Cooling tower

Abstract

To reduce a so-called dead space inside a cooling tower that occurs due to the arrangement of a filling material in the cooling tower, and to provide a cooling tower that can increase a degree of freedom in designing the size and shape of a filler while maintaining the downsizing of the cooling tower by minimizing the dead space as much as possible.SOLUTION: Provided is a cooling tower for cooling liquid, where a filling material of the cooling tower is provided by overlapping a counterflow filling material on top and a crossflow filling material underneath without any gaps.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling tower that cools water by bringing water into contact with air and utilizing the loss of heat of evaporation caused by the evaporation of the water. [Background technology]

[0002] Cooling towers lower the water temperature by dropping cooling water into an airflow and evaporating some of the water that comes into contact with the air. The treated water to be cooled flows down the surface of the filler material inside the cooling tower and comes into direct contact with outside air drawn into the tower by an exhaust fan. The treated water comes into contact with outside air as it flows along the surface of the filler material. The filler material allows the treated water to come into efficient contact with outside air, evaporating some of the treated water and lowering the temperature of the remaining treated water. Such cooling towers are classified into counterflow and crossflow types, depending on the flow direction of the treated water flowing vertically down the surface of the filler and the outside air being sucked in.

[0003] In a counterflow type cooling tower, the treated water flows from top to bottom over the surface of the material constituting the packing, and is cooled by outside air flowing in a direction opposite to the flow of the treated water. In a cross-flow cooling tower, the treated water flows from top to bottom over the surface of the material that makes up the packing, similar to a counter-flow cooling tower, but it is cooled by outside air flowing in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the treated water flows.

[0004] The cooling tower described in Patent Document 2 has counterflow fillers disposed on both sides of the interior of the cooling tower body, an air intake port formed in the tower body facing the outer surface thereof, and a crossflow filler provided in the space below the blower fan. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-311690 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In a counterflow cooling tower, as shown in Figure 5, the area surrounded by the bottom end of the filler at the bottom of the tower body and the inlet louvers is a space that takes in outside air, which is a so-called dead space. To increase the contact time or area between the water and air to improve the cooling capacity, the filler is extended in the height direction or width direction. This causes the problem that the cooling tower becomes taller in the former case and the installation area of ​​the cooling tower becomes larger in the latter case.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a cooling tower that can utilize the dead space in a counterflow cooling tower, thereby improving the design freedom in terms of the size and shape of the filler while maintaining the compactness of the cooling tower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means. That is, one aspect of the present invention is a cooling tower for cooling a liquid, characterized in that the packing material of the cooling tower is a counterflow packing material provided on top and a crossflow packing material provided below the counterflow packing material, with no gaps between them.

[0009] According to this embodiment, the counter-flow type packing is provided in the space below the cross-flow type packing without leaving any gaps, thereby minimizing the dead space inside the cooling tower.

[0010] In the cooling tower of the above aspect, the fillers are arranged such that the counterflow filler is on top and the crossflow filler is on the bottom, and an air-permeable member is sandwiched between the counterflow filler and the crossflow filler. As a result, when stacking counterflow packing and crossflow packing, gaps may occur depending on the support structure of the packing. By inserting a breathable member that is made of a sheet-like or other porous and breathable member that can exchange heat with the treated water in the same way as the packing, it is expected that the treated water will be cooled even in these gaps.

[0011] In the cooling tower of the above embodiment, the breathable member may be breathable in either the vertical or horizontal direction. That is, the breathable member that is expected to cool the treated water through the gaps between the stacked counterflow packing and the crossflow packing may be a breathable member that allows ventilation by counterflow or a breathable member that allows ventilation by crossflow. This allows the selection of either a counterflow cooling effect or a crossflow cooling effect in the gaps created by the support structure of the filler.

