensed ambient air condition; determine a concentration operation cycle value based on one or more sensed water quality parameters; and open a valve to discharge cooling water from a fluid collection system when the concentration operation cycle value is higher than the determined concentration operation cycle threshold.

[0014] In some instances, the system further includes a cooling water supply conduit designed to deliver fresh water to the fluid collection system. A second valve is designed to control the flow of fresh water to the fluid collection system. A drain conduit is designed to deliver at least a portion of the cooling water to the wastewater system, and a third valve is designed to control the flow of cooling water through the drain conduit. In some embodiments, the drain conduit is located downstream of the recirculation pool of the fluid collection system and upstream of at least one media pad. In other embodiments, the drain conduit is downstream of at least one media pad and upstream of the recirculation pool of the fluid collection system. In some instances, the control system is designed to open at least one of the second and / or third valves in response to determining that a concentration operation cycle value is higher than a concentration operation cycle threshold.

[0015] Furthermore, an adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling a process fluid is provided. The system includes an adiabatic cooler having: at least one medium pad and at least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one medium pad; a fluid distribution system designed to wet the at least one medium pad by distributing cooling water onto it; an air handling unit designed to induce flow of ambient air through the at least one medium pad and the at least one heat exchanger; and a sensor designed to sense the temperature of the cooling water leaving the at least one medium pad. The system further includes a control system designed to determine an operating mode of the adiabatic heat transfer system when the sensed process fluid temperature is above a process fluid temperature threshold, wherein the operating mode includes at least one of a water-saving mode and an energy-saving mode, and to adjust one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system based on the operating mode.

[0016] In some instances, in energy-saving modes, the control system is designed to determine whether the air handling unit is operating at a speed above a threshold before adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system. In some aspects, the system further includes a fluid collection system designed to collect cooling water flowing from at least one media pad; a fluid outlet conduit in fluid communication with the fluid collection system; and an outlet valve designed to control the flow rate of cooling water through the fluid outlet conduit, wherein adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system includes opening the outlet valve to discharge some cooling water from the fluid collection system to a wastewater system if the air handling unit is operating at a speed above a threshold. In some embodiments, the control system is designed to determine whether a sensed process fluid temperature is above a second process fluid temperature threshold in response to determining that the air handling unit is not operating at a speed above a threshold. In some instances, adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system includes increasing the speed of the air handling unit in response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is greater than the second process fluid temperature threshold, and determining whether the air handling unit is operating at a minimum threshold speed in response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is less than the second process fluid temperature threshold.

[0017] In some instances, in a water-saving mode, the control system is designed to determine whether the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a second process fluid temperature threshold before adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system. In some cases, the control system is designed to determine whether the air handling unit operates above a minimum threshold speed setting in response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is lower than the second process fluid temperature threshold, and to determine whether the air handling unit operates below a maximum threshold speed setting in response to determining that the sensed temperature is higher than the second process fluid temperature threshold. In some aspects, adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system includes at least one of: adjusting the speed of the air handling unit and opening an outlet valve such that at least some of the cooling water in the outlet duct is discharged from the adiabatic heat transfer duct.

[0018] A method for operating a heat transfer system is also disclosed. The method includes the following steps: determining an approximate ambient wet-bulb temperature based on a measured temperature of the cooling water flow leaving the insulation pad; determining whether a measured temperature of the process fluid flow is higher than a first process fluid temperature setpoint; determining whether the heat transfer system is operating in a water-saving or energy-saving mode; and adjusting one or more operating parameters based on the operating mode.

[0019] A method for operating an adiabatic cooling system is also provided. The method includes measuring the cooling water temperature at the outlet flow of the pad of the adiabatic cooling system, determining whether the measured temperature of the process fluid is higher than a first process fluid temperature setpoint, determining whether an air-moving device is activated, and in response to determining that the air-moving device is activated, determining whether the adiabatic cooling system is in a water-saving operating mode or an energy-saving operating mode, and adjusting one or more operating parameters based on the operating mode. In one example, the operating mode is defined by a water-saving mode.

[0020] In some aspects, the method also includes determining whether the process fluid temperature is greater than a second process fluid temperature setpoint in the water-saving mode.

[0021] The method may further include the step of determining whether the air mobile device is operating at its minimum operating setting in response to determining that the process fluid temperature is less than a second process fluid temperature setpoint. In some aspects, the method further includes the step of determining whether the reflow pump is turned on in response to determining that the air mobile device is not operating at its minimum operating setting. In yet another example, the method includes adjusting the operating setting of the air mobile device to a lower setting than the current setting in response to determining that the reflow pump is off.

[0022] The method may further include the step of determining whether the ambient dry-bulb temperature is greater than the switching dry-bulb temperature in response to determining whether the recirculation pump is on. If the system (e.g., the unit) is operating adiabatically and the air handling unit is moving at a speed less than a defined percentage of full speed and the process fluid temperature is below the process fluid temperature setpoint, adiabatic operation (e.g., pump shutdown) can be shut off, thereby allowing the system (e.g., the unit) to operate in dry-cooling mode.

[0023] A recirculation system can be provided, and the water temperature on the discharge side of the recirculation pump can be measured to approximate the wet-bulb temperature. If the recirculation tank is very large, after equilibrium is reached, the accuracy of the approximate wet-bulb temperature can be substantially close to the temperature of the water leaving the insulation pad, even with supplemental flow enabled.

[0024] A resistance temperature detector (RTD) probe can be inserted at a set distance (e.g., about 12 inches) above the bottom of the pad where the water is. The RTD probe can measure or determine the water temperature and is able to approximate the wet-bulb temperature of the incoming air.

[0025] In some instances, the method includes the step of shutting off the recirculation pump in response to determining whether the ambient dry-bulb temperature is lower than the switching dry-bulb temperature. If the system (e.g., the unit) operates adiabatically and the air-moving device speed is below a defined percentage of full speed and the process fluid temperature is below the process fluid point, adiabatic operation (e.g., pump shutdown) can be shut off, thereby allowing the system (e.g., the unit) to operate in a dry-cooling mode. In some embodiments, the method includes adjusting the air-moving device operating settings to a higher setting than the current setting in response to determining whether the ambient dry-bulb temperature is lower than the switching dry-bulb temperature.

[0026] The method may include the step of determining whether the difference between the process fluid temperature and at least one of a first and / or a second process fluid temperature setpoint is greater than a threshold value in response to determining that the air mobile device is operating at its lowest operating settings. In one example, the air mobile device is shut down in response to determining that the difference between at least one of the first process fluid temperature setpoint, the second process fluid temperature setpoint, and / or the process fluid temperature is greater than a threshold temperature value.

[0027] In some aspects, the method includes determining whether an air mobile device is operating at a maximum operating setting in response to determining that the process fluid temperature is greater than a second process fluid temperature setpoint. The method may include adjusting the operating setting of the air mobile device to a higher setting than the current setting in response to determining that the air mobile device is not operating at the maximum operating setting.

[0028] In some other examples, the method includes the step of determining whether the reflow pump is turned on in response to determining that the air handling unit is operating at maximum operating settings. The reflow pump can be turned on in response to determining that it is off.

[0029] In another example, the method includes the step of determining the position of the vent valve in response to determining that the reflow pump is open. The position of the vent valve can be adjusted.

[0030] In some cases, the method includes the steps of determining the system's concentration cycle and determining whether the concentration cycle is greater than a maximum concentration cycle threshold. In some examples, the method includes the step of performing a sludge or discharge process in response to determining that the concentration cycle is greater than an allowable concentration cycle threshold.

[0031] In one instance, the operating mode is defined by the energy-saving mode.

[0032] This method may include the step of determining whether the air mobile device is operating at an operating setting lower than the maximum setpoint in energy-saving mode. In some instances, the method includes the step of adjusting the operating setting of the air mobile device to a higher setting in response to determining that the air mobile device is operating at an operating setting lower than the maximum setpoint.

[0033] In some implementations, the method includes determining whether a reflow pump is turned on in response to determining that the air handling unit is operating at an operating setting greater than a maximum setpoint. The reflow pump can be turned on in response to determining that it is off.

[0034] In another aspect, the method includes the step of determining the position of the vent valve in response to determining that the reflow pump is open. The position of the vent valve can be adjusted.

[0035] In another example, the method includes the steps of determining the system's concentration cycle and determining whether the concentration cycle is greater than a maximum concentration cycle threshold. The method may include the step of performing a blowdown or discharge process in response to determining that the concentration cycle is greater than an allowable concentration cycle threshold.

[0036] In another example, the method includes determining whether the temperature of the process fluid is below a third process fluid temperature setpoint in response to determining that the concentration cycle is less than an allowable concentration cycle threshold. In one example, the method includes adjusting the operating settings of the air mobile device to a higher setting in response to determining that the temperature of the process fluid is greater than the third process fluid temperature setpoint.

[0037] In some aspects, the method of operating an adiabatic cooling system includes one or more steps of removing and / or draining concentrated liquid from the pad before the liquid enters the recirculation tank.

[0038] An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling a process fluid is also provided. The system includes an adiabatic cooler comprising at least one medium pad and at least one heat exchanger, the heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one medium pad. A fluid distribution system is designed to wet the at least one medium pad by distributing cooling water onto it. The system includes a fluid outlet conduit designed to direct the cooling water from the at least one medium pad to a waste system. The fluid outlet conduit includes a first sensor designed to sense one or more water quality parameters of the cooling water leaving the at least one medium pad. The system includes a second sensor designed to sense at least one ambient condition of the surrounding air. A control system is provided designed to determine an approximate wet-bulb temperature of the adiabatic heat transfer system based on one or more sensed water quality parameters of the cooling water in the at least one medium pad; and to determine a concentration cycle threshold using the approximate wet-bulb temperature and the sensed at least one ambient condition of the surrounding air.

[0039] In some instances, the system further includes a cooling water supply conduit and a water supply source in fluid communication with the pool fluid. The system may include a first valve and a second valve, the first valve being designed to control the flow of cooling water supply through the cooling water supply conduit, and the second valve being designed to control the flow of cooling water to the fluid distribution system. The control system is designed to control the flow of cooling water through the fluid outlet conduit by adjusting at least one of the first and second valves. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Refer to the following accompanying drawings for examples. In all the drawings, the same numbers are used to refer to features and parts.

[0041] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram depicting an adiabatic heat dissipation system having an adiabatic cooler and a control system connected thereto.

