Cooling tower operation determination method, cooling tower operation determination device, and cooling tower system

Abstract

To provide an operation determination method of a cooling tower capable of determining an operation state of the cooling tower by a simple method, an operation determination device of the cooling tower, and a cooling tower system including the operation determination device of the cooling tower.SOLUTION: An operation determination method for a cooling tower, an operation determination device for a cooling tower, and a cooling tower system including the operation determination device for a cooling tower are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling tower operation determination method, a cooling tower operation determination device, and a cooling tower system including the cooling tower operation determination device. [Background technology]

[0002] In cooling water systems equipped with conventional cooling towers, chemical injection control is performed in which chemicals such as slime inhibitors, scale inhibitors, and corrosion inhibitors are injected into the circulating cooling water to inhibit slime, scale, and corrosion.

[0003] In cooling water systems equipped with cooling towers, it is important to ensure that the chemical concentration in the circulating cooling water is properly controlled. To properly control the chemical concentration, it is necessary to check the operating status of the cooling tower and ensure that chemicals are injected properly.

[0004] Generally, cooling towers are designed to perform cooling by directly or indirectly exchanging heat between air (outside air) taken in from the outside as a fan (blower) operates and a heat medium (circulating cooling water) sprayed from the top of the cooling tower by a sprinkler pump (also called a circulating pump depending on the specifications of the cooling tower), as in Patent Document 2. For this reason, the sprinkler pump and the fan (blower) are often operated in conjunction with each other.

[0005] For example, in Patent Document 1, the operation signal for a cooling tower is extracted from the on-off signal of a cooling water circulation pump, and a chemical injection device is linked to this on-off signal to manage the water quality of the cooling tower, thereby reliably detecting that the cooling tower is operating, the cooling water circulation pump is operating, and cooling water is being supplied, thereby enabling reliable control of the chemical injection pump.

[0006] The method described in Patent Document 1 requires that the chemical injection device receive an on-off signal from the cooling water circulation pump. However, receiving this on-off signal requires construction work and the cooling tower must be shut down. If the cooling tower stops, production equipment will also stop, which can result in losses depending on the factory.

[0007] On the other hand, Patent Documents 2 to 5 describe a method for measuring the differential pressure before and after the passage of air or water in a heat exchange section in order to determine whether the filler in the heat exchange section of a cooling tower is clogged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-089697 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-071476 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-273090 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2018-080880 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-147104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling tower operation determination method, a cooling tower operation determination device, and a cooling tower system equipped with the cooling tower operation determination device, which are capable of determining the operating status of a cooling tower in a simple manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention is a method for determining operation of a cooling tower, which determines whether the cooling tower is operating based on the results of measuring the state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0011] In the method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, it is preferable that the result of measuring the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the result of measuring the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the result of measuring the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the result of measuring the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

[0012] In the method for determining operation of a cooling tower, it is preferable that the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken in.

[0013] In the method for determining whether a cooling tower is operating, it is preferable to control a water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of whether the cooling tower is operating.

[0014] In the cooling tower operation determination method, it is preferable that the water quality control device is at least one of a blower, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

[0015] In the method for determining operation of a cooling tower, it is preferable to determine operation of the fan of the cooling tower based on a result of measurement of a state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0016] The present invention is a cooling tower operation determination device that includes a determination means for determining the operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measurement of the state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0017] In the cooling tower operation determination device, it is preferable that the result of measuring the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the result of measuring the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the result of measuring the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the result of measuring the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

[0018] In the cooling tower operation determination device, it is preferable that the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken in.

[0019] The cooling tower operation determination device preferably includes a control means for controlling the water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower.

[0020] In the cooling tower operation determination device, it is preferable that the water quality control device is at least one of a blower, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

[0021] In the cooling tower operation determination device, it is preferable that the determination means determines the operation of the cooling tower fan based on a result of measuring a state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0022] The present invention is a cooling tower system including a cooling tower that performs heat exchange using circulating cooling water and an operation determination device for the cooling tower. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The present invention provides a cooling tower operation determination method that can determine the operating status of a cooling tower in a simple manner, a cooling tower operation determination device, and a cooling tower system that includes the cooling tower operation determination device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a cooling tower system including a cooling tower operation determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a graph showing minute-by-minute changes in differential pressure and the actual operating status of the cooling tower (cooling tower operation signal (operating=1, stopped=0)) in Example 1. [Figure 3]10 is a graph showing the change in pressure difference per minute and the actual operating status of the cooling tower (cooling tower operation signal (operating=1, stopped=0)) in Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment is an example of implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0026] The cooling tower system according to the present embodiment includes a cooling tower that performs heat exchange using circulating cooling water, and a cooling tower operation determination device. The cooling tower operation determination device includes a determination means for determining the operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measurement of the gas state in the cooling tower.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an example of a cooling tower system according to this embodiment.