[0012] In the cooling tower of the above aspect, the cross-flow packing may be divided into two pieces, which are arranged on both sides of the tower body so as to face each other and form a space on the opposing side. This allows a space without pressure loss to be provided below the counterflow packing and between the crossflow packings that are installed facing each other on both sides of the tower body, making it possible to adjust the balance of design items such as the exhaust fan capacity, the specific surface area of ​​the packing required for cooling, and the pressure loss caused by the packing. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, by minimizing the dead space caused by the internal structure of a counterflow type cooling tower or a crossflow type cooling tower, it is possible to provide a cooling tower that can increase the freedom in design and arrangement of the filler while maintaining the compactness of the cooling tower, thereby improving the cooling capacity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a second or third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a counterflow cooling tower. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cross-flow cooling tower. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooling tower and the filler according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The cooling towers described in the embodiments are merely examples for the purpose of explaining the cooling tower according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0016] In this specification, the term "treated water" refers to water that is to be cooled in a cooling tower, and refers to water that is received from outside the cooling tower, cooled in the cooling tower, and then circulated outside the cooling tower again as cooling water. An exhaust fan is a blower that creates an air flow by drawing in the air inside the tower, taking in outside air from an air intake port provided in the tower body, while exhausting the air inside the tower to the outside.

[0017] The main uses of cooling towers are not particularly limited as long as they are devices for cooling liquids, but examples include cooling cooling water for air conditioning, cooling lubricating oil for production processes, and cooling water for furnace bodies.

[0018] First embodiment A cooling tower 10A according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A cooling tower is a device for cooling the treated water itself by bringing the treated water into contact with air, whereby a part of the treated water evaporates and the heat of vaporization is used to evaporate the treated water. In a cooling tower 10A according to the first embodiment, the treated water flows down through a counterflow filler 21 to a crossflow filler 22 and reaches a water tank 14. Outside air flowing in from air inlets 16a and 16b provided on the side of the cooling tower is sucked into the tower so as to cross the crossflow filler 22. The outside air then changes its flow direction to the direction of an exhaust fan 15, passes through the counterflow filler 21, and is exhausted from an exhaust port 12.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, a cooling tower 10A includes a tower body 11, an exhaust port 12, and a water tank 14. Inside the tower body 11, an exhaust fan 15, a water supply pipe 31, a counterflow filler 21, and a crossflow filler 22 are provided. No gap is provided between the counterflow filler 21 and the crossflow filler 22. Air intakes 16a and 16b for taking in outside air are provided on the side of the tower body 11. The water supply pipe 31 is a pipe for introducing treated water supplied from the outside into the tower. A plurality of sprinklers 13 are provided at predetermined intervals in the water supply pipe 31 inside the tower. Treated water falls from the sprinklers 13 into the tower.

[0020] The tower body 11 is a casing for the cooling tower. The shape of the casing may be rectangular, round, polygonal, or the like. The exhaust port 12 is an opening for discharging the outside air taken into the tower to the outside of the cooling tower. An exhaust fan 15 is provided below the exhaust port 12. A water supply pipe 31 for supplying treated water to 10A is disposed below the exhaust fan 15. A counterflow filler is provided below the water supply pipe 31. A crossflow filler 22 is provided without a gap below the counterflow filler 21. A water tank 14 for receiving treated water is provided below the crossflow filler 22.

[0021] In the cooling tower 10A, counter flow fillers 21 and cross flow fillers are supported in a stacked manner without any gaps. The cross-flow filler 21 and the counter-flow filler 22 may be supported from below by structural members made of shaped steel, or may be suspended from above by structural members such as shaped steel or round steel rods.

[0022] Treated water is introduced into the cooling tower 10A through a water supply pipe 31, and is sprayed into the tower from a plurality of sprinkler devices 13. The treated water sprayed into the tower falls onto the counterflow type packing 21. The treated water that passes through the counterflow type packing 21 passes through the crossflow packing 22 provided below the counterflow type packing 21, and reaches the water tank 14. The water tank 14 is provided with a drain pipe 32 that serves as an outlet for distributing the cooled treated water to locations that require cooling water. The discharged treated water is recycled and reused as cooling water for the building's air conditioning and heating / cooling equipment.

[0023] Air inlets 16a and 16b for introducing outside air are provided on two opposing side surfaces of the tower body of cooling tower 10A. Air inside cooling tower 10A is exhausted from exhaust port 12 using exhaust fan 15 provided below exhaust port 12, whereby outside air is introduced into cooling tower 10A from air inlets 16a and 16b. The introduced outside air passes through cross-flow filler 22 and counter-flow filler 21, exchanging heat with treated water flowing over the surfaces of multiple sheet-like members constituting cross-flow filler 22 and counter-flow filler 21, thereby cooling the treated water.

[0024] Louvers 17a and 17b are installed in the air intakes 16a and 16b. The louvers 17a and 17b adjust the flow direction of the introduced outside air, allowing the outside air to pass evenly over the surface of the cross-flow filler 22. The louvers 17a and 17b also prevent foreign matter from entering from the outside.