[0042] Figure 2 It is a description Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the adiabatic cooler and the frame supporting the cooler;

[0043] Figure 3A yes Figure 2 Isometric view of the top right side of the bottom portion of the frame of the thermal cooler;

[0044] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A Isometric view of the top right side of the frame, showing the heat exchanger mounted on the frame;

[0045] Figure 3C yes Figure 2 Partial top right isometric view of the water collection tank of the adiabatic cooler;

[0046] Figure 3D yes Figure 3C An enlarged view of the water collection tank;

[0047] Figure 4 It is an isometric view of the top right side of an adiabatic cooler with multiple rows of air-moving equipment;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram depicting an adiabatic heat dissipation system that includes two adiabatic coolers;

[0049] Figure 6 It is a flowchart illustrating the operation of adiabatic heat dissipation systems such as those disclosed herein;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic block diagram of a single-pass adiabatic cooling system;

[0051] Figure 8 It is a schematic block diagram of an adiabatic cooling system with a recirculation system;

[0052] Figure 9 It is a schematic block diagram of an adiabatic cooling system having a recirculation system having a drain conduit located at a first position.

[0053] Figure 10 It is illustrated with Figure 9 A graph showing the percentage of water released from the system compared to the water consumption.

[0054] Figure 11 It is a schematic block diagram of an adiabatic cooling system with a recirculation system, the recirculation system having a drain duct located at a second position;

[0055] Figure 12 It is illustrated with Figure 11 A graph showing the percentage of water released from the system compared to the water consumption.

[0056] Figure 13 The diagram is for Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 A graph comparing the trends in water consumption of the insulation systems.

[0057] Figure 14A This is a flowchart illustrating the first part of a method for operating an adiabatic cooler in a water-saving mode using a control system, wherein the method includes the step of sensing the water temperature of cooling water leaving the medium pad of the adiabatic heat dissipation system.

[0058] Figure 14B It is a diagram. Figure 14A The flowchart for the second part of the method;

[0059] Figure 15A This is a flowchart illustrating the first part of a method for operating an adiabatic cooler in water-saving mode using a control system, wherein the method includes analyzing the dry-bulb temperature of the adiabatic heat dissipation system.

[0060] Figure 15B It is a diagram. Figure 15A The flowchart for the second part of the method;

[0061] Figure 16A This is a flowchart illustrating the first part of a method for operating an adiabatic cooler in water-saving mode using a control system, wherein the method includes adjusting the speed of an air-moving device.

[0062] Figure 16B It is a diagram. Figure 16A The flowchart for the second part of the method;

[0063] Figure 17A This is a flowchart illustrating the first part of a method for operating an adiabatic cooling system in energy-saving mode; and

[0064] Figure 17B It is a diagram. Figure 17A The flowchart for the second part of the method. Detailed Implementation

[0065] Before explaining any examples of the invention in detail, it should be understood that the application of the invention is not limited to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. Other examples of the system are possible, and it can be practiced or performed in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The terms “comprising,” “including,” or “having,” and variations thereof, as used herein, are intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “installation,” “connection,” “support,” “control,” “linkage,” and “connection,” and variations thereof are used extensively and cover direct and indirect installation, connection, support, and linkage. Moreover, “connection” and “linkage” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or linkages, and may include configurations of electrical and communication connections, among other forms of connection or linkage.

[0066] The following discussion is presented to enable those skilled in the art to make and use examples of the system. Various modifications to the illustrated examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles herein can be applied to other examples and applications without departing from the system examples. Therefore, the examples of the invention are not intended to be limited to those shown, but are accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Refer to the accompanying drawings, in which similar elements in different drawings have similar reference numerals. The drawings, not necessarily drawn to scale, depict selected examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the system examples. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of the examples of the invention.

[0067] This disclosure provides an adiabatic heat dissipation system including a temperature sensor designed to measure the temperature of water exiting a wetting medium pad. The adiabatic heat dissipation system further includes a controller designed to determine an approximate ambient wet-bulb temperature of the adiabatic heat dissipation system based on the measured temperature of the water exiting the medium pad. Using the approximate wet-bulb temperature, the controller is designed to adjust one or more operating parameters of the heat dissipation system to reduce water and / or energy costs.

[0068] refer to Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an adiabatic heat transfer system 100 is depicted. System 100 is provided in the form of at least one adiabatic cooler 110 designed to cool process fluids and a central controller or control system 120 designed to electronically communicate with and / or control one or more components of the adiabatic cooler 110. In one example, the heat transfer system 100 may include multiple adiabatic coolers designed to be fluidly connected and / or communicatively coupled to each other.

[0069] Control system 120 may be communicatively coupled to system 100 to control, receive, and / or store data from system 100. For example, control system 120 may wirelessly or wirely communicate with network 140 to communicate directly or indirectly with at least one or more of the following system components within system 100: thermal cooler 110, fluid distribution system, reservoir, pump, valve, sensor, air handling equipment, and / or other system components, as discussed herein.

[0070] Specifically, the control system 120 can intelligently manage the flow of fluid within and / or into and out of the system 100. The control system 120 may be provided as a data processing device configured to transmit and receive data from and from the system 100. For example, the control system 120 may receive information at a receiver (not shown). A processor (not shown) included in the control system 120 may analyze the received data and determine instructions to be sent back to the system 100. A transmitter (not shown) of the control system 120 may send instructions from the processor to one or more components of the system 100. The control system 120 may further include a memory (not shown). The memory may be configured to store data received from the system 100. The memory may be implemented as a separate memory unit and / or as part of a processor included in the control system 120. Furthermore, in some instances, a network 140 may be coupled to a memory that may include program instructions stored in the memory and executable by a processor to perform one or more methods described herein.

[0071] Network 140 may be provided as a network interface, a local network, or other communication connection, and is not limited to multiple communication connections. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the communication connection may use a variety of communication protocols to transmit and receive data, including but not limited to wired, wireless, Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, GPS, RS-485, RF, MODBUS, CAN, CANBUS, DeviceNet, ControlNet, Ethernet TCP / IP, RS-232, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Firewire, thread, one or more proprietary protocols, or one or more other applicable communication protocols. In some instances, network 140 is located near one or more components of system 100. Network 140 may include the Internet, intranet, extranet, wide area network (“WAN”), local area network (“LAN”), wired network, wireless network, cloud network, or other suitable network, or any combination of two or more networks, Ethernet, and other types of networks. Network 140 may be configured to communicate directly or indirectly with system 100 and / or user equipment 130, which may be provided in the form of a personal computer, tablet computer, mobile phone, monitor, or other similar electronic device that allows users to interact with control system 120 (e.g., may have an application).

[0072] although Figure 1 A control system 120 communicating with user equipment 130 and network 140 is depicted; however, it should be noted that various communication methods and connections may be implemented in conjunction with or independently of one or more local controllers, which are associated with one or more individual components as discussed herein and associated with system 100.

[0073] Turn Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a cooler 200 according to the teachings of this disclosure is shown. The cooler 200 may be... Figure 1 The cooler 110. The cooler 200 includes at least one heat exchanger 202 designed to cool process fluids. In some embodiments, the cooler 200 is provided as an adiabatic cooler. Thus, in some instances, at least one heat exchanger 202 is an indirect heat exchanger, which includes a bundle of conduits designed to contain the process fluid. In other instances, at least one heat exchanger 202 may be a direct heat exchanger or another suitable heat exchanger. The process fluid within at least one heat exchanger 202 is cooled by passing pre-cooled air through at least one heat exchanger 202. In some aspects, at least one heat exchanger 202 includes a first heat exchanger conduit bundle 202a positioned on a first side of the cooler 200 and a second heat exchanger conduit bundle 202b positioned on a second side of the cooler 200 opposite to the first side. In some instances, each of the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 202a and the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 202b may be arranged in a “V” configuration. In this configuration, the hot process fluid enters at least one heat exchanger 202 through process fluid inlet 204. The cooled process fluid exits at least one heat exchanger 202 through process fluid outlet 206.

[0074] For pre-cooling the air, at least one air moving device 210 is positioned in the upper portion 211 of the cooler 200. In some instances, at least one air moving device 210 is provided in the form of a fan. Non-limiting examples of fans include axial fans and centrifugal blowers. At least one air moving device 210 may be designed to draw ambient air into the cooler 200 via at least one air inlet 212 and through one or more media pads 220, which are designed to increase the relative humidity of the ambient air, thereby reducing the dry-bulb temperature of the incoming air. The media pads 220 are designed to be wetted with cooling water via a fluid distribution system 230 (e.g., positioned above or near the top of the media pads 220). The media pads 220 may be supported by a frame 240 that extends at or near a pool 260 between the upper portion 211 and the opposing lower portion 213, as discussed herein. As shown, the medium pad 220 can be provided in the form of a first pad 220a positioned on a first side of the cooler 200 and a second pad 220b positioned on a second side of the cooler 200 opposite to the first side. The first pad 220a can be positioned substantially adjacent to the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 202a, and the second pad 220b can be positioned substantially adjacent to the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 202b. In some aspects, each of the first pad 220a and the second pad 220b can be provided in the form of more than one pad. For example, more than one pad can be arranged adjacent to or abutting each other such that they form a larger pad area defining the first pad 220a or the second pad 220b.

[0075] The media pad 220 can be provided in the form of multiple impregnated cellulose paper sheets. The multiple cellulose paper sheets can be joined, attached, or arranged together to form the media pad. In some instances, each sheet is formed in a corrugated or sinusoidal pattern, designed to increase the surface area per cubic volume of the sheet. In some instances, the sheets can be arranged such that the patterns of the sheets (e.g., corrugated and sinusoidal patterns) are opposite to those of adjacent sheets. In other words, the patterns of adjacent sheets can be opposite to each other. In some aspects, each of the multiple sheets is spaced about 3 to 6 sheets per inch. The air travel (e.g., depth) of the media pad 220 can be between about 2 inches and about 4 inches. In some instances, the air travel of the media pad 220 is between about 3 inches and about 6 inches.

[0076] The fluid distribution system 230 may include at least one inlet for fluid to enter the fluid distribution system 230 and at least one outlet for fluid to leave the fluid distribution system 230, and a plurality of nozzles therebetween. The fluid distribution system 230 further includes a first portion 230a designed to wet a first pad 220a and a second portion 230b designed to wet a second pad 220b. Each of the first portion 230a and the second portion 230b may include one or more nozzles of a plurality of nozzles designed to spray cooling water onto the medium pad 220. In some instances, the first portion 230a and the second portion 230b of the fluid distribution system 230 may operate independently (e.g., one portion may be “open” and spray cooling water onto its associated pad, and the other portion may be “closed” and not spray cooling water onto its associated pad). In other instances, each of the first portion 230a and the second portion 230b of the fluid distribution system 230 operates as a single system. For example, each of the first portion 230a and the second portion 230b is controlled as a single unit. In other instances, system 100 may include multiple fluid distribution systems 230 designed to be fluidly connected to each other.