[0028] 1 includes a cooling tower 10 that performs heat exchange using circulating cooling water, and a cooling tower operation determination device 3. The cooling tower system 1 may also include at least one chemical tank 14 and a chemical pump 22 as chemical injection means for injecting chemicals including, for example, a slime inhibitor, a scale inhibitor, a corrosion inhibitor, etc. into the circulating cooling water of the cooling tower 10. The cooling tower system 1 may also include a heat exchanger 12 as heat exchange means for performing heat exchange with the circulating cooling water.

[0029] The cooling tower 10 shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, a cooling tower of an open-circulation cooling water system that cools circulating cooling water by bringing the circulating cooling water into contact with outside air. In the cooling tower 10, for example, fillers 38a, 38b are housed along two opposing inner surfaces of a rectangular tower body. Upper water tanks 28a, 28b are provided above the fillers 38a, 38b, respectively, for spraying circulating cooling water onto the fillers 38a, 38b. A lower water tank 26 is provided at the bottom of the cooling tower 10 for collecting and storing the circulating cooling water. A fan 24 is installed, for example, at the upper center of the tower body of the cooling tower 10. Pressure measuring devices 30a, 30b are installed inside and outside the tower body of the cooling tower 10, respectively, as gas state measuring means for measuring the state of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10.

[0030] In the cooling tower system 1 of Fig. 1, the circulating cooling water outlet of the cooling tower 10 and the circulating cooling water inlet of the heat exchanger 12 are connected by a cooling water circulation line 32 via a cooling water circulation pump 20. The circulating cooling water outlet of the heat exchanger 12 and the circulating cooling water inlets of the upper water tanks 28a and 28b of the cooling tower 10 are connected by a cooling water circulation line 34.

[0031] The heat exchange device 12 includes, for example, a condenser for performing heat exchange between the circulating cooling water and the refrigerant, an evaporator for performing heat exchange between the cold water and the refrigerant, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, and an expansion valve for reducing the pressure and expanding the refrigerant.

[0032] The chemical outlet of the chemical tank 14 and the chemical inlet of the cooling tower 10 are connected by a chemical line 36 via a chemical pump 22.

[0033] The operation determination device 3 includes, for example, a receiving unit 16 and a control unit 18 as a determination means. The receiving unit 16 of the operation determination device 3 and each of the pressure measurement devices 30a, 30b are communicatively connected by a wired or wireless electrical connection. The control unit 18 of the operation determination device 3 and the chemical liquid pump 22 are communicatively connected by a wired or wireless electrical connection.

[0034] The operation of the cooling tower operation determination method, the cooling tower operation determination device, and the cooling tower system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0035] In the cooling tower 10, the circulating cooling water stored in the lower water tank 26 of the cooling tower 10 is sent from the circulating cooling water outlet by the cooling water circulation pump 20 through the cooling water circulation line 32 to the condenser of the heat exchanger 12. The circulating cooling water exchanges heat with the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant sent from the compressor in the condenser, becoming cooling water with an increased water temperature. The cooling water is then sent from the circulating cooling water outlet through the cooling water circulation line 34 to the upper water tanks 28a, 28b of the cooling tower 10. The cooling water stored in the upper water tanks 28a, 28b is sprayed from the top of the cooling tower 10 onto the tops of the fillers 38a, 38b, respectively, and flows down the surfaces of the fillers 38a, 38b. The air inside the cooling tower 10 is exhausted from the exhaust port using the fan 24, and outside air is introduced into the cooling tower 10 after passing through the fillers 38a, 38b. The cooling water flowing over the surfaces of the fillers 38a, 38b comes into contact with the introduced outside air, and some of the cooling water evaporates, releasing the latent heat of evaporation to become cooling water with a lower temperature.The cooling water then falls into the lower water tank 26 of the cooling tower 10 and is stored therein.The cooling water is then sent from the circulating cooling water outlet by the cooling water circulation pump 20 through the cooling water circulation line 32 to the heat exchanger 12, where the circulating cooling water is circulated.

