A water inlet self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system

Abstract

This application relates to a cooling device, disclosing a self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system. The cooling tower includes a cooling tower body, two water inlet distribution channels, and a connecting pipe. Water inlets are located on both sides of the cooling tower body, with the water inlet distribution channels corresponding to the inlets. The connecting pipe connects the two water inlet distribution channels, with the bottom of the connecting pipe not exceeding the bottom of the water inlet distribution channels and positioned close to the outer shell of the cooling tower. The cooling system includes a cooling tower and a main pipe. The main pipe has several first branch pipes and several second branch pipes, the number of which is equal to the number of cooling tower sections. The first branch pipes connect to the corresponding cooling tower inlets near the main pipe, and the first branch pipes connect to the other inlet of the corresponding cooling tower. The water inlet distribution channels connecting both sides of the cooling tower utilize the principle of hydraulic communication devices to achieve self-balancing water intake, minimizing the need for internal space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to cooling devices, and more particularly to a self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system with a water inlet. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, crossflow cooling towers have left and right water inlets. For the connection from the main pipe to the cooling tower inlet, it is generally an external pipe method. Since the external pipe is not symmetrically routed, the water inlet on the left and right sides is unbalanced, resulting in a large difference in heat dissipation effect on both sides. This causes the cooling water outlet temperature to be higher than the design requirements, which in turn affects the energy efficiency of the chiller and increases the operating energy consumption of the chiller.

[0003] To address this issue, some technical solutions involve arranging inlet pipes inside the cooling tower (such as the patent with publication number CN214008448U, "An Open Crossflow Cooling Tower Internal Pipe Connection Structure") and making symmetrical connections, which can achieve balanced water distribution. However, this approach requires the installation of vertical pipes and horizontal branch pipes inside, resulting in a high space occupation inside the cooling tower.

[0004] Therefore, new technical solutions are needed to reduce the space occupied inside the cooling tower while balancing the heat dissipation on both sides of the cooling tower. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem this application aims to solve is: how to reduce the space occupied inside the cooling tower while balancing the heat dissipation on both sides of the cooling tower.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system with an inlet water supply.

[0007] In a first aspect, this application provides a cooling tower with self-balancing water inlet. The cooling tower includes: a cooling tower body with water inlets on both sides; two water inlet distribution troughs arranged corresponding to the water inlets; and a connecting pipe that connects the two water inlet distribution troughs. The bottom of the connecting pipe is not higher than the bottom of the water inlet distribution troughs, and the connecting pipe is arranged close to the outer shell of the cooling tower.

[0008] In one embodiment, the top of the connecting pipe is flush with the top of the water inlet distribution trough.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting pipe is a hollow galvanized square pipe, and the connecting pipe is fixedly connected to the cooling tower body.

[0010] In one embodiment, the connecting pipe is a hollow galvanized round pipe or a PVC water pipe.

[0011] In one embodiment, a water distribution nozzle is provided above the water inlet distribution trough, and packing material is provided inside the water inlet distribution trough. The balanced water flow in the connecting pipe is evenly distributed to the packing material through the water distribution nozzle.

[0012] In one embodiment, the cooling tower further includes a hydraulic pressure stabilizer, which connects to a connecting pipe and a main pipe, the main pipe being used to connect several cooling towers.

[0013] In one embodiment, an air outlet is provided above the main body of the cooling tower, and there are two connecting pipes, the distance between the two connecting pipes being no less than the width of the air outlet.