[0077] During operation, as further discussed herein, ambient air is drawn through at least one air inlet 212, whereby the air adiabatically transfers moisture from the pad 220, lowering the dry-bulb temperature, and then flows through at least one heat exchanger 202, thereby cooling the process fluid contained within the at least one heat exchanger 202. Heat from the at least one heat exchanger 202 is thus transferred to the air. The heated air is then discharged from the cooler 200 via an air outlet 250 located in or near at least one air handling unit 210 in the upper portion 211 of the cooler 200.

[0078] As discussed herein, cooling water sprayed onto the media pad 220 (e.g., via fluid distribution system 230) can be collected in a fluid collection system including a pool 260. The pool 260 may include one or more sensors 262 configured to sense one or more water quality parameters or characteristics of the cooling water in the pool 260. The one or more sensors 262 may be provided in the form of one or more of a temperature sensor, a level sensor, a conductivity sensor, a turbidity sensor, and / or other sensors known in the art. Non-limiting examples of level sensors include float switches, ultrasonic level sensors, capacitive level sensors, hydrostatic level sensors, and other sensors known in the art.

[0079] As discussed in more detail herein, the cooling water in pool 260 can be recirculated via cooler 200 (e.g., for rewetting medium pad 220). Therefore, pool 260 may include pump 270 and / or be in fluid communication with pump 270. For example, pump 270 may be located within pool 260 and / or in communication with pool 260. Pump 270 is also in fluid communication with recirculation conduit 280, which is in fluid communication with fluid distribution system 230. Pump 270 provides driving force to deliver cooling water from pool 260 through recirculation conduit 280 to fluid distribution system 230. In some instances, recirculation conduit 280 includes an optional recirculation valve 282 designed to control the flow of cooling water through recirculation conduit 280. In other examples, recirculation valve 282 may be omitted from recirculation conduit 280, or may be omitted entirely.

[0080] Cooler 200 may include at least one drain valve 283 and / or cooling water outlet conduit 284, which are designed to direct some or all of the cooling water collected in pool 260 to a waste system or a recirculation or storage tank. As discussed herein, pool 260 may be in fluid communication with one or more tanks, which are designed to direct cooling water out of media pad 220. Thus, in some instances, cooling water outlet conduit 284 may be in fluid communication with one or more tanks as discussed herein. As discussed further in more detail herein, it may be beneficial to recirculate a portion of the cooling water through cooler 200. However, it may also be beneficial to discharge some or all of the cooling water to a waste system to limit contamination in cooler 200. Too much contamination can soil media pad 220 and / or other components of system 100. In addition, some cooling water may evaporate from cooler 200. Therefore, cooler 200 includes a cooling water supply conduit 286 designed to deliver fresh cooling water (e.g., supplemental cooling water) to cooler 200 to replace discharged and / or evaporated cooling water and / or dilute contaminants in the cooling water circulating through cooler 200. In some instances, cooling water supply conduit 286 is in fluid communication with pool 260. Thus, in one instance, the supply water is mixed with recirculated cooling water in pool 260 before the cooling water is delivered to fluid distribution system 230. In some instances, cooling water supply conduit 286 is in fluid communication with fluid distribution system 230 (e.g., cooling water supply conduit 286 is connected to cooler 200 downstream of pool 260).

[0081] Cooler 200 further includes a controller and / or control system 290. In one example, control system 290 may be... Figure 1The control system 120. Alternatively, the control system 290 may be a local controller communicatively coupled to the control system 120. The control system 290 is designed to control one or more components of the cooler 200 (e.g., at least one air moving device 210 of the cooler 200, fluid distribution system 230, pump 270, optional recirculation valve 282 and / or other components, such as sensors).

[0082] Figures 3A to 3D Various views of components of an adiabatic cooler 300 according to the teachings of this disclosure are illustrated. The adiabatic cooler 300 may be... Figure 1 Cooler 110 and / or Figure 2 Cooler 200. Figure 3A This is the bottom portion of the frame 310 of the cooler 300. The frame 310 may have a base 315 and may include multiple support members 320, which are designed to support a reference. Figure 2 The media pad 220 and / or heat exchanger conduit bundles 202a, 202b discussed (e.g., at least one heat exchanger 202 and media pad 220).

[0083] In some instances, the base 315 of the frame 310 may include one or more slots 330 in fluid communication with the pool 332, such that a first slot 341 may be positioned on a first side 351 (e.g., substantially beneath at least one (e.g., a first) insulation pad), and a second slot 342 may be positioned on a second side 352 opposite to the first side 351 (e.g., substantially beneath at least one (e.g., a second) insulation pad). The pool 332 may be... Figure 2 Pool 260. One or more tanks 330 are designed to collect outflowing cooling water from medium pad 220 and direct the outflowing cooling water toward pool 332. In some instances, pool 332 may include a weir or overflow outlet 331 designed to prevent pool 332 from overflowing. Pool 332 and one or more tanks 330 may be collectively referred to as fluid collection system 360.

[0084] Figure 3B The illustration shows a cooler 300 having a heat exchanger 370 mounted on a frame 310. The heat exchanger 370 can be... Figure 2 At least one heat exchanger 202.

[0085] Figure 3C and Figure 3D A portion of pool 332, pump 380, and recirculation conduit 390 are depicted. Pump 380 may be... Figure 2 The pump 270, and the recirculation conduit 390 can be Figure 2The recirculation conduit 280. As discussed above, the adiabatic cooler described herein may include an optional recirculation valve (e.g., valve 282) on the recirculation conduit. However, as Figure 5 A and Figure 5 As shown in B, the cooler 300 omits information about... Figure 2 The optional recirculation valve 282 is discussed. Pump 380 can be connected to a controller and / or control system (e.g., Figure 1 The control system 120 and / or Figure 2 The control system 290) communication.

[0086] Figure 4 The illustration shows a cooler 400 according to the teachings of this disclosure. The cooler 400 may be... Figure 1 Cooler 110. Cooler 400 is similar. Figure 2 Cooler 200. However, cooler 400 may include additional components designed to increase the cooling capacity of cooler 400.

[0087] In some instances, the cooler 400 includes a plurality of heat exchangers 402. The plurality of heat exchangers includes a first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 positioned on a first side of the cooler 400 and a second heat exchanger conduit bundle 405 positioned on a second side of the cooler 400 opposite to the first side. In some instances, each of the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 and the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 405 may be arranged in a “V” configuration.

[0088] In some instances, the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 includes a first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403a positioned near the lower portion 407 of the cooler 400, and a second heat exchanger conduit bundle 403b positioned above the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403a and near the top portion 409 of the cooler 400. Similarly, the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 405 may include a third heat exchanger 405a positioned near the lower portion 407 of the cooler 400, and a fourth heat exchanger 405b positioned above the third heat exchanger 405a and near the top portion 409 of the cooler 400. In other words, each of the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 and the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 405 may be provided as multiple heat exchanger conduit bundles vertically stacked or arranged to increase the height of the cooler 400. Furthermore, installing multiple heat exchangers at the site location of the cooler 400 may be easier than transporting and arranging a single large heat exchanger.

[0089] In some instances, the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 and the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 403b are arranged in a parallel configuration. Similarly, the third heat exchanger 405a and the fourth heat exchanger 405b can be arranged in a parallel configuration. Thus, each heat exchanger includes a hot process fluid inlet and a cooling process fluid outlet. The advantage of arranging the heat exchangers in a parallel configuration is that a larger volume of process fluid can be cooled.

[0090] In other examples, the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403 and the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 403b are arranged in series. Similarly, the third heat exchanger 405a and the fourth heat exchanger 405b can be arranged in series. In a series arrangement, cooled process fluid from one heat exchanger (e.g., the process fluid outlet) is supplied as hot process fluid (e.g., the process fluid inlet) to the “downstream” heat exchanger. The advantage of arranging heat exchangers in a series configuration is that the process fluid can have more time to cool.

[0091] As discussed herein, pre-cooled air is drawn through multiple heat exchangers 402. The cooler 400 includes multiple air-moving device rows 410, each row comprising multiple air-moving devices positioned within a top portion 409 of the cooler. The multiple air-moving devices are designed to draw pre-cooled air through the cooler 400. The multiple air-moving device rows 410 may include a first row 410a disposed on a first side of the cooler (e.g., the same side of the cooler 400 including the first heat exchanger duct bundle 403) and a second row 410b disposed on a second side of the cooler 400 opposite the first side (e.g., the same side of the cooler 400 including the second heat exchanger duct bundle 405).

[0092] Each of the first row 410a and the second row 410b may include multiple air mobile devices. In some instances, the multiple air mobile devices are provided in the form of multiple fans. As depicted, in some instances, each of the first row 410a and the second row 410b may include five air mobile devices 410, or other numbers of air mobile devices may be provided. In some instances, the multiple air mobile devices in each of the first row 410a and the second row 410b are controlled as a single unit. In other words, the control system can be designed to maintain the power or speed settings of each of the multiple air mobile devices at approximately equal settings.

[0093] As discussed herein, multiple air-moving devices are designed to draw ambient air into the cooler 400 and through multiple media pads 420. The multiple media pads 420 may include a first set of media pads 421 positioned on a first side of the cooler 400 (e.g., the same side of the cooler 400 including the first heat exchanger conduit bundle 403) and a second set of media pads 423 positioned on a second side of the cooler 400 opposite to the first side of the cooler 400 (e.g., the same side of the cooler 400 including the second heat exchanger conduit bundle 405).

[0094] The first set of media pads 421 may include a first media pad 421a positioned near the lower portion 407 of the cooler 400, and a second set of media pads 421b positioned above the first set of media pads 421a and near the top portion 409 of the cooler 400. Similarly, the second set of media pads 423 may include a third media pad 423a positioned near the lower portion 407 of the cooler 400, and a fourth media pad 423b positioned above the third media pad 423a and near the top portion 409 of the cooler 400. In other words, each of the first set of media pads 421 and the second set of media pads 423 may be provided as a plurality of media pads, which may be stacked or arranged vertically to increase the height of the cooler 400. Furthermore, installing multiple media pads at the field location of the cooler 400 may be easier than transporting and placing a single large media pad.

