A comprehensive utilization system of process cooling circulating water
By using indirect heat exchangers and clean energy systems in industrial cooling towers, the problems of icing in winter and high temperatures in summer have been solved, achieving efficient and energy-saving operation throughout the year.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANDONG GREED ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
Industrial cooling towers are prone to freezing in winter and operate at high temperatures in summer, which affects their cooling effect and consumes a lot of energy. Existing technologies have not been able to effectively solve this problem.
By replacing louvers with indirect heat exchangers, combining fans and clean energy, and connecting process equipment to cooling towers through pipelines, solar energy and photovoltaic power generation modules are used to regulate the supply air temperature, improve heat exchange efficiency and prevent icing.
It has achieved stable operation throughout the year, improved the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling tower, prevented icing of the air inlet louvers, saved resources, and achieved energy-saving operation of industrial equipment.
Smart Images

Figure CN224415798U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cooling tower recycling equipment, and in particular to a comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water. Background Technology
[0002] Industrial cooling towers are important cooling equipment in process circulating water systems. Compared with different civil towers, they operate year-round, have longer operating times, and their circulating water temperature is 15 to 20 degrees higher than that of ordinary civil towers. They are typical energy-consuming equipment.
[0003] During summer operation, the circulating water temperature of this type of industrial cooling tower fluctuates by 1-2 degrees Celsius above the specified operating temperature. In winter, due to the low ambient temperature, ice easily forms on the air inlet louvers, affecting the air intake speed. In severe cases, the ice cones can even block most of the air inlets, seriously affecting the cooling effect. Furthermore, when the circulating water temperature exceeds the specified temperature, it has a significant impact on process equipment. Many factories have prepared intermediate water tanks to temporarily supplement tap water, resulting in resource waste.
[0004] As those skilled in the art, there is an urgent need to design a comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water that can improve the inlet air temperature of industrial cooling towers, prevent icing of inlet louvers in winter, improve heat exchange efficiency in summer, and ensure energy-saving operation of industrial equipment throughout the year by comprehensively utilizing clean energy. Utility Model Content
[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water. By replacing the original louvered form with a customized partition heat exchanger, the system can increase or decrease the supply air temperature according to the operating conditions, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the cooling tower. At the same time, it combines clean solar energy to provide the system with electrical and thermal energy, achieving energy-saving operation of the system.
[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:
[0007] A comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water connects process equipment to a cooling tower via pipelines. The cooling tower is equipped with a fan, a water collector, a spray device, packing, a partition heat exchanger, and a water collection tank from top to bottom. Pipelines are installed on the process equipment to connect with the spray device and to the water collection tank.
[0008] The indirect heat exchanger includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, which are connected by a cooling pipe. The adjacent cooling pipes are connected by a cooling duct, and the cooling pipes and cooling duct are arranged adjacent to each other.
[0009] The cooling duct consists of two partitions, upper and lower. Each partition includes a partition body, an internal support plate inside the partition body, and a vertical baffle and an inclined baffle outside the partition body. Both the vertical baffle and the inclined baffle are exposed inside the cooling duct.
[0010] The aforementioned fan is an EC fan, which includes a fan outer frame, and several fan bodies are evenly distributed inside the fan outer frame.
[0011] The inlet end of the partition heat exchanger is connected to a water supply pipe and a hot water storage tank. The water supply pipe is also connected to the hot water storage tank, which is connected to an auxiliary heating device. The auxiliary heating device includes at least one of a solar collector module and an electric heating device.
[0012] The hot water storage tank and process equipment are also connected to the heat-using unit, and can conduct their own heat to the heat-using unit to achieve heating.
[0013] This utility model is also equipped with a photovoltaic power generation module, and an energy storage module is provided in conjunction with the photovoltaic power generation module. The energy storage module is connected to the heat-using unit and the fan to realize power supply.
[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model with the above structure are described as follows: This utility model connects the process equipment to the cooling tower via pipelines. The cooling tower, from top to bottom, includes a fan, a water collector, a spray device, packing, a partition wall heat exchanger, and a water collection tank. Pipelines are installed on the process equipment to connect with the spray device and the water collection tank. The partition wall heat exchanger includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, connected by a cooling pipe. Adjacent cooling pipes are connected by a cooling duct, and the cooling pipes and cooling ducts are arranged adjacent to each other. The cooling pipe consists of upper and lower partitions. The structure has an internal support plate, and vertical and inclined baffles are installed on the outside of the partition body. Both the vertical and inclined baffles are exposed inside the cooling air duct. In summer, the temperature of tap water is generally around 20 degrees Celsius. After the low-temperature tap water passes through the partition heat exchanger, the inlet air temperature of the cooling tower is reduced, and the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling tower is improved. In winter, hot water is prepared by solar thermal collectors (stored in a hot water storage tank) and connected to the tap water supply pipe to increase the inlet air temperature of the industrial tower and avoid icing of the louvers. This solution can comprehensively utilize clean energy to ensure energy-saving operation of industrial equipment under year-round operating conditions. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of this system;
[0016] Figure 2 This is a top view of the wind turbine structure.