[0014] A second aspect of this application provides a cooling system comprising: a cooling tower as provided in the first aspect of this application; a main pipe, wherein a plurality of first branch pipes and a plurality of second branch pipes are connected to the main pipe, the plurality of first branch pipes and the plurality of second branch pipes being equal in number to the cooling tower; the plurality of first branch pipes being used to connect to the water inlet of the corresponding cooling tower near the main pipe; and the plurality of first branch pipes being used to connect to another water inlet of the corresponding cooling tower.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system of this application have the following advantages:

[0016] This embodiment combines the advantages of internal and external pipe connections. While retaining the external water pipe, an internal connecting pipe is added to connect the water inlet distribution tanks on both sides of the cooling tower. By utilizing the principle of hydraulic communication, self-balancing water inlet is achieved, ensuring that the cooling water outlet temperature meets the design requirements. This avoids affecting the energy efficiency of the refrigeration unit and increasing the unit's operating energy consumption. Since only the connecting pipe needs to be installed and no other additional pipes are required, the internal space occupancy is relatively small. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view at point 1-1 of a self-balancing cooling tower with water inlet according to a preferred embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a top view of a self-balancing cooling tower with water inlet, according to a preferred embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a top view of a water inlet self-balancing cooling system according to a preferred embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure label:

[0021] 1. Cooling tower body, 2. Water inlet, 3. Air inlet, 4. Water distribution trough, 5. Connecting pipe, 6. Air outlet, 7. Water distribution nozzle, 8. Packing material, 9. Main pipe, 10. First branch pipe, 11. Second branch pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The specific embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this application, but are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0023] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings are intended to distinguish similar objects and are not used to describe a specific structure. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in structures other than those illustrated or described. Furthermore, "comprising," "having," and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a product or device comprising a series of components or units is not necessarily limited to those explicitly listed, but may also include other components or units not explicitly listed but inherent to these products or devices.

[0024] Currently, crossflow cooling towers generally adopt a structure with water inlets on both the left and right sides, and the conventional connection method from the main pipe to the cooling tower inlet is an external connection. Because the external connection does not adopt a symmetrical and uniform flow design, the water flow on the left and right sides is unbalanced, which in turn leads to a significant difference in heat dissipation efficiency on both sides.

[0025] When cooling water enters the water distribution tank, the water level is uneven on both sides of the cooling tower due to the imbalance of water intake. One side has too much water and the other side has too little water, resulting in poor heat dissipation on one side and insufficient heat dissipation capacity on the other side.

[0026] To solve this technical problem, such as Figure 1 The image shown is a cross-sectional view at point 1-1 of a preferred embodiment of a self-balancing cooling tower with water inlet according to this application. Figure 2 This is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a self-balancing cooling tower according to the present application. The cooling tower may include: a cooling tower body 1, two water inlet distribution tanks 4, and a connecting pipe 5.

[0027] The cooling tower body 1 has water inlets 2 on both sides, water inlet distribution troughs 4 are arranged corresponding to the water inlets 2, and connecting pipes 5 connect the two water inlet distribution troughs 4. The bottom height of the connecting pipes 5 is not higher than the bottom of the water inlet distribution troughs 4, and the connecting pipes 5 are arranged close to the outer shell of the cooling tower.

[0028] Based on the hydraulic communication principle of the connecting pipe 5, when a water level difference occurs between the two water distribution tanks, the water flow automatically flows from the high water level side to the low water level side. The natural balance of gravity replaces the traditional pump and valve control, eliminating the need for additional energy consumption and improving system reliability.

[0029] The connecting pipe 5 is arranged close to the outer shell of the cooling tower, which reduces the space occupied inside the tower compared to the traditional internal pipe scheme, reserving more installation space for core components such as the packing 8 and the fan. At the same time, the traditional internal pipe may create airflow obstruction inside the tower, resulting in a decrease in local wind speed. However, in this scheme, the connecting pipe 5 is arranged close to the wall, resulting in a smaller deviation in the uniformity of the air speed on the air inlet side and almost no increase in the exhaust resistance at the air outlet 6. Therefore, it has almost no impact on the aerodynamic performance of the fan.

[0030] In the embodiments of this application, the top of the connecting pipe 5 is flush with the top of the water inlet distribution trough 4.

[0031] The design of the top of the connecting pipe 5 being flush with the top of the inlet water distribution trough 4 can fully expand the adjustment range of water level balance through the principle of hydraulic communication, so that the effective volume of the inlet water distribution trough 4 can be fully utilized, and the water levels on both sides can still quickly self-balance under the condition of greater flow fluctuations.