[0095] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a cooler system 500, including a first cooler 501a and a second cooler 501b arranged in series. The cooler system 500 can be... Figure 1 The first cooler 501a and the second cooler 501b can each be independently equipped with the cooler 300 shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4 The system is provided in the form of a cooler 400. As discussed herein, the hot process fluid enters the first cooler 501a via process fluid inlet 204. However, instead of sending the cooled process fluid to the system to be cooled (e.g., a data center and / or HVAC system), the cooled process fluid is directed to another cooler (e.g., a second cooler 501b) for further cooling. Therefore, the process fluid outlet 206 of the first cooler 501a is in fluid communication with the second process fluid inlet 502 of the second cooler 501b. The process fluid is then further cooled in the second cooler 501b. The cooled process fluid from the second cooler 501b is then sent to the system for cooling via the second process fluid outlet 506. The advantage of the cooler system 500 is that the process fluid can be cooled to a lower temperature compared to a single cooler system.

[0096] Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating an operation method 600 of an adiabatic cooler. In the first step 610, the adiabatic cooler (such as...) Figure 1 Cooler 110 Figure 2 Cooler 200 and / or Figure 3 to Figure 5 The cooler 300 of B can operate in either wet cooling or dry cooling mode. For example... Figure 1 The control system 120 and / or Figure 2 The controller of the control system 290 can control the fluid distribution system (e.g., Figure 2 The fluid distribution system 230) is used to wet the medium pad of the cooler (e.g., with cooling water) Figure 2 The medium pad 220). As discussed herein, during wet cooling mode, the fluid distribution system distributes cooling water to one or more of the insulation pads. The cooling water then passes through the pads(one or more) and can be collected in a fluid collection system (e.g., Figure 3, ...). Figure 4 and Figure 5 A to Figure 5 In the fluid collection system 360 of B. As discussed herein, cooling water can be recirculated by the cooler and / or removed from system 100 (e.g., discharged from the pool or drained from the drain pipe). During dry cooling mode, the fluid distribution system does not distribute cooling water to one or more of the insulation pads.

[0097] In step 620, the controller can activate or turn on the air-moving equipment, such as... Figure 2 At least one air moving device 210 is used to induce ambient airflow through (e.g., a wetted) pad. As warm ambient air is drawn through (e.g., a wetted) pad, the relative humidity of the ambient air increases, thereby reducing the dry-bulb temperature of the incoming ambient air.

[0098] In step 630, the cooled air is drawn through at least one heat exchanger 202 to cool the process fluid contained therein. Heat from the process fluid is transferred to the air, thereby cooling the process fluid. The cooled process fluid can be used for cooling purposes, such as cooling data centers or HVAC systems.

[0099] In step 640, the now heated air is discharged through the top portion of the cooler due to induced ventilation generated by the air moving equipment.

[0100] One advantage of adiabatic coolers is that they can use less water and energy compared to conventional evaporative cooling towers. However, it remains beneficial to adjust one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic cooler system to save water and / or energy usage based on the cooling requirements of system 100 and / or the environment of the heat transfer system 100 (e.g., geographical location and / or weather). One or more operating parameters may include, for example, the flow rate of cooling water replenishment, the rate of waste cooling water removed from the system, and / or the speed or power of air handling equipment. Therefore, knowing the system's evaporation rate is advantageous, allowing water and energy costs to be minimized.

[0101] Some of the hygrometer properties of the system and environment are used to determine the evaporation rate. Among some known methods for determining or calculating at least one hygrometer property, measurements such as atmospheric pressure and at least two other parameters or properties can be used. For example, a combination of hygrometer properties such as atmospheric pressure, ambient dry-bulb temperature, and / or approximate wet-bulb temperature can be used to calculate one or more other hygrometer properties. In another example, a combination of hygrometer properties such as atmospheric pressure, vapor pressure, and / or specific volume can be used to calculate one or more other hygrometer properties.

[0102] In some instances, knowing the wet-bulb temperature allows for the determination of the evaporation rate using known or derived methods and / or other known hygrometer measurements. When the evaporation rate is known and the maximum permissible COC (concentration cycle) is known, the amount of water that should be supplied to the pad to maintain the desired cooling rate can be determined according to Equation I.

[0103]

[0104] Formula I

[0105] Regulating the flow rate of the cooling water supplied to the pad to maximize the permissible COC of the water leaving the pad may be advantageous. Supplying additional water to the pad may result in higher water consumption, leading to higher operating costs. Conversely, with less water supplied to the pad, the COC of the water leaving the pad will be higher, and the pad will tend to accumulate mineral deposits or contaminants at a higher rate.

[0106] However, determining the wet-bulb temperature can be difficult. Some insulation systems use relative humidity (RH) sensors to measure the RH of the incoming air, but RH sensors can be prone to failure and can incur high maintenance costs. Therefore, achieving optimal energy efficiency in the operation of an insulation cooling system can be challenging without accurate and reliable hygrometer measurements and / or calculations.

[0107] Therefore, a heat transfer system 100 including the adiabatic cooler 110 disclosed herein may include systems and methods for determining an approximate wet-bulb temperature of the ambient air without using an RH sensor. During operation, as the adiabatic cooling process approaches a steady state, the temperature of the cooling water in the pad can approach the ambient wet-bulb temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water leaving the pad can be used as an approximate wet-bulb temperature. Furthermore, unlike an RH sensor, a temperature sensor can be more reliable and cost-effective. Therefore, a heat transfer system 100 including adiabatic coolers 110, 200, and / or 300 includes multiple sensors, including at least one temperature sensor, to provide a reliable and affordable method for determining one of the hygroscopic properties of the system. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water leaving the pad can be used to determine the evaporation rate of system 100. Furthermore, the systems and methods disclosed herein can be applied to various adiabatic system configurations. For example, the following figures illustrate exemplary adiabatic cooling systems designed to operate as single-pass and / or recirculation systems and including various fluid flow arrangements. The systems and methods described herein can be used in conjunction with these adiabatic systems.

[0108] Go to Figure 7 A block diagram of a portion of a single-pass adiabatic heat transfer system 700 is shown. In system 700, cooling water delivered to system 100 is used to wet at least one insulation pad, and the water used to wet the pad is not recirculated through system 700. System 700 may include at least one medium (e.g., insulation) pad 710 and a cooling water supply conduit 720 designed to deliver cooling water to the pad 710. System 700 may include... Figure 1 Cooler 110 Figure 2 Cooler 200 and / or Figure 3 to Figure 5 B in or a part of the cooler 300. Therefore, the medium pad 710 can be Figure 2 The medium pad 220. The cooling water supply conduit 720 can be... Figure 2 Cooling water supply conduit 286. Additionally, system 700 may include one or more components, such as a pump (e.g., Figure 2 Pump 270 and / or Figure 5 A and Figure 5 The pump 380 of B and / or one or more valves 722 are used to control the flow of incoming cooling water. The cooling water supply conduit 720 may also include one or more sensors 724 for monitoring one or more parameters of the incoming cooling water (e.g., related to quality and / or chemical or physical properties, such as temperature, conductivity, turbidity, pH, etc.).

[0109] Cooling water supplied via cooling water makeup conduit 720 can be provided from multiple sources, including municipal water supply, water from tanks, rivers, lakes, canals, or other known water sources. Furthermore, in some instances, the makeup water can be pretreated before entering system 700. Cooling water makeup conduit 720 may further include or be in fluid communication with a system for spraying or otherwise distributing cooling water onto pad 710 (e.g., Figure 2 The fluid distribution system 230). Cooling water flowing out of the pad 710 can be removed from the system 700 as wastewater through the waste conduit 730. In some instances, the waste conduit 730 is Figure 2 The cooling water outlet conduit 284. Therefore, system 700 may include a fluid collection system 732, which is designed to collect cooling water used to wet at least one pad before the cooling water is removed from the system (e.g., drained). The fluid collection system 732 may be... Figure 3A Fluid collection system 360 or including Figure 3A This is part of a fluid collection system 360. The waste conduit 730 may include one or more valves 734 for controlling the flow of waste cooling water leaving the fluid collection system 732. The waste conduit 730 may further include one or more sensors 736 for monitoring one or more water quality parameters of the waste cooling water. As shown, in some instances, one or more sensors 736 may be located downstream of the pad 710 and upstream of the fluid collection system 732. In some aspects, one or more sensors 736 may be located downstream of the fluid collection system 732. The one or more sensors 736 may be provided in the form of one or more of a temperature sensor, a level sensor, a turbidity sensor, and / or other known sensors in the art designed to sense one or more water quality parameters.

[0110] One or more sensors 724, 736 for monitoring water quality parameters of incoming and / or waste cooling water may be provided in the form of a total dissolved solids (TDS) sensor, a flow sensor, a temperature sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, and / or any other sensor designed to measure the chemical, physical, or other properties of the cooling water. One or more water quality parameters may be used to determine the desired flow rate of the incoming cooling water in the cooling water makeup conduit 720.

[0111] During the operation of system 700, ambient air 740 is supplied to the system and transported by air-moving devices such as fans (e.g., Figure 2At least one air moving device 210 is pulled across (e.g., wetted) a pad 710. The air moving device is included in or communicates with the system 700. As air 740 travels across the wetted pad 710, the relative humidity of the air increases and the dry-bulb temperature of the air decreases. However, during this cooling process, some water sprayed onto the pad 710 evaporates, as indicated by arrow 750, which represents the evaporation rate of the cooling water in the system 700. Therefore, to ensure that the pad 710 remains wet and can provide the desired cooling capacity, one or more operating parameters of the system 700 can be adjusted. Thus, in one example, one or more sensors 736 include a temperature sensor designed to sense the temperature of the cooling water leaving the pad 710. The temperature sensor may be provided in the form of a resistive temperature detector (RTD), a thermistor, a thermocouple, a semiconductor-based integrated circuit, or any other suitable temperature sensor. To ensure that the measured temperature is close to the wet-bulb temperature, it may be beneficial to place the temperature sensor close to or adjacent to the pad 710 (e.g., at or near the point of exit from the water pad).

[0112] System 700 further includes sensor 759, which is designed to sense a cooler included in the system (e.g., Figure 1 Cooler 110 Figure 2 Cooler 200 and / or Figure 3 to Figure 5 One or more environmental conditions near or around the cooler 300 of B. These environmental conditions may include dry-bulb temperature, saturated vapor pressure, relative humidity (RH), specific humidity, dew point temperature, and the enthalpy or total heat of the surrounding air near or around the pad 710. In some instances, the sensor 759 is attached to the housing of the heat dissipation system. For example, the sensor 759 may be mounted on the side wall of the heat dissipation system. In some instances, the sensor 759 is positioned near the heat dissipation system. It may be advantageous to position the sensor 769 in a shaded area that is not exposed to rain, so that heat from the sun or rain does not affect the readings of the sensor 759.