[0036] Meanwhile, in the heat exchanger 12, the refrigerant, whose temperature has been reduced by heat exchange with, for example, circulating cooling water, is sent to an expansion valve, where the high-pressure refrigerant sent from the condenser is decompressed, expanding and further reducing its temperature, changing into a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid. The expanded refrigerant, whose temperature has been further reduced, is sent to an evaporator, where the refrigerant sent from the expansion valve exchanges heat with chilled water sent from an external air conditioner or the like, evaporating and changing into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The chilled water, whose temperature has been reduced by heat exchange with the refrigerant, is sent to an air conditioner or the like. The refrigerant, which has been converted into a gas by heat exchange with the chilled water, is sent to a compressor, where it is compressed and changed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant is sent to a condenser, where a refrigeration cycle of condensation → expansion → evaporation → compression is repeated.

[0037] As the circulating cooling water circulates, water evaporates, concentrating salts such as calcium salts and magnesium salts, as well as scale components such as silica, in the circulating cooling water. The concentration of these salts and other scale components can become supersaturated and precipitate in the circulating cooling water, resulting in the formation of scale. Slime can also be generated by microorganisms growing in the circulating cooling water. Furthermore, corrosion of equipment, piping, and the like can occur. To prevent water concentration and slime formation, the cooling tower 10 may supply makeup water to the circulating cooling water and discharge the circulating cooling water, replacing it with fresh water for dilution. To prevent scale formation, corrosion, slime formation, and other problems, at least one chemical agent, including at least one of a scale inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, and slime inhibitor, may be injected into the circulating cooling water. When the circulating cooling water in the cooling tower 10 is diluted as described above, the amount of chemical agent in the circulating cooling water decreases, so the chemical agent is replenished.

[0038] For example, at least one chemical agent including at least one of a slime inhibitor, a scale inhibitor, a corrosion inhibitor, etc. is injected in a predetermined amount from chemical tank 14 through chemical line 36 by chemical pump 22 into the circulating cooling water (chemical agent injection process). The concentration of the chemical agent in the circulating cooling water may be measured, for example, by a chemical agent concentration measuring device having a chemical agent concentration measuring electrode installed in chemical tank 14.

[0039] As described above, in order to suppress concentration of the circulating cooling water, make-up water may be supplied to the circulating cooling water, and blowdown control may be performed to discharge the concentrated circulating cooling water outside the system. For example, make-up water may be supplied into the cooling tower 10 (make-up water supply step), and a portion of the circulating cooling water in the cooling tower 10 may be discharged outside the system (discharge step).

[0040] In this embodiment, the operation of the cooling tower 10 is determined based on the results of measurements of the state of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, for example, the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and the pressure after the gas has been taken in by the pressure measurement devices 30a and 30b. For example, the pressure measurement device 30a installed inside the tower body of the cooling tower 10 measures the pressure inside the cooling tower 10 (i.e., the pressure after the gas has been taken in the cooling tower 10), and the pressure measurement device 30b installed outside the tower body of the cooling tower 10 measures the pressure outside the cooling tower 10 (e.g., the gas intake port to the cooling tower 10 or an outer portion of the cooling tower 10 sufficiently distant from the cooling tower 10). The receiving unit 16 receives the pressure measurement results from the pressure measurement devices 30a and 30b. The control unit 18 calculates the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and the pressure after the gas has been taken in based on the pressure measurement results received by the receiving unit 16, and determines the operation of the cooling tower 10 using a method described below.

[0041] This allows the operating status of the cooling tower to be determined in a simple manner. By estimating the operation signal of the cooling tower 10 from the measurement results of the state of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, it is not necessary to perform construction work to incorporate the on-off signal of the cooling water circulation pump into the chemical injection device, and it is not necessary to shut down the cooling tower due to construction work to incorporate the on-off signal. Because it is not necessary to shut down the cooling tower, there is no need to shut down production equipment, and losses can be reduced.

[0042] As mentioned above, Patent Documents 2 to 5 describe methods for measuring the differential pressure before and after the passage of air or water through the heat exchange section of a cooling tower. However, these methods measure the differential pressure before and after the filler to measure clogging of the filler. Therefore, unlike this embodiment, they are not intended to determine the operation of the cooling tower.