[0032] This design avoids air resistance caused by the top of the connecting pipe 5 being too low, ensuring continuous and smooth water flow. This reduces the pressure difference between the two water distribution nozzles 7, making the water flow more uniform. It prevents the nozzles from being overloaded due to excessive pressure and avoids underload due to insufficient pressure, further improving the uniformity of water distribution and operational stability of the cooling tower, and optimizing the overall heat dissipation efficiency.

[0033] In one embodiment of this application, the connecting pipe 5 is a hollow galvanized square pipe, and the connecting pipe 5 is fixedly connected to the cooling tower body 1.

[0034] In this embodiment, the connecting pipe 5 is a hollow galvanized square tube and is fixedly connected to the cooling tower body 1. This design can organically combine the connecting pipe 5 with the tower structure, making it also serve as the structural frame of the tower, without the need for additional supporting components, thereby reducing the amount and cost of tower materials.

[0035] Meanwhile, this design avoids the space occupation inside the tower caused by adding independent support structures, improves space utilization, and the integrated connection between the connecting pipe 5 and the tower body enhances structural stability and simplifies the installation process. While achieving the self-balancing function of water inlet, it also takes into account structural strength and economy, achieving dual optimization of function and structure.

[0036] In another embodiment of this application, the connecting pipe 5 may also be a hollow galvanized round pipe or a PVC water pipe.

[0037] Galvanized round pipes possess excellent compressive strength and corrosion resistance, making them suitable for applications requiring high structural strength or complex water quality, ensuring long-term stable operation. PVC water pipes, on the other hand, offer advantages such as light weight, easy installation, and low cost, making them particularly suitable for environments with high water quality requirements or corrosive conditions. They reduce the risk of pipe scaling and corrosion. Neither material requires additional surface treatment, allowing for flexible selection based on actual application scenarios (such as water temperature, water quality, and load-bearing requirements). This approach optimizes equipment costs and service life while ensuring the hydraulic balance function of the connecting pipes, thus expanding the applicability of the technical solutions.

[0038] Furthermore, a water distribution nozzle 7 is provided above the water inlet distribution trough 4, and a packing material 8 is provided inside the water inlet distribution trough 4. The balanced water flow in the connecting pipe 5 is evenly distributed to the packing material 8 through the water distribution nozzle 7.

[0039] In the technical solution of this application, a water distribution nozzle 7 is provided above the water inlet distribution tank 4 and a packing material 8 is provided in the tank. The balanced water flow in the connecting pipe 5 is evenly distributed to the packing material 8 through the water distribution nozzle 7. This design forms a complete water flow distribution and heat dissipation system.

[0040] Specifically, the balanced water flow, evenly sprayed by the water distribution nozzles 7, effectively expands the contact area between water and air, enhancing heat exchange efficiency. The packing material 8 provides ample contact space for gas-liquid two-phase heat exchange, allowing the water flow to form a uniform water film or droplets within the packing material layer, extending the heat exchange time. Combined with the water flow balance achieved by the connecting pipe 5, it fully activates the heat dissipation capacity of the packing material 8, avoiding uneven heat dissipation caused by excessive or insufficient water flow in certain areas. The entire process optimization from water distribution to heat exchange ensures that the cooling tower, while achieving self-balancing of the inlet water, further improves the overall heat dissipation effect and operational stability.

[0041] In addition to the passive balancing embodiment, in one embodiment of this application, the cooling tower may also include a hydraulic pressure stabilizer, which connects the connecting pipe 5 and the main pipe 9, the main pipe 9 being used to connect several cooling towers.