[0113] The system also includes a control system 760, which is designed to receive, process, analyze, and / or store information from one or more sensors 724, 736, and 759, and to control one or more operating parameters and / or components of the system 700 (e.g., the flow rate of cooling water replenishment via valve 722 and / or the flow rate of waste cooling water via valve 734). The control system 760 may be... Figure 1 The control system 120 and / or Figure 2 The control system 290 or with Figure 1 The control system 120 and / or Figure 2 The control system 290 communication.

[0114] Furthermore, it should be understood that system 700 may include Figure 7 One or more additional components not shown in the diagram. For example, system 700 may include one or more heat exchangers downstream of pad 710, one or more valves, one or more sensors, a housing, one or more means of moving air, and / or other known components of an adiabatic cooling and heat dissipation system. Therefore, control system 760 may be designed to control other components included in system 700.

[0115] As discussed herein, the temperature of the cooling water leaving the pad 710, sensed by one or more sensors 736, can be used as an approximate wet-bulb temperature of the system 700 and can be used to determine the system's evaporation rate to minimize water and energy costs. Therefore, the flow rate of the cooling water replenishment in the cooling water replenishment conduit 720 can be controlled to ensure sufficient cooling water is supplied to the pad 710 and / or the system 700 to replace the evaporated and discharged cooling water. Specifically, the amount of replenishment water supplied to the system 700 can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of the replenishment water through the cooling water replenishment conduit 722 via valve 722. A criterion that may affect the pad's saturation efficiency is the water load rate, defined as the supply flow rate of water sprayed onto the pad divided by the area of ​​the pad to which water has been sprayed. To minimize water consumption, a single-pass system can be operated at a low water load rate, which may be detrimental to the performance and operational life of the wetting pad medium. However, the amount of fresh cooling water replenishment required can be reduced by recirculating some or all of the cooling water flowing out of the pad 710. In a recirculation system, recirculated water can be periodically released (e.g., sewage discharge) to maintain the water quality in the system.

[0116] therefore, Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a portion of an adiabatic heat transfer system 800, which includes a recirculation pool 815 designed to retain cooling water flowing out of the pad 710. System 800 is similar to... Figure 8 System 700, wherein system 800 further includes a recirculation tank 815. System 800 may further include a cooling water make-up conduit 820, a recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825, a recirculation cooling water recirculation or return conduit 830, and a discharge conduit 835 (e.g., a discharge line). System 800 may include in Figure 1 Cooler 110 Figure 2 Cooler 200 and / or Figure 3 to Figure 5 In or in part of the cooler 300 of B. Therefore, the medium pad 710 can be Figure 2 The medium pad 220 and the cooling water supply conduit 820 can be... Figure 2 The cooling water supply conduit 286, pool or recirculation pool 815 can be Figure 2 Pool 260, and discharge conduit 835 can be Figure 2Cooling water outlet pipe 284.

[0117] In some instances, Figure 8 This could be system 800 (e.g., a recirculation system) which includes a single discharge conduit 835 designed to discharge cooling water from system 800. As shown, discharge conduit 835 is provided as an outlet for recirculation pool 815. Therefore, when system 800 reaches a threshold COC, the cooling water collected in recirculation pool 815 can be poured out or discharged via discharge conduit 835. Furthermore, cooling water supply conduit 820, recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825, return conduit 830, and / or discharge conduit 835 may be in fluid communication with recirculation pool 815.

[0118] A recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 supplies incoming recirculation cooling water to the pad 710. This recirculation cooling water is supplied from a recirculation pool 815, which contains a mixture of fresh makeup water from the cooling water makeup conduit 820 and recirculated cooling water from the return conduit 830. The recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 may include a valve 826 for controlling the flow rate of the recirculated cooling water. At least some of the recirculation cooling water passing through the pad 710 returns to the recirculation pool 815 via the return conduit 830. Thus, similar to... Figure 7 The waste conduit 730 and return conduit 830 may include at least one (e.g., temperature) sensor 840 for detecting at least one parameter, such as the temperature of the outlet cooling water from pad 710. In some instances, system 900 may include both at least one sensor 827 and at least one sensor 840. In some instances, system 900 may include only one of at least one sensor 827 and at least one sensor 840. In some instances, waste conduit 730 may include a valve 842 for controlling the flow of cooling water to recirculation tank 815. In some instances, return conduit 830 does not include valve 842. As discussed herein, the outlet cooling water temperature is approximately equal to the wet-bulb temperature. Therefore, knowing the approximate wet-bulb temperature of system 800 allows for the calculation of other hygrometer properties.

[0119] During the cooling process, some of the cooling water supplied by the recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 will evaporate, as indicated by arrow 750, representing the evaporation rate of system 800. Therefore, the amount of cooling water returned to the recirculation pool 815 via return conduit 830 is less than the amount of cooling water supplied through the recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825. Furthermore, when the cooling water is recirculated through system 800, the COC in the recirculation pool 815 can increase, where COC can be defined as the ratio of the dissolved solids (e.g., minerals, salts, and other impurities) concentration in the cooling water of system 800 to the dissolved solids concentration in the makeup water introduced into the system via cooling water makeup conduit 820. In one example, COC can be defined as the ratio of the water conductivity in the system to the water conductivity in the makeup water.

[0120] Ideally, to conserve water, the cooling water can be recirculated multiple times throughout the system 800. However, over time, the COC can reach an upper threshold or limit. Therefore, some water in the recirculation tank 815 can be considered contaminated water, which can be removed during the discharge process via the discharge conduit 835. In some instances, the discharge conduit 835 can be provided in the form of gravity discharge. The discharge conduit 835 may include a valve 836 designed to control the flow of discharged waste cooling water. In one instance, the valve 836 is an on / off valve, such that the valve 836 can have an open position and a closed position, the open position allowing water to leave the recirculation tank 815, and the closed position essentially preventing water from leaving the recirculation tank 815. In some instances, the flow through the discharge conduit 835 is controlled via a pump. In some instances, the flow through the discharge conduit 835 is controlled via a weir system, where waste cooling water is discharged upon overflowing the weir.

[0121] Additionally, system 800 may include one or more sensors 850 for measuring the quality of water in recirculation tank 815 and one or more sensors 860 for measuring the quality of makeup water in cooling water makeup conduit 820. The sensors can help determine when and how much water is removed from recirculation tank 815. Therefore, to maintain a desired water level in recirculation tank 815 and / or COC in system 800, the flow rate of makeup water in cooling water makeup conduit 820 may be approximately equal to the evaporation rate 750 plus the discharge rate. Therefore, cooling water makeup conduit 820 may include a valve 870 designed to control the flow rate of makeup cooling water through cooling water makeup conduit 820.

[0122] In some instances, the evaporation rate of system 800 can be determined based on the difference between the flow rate of cooling water in the cooling water makeup conduit 820 and the flow rate of waste cooling water discharged from the system through the discharge conduit 835. Measuring the flow rate of the makeup cooling water may be more straightforward than determining the flow rate of the discharged cooling water, as measuring the discharge flow rate can be challenging due to the fact that the flow is discharged from system 800 by gravity. Therefore, using the temperature of the cooling water leaving pad 710 as the basis for determining the evaporation rate may be advantageous, as the water temperature can be determined more easily. The advantage of system 800 is that it can use a more... Figure 7 The single-pass system described herein uses less water. However, it may be beneficial to include additional and / or alternative discharge / vent pipes in the system to control the accumulation of contaminants in the system.

[0123] therefore, Figure 9 The diagram illustrates a portion of an adiabatic heat transfer system 900, which includes a vent duct 910 upstream of a pad 710 and downstream of a recirculation pool 815. System 900 is similar to... Figure 8 System 800. However, in Figure 9 In this system, the recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 includes a drain conduit 910. Therefore, the system 900 includes two conduits (e.g., a drain conduit 835 and a drain conduit 910) for removing cooling water from the system 900. In one example, the drain conduit 910 is a pressurized drain conduit.

[0124] A portion of the cooling water entering through the recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 is removed via the drain conduit 910 and sent to the waste system. In some aspects, the drain conduit 910 is in fluid communication with the same waste system as the discharge conduit 835. The replenishment rate of cooling water supplied by the cooling water replenishment conduit 820 may be approximately equal to the amount of cooling water removed from the system 900 via the drain conduit 910, the discharge conduit 835, and the evaporation rate 750.

[0125] However, by releasing a portion of the recirculated cooling water from the recirculation cooling water inlet duct 825, the frequency and / or volume within the system 900 can be altered, which in Figure 10The water from the drain conduit 910 is a mixture of water with a relatively high concentration of contaminants and fresh makeup water from the cooling water makeup conduit 820. The drain conduit 910 may include one or more valves 920 for controlling the flow rate through the drain conduit 910 and / or one or more sensors 930 for measuring one or more water quality parameters and the flow rate of the drained water. During operation, the COC of the cooling water contained in the system may increase until a threshold COC is reached. When the threshold COC is reached, the drain conduit 835 may be opened to allow some or all of the cooling water in the recirculation tank to be discharged. The water removed from the recirculation tank 815 may be replaced with cooling water from the cooling water makeup conduit 820.

[0126] like Figure 10 As shown, the amount of water used in system 900 can be adjusted based on the discharge percentage (i.e., the percentage of incoming cooling water removed from the recirculation cooling water inlet conduit 825 via discharge conduit 910). The discharge percentage can be controlled by a discharge conduit valve (e.g., valve 920), the valve position of which can be adjusted based on the needs of the system. Figure 10 The simulation results are based on an adiabatic cooling system with the same configuration as System 900. During the simulation, the system included a 30-gallon recirculation tank, which operated at 2 COC based on the TDS of water in the pads (such as media pad 710). As shown, at a drain rate of approximately 5%, the system's water consumption was provided at approximately 1650 gpd (gallons / day) of water per surface area of ​​the wetted media pad (gallons / day / square foot of top pad surface area), and at a drain rate of approximately 0.5%, the water consumption was approximately 1650 gpd per square foot.

[0127] Now go to Figure 11 A block diagram of a portion of the insulation system 1100 is shown, including a vent pipe 1110 downstream of the pad 710. System 1100 is similar to... Figure 9 System 900. However, in system 1100, the return conduit 830 includes a drain conduit 1110. The drain conduit may include one or more sensors 1120 for measuring the mass of cooling water leaving system 1100 through the drain conduit 1110. The sensors can help determine when and / or how much water is removed from system 1100. The drain conduit 1110 may include a valve 1130 designed to control the flow rate of cooling water through the drain conduit 1110.