[0017] Figure 3 A top view of the water supply structure of a partition wall heat exchanger;
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange principle and structure of a partition wall heat exchanger.
[0019] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the distribution structure of cooling pipes and cooling air ducts;
[0020] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a partition heat exchanger.
[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a partition wall heat exchanger.
[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the outer structure of the partition body;
[0023] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the partition body;
[0024] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the partition body;
[0025] In the attached diagram: 1. Industrial equipment; 11. Water treatment device; 12. Valve I; 13. Valve II; 2. EC fan; 21. Fan outer frame; 22. Fan body; 3. Water collector; 4. Spray device; 5. Packing material; 51. Water baffle; 6. Indirect heat exchanger; 60. External water supply pipe; 61. Internal water supply pipe; 62. Cooling duct; 63. Cooling pipe; 64. Inlet pipe; 65. Outlet pipe; 66. Partition; 661. Partition body; 662. Vertical baffle; 663. Left-tilted baffle; 664. Right-tilted baffle; 665. Internal support plate; 7. Water collection tank; 8. Hot water storage tank; 81. Valve III; 82. Valve IV; 83. Valve V; 84. Solar collector module; 85. Water supply pipe; 9. Workshop office; 91. Energy storage module; 92. Photovoltaic module. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. However, it should be noted that the specific embodiments described below do not limit the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can make further technical extensions under the guidance of the following technical solutions. The scope of protection of this patent application is determined by the claims.
[0027] Example 1: A comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water, such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, it connects the process equipment 1 with the cooling tower through pipelines. The cooling tower is provided with a fan 2, a water eliminator 3, a spraying device 4, a packing 5, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 6, and a sump 7 from top to bottom. When connecting the process equipment 1 with the cooling tower, pipelines are arranged on the process equipment 1 to connect with the spraying device 4, and pipelines are arranged on the process equipment 1 to connect with the sump 7. Through the above connection structure, a closed-loop circulation structure is realized. In the working state, high-temperature water enters the spraying device 4 of the cooling tower from the process equipment 1 through pipelines, and the cooled water then flows back to the process equipment 1 from the sump 7 through pipelines. Before entering the interior of the process equipment 1, terminal water treatment is carried out by a water treatment device 11, and the water treatment device 11 can filter out impurities and large particles in the industrial circulating water and reserve a chemical dosing interface. A float level controller is arranged inside the sump 7 to feed a water replenishment signal according to the water temperature in the sump (more water is replenished in summer and less water is replenished in winter).
[0028] The design focus of the present utility model is that the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 6 includes a water inlet pipe 64 and a water outlet pipe 65, and the water inlet pipe 64 and the water outlet pipe 65 are connected by a cooling through pipe 63. A cooling air duct 62 is arranged between adjacent cooling through pipes 63, and the cooling through pipes 63 and the cooling air duct 62 are arranged adjacent to each other. When the cooling through pipe 63 is formed, it can adopt a circular pipe structure for connection. In this embodiment, to improve the heat exchange efficiency, the cooling through pipe 63 adopts the following structure: each cooling through pipe 63 is composed of two partition plates 66. The partition plate 66 includes a partition plate body 661, an internal support plate 665 is arranged inside the partition plate body 661, a vertical spoiler 662 and an inclined spoiler are arranged outside the partition plate body 661. The inclined spoiler is a left inclined spoiler 663 and a right inclined spoiler 664. The vertical spoiler 662, the left inclined spoiler 663, and the right inclined spoiler 664 are arranged in sequence. The left inclined spoiler 663 and the right inclined spoiler 664 are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of each vertical spoiler 662. When the cooling through pipe 63 is formed, it is formed by buckling two partition plate bodies 661. Such a partition plate body 661 is a "U" - shaped structure, and the two partition plate bodies 661 are formed by brazing. After forming, the vertical spoiler 662, the left inclined spoiler 663, and the right inclined spoiler 664 outside the cooling through pipe 63 are distributed in the cooling air duct 62. This structure can strengthen the flow disturbance of the air flow and improve the heat exchange efficiency. The internal support plate 665 can improve the flow disturbance in the liquid flow state and improve the liquid heat exchange efficiency.
[0029] In this embodiment, the fan 2 adopts an EC fan, such as Figure 2As shown, the fan 2 includes a fan outer frame 21, inside which several fan bodies 22 are evenly distributed. Multiple rows of EC fans are evenly arranged at the top of the cooling tower. The number of fans activated is adjusted according to the return water temperature of the industrial equipment, prioritizing the activation of fans in the middle positions, and then sequentially activating the other fans for energy-efficient operation. The fan bodies 22 are positioned facing the spray device 4 and the packing 5.