[0043] Furthermore, in the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to this embodiment, it is sufficient to measure the internal and external pressures of the cooling tower 10 or the differential pressure therebetween, regardless of whether the filling material is installed before or after the filling material is installed. This makes it possible to estimate the cooling tower operation signal even when the inspection hatch of the cooling tower 10 is open.

[0044] The results of measuring the state of the gas flowing into cooling tower 10 are not particularly limited, but may include, for example, the results of measuring the pressure of the gas flowing into cooling tower 10, the results of measuring the air volume of the gas flowing into cooling tower 10, and the results of measuring the temperature of the gas flowing into cooling tower 10. From the standpoints of ease of installation and durability, it is preferable to determine the operation of cooling tower 10 based on the results of measuring the pressure of the gas flowing into cooling tower 10.

[0045] There are no particular limitations on the measurement of the pressure of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, but examples include measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower 10, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower 10, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and after the gas has been taken in. There are no particular limitations on the measurement of the pressure outside the cooling tower 10, but examples include measuring the pressure at the gas intake port to the cooling tower 10.

[0046] There are no particular limitations on the method for determining whether the cooling tower 10 is operating, but for example, a preset value can be set for the pressure after the gas is taken into the cooling tower 10, and it can be determined that the cooling tower 10 is operating if the measured pressure after the gas is taken into the cooling tower 10 is equal to or greater than the preset value. Also, a preset value can be set for the pressure outside the cooling tower 10, and it can be determined that the cooling tower 10 is operating if the measured pressure outside the cooling tower 10 is equal to or greater than the preset value. Furthermore, a preset value can be set for the pressure difference between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and the pressure after the gas is taken in, and it can be determined that the cooling tower 10 is operating if the measured pressure difference between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and the pressure after the gas is taken in is equal to or greater than the preset value.

[0047] As a method for determining whether the cooling tower 10 is operating, for example, the following method using time-series data is also possible.

[0048] (1) How to determine the set point (when measuring the differential pressure by installing pressure measuring devices inside and outside the cooling tower) For example, this method can be used when measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower 10 and after gas has been taken in using pressure measuring devices 30a and 30b installed inside and outside the cooling tower 10 (see Example 1 described below).

[0049] Time series data of the differential pressure (background differential pressure) when the cooling tower 10 is not operating is obtained in advance. The time series data of the background differential pressure includes electrical noise and weak differential pressure that occurs when an adjacent cooling tower is operating, so the average value μ and standard deviation σ are calculated. Then, μ + n × σ is set as the set value. There is no particular restriction on the value of n, but a small value increases the number of false detections, and a large value decreases the detection sensitivity. Therefore, the value of n is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 9, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 8, and even more preferably in the range of 1 to 7. Note that the value of n is a real number.

[0050] The above calculation is based on the assumption that the differential pressure is "subtracted from the pressure outside the cooling tower by the pressure inside." If the setting is "subtracted from the pressure inside the cooling tower by the pressure outside," then you can set μ-n×σ as the set value. Even in this case, the condition for the value of n remains unchanged.

[0051] Then, when the measured differential pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value, it can be determined that the cooling tower 10 is operating.

[0052] (2) How to determine the set value (when measuring the pressure inside the cooling tower by installing a pressure measuring device inside the cooling tower) For example, this method can be used when the pressure inside the cooling tower 10 is measured by a pressure measuring device 30a installed inside the cooling tower 10 (see Example 2 described later).

[0053] Time series data of the pressure inside the cooling tower 10 is obtained. For example, time series data is created by subtracting the current pressure data from the pressure data one minute ago. The average value μ and standard deviation σ are calculated. Then, μ±n×σ is set as the set value. There are no particular restrictions on the value of n, but a small value will result in more false detections, and a large value will result in lower detection sensitivity. Therefore, the value of n is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 9, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 8, and even more preferably in the range of 1 to 7. The value of n is a real number.

[0054] When the measured pressure inside the cooling tower 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined set value, it can be determined that the cooling tower 10 is operating.

[0055] (3) Method using gradient (when measuring differential pressure by installing pressure measuring devices inside and outside the cooling tower) Time series data of the differential pressure (background differential pressure) when the cooling tower 10 is not operating is obtained in advance. The slope of the average value of this data relative to the current differential pressure value is calculated, and the point where the slope changes suddenly can be used to determine whether the cooling tower 10 is operating.