[0042] The cooling towers are connected to the main pipeline 9 via a hydraulic pressure stabilizer through connecting pipe 5, thereby achieving hydraulic balance among multiple towers. This design effectively solves the problem of uneven water intake among towers caused by pressure fluctuations in the main pipeline 9 when multiple towers are operating in parallel. The hydraulic pressure stabilizer can automatically adjust the water flow rate of each tower's connecting pipe 5 according to pressure changes in the main pipeline 9, preventing any cooling tower from being affected by excessive or insufficient water intake, thus ensuring a uniform distribution of water intake flow for each cooling tower in the multi-tower system and improving the operational stability and energy efficiency of the entire cooling system.

[0043] Meanwhile, the structural design of the main pipeline connecting multiple towers simplifies the system piping layout, reduces the installation complexity when multiple towers are connected in parallel, and makes the cooling system easier to expand and maintain in large industrial scenarios, achieving efficient heat dissipation and energy-saving operation of multiple towers working together.

[0044] In one embodiment, an air outlet 6 is provided above the main body of the cooling tower, and there are two connecting pipes 5, with the distance between the two connecting pipes 5 not less than the width of the air outlet 6.

[0045] The symmetrical arrangement of the two connecting pipes 5 can improve the water flow balance efficiency of the water inlet distribution tanks 4 on both sides, avoid the water flow bias problem that may occur when a single pipe is connected, and ensure that the distance between them is not less than the width of the air outlet 6. This ensures that the connecting pipes 5 do not block the exhaust path of the air outlet 6, maintain the smooth flow of air in the tower, and prevent the increase of exhaust resistance or airflow short circuit caused by improper layout of the connecting pipes 5. This ensures the efficient realization of the hydraulic balance function and maintains the stability of the cooling tower's aerodynamic performance, so that the cooling system achieves dual optimization in terms of heat dissipation uniformity and airflow efficiency.

[0046] In one embodiment of this application, the connecting pipe can adopt a detachable flange connection segmented structure, with each segment of pipe fixed to the outer plate of the cooling tower by a sliding bracket, and its height can be adjusted up and down along the guide rail.

[0047] When it is necessary to change the water level balance range of the inlet water distribution tank 4 (such as reducing the water volume in low-temperature winter conditions), the height of the connecting pipe 5 can be adjusted manually or electrically. The distance between its top and the top of the inlet water distribution tank 4 can be adjusted within a certain range (such as 0-200 mm) to flexibly adapt to the heat dissipation requirements of different working conditions.

[0048] It avoids the insufficient adaptability of traditional fixed-height connecting pipes 5 when working conditions change, and is especially suitable for places with large seasonal temperature differences.

[0049] like Figure 3 The image shown is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a self-balancing cooling system for water inlet. The cooling system includes a cooling tower as described in any embodiment of this application and a main pipe 9. The main pipe 9 is connected to a plurality of first branch pipes 10 and a plurality of second branch pipes 11. The number of first branch pipes 10 and the plurality of second branch pipes 11 are equal to the number of cooling towers. The plurality of first branch pipes 10 are used to connect to the water inlet 2 of the corresponding cooling tower near the main pipe 9, and the plurality of first branch pipes 10 are used to connect to another water inlet 2 of the corresponding cooling tower.

[0050] The cooling system provided in this application achieves efficient hydraulic balance for multi-tower coordinated operation by integrating the self-balancing cooling towers and the branch design of the main pipeline 9, as described in the first aspect. The main pipeline 9 is equipped with first and second branch pipelines 11, corresponding in number to the cooling towers, which can precisely connect to the water inlets 2 on both sides of each tower, forming a symmetrical and parallel piping system. This solves the flow imbalance problem caused by asymmetrical external piping in traditional multi-tower parallel operation from the source. Each tower achieves internal water distribution balance through its own connecting pipe 5. Combined with the evenly distributed branch design of the main pipeline 9, this reduces the deviation in the inlet flow rate of each cooling tower in the entire cooling system.

[0051] It is understood that the cooling system in this application includes all the technical features of the cooling tower in this application, and therefore the embodiments and beneficial effects of the cooling tower in this application are applicable to the cooling system in this application.