[0128] Similar to Figure 9System 900 provides makeup water at a rate approximately equal to the volume of water removed from system 1100 via drain pipe 1110, discharge pipe 835, and evaporation rate 750. By including drain pipe 1110 on return pipe 830, cooling water with the highest contaminant concentration can be removed from system 1100. Therefore, system 1100 can have a higher efficiency than... Figure 9 System 900 reduces water usage because System 1100 removes water with a higher COC before mixing it with fresh makeup water, while System 900 removes a mixture of fresh makeup water and water with a higher COC. Therefore, in System 1100, the frequency and / or volume of sludge or discharge processes can be reduced, such as... Figure 12 As shown in the curve diagram depicted in the figure.

[0129] like Figure 12 As shown, the amount of water used in system 1100 can be adjusted based on the discharge rate. Figure 12 The simulation results are based on an adiabatic cooling system with the same configuration as System 1100. This system includes a 30-gallon recirculation tank operating at 2 COC based on the TDS of the water in the pad. As shown, at a discharge rate of approximately 25% to approximately 30%, the water consumption of System 1100 is utilized at approximately 1330 gpd of water per surface area of ​​the medium pad.

[0130] Compare Figures 10 to 12 The results show that, compared with Figure 9 Compared to the system 900, in Figure 11 More water can be saved in system 1100. System 1100 can have lower water consumption because, as discussed above, the drain pipe 1110 can be arranged to remove the highest levels of contaminants in system 1100. Therefore, the level of contaminants in the recirculation tank 815 of system 1100 may not concentrate as rapidly as in the recirculation tank 815 of system 900. Therefore, system 1100 can often discharge less than system 900 while maintaining approximately the same COC. Furthermore, as Figure 12 As shown, Figure 11 System 1100 can outperform recirculation systems without venting conduits (such as...) Figure 8 The system 800) saves more water. If a one-way system (such as...) Figure 7 If the supply water flow rate on the pad is changed (e.g., replenishment water flow), the water consumption of the single-pass system will be approximately the same as that of system 1100. However, if the single-pass system has a fixed water flow rate, the water consumption of the single-pass system will be higher than that of the recirculation system (e.g., recirculation system 1100). A disadvantage of changing the supply water flow rate on the pad is that the pad saturation efficiency decreases as the water flow rate decreases.

[0131] Figure 13 Graphs comparing the performance of several exemplary insulation systems are presented. These systems include single-pass systems (such as...) Figure 7 Systems 700), systems with recirculation tanks but no vent pipes (such as...) Figure 8 Systems 800), systems with a recirculation pool and a discharge conduit located downstream of the recirculation pool (such as...) Figure 9 Systems 900), and systems with a recirculation pool and a discharge conduit located upstream of the recirculation pool (such as...). Figure 11 The performance of each system is based on water consumption at different pad water flow rates (in gpm / sqft), measured in gpd (gallons / day). For systems with recirculation tanks, each system includes a 30-gallon recirculation tank operating at approximately 2 COC. The evaporation rate for each system is approximately 0.4 gpm / sqft pad surface area.

[0132] In some instances, single-pass systems such as System 700 can operate at low cushion water flow rates (i.e., about 0.3 gpm / sqft). Furthermore, in some instances, to improve cushion life and performance, operation at flow rates between about 1.5 gpm / sqft and about 2 gpm / sqft is recommended. Additionally, to ensure complete cushion wetting (as desired for high cushion saturation efficiency), the cushion water flow rate can be at least about 0.9 gpm / sqft. System 1100 performs optimally within this recommended cushion water flow rate range of about 1.5 gpm / sqft to about 2 gpm / sqft when the system includes a recirculation tank and / or a vent or discharge conduit located upstream of the recirculation tank. For example, in one instance, system 1100 can operate optimally between about 1.5 gpm / sqft and about 2 gpm / sqft, while system 700 can operate optimally between about 0.09 gpm / sqft and about 0.9 gpm / sqft. However, as the flow rate decreases, system 700 may have reduced saturation efficiency.

[0133] Additionally, at minimum outlet water flow rates from approximately 1 gpm / sqft to approximately 2.6 gpm / sqft, the performance of system 1100 can be equal to or better than all other system configurations (i.e., system 800 or system 900). Although at high cushion flow rates (i.e., greater than approximately 2.6 gpm), systems with recirculation tanks but without discharge conduits (i.e., Figure 8 The system 800) is better than the system with a discharge duct upstream of the recirculation pool (i.e., Figure 11 System 1100 performs slightly better, but System 1100 can still have higher total water savings because the pad flow rate can be adjusted to take into account changes in operating conditions.

[0134] It should be understood, for reference Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 13 The simulation results discussed are provided only as illustrative comparisons. Each of the system configurations discussed in this paper (e.g., Figure 7 System 700, Figure 8 System 800, Figure 9 System 900 and Figure 11 Similar results for system 11) can exhibit similar trends at different flow rates and system sizes (e.g., recirculation systems typically save more water and energy than single-pass systems, and systems including vent pipes upstream of the recirculation pool (i.e., Figure 11 The system 1100 can provide greater operational flexibility and save water. The performance and operating parameters of each of the systems disclosed herein can be adjusted to save water and energy.

[0135] Figures 14A to 17B The diagram illustrates a method for adjusting one or more system parameters to improve and / or minimize water and energy use in one or more of systems 700, 800, 900 and / or 1100.

[0136] Now go to Figure 14A and Figure 14B This illustrates a method 1400 for operating an adiabatic heat transfer system in a water-saving mode. Method 1400 can be used in... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 It is implemented in systems 700, 800, 900 and 1100.

[0137] As discussed herein, each of systems 700, 800, 900, and 1100 may include a control system 760 communicatively coupled to one or more components of the system. The control system 760 may include a receiver configured to receive information from the system, a processor configured to interpret the information and determine the action to be taken, and a transmitter configured to send instructions to the system. Therefore, the control system 760 may be configured to receive, store, measure, monitor, and / or calculate various operating parameters of the system, such as the temperature of the process fluid, the temperature of the recirculation cooling water, the dry-bulb temperature of the ambient air, the speed of the air handling equipment, the operating status of the recirculation pump, the percentage of opening of the vent valve, COC, the level in the recirculation tank, the overall system flow rate, and any other operating parameters disclosed herein.

[0138] At box 1402, one or more sensors may be configured to measure the ambient dry-bulb temperature and / or the process fluid temperature. The dry-bulb temperature may be measured using a thermometer or other temperature measuring device that is near the system and exposed to the ambient air but insulated from moisture emitted by the system (e.g., Figures 7 to 9 and Figure 11 (One or more sensors 759). The temperature of the process fluid in the system can be detected in the return conduit, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 5 Measurements were taken at return catheter 206 and / or 506.

[0139] At block 1404, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the process fluid temperature value is greater than a minimum process fluid (PF) temperature setpoint value. The minimum process fluid temperature setpoint value can be predetermined based on the specific application or operating conditions of the system. If the process fluid temperature is less than the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint, no further action is taken at block 1406, and the method returns to block 1402, where the control system continues to monitor the process fluid temperature. However, if the process fluid temperature is greater than the minimum process fluid temperature, the method proceeds to block 1408.

[0140] At box 1408, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether an air-moving device (such as a fan) included in the system is on. If the air-moving device is off, at box 1410, the speed or power setting of the air-moving device is activated. However, if the air-moving device is on, at box 1412, the control system determines the system's operating mode (e.g., whether the system operates in water-saving or energy-saving mode). The operating mode can be determined by the system operator and / or preset based on the system's needs. The operating mode can depend on factors such as ambient air temperature, cooling capacity, electricity costs, water costs, and other operating parameters. Here, the system operates in water-saving mode, so the method continues to box 1416, which is the beginning of the water-saving mode method.

[0141] At block 1418, the control system can be configured to determine whether the process fluid temperature value is greater than a second process fluid temperature setpoint value. The second process fluid temperature setpoint can be a predetermined value or range of values ​​set by the system operator or based on system needs. If the process fluid temperature is less than the second process fluid temperature setpoint, the method proceeds to block 1420.

[0142] At box 1420, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the air mobile device is set to its minimum speed or power setting. In some instances, the minimum speed or power setting may be set by the air mobile device manufacturer. If the air mobile device is not set to its minimum speed or power setting, at box 1422, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the reflow pump is on. The reflow pump may be included in a system having a reflow tank, such as... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 Systems 800, 900, and 1100. The reflow pump can be located near or within the reflow tank 815, or connected to the side of the reflow tank 815 (e.g., Figure 2 Pump 270 and / or Figure 5 A and Figure 5 B's pump 380). In one example, systems 700, 800, 900 and 1100 may further include a remote storage tank, in which water from the recirculation pool 815 is discharged to a remote pool, tank or recirculation pool, and a pump connected to the tank supplies recirculated water to the insulation pad or media pad 710.

[0143] If the recirculation pump is shut off, the method proceeds to box 1424. At box 1424, the speed or power of the air moving equipment is reduced. The speed or power of the air moving equipment can be automatically reduced by a predetermined amount, manually adjusted by the system operator, and / or set to the lowest possible speed or power setting. Once the speed or power of the air moving equipment has been reduced, the method returns to box 1418.

[0144] If, at box 1422, the control system determines that the recirculation pump is on, the method proceeds to box 1426. However, before proceeding to box 1426, at box 1422, the control system can be designed to determine the position of the relief valve (e.g., determine the percentage of valve opening). In some instances, the control system can adjust the position of the relief valve (e.g., the relief flow rate) before proceeding to box 1426. In some instances, the control system can determine the COC of the system before proceeding to box 1426.

[0145] In one example, at block 1426, the control system can be configured to perform another check. At block 1426, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is less than a maximum threshold. It should be understood that although the maximum threshold or maximum threshold temperature is shown as 3℉, the maximum threshold can be any value. Therefore, the maximum threshold can be set by the system operator and / or based on the needs of the system. In one example, block 1426 can be substantially similar to block 1434 (described herein).

[0146] At box 1426, if the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is greater than a maximum threshold, the method moves to box 1427, and the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the air moving equipment is operating above or below the maximum setpoint. As shown, the maximum setpoint is approximately 70% of the maximum speed of the air moving equipment. However, the setpoint can be any value. Furthermore, the setpoint can be manually set by the process operator and / or determined as needed by the system. If the air moving equipment is operating above the maximum setpoint, the method proceeds to box 1428, where the power or speed of the air moving equipment is reduced. The method then returns to box 1418.

[0147] However, if at box 1427 the control system determines that the speed of the air-moving device is less than the maximum set point, the method proceeds to box 1430.

[0148] At block 1430, the control system can be configured to send a command to the system to shut down the recirculation pump, and then at block 1432 increase the speed of the air mobile device, potentially increasing it to the full speed setting of the air mobile device, or increasing the power setting of the air mobile device and dry-operating the insulation system. The method then returns to block 1418.