[0030] Furthermore, a water supply pipe 85 and a hot water storage tank 8 are connected to the inlet end of the indirect heat exchanger 6. The water supply pipe 85 is also connected to the hot water storage tank 8, which is connected to an auxiliary heating device. The auxiliary heating device includes a solar collector module 84 and an electric heating element. The electric heating element is inserted into the hot water storage tank 8. The purpose of the electric heating element is to ensure that hot water is replenished to the tap water supply pipe and flows into the indirect heat exchanger in a timely manner during a sudden low-temperature event. The hot water storage tank 8 and the process equipment 1 are also connected to the heat-using unit. Through the hot water storage tank 8 and the process equipment 1, their own heat can be diverted to the heat-using unit to achieve heating. In this embodiment, the heat-using unit is the workshop office 9.
[0031] For ease of control, this utility model also provides valve V83 between the partition heat exchanger 6 and the water supply pipe 85, valve IV82 between the water supply pipe 85 and the hot water storage tank 8, valve III81 between the hot water storage tank 8 and the partition heat exchanger 6, valve II13 between the process equipment 1 and the spray device 4, and valve I12 between the process equipment 1 and the workshop office 9.
[0032] This utility model is also equipped with a photovoltaic power generation module 92, and an energy storage module 91 is provided in conjunction with the photovoltaic power generation module 92. The energy storage module 91 is connected to the electric heating tube inside the workshop office 9, the fan 2, and the hot water storage tank 8 to provide power.
[0033] With the above structure, this utility model, operating year-round, utilizes a partitioned heat exchanger 6 instead of the original single-piece louvers. The partitioned heat exchanger 6 is installed below the baffle plate 51. In summer, the temperature of tap water is generally around 20 degrees Celsius. After passing through the partitioned heat exchanger 6, the low-temperature tap water reduces the cooling tower's inlet air temperature and improves the cooling tower's heat exchange efficiency. In winter, hot water is generated using the solar collector module 84 and stored in the hot water storage tank 8, then connected to the tap water supply pipe 85, increasing the industrial tower's inlet air temperature and preventing icing of the louvers. Due to the low outdoor temperature in winter, the cooling tower's cooling efficiency is further improved. If the temperature is higher than in summer, and the return water temperature of the industrial equipment is more than 10 degrees Celsius lower than normal, this system connects a branch pipeline to the water outlet of the industrial equipment to send the high-temperature process hot water to the radiators in the workshop office 9 for heating. The photovoltaic modules 92 installed on the factory roof generate electricity and store the electrical energy in the battery 91 to help drive the fan 2 at the top of the cooling tower. The generated hot water enters the hot water storage tank 8. In addition to being connected to the indirect heat exchanger 6, the hot water in the storage tank 8 is also connected to the domestic water system of the workshop office 9 through another pipeline. This solution makes comprehensive use of clean energy to ensure energy-saving operation of the industrial equipment under all-year operating conditions.
[0034] The control logic of this utility model is described as follows: An automated control strategy is adopted. Valves I12 and II13 are opened, determined by the process return water temperature. When the effluent temperature reaches 45 degrees Celsius, valve I12 is opened first. The opening angles of valves I12 and II13 are automatically adjusted based on the process return water temperature. Valves V83, IV82, and III81 are also opened. In winter, only valves IV82 and III81 are opened; in summer, only valve V83 is opened. Normally, valve IV82 is opened to provide domestic hot water to the workshop office 9. The EC fan's operating power comes from the energy storage module 91. The photovoltaic module 92 on the factory roof stores electricity for the energy storage module 91. During prolonged cloudy or rainy days when photovoltaic energy storage is insufficient or when the electrical load is too high, the energy storage module 91 is charged by an external power source.
Claims
1. A comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water, characterized in that: It connects the process equipment to the cooling tower via pipelines. The cooling tower is equipped with a fan, water collector, spray device, packing, partition wall heat exchanger, and water collection tank from top to bottom. The process equipment is connected to the spray device via pipelines, and the process equipment is also connected to the water collection tank via pipelines. The indirect heat exchanger includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, which are connected by a cooling pipe. The adjacent cooling pipes are connected by a cooling duct, and the cooling pipes and cooling ducts are arranged adjacent to each other. The cooling duct consists of two partitions, upper and lower. Each partition includes a partition body, an internal support plate inside the partition body, and a vertical baffle and an inclined baffle outside the partition body. Both the vertical baffle and the inclined baffle are exposed inside the cooling duct.
2. The comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The aforementioned fan is an EC fan, which includes a fan outer frame, and several fan bodies are evenly distributed inside the fan outer frame.
3. The comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet end of the partition heat exchanger is connected to a water supply pipe and a hot water storage tank. The water supply pipe is also connected to the hot water storage tank, which is connected to an auxiliary heating device. The auxiliary heating device includes at least one of a solar collector module and an electric heating device.
4. The comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The hot water storage tank and process equipment are also connected to the heat-using unit, and can conduct their own heat to the heat-using unit to achieve heating.
5. The comprehensive utilization system for process cooling circulating water as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The integrated utilization system of cooling circulating water in this process is also equipped with a photovoltaic power generation module, and an energy storage module is set up in conjunction with the photovoltaic power generation module. The energy storage module is connected to the heat-using unit and the fan to provide power.