[0056] Here, the "point where the slope changes suddenly" refers to, for example, obtaining time series data of the slope. For example, time series data is created by subtracting the current differential pressure data from the differential pressure data one minute ago. The average value μ and standard deviation σ are calculated. Then, at least one of μ + n × σ, μ - n × σ, and μ ± n × σ is set as the set value. There are no particular restrictions on the value of n, but a small value increases the number of false detections, and a large value decreases the detection sensitivity. Therefore, the value of n is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 9, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 8, and even more preferably in the range of 1 to 7. The value of n is a real number.

[0057] (4) Method using tilt (when measuring the pressure inside the cooling tower by installing a pressure measuring device inside the cooling tower) Time series data of the pressure inside the cooling tower 10 is obtained. For example, time series data is created by subtracting the current pressure data from the pressure data one minute ago. The slope of the current pressure value is calculated from the average value, and the point where the slope changes suddenly can be used to determine whether the cooling tower 10 is operating.

[0058] When measuring the flow rate of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, the above-mentioned methods can be used as specific calculation methods, and it is preferable to use the above-mentioned methods (2) and (4).

[0059] When measuring the temperature of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, the above methods can be used as specific calculation methods, and it is preferable to use the above methods (1) to (4).

[0060] Based on the results of measuring the state of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10, it is possible to determine whether the fan 24 of the cooling tower 10 is operating, and if the fan 24 and the cooling water circulation pump 20 are uniquely linked, whether the cooling water circulation pump 20 is operating (i.e., whether the cooling tower 10 is operating).

[0061] In the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to the present embodiment, it is preferable to control the water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower 10.

[0062] The water quality control device is a device that manages the water quality of cooling tower 10, and examples thereof include a blower device that controls the supply of makeup water and the discharge of circulating cooling water in cooling tower 10, a chemical injection device that controls the injection of chemicals into the circulating cooling water in cooling tower 10 (in the example of FIG. 1, chemical tank 14, chemical pump 22, chemical line 36, etc.), and a chemical concentration control device that manages the concentration of chemicals in the circulating cooling water in cooling tower 10. For example, if it is determined that cooling tower 10 is operating, the blower device, chemical injection device, chemical concentration control device, etc. may be operated, and if it is determined that cooling tower 10 is not operating, the blower device, chemical injection device, chemical concentration control device, etc. may not be operated.

[0063] In addition to water quality control devices, other devices that can use the cooling tower operation determination obtained by the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to this embodiment include refrigerators, condensers, hot and cold water machines, turbines, steam condensers, heat exchangers, chillers, compressors, extruders, molding machines, extrusion molding machines, incinerators, electric furnaces, solvent recovery devices, degassing devices, and laser processing machines.

[0064] Furthermore, since it is possible to determine whether the fan 24 of the cooling tower 10 itself is operating, it can also be used to determine whether the cooling tower 10 is actually operating in a central monitoring room or the like.

[0065] There are no particular limitations on the pressure measuring devices 30a and 30b as long as they can measure gas pressure such as atmospheric pressure. Examples of the pressure measuring devices 30a and 30b include a Bourdon tube pressure gauge, a bellows pressure gauge, and a pressure switch.

[0066] The types of pressure that can be measured include absolute pressure, gauge pressure, and differential pressure.

[0067] When measuring pressure, it is preferable to install the device just before the gas intake port to the cooling tower 10 (for example, on the outer part of the filler or in the louver part) or after the gas intake to the cooling tower 10 (inside the cooling tower 10). When measuring the differential pressure, a clearer differential pressure can be obtained by taking the difference from atmospheric pressure, so it is preferable to install the device on the outer part of the cooling tower 10 sufficiently far from the cooling tower 10 (for example, about 5 cm to 10 m) and after the gas intake (inside the cooling tower 10). When installing the device inside the cooling tower 10, it may be anywhere inside the cooling tower 10.

[0068] When measuring the air volume, an air volume measuring device may be installed as a gas state measuring means after the gas is taken into the cooling tower 10 (inside the cooling tower 10).

[0069] The airflow measuring device is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the airflow rate of gas. Examples of the airflow measuring device include hot wire type, vane type, Pitot tube type, cup type, anemometer, and ultrasonic type.

[0070] When measuring the temperature of the gas, a temperature measuring device may be installed as a gas state measuring means just before the gas intake port to the cooling tower 10 (for example, the outer part of the filler or the louver part) or on the outer part of the cooling tower 10 sufficiently far away from the cooling tower 10 (for example, about 5 cm to 10 m), and after the gas intake (inside the cooling tower 10).