[0149] At box 1426, if the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is less than the maximum threshold, the method proceeds to box 1427 without making any operational changes to the air handling unit. The method then returns to box 1418.

[0150] It should be understood that in systems that do not include recirculation pools, such as Figure 7 In system 700, box 1422 can be omitted in this method. In another instance, in a system without a recirculation pool, box 1422 can be modified to determine whether water is being delivered to the insulation pad. Thus, for system 700, in some instances, at box 1420, the control system determines that the air handling unit is not set to its minimum speed or power, and then the method proceeds to box 1424. In some instances, for system 700, the control system determines whether water is being delivered to the insulation pad by checking the valve status (e.g., valve 722).

[0151] Returning to reference box 1420, if the control system determines that the air mobile device has been set to its minimum speed or power, the method proceeds to box 1434. At box 1434, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is less than a maximum threshold. If the difference is less than the maximum threshold, at box 1436, no operational change is made to the air mobile device, and the method can return to box 1418. However, if the control system determines that the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is greater than the maximum threshold, at box 1438, the air mobile device is shut down. The method then returns to box 1402.

[0152] It should be understood that although the maximum threshold is shown as 3℉, the maximum threshold can be any value. Therefore, the maximum threshold can be set by the system operator and / or based on the needs of the system.

[0153] Returning to box 1418, if the control system determines that the process fluid temperature is greater than the process fluid temperature setpoint, the method proceeds to box 1440. At box 1440, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the air moving unit is operating at its maximum speed or power. If the air moving unit is not at maximum speed or power, then at box 1442, the speed or power of the air moving unit is increased to provide additional cooling. The air moving unit speed or power can be increased automatically by a predetermined amount, manually adjusted by the system operator, and / or set to the highest possible speed or power setting. The method then returns to box 1418.

[0154] Alternatively, if at box 1440, the control system determines that the air-operated device is at its maximum speed or power setting, and the system does not include a recirculation pool, such as Figure 1 The single-pass system 700 shown can be connected to a water flow system. Furthermore, water can be sprayed onto the pad 710 in the absence of a redistribution tank.

[0155] If, at box 1440, the control system determines that the air-moving device is at its maximum speed or power setting, and the system has a recirculation pool, such as systems 800, 900, and / or 1100, then the method proceeds to box 1444 (i.e., box 1440 is connected to box 1444 via line "B"), as Figure 3DAs shown in the diagram. At box 1444, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the recirculation pump is on. If the recirculation pump is not on, the method proceeds to box 1446. At box 1446, the recirculation pump is started, allowing cooling water to be delivered to the pad. At box 1448, after the pad has been allowed to become fully wetted, the method returns to box 1418 (i.e., box 1448 is connected to box 1418 via line "C"). The time taken for the pad to become fully wetted can be a predetermined time period or can be manually controlled by the system operator.

[0156] Returning to reference box 1450, if the system does not include a venting conduit, such as Figure 8 If the system is 800, then the method proceeds directly to block 1454. However, if the system includes venting conduits, such as... Figure 9 and Figure 11 In systems 900 and 1100, and at box 1450, the control system determines that the recirculation pump is turned on, and then the process proceeds to box 1454.

[0157] At box 1450, the control system can be configured to determine the optimal vent flow rate. The vent flow rate can be controlled by setting the vent valve to a specific percentage of open. Therefore, the vent valve setting can vary depending on the system's evaporation rate, target COC, and / or makeup water flow rate. If the vent valve is not at the desired setting, the vent valve setting is adjusted at box 1452.

[0158] At box 1454, the control system can be designed to determine the current COC value of the system using data acquired from one or more sensors. In some instances, the control system can determine the COC by first determining the current discharge flow rate. The discharge flow rate can be determined based on the collection tank (e.g., Figure 2 The pool 260, Figures 3A to 3D Pool 332 and / or Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 The water depth in the recirculation tank 815, the % opening value of the drain valve, or the setting (e.g., Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 Valve 836 Figure 9 Valve 920 and / or Figure 11 The COC varies depending on the valve flow coefficient of valve 1130 and (one or more) associated relief valves. The valve flow coefficient can be a value provided by the valve manufacturer. The COC can vary based on the evaporation rate and the determined relief flow rate. The evaporation rate can be determined based on the properties of one or more hygrometers and the airflow rate of the air handling equipment. The COC can be determined through mass balance.

[0159] The control system can be further configured to perform a check to determine whether the current COC value is greater than the maximum COC value. The maximum COC value can be a predetermined value based on system requirements and / or can be manually set by the system operator. If the current COC value is less than the maximum COC value, the system continues to operate without further changes at block 1458. Therefore, the method returns to block 1418 (i.e., block 1458 is connected to block 1418 via conduit "A"). However, if at block 1456 the control system determines that the current COC value is greater than the maximum COC value, the method proceeds to block 1460.

[0160] In another example, at box 1454, the control system can be designed to use data acquired from one or more sensors to determine the current total dissolved solids (TDS) level of the system. The control system can be further configured to perform a check to determine whether the current TDS level is greater than the maximum TDS level. The maximum TDS level can be a predetermined value based on system requirements and / or can be manually set by the system operator. If the current TDS level is less than the maximum TDS level, at box 1458, the system continues operating without any further changes. Therefore, the method returns to box 1418 (i.e., box 1458 is connected to box 1418 via line "A"). However, if at box 1456, the control system determines that the current TDS level is greater than the maximum TDS level, the method proceeds to box 1460.

[0161] At box 1460, the recirculation pump is shut off, and the makeup water supply is blocked in preparation for the discharge process. Therefore, at box 1462, during the discharge process, the discharge conduit of the recirculation tank is opened to remove at least a portion of the highly contaminated water (i.e., recirculated cooling water with high TDS) from the system. The tank can be discharged for a predetermined amount of time and / or manually by the system operator. After the discharge process is complete at box 1464, the makeup water supply is re-established so that the water level in the recirculation tank can be refilled. Therefore, the fresh makeup water also helps to dilute the remaining water in the recirculation tank, thereby reducing COC. Finally, at box 1466, the recirculation pump is turned on, allowing cooling water to be supplied to the pad again. The method then returns to box 1418 (i.e., box 1466 is connected to box 1418 via line "A").

[0162] Now, turn to Figure 15A and Figure 15B Method 1500 was disclosed. Method 1500 can be used in... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 This is implemented in systems 700, 800, 900, and 1100. Method 1500 is similar. Figure 14A and Figure 14B Method 1400. However, Method 1500 differs at block 1422. In Method 1500, at block 1422, if the control system determines that the recirculation pump is on, the method proceeds to block 1526.

[0163] At box 1526, the control system determines whether the ambient dry-bulb temperature is less than or greater than the dry-bulb temperature switching temperature. The dry-bulb temperature switching temperature can vary depending on the operating state of the heat dissipation system (e.g., wet or dry operation), the speed of the air handling unit, the temperature of the process fluid, and / or the ambient dry-bulb temperature. If the control system determines that the ambient dry-bulb temperature is greater than the dry-bulb temperature switching temperature, the method proceeds to box 1528. At box 1528, the control system reduces the speed of the air handling unit. The method then returns to box 1418.

[0164] However, if at box 1526 the control system determines that the ambient dry-bulb temperature is lower than the dry-bulb switching temperature, the method proceeds to box 1530. At box 1530, the control system can be configured to send a command to the system to shut down the recirculation pump, and then at box 1532 increase the speed of the air handling unit, potentially increasing it to the full-speed setting of the air handling unit, or increasing the power setting of the air handling unit and the dry-operation insulation system. The method then returns to box 1418.

[0165] The remainder of method 1500 is the same as method 1400 in Figure 14.

[0166] Now go to Figure 16A and Figure 16B This illustrates a method 1600 for operating an adiabatic cooling system in a water-saving mode. Method 1600 can be used in... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 11 Implemented in systems 700, 800, 900, and / or 1100. Method 1600 is similar. Figure 14A and Figure 14B Method 1400. However, Method 1600 differs at block 1422. In Method 1600, at block 1422, if the control system determines that the recirculation pump is on, the method proceeds to block 1602.

[0167] At box 1602, the control system determines whether the air-moving device is operating above or below a threshold. As shown, the threshold is approximately 70% of the maximum speed of the air-moving device. However, the setpoint can be any value. Furthermore, the setpoint can be manually set by the process operator and / or determined as needed by the system. If the air-moving device is operating below the threshold, the process proceeds to box 1430, where the system's recirculation pump is shut off.

[0168] However, if at box 1602 the control system determines that the speed of the air-moving device is greater than a threshold, the method proceeds to box 1428, where the speed of the air-moving device is reduced.

[0169] The remainder of method 1600 is the same as method 1400 in Figure 14.

[0170] Now go to Figure 17A and Figure 17B This illustrates a method 1700 for operating an adiabatic cooling system in an energy-saving mode. Method 1700 can be used in... Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 This is implemented in systems 700, 800, 900, and / or 1100. Method 1700 is similar to method 1400. However, at block 1412, the operating system is run in a way that utilizes less energy. Therefore, at block 1414, the method proceeds to block 1702.

[0171] At block 1702, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the air-moving equipment is operating above a maximum setpoint value. As shown, the maximum setpoint value is equal to approximately 75% of the maximum speed of the air-moving equipment. However, the setpoint can be any value. Furthermore, the setpoint can be manually set by the process operator and / or determined as needed by the system. If the air-moving equipment is operating below the maximum setpoint value, the method proceeds to block 1704.

[0172] At block 1704, the control system can be configured to determine whether the process fluid temperature value is greater than a second process fluid temperature setpoint. The second process fluid temperature setpoint can be a predetermined value set by the system operator or based on system needs. If the process fluid temperature is less than the second process fluid temperature setpoint, the method proceeds to block 1706.

[0173] At block 1706, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the air mobile device is set to its minimum power or speed setting. If the air mobile device is not set to its minimum setting, at block 1708, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the reflow pump is on. If the reflow pump is not on, at block 1710, the speed or power of the air mobile device is reduced, and the method returns to block 1702.

[0174] However, if at block 1708 the control system determines that the recirculation pump is on, the method proceeds to block 1712. At block 1712, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine if the air moving equipment is operating below a minimum setpoint. As shown, the minimum setpoint is equal to approximately 60% of the maximum speed of the air moving equipment. However, the setpoint can be any value. Furthermore, the setpoint can be manually set by the process operator and / or determined as needed by the system. If the air moving equipment is operating above the minimum setpoint, the method proceeds to block 1714, where the power or speed of the air moving equipment decreases. The method then returns to block 1702.

[0175] However, if at box 1712 the control system determines that the air moving unit is operating below the minimum setpoint, then at box 1716, the recirculation pump is shut off. At box 1718, the air moving unit speed is also increased. The process then returns to box 1702.