[0052] This application provides a self-balancing cooling tower and cooling system. The cooling tower includes a main body with water inlets 2 on both sides and two corresponding water distribution troughs 4, connected by a connecting pipe 5. The bottom of the connecting pipe 5 is not lower than the bottom of the water distribution trough, and the top is flush with the top of the water distribution trough. It is arranged close to the outer plate of the tower body and can be a hollow galvanized square tube, round tube, or PVC water pipe, which also serves as the tower body support structure. A water distribution nozzle 7 is provided above the water distribution trough, containing filler 8. The balancing water flow is evenly distributed to the filler 8 through the nozzle. In some embodiments, an air outlet 6 is opened at the top of the cooling tower, with two connecting pipes 5 spaced at a distance not less than the width of the air outlet 6. It can also be connected to the main pipe 9 through a hydraulic pressure stabilizer to realize the parallel connection of multiple towers. The cooling system includes the above-mentioned cooling tower, and the main pipe 9 is connected to the water inlets 2 on both sides of each tower through corresponding numbers of first and second branch pipes 11.

[0053] This solution utilizes the hydraulic connector principle and wall-mounted layout of the connecting pipe 5 to solve the water inlet imbalance problem caused by the asymmetry of traditional external pipes, achieving balanced water distribution on both sides and improving heat dissipation uniformity. The connecting pipe 5 integrates with the tower structure and also serves as a support, reducing material usage and space occupation, while offering flexible material selection to adapt to different operating conditions. The dual connecting pipe 5 layout ensures smooth airflow, and the multi-tower parallel design achieves system-level flow balance through the main pipe's 9 branches. From single-tower water inlet self-balancing to multi-tower system collaboration, this solution comprehensively optimizes cooling efficiency, reduces energy consumption and costs, and improves equipment stability and applicability.

[0054] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of this application, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A water fed cooling tower that is self-balancing, characterized in that, The cooling tower includes: Cooling tower body (1), with water inlets (2) on both sides of the cooling tower body (1); Two water inlet troughs (4) are arranged corresponding to the water inlet (2); A connecting pipe (5) is provided, which connects the two water inlet distribution troughs (4). The bottom height of the connecting pipe (5) is not higher than the bottom of the water inlet distribution troughs (4), and the connecting pipe (5) is arranged close to the outer shell of the cooling tower.

2. The cooling tower according to claim 1, characterized in that The top of the connecting pipe (5) is flush with the top of the water inlet distribution trough (4).

3. The cooling tower according to claim 1, wherein The connecting pipe (5) is a hollow galvanized square pipe, and the connecting pipe (5) is fixedly connected to the cooling tower body (1).

4. The cooling tower according to claim 1, wherein The connecting pipe (5) is a hollow galvanized round pipe or a PVC water pipe.

5. The cooling tower according to claim 1, wherein A water distribution nozzle (7) is provided above the water inlet distribution trough (4), and a packing material (8) is provided inside the water inlet distribution trough (4). The balanced water flow in the connecting pipe (5) is evenly distributed to the packing material (8) through the water distribution nozzle (7).

6. The cooling tower of claim 1, wherein The cooling tower also includes a hydraulic pressure stabilizer, which connects the connecting pipe (5) and the main pipe (9), and the main pipe (9) is used to connect several of the cooling towers.

7. The cooling tower according to claim 1, wherein An air outlet (6) is provided above the main body of the cooling tower. There are two connecting pipes (5), and the distance between the two connecting pipes (5) is not less than the width of the air outlet (6).

8. A cooling system characterized by, The cooling system includes: The cooling tower as described in any one of claims 1-7; The main pipe (9) is connected to a number of first branch pipes (10) and a number of second branch pipes (11). The number of first branch pipes (10) and the number of second branch pipes (11) are equal to the number of cooling towers. The first branch pipes (10) are used to connect to the inlet (2) of the corresponding cooling tower near the main pipe (9), and the first branch pipes (10) are used to connect to another inlet (2) of the corresponding cooling tower.

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