[0025] The exhaust port 12 is an opening through which outside air containing a portion of the treated water that has evaporated upon contact with the treated water is discharged to the outside of the cooling tower. An eliminator capable of removing water droplets contained in the air may be installed between the counterflow filler 21 and the exhaust port 12. By installing the eliminator, a portion of the treated water contained in the air that has passed through the crossflow filler 22 and the counterflow filler 21 can be collected, and the treated water accompanying the exhaust flow can be prevented from flowing out of the exhaust port 12.

[0026] (filling material) The counterflow packing 21 and the crossflow packing 22 are composed of multiple sheet-like members (not shown). The sheet-like members have an uneven surface structure, such as honeycomb boards or corrugated plastic, which increases the specific surface area, which is the ratio of the surface area of ​​the sheet-like member to the volume of the packing. By having such unevenness on the surface of the sheet-like member, the contact area between the treated water and air can be increased, thereby increasing the cooling efficiency, so the value of this specific surface area also serves as an index of the cooling capacity of the cooling tower.

[0027] The counterflow filler 21 and the crossflow filler 22 are usually in a sheet shape from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of contact between the treated water and the outside air, but may be in a prismatic shape, etc. The counterflow filler 21 and the crossflow filler 22 are generally made of synthetic resin, typically rigid polyvinyl chloride, or metal, and are molded into various shapes. The counterflow packing 21 and the crossflow packing 22 may be formed integrally as a whole, or may be formed by arranging a plurality of unit packings in the horizontal or vertical direction.

[0028] (Exhaust fan) The exhaust fan 15 is a component for forming an air flow inside the cooling tower 10A. When the exhaust fan 15 is driven, the air inside the cooling tower 10A is exhausted from the exhaust port 12, and outside air flows in from the air intake ports 16a and 16b. The outside air flows through the cross-flow filler 22, the counter-flow filler 21, and then to the exhaust port 12.

[0029] An example of the drive unit for driving the exhaust fan 15 is a motor. The drive unit is not particularly limited as long as it drives the exhaust fan 15, but it is preferable to perform output control to keep the exhaust volume constant using, for example, an inverter. By quantitatively controlling the exhaust volume, the treated water can be stably cooled.

[0030] Second embodiment A cooling tower 10B according to a second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to the second or third embodiment of the present invention. The filler of the cooling tower 10B of the second embodiment is provided by inserting an air-permeable member 23 between the counter-flow filler 21 and the cross-flow filler 22. The other configurations are similar to those of the cooling tower 10A of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0031] When the counterflow fillers 21 and the crossflow fillers 22 are stacked inside the tower 11 of the cooling tower 10B, gaps may occur due to design considerations such as the support structure for the counterflow fillers 21 and the crossflow fillers 22, the space inside the tower body 11, the relationship between the height dimension and the size of the fillers, etc. This structure is such that even these gaps are breathable, allowing the treated water to come into contact with the outside air and allowing heat exchange by inserting breathable members 23.

[0032] Even if such gaps occur, by inserting a breathable member made of a sheet-like or other porous, breathable material that can exchange heat with the treated water in the same way as the filling material, it is possible to expect a certain degree of cooling of the treated water even when the treated water passes through this breathable member 23. Depending on the location of the cooling tower, there may be design constraints on the external shape and internal structure of the cooling tower, such as installation area and height restrictions, the placement and dimensions of the air intake depending on the surrounding space conditions, etc. Even in such cases, by adjusting the dimensions of the breathable member 23, it is possible to increase the freedom of placement of the counterflow filler 21 and the crossflow filler 22 while minimizing the dead space.

[0033] [Third embodiment] The shape of the cooling tower according to the third embodiment is similar to the cooling tower 10B shown in FIG. The breathable member 23 of the cooling tower 10B of the third embodiment may be structured as a counterflow filler or a crossflow filler. The other configurations are similar to those of the cooling tower 10B of the second embodiment. From a design standpoint, it is possible to select whether the breathable member 23 provides a cooling effect by counter flow or a cooling effect by cross flow. When the breathable member 23 is used as a counter-flow filler, the counter-flow filler 21 arranged at the top is added in the height direction, so the contact time between water and air is extended, and the cooling capacity can be improved more effectively than when the breathable member 23 is used as a cross-flow filler. In addition, when the breathable member 23 is used as a cross-flow filler, the uniformity of the air flowing into the counter-flow filler 21 arranged at the top can be improved.