[0176] Returning to box 1706, if the control system determines that the air mobile device is operating at its lowest power or speed setting, the method proceeds to box 1720. At box 1720, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is less than approximately 3℉. If the difference is not greater than approximately 3℉, then at box 1722, the operation of the air mobile device is not changed. However, if the control system determines that the difference between the minimum process fluid temperature setpoint and the process fluid temperature is greater than approximately 3℉, then at box 1724, the air mobile device is shut down. The method then returns to box 1702.

[0177] Returning to box 1704, if the control system determines that the process fluid temperature is greater than the process fluid temperature setpoint, the method proceeds to box 1726. At box 1726, the speed or power of the air-moving device is increased. The method then returns to box 1702.

[0178] Returning to reference box 1702, if the control system determines that the air handling unit is operating above the maximum setpoint, the method proceeds to box 1728 (i.e., box 1702 is connected to box 1728 via line "B"). At box 1728, the control system can be configured to determine whether the recirculation pump is on. If the recirculation pump is not on, the method proceeds to box 1730. At box 1730, the recirculation pump is activated, allowing cooling water to be delivered to the pad. At box 1732, after the pad has been allowed to become fully wetted, the method returns to box 1728. The time required for the pad to become fully wetted can be a predetermined time period and / or can be manually controlled by the system operator.

[0179] At box 1728, if the control system determines that the recirculation pump is on, the method proceeds to box 1734. At box 1734, the control system can be configured to determine the optimal vent or discharge conduit flow rate. The vent conduit flow rate can be controlled by setting the vent or discharge conduit valve to a specific percentage of open. Therefore, the vent conduit valve setting can vary based on the system's evaporation rate, target COC, and / or makeup water flow rate. If the vent conduit valve is not at the desired setting, the vent valve setting is adjusted at box 1736.

[0180] However, if the system does not include a relief valve, such as Figure 8 If the system is 800, then the method proceeds directly from box 1734 to box 1738.

[0181] At box 1738, the control system can be configured to determine the current COC of the system. The control system can be further configured to perform a check to determine whether the current COC is greater than the maximum COC. The maximum COC can be a predetermined value based on system requirements, or it can be manually set by the system operator. If the current COC is less than the maximum COC, then at box 1742, the system continues to operate in adiabatic cooling mode.

[0182] At box 1744, the control system can be configured to perform a check to determine whether the process fluid temperature is greater than the cooling water setpoint. The cooling water setpoint can be a value set by the process operator or can be determined based on system requirements. If the process fluid temperature is less than the cooling water setpoint, the method returns to box 1702 (i.e., box 1744 is connected to box 1702 via line "A"). However, if the process fluid temperature is greater than the cooling water setpoint, at box 1746, the air handling unit speed or power is increased. The method then returns to box 1702 (i.e., box 1746 is connected to box 1702 via line "A").

[0183] Returning to box 1740, if the control system determines that the current COC is greater than the maximum COC, the method proceeds to box 1748. At box 1748, the recirculation pump is shut off, and the makeup water supply is blocked in preparation for the sludge or discharge process. Therefore, at box 1750, during the discharge process, the discharge conduit of the recirculation tank is opened to remove some highly contaminated water from the system. At box 1752, after the discharge process is complete, the makeup water supply is re-established, allowing the water level in the recirculation tank to be refilled. Thus, fresh makeup water also helps dilute the remaining water in the recirculation tank, thereby reducing the COC. Finally, at box 1754, the recirculation pump is turned on, allowing cooling water to be supplied to the pad again. The method then returns to box 1702 (i.e., box 1754 is connected to box 1702 via line "A").

[0184] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the invention has been described above with reference to specific examples and illustrations, the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and many other examples, illustrations, uses, modifications, and deviations from these examples, illustrations, and uses are intended to be covered by the appended claims. The full disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as well as each such patent or publication is individually incorporated by reference. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling process fluids, the adiabatic heat transfer system comprising: An adiabatic cooler, the adiabatic cooler having: At least one medium pad; At least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one media pad; A fluid distribution system designed to wet the at least one media pad by distributing cooling water onto the at least one media pad; A fluid collection system comprising a pool for cooling water from the at least one media pad; A reflow conduit, which is in fluid communication with the pool and the fluid distribution system; and A sensor, designed to sense the temperature of the cooling water in the at least one media pad; and A control system designed to adjust one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system based on the sensed temperature of the cooling water.

2. The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer system further comprises: A cooling water supply conduit is fluidly connected to the pool and the water supply source.

3. The heat transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the heat transfer system further comprises: A first valve, designed to control the flow of cooling water supply through the cooling water supply conduit; A second valve, which is designed to control the flow of the cooling water to the fluid distribution system; A third valve is designed to control the flow of cooling water through a drain pipe in communication with the pool fluid. and A fourth valve is designed to control the flow of cooling water through a fluid outlet conduit in fluid communication with the pool.

4. The heat transfer system according to claim 3, in, The control system is also designed to determine the operating mode of the adiabatic heat transfer system when the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a first cooling water threshold. The operating mode includes at least one of a water-saving mode and an energy-saving mode, and adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system based on the determined operating mode includes: Open at least one of the third and fourth valves to remove the cooling water from the adiabatic heat transfer system; and Open the first valve to replenish the cooling water to the adiabatic heat transfer system.

5. The heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer system further comprises: The second sensor is designed to sense at least one environmental condition of the surrounding air.

6. The thermal insulation and heat transfer system according to claim 5, in, The control system is designed to determine the evaporation rate of the adiabatic heat transfer system using at least one of the sensed cooling water temperature and sensed ambient air conditions.

7. The heat transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the heat transfer system further comprises: A cooling water supply conduit is provided, which is in fluid communication with the pool and the fresh water supply source. The control system is designed to open or close the replenishment valve based on the determined evaporation rate of the adiabatic heat transfer system.

8. An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling process fluids, the adiabatic heat transfer system comprising: An adiabatic cooler, the adiabatic cooler comprising: At least one medium pad; At least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one media pad; A fluid distribution system designed to wet the at least one media pad by distributing cooling water onto the at least one media pad; A fluid collection system designed to collect the cooling water from the at least one media pad or the fluid distribution system; A fluid outlet conduit, which is in fluid communication with the fluid collection system; A valve, designed to control the flow rate of cooling water through the fluid outlet conduit; and A first sensor, the first sensor being designed to sense one or more water quality parameters of the cooling water of the at least one media pad; A second sensor, designed to sense at least one environmental condition of the surrounding air; and Control system, the control system being designed for: The approximate wet-bulb temperature of the thermal insulation system is determined based on the sensed one or more water quality parameters of the cooling water leaving the at least one medium pad. The concentration operation cycle value is determined based on the sensed one or more water quality parameters and the approximate wet-bulb temperature; Determine whether the determined concentration cycle value is higher than the concentration cycle threshold; and In response to determining that the concentration operation cycle value is higher than a determined concentration operation cycle threshold, the valve is opened to drain the cooling water from the fluid collection system.

9. The adiabatic heat transfer system according to claim 8, wherein the adiabatic heat transfer system further comprises: A cooling water supply conduit, which is designed to deliver fresh water to the fluid collection system; The second valve is designed to control the flow of fresh water to the fluid collection system; A drain duct, the drain duct being designed to deliver at least a portion of the cooling water to a wastewater system; and A third valve is designed to control the cooling flow through the vent duct.

10. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 9, in, The drain conduit is downstream of the recirculation pool of the fluid collection system and upstream of the at least one media pad.

11. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 9, in, The venting conduit is downstream of at least one media pad and upstream of the recirculation pool of the fluid collection system.

12. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 9, in, The control system is designed to open at least one of the second valve and the third valve in response to determining that the concentration operation cycle value is higher than the concentration operation cycle threshold.

13. An adiabatic heat transfer system for cooling a process fluid, the adiabatic heat transfer system comprising: An adiabatic cooler, the adiabatic cooler comprising: At least one medium pad; At least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger containing the process fluid, wherein the at least one heat exchanger is downstream of the at least one media pad; A fluid distribution system designed to wet the at least one media pad by distributing cooling water onto the at least one media pad; An air-moving device, the air-moving device being designed to induce the flow of ambient air through the at least one media pad and the at least one heat exchanger; and A sensor, designed to sense the temperature of the cooling water in the at least one media pad; and Control system, the control system being designed for: When the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a first process fluid temperature threshold, an operating mode of the adiabatic heat transfer system is determined, wherein the operating mode includes at least one of a water-saving mode and an energy-saving mode; and One or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system are adjusted based on the operating mode.

14. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 13, in, In the energy-saving mode, the control system is designed to determine whether the air mobile device is operating at a speed setting above a threshold before adjusting one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system.

15. The adiabatic heat transfer system according to claim 14, wherein the adiabatic heat transfer system further comprises: A fluid collection system designed to collect the cooling water flowing out from the at least one media pad; fluid An outlet conduit, wherein the fluid outlet conduit is in fluid communication with the fluid collection system; and an outlet valve, which is designed to control the flow of the cooling water through the fluid outlet conduit; Adjusting one or more operating parameters of the thermal insulation and heat transfer system includes opening the outlet valve to discharge some cooling water from the fluid collection system into the wastewater system if the air mobile device is operating at a speed setting above a threshold.

16. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 14, in, The control system is designed to determine whether the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a second process fluid temperature threshold when it is determined that the air mobile device is not operating at a speed setting higher than the threshold.

17. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 16, in, Adjusting one or more operating parameters of the thermal insulation heat transfer system includes: In response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is greater than the second process fluid temperature threshold, the speed of the air-moving device is increased; and In response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is less than the second process fluid temperature threshold, it is determined whether the air mobile device is operating at the minimum threshold speed.

18. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 13, in, In the water-saving mode, the control system is designed to determine whether the sensed process fluid temperature is higher than a second process fluid temperature threshold before adjusting the one or more operating parameters of the adiabatic heat transfer system.

19. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 18, in, The control system is designed to: In response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is less than the second process fluid temperature threshold, it is determined whether the air mobile device is operating at a speed setting higher than the minimum threshold. and In response to determining that the sensed process fluid temperature is greater than the second process fluid temperature threshold, it is determined whether the air mobile device is operating at a speed setting below the maximum threshold.

20. The thermal insulation heat transfer system according to claim 19, in, Adjusting one or more operating parameters of the thermal insulation heat transfer system includes at least one of the following: adjusting the speed of the air moving equipment and opening the outlet valve so that at least some of the cooling water in the outlet valve is discharged from the thermal insulation heat transfer system.

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