[0034] [Fourth embodiment] A cooling tower 10C according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In a cooling tower 10C of the fourth embodiment, cross-flow packings 22a and 22b are provided on both side walls of a tower body 11 below a counter-flow packing 21. A space is formed between the cross-flow packings 22a and 22b. The other configurations are similar to those of the cooling tower 10A of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0035] In a counterflow cooling tower, the amount of air flowing in is greater toward the ends of the counterflow filler and less toward the center. By placing the crossflow filler below the counterflow filler, the drift phenomenon in which the amount of air flowing in is less toward the center becomes more pronounced. By providing a space with no pressure loss in the center of the crossflow filler, drifting of air is alleviated, which has the effect of making the air flowing into the counterflow filler uniform.

[0036] Other embodiments A cooling tower 10D according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the structure of a cooling tower according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In a cooling tower 10D of the fourth embodiment, cross-flow packings 22a and 22b are provided on both side walls of a tower body 11 below a counter-flow packing 21. A space is formed between the cross-flow packings 22a and 22b, and this space has a substantially isosceles triangular shape. The other configurations are similar to those of the cooling tower 10A of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0037] Consider the flow lines of the outside air that flows horizontally into the tower through the intakes 16a and 16b, and gradually flows upward as it passes through the cross-flow packings 22a and 22b. For example, the air that flows in from the top of the intake 16a passes through the top of the cross-flow packing 22a, and then flows into the upper counter-flow packing 21. On the other hand, the air that flows in from the bottom of the intake 16a changes direction and flows upward as it passes through the bottom of the cross-flow packing 22a, but before flowing into the upper counter-flow packing 21, it passes through the cross-flow packing 22a for a longer distance than the air that flows in from the top of the intake 16a, resulting in a large pressure loss. The space where the pressure loss when the outside air flows inside the tower is small has an approximately isosceles triangular shape, which has the effect of mitigating the bias in the pressure loss between the air flowing in from the upper part of the intake port 16a and the air flowing in from the lower part of the intake port 16a. This also has the effect of making the air flowing into the counterflow filler uniform. Furthermore, since the approximately isosceles triangular portion is also a portion where heat exchange through the filler cannot be expected, there is also the effect of reducing the amount of filler by not placing filler in the approximately isosceles triangular portion. Consider the flow line of the air that flows horizontally into the tower through the intake ports 16a and 16b and gradually flows upward while passing through the cross-flow packings 22a and 22b. For example, the air that flows in from the top of the intake port 16a passes through the top of the cross-flow packing 22a and then flows into the upper counter-flow packing 21. On the other hand, the air that flows in from the bottom of the intake port 16a changes its flow direction upward while passing through the bottom of the cross-flow packing 22a. For this reason, air does not flow easily in the approximately isosceles triangular space, and heat exchange by gas-liquid contact cannot be expected even if the packing is present. Therefore, by not installing the packing in the approximately isosceles triangular part, the amount of the packing that does not contribute to the cooling capacity can be reduced. On the other hand, the presence of the approximately isosceles triangular space reduces the pressure loss in the entire cooling tower, which increases the amount of air flowing in and makes the air flowing into the counterflow filler uniform. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E...cooling tower, 11...tower body, 12...exhaust port, 13...sprinkler system, 14...water tank, 15...exhaust fan, 16a, 16b...air inlet, 17a, 17b...louver, 21...counterflow filler, 22, 22a, 22b...crossflow filler, 23...breathable member, 31...water supply pipe, 32...drainage pipe

Claims

1. 1. A cooling tower for cooling a liquid, comprising: The cooling tower filler is provided with a counterflow filler on top and a crossflow filler underneath with no gaps. A cooling tower characterized by:

2. The fillers are provided such that a counterflow filler is provided on top and a crossflow filler is provided underneath, and an air-permeable member is sandwiched between the counterflow filler and the crossflow filler.

2. The cooling tower according to claim 1 .

3. The breathable member has a structure as a counterflow filler or a structure as a crossflow filler; The cooling tower according to claim 2 .

4. The cross-flow packing is divided into two, and is provided on both sides of the tower body so as to face each other and form a space on the facing side. The cooling tower according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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