[0071] The temperature measuring device is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the temperature of the gas, and examples of the temperature measuring device include a resistance thermometer, a thermocouple thermometer, a radiation thermometer, and a bimetal thermometer.

[0072] The operation determination device 3 includes, for example, a receiving unit 16 and a control unit 18. The operation determination device 3 may include pressure measurement devices 30a and 30b.

[0073] The receiving unit 16 has a function of receiving measurement results of the state (pressure, air volume, temperature, etc.) of the gas flowing into the cooling tower 10 from gas state measurement means such as the pressure measuring devices 30a and 30b.

[0074] Control unit 18 has a function of determining whether cooling tower 10 is operating based on the measurement results received by receiving unit 16. That is, control unit 18 functions as a determination means for determining whether cooling tower 10 is operating based on the measurement results received by receiving unit 16. Control unit 18 may also function as a control means for controlling the water quality management device of cooling tower 10 based on the determination of the operation of cooling tower 10. Operation determination device 3 may have a control unit that functions as a control means for controlling the water quality management device of cooling tower 10 based on the determination of the operation of cooling tower 10, separate from the control unit that functions as the determination means.

[0075] The control unit 18 may be one that can be considered separately from the receiving unit 16, or one that cannot be considered separately from the receiving unit 16, that is, one that includes the receiving unit 16.

[0076] The receiving unit 16 and the control unit 18 may be the same unit device or may be separate devices, and a programmable controller (PLC), a computer (PC), or the like may be used.

[0077] The cooling tower 10 to which the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to the present embodiment are applied may be, for example, an open-type cooling tower in which outside air and cooling water are directly in contact with each other. It may be a cross-flow type cooling tower in which cooling water is sprayed from above and air is blown in from the side at a right angle to contact the cooling water, or a counter-flow type cooling tower in which air is blown in from below against cooling water sprayed from above. The cooling tower 10 to which the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to the present embodiment are applied is preferably one in which the cooling water circulation pump 20 and the fan 24 are operated independently, and generally, a round cooling tower is preferable to a rectangular cooling tower. In large rectangular cooling towers, the operation of multiple fans is controlled according to the thermal load. Therefore, the square cooling tower to which the cooling tower operation determination method and operation determination device according to this embodiment are applied is preferably a small square cooling tower, and the size of the square cooling tower is, for example, 10,000 RT (cooling tons) or less, preferably 5,000 RT or less, more preferably 2,000 RT or less, and even more preferably 1,000 RT or less.

[0078] As the fillers 38a and 38b, conventionally known fillers can be used, such as film type and splash type fillers.

[0079] There are no particular limitations on the heat exchanger 12 as long as it can exchange heat with the circulating cooling water. As described above, the heat exchanger 12 includes, for example, a condenser for exchanging heat between the circulating cooling water and the refrigerant, an evaporator for exchanging heat between the cold water and the refrigerant, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, and an expansion valve for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant.

[0080] The present specification includes the following embodiments. [1] A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, which determines the operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measuring the state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0081] [2] [1] The cooling tower operation determination method according to A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, wherein the result of measuring the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the result of measuring the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the result of measuring the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the result of measuring the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

[0082] [3] [2] The cooling tower operation determination method according to A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, wherein the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken in.

[0083] [4] The cooling tower operation determination method according to any one of [1] to [3], A cooling tower operation determination method, which controls a water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower.

[0084] [5] [4] The cooling tower operation determination method according to [4], The method for determining the operation status of a cooling tower, wherein the water quality control device is at least one of a blower, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

[0085] [6] A method for determining operation of a cooling tower, comprising determining operation of a fan of the cooling tower based on a result of measurement of a state of gas in the cooling tower according to any one of [1] to [5].

[0086] [7] A cooling tower operation determination device comprising a determination means for determining the operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measurement of the state of gas in the cooling tower.

[0087] [8] [7] The cooling tower operation determination device according to A cooling tower operation determination device, wherein the measurement result of the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the measurement result of the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the measurement result of the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the measurement result of the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

[0088] [9] [8] The cooling tower operation determination device according to A cooling tower operation determination device, wherein the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken in.

[0089]

[10] The cooling tower operation determination device according to any one of [7] to [9], A cooling tower operation determination device comprising a control means for controlling the water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower.

[0090]

[11]

[10] The cooling tower operation determination device according to The cooling tower operation determination device, wherein the water quality control device is at least one of a blower, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

[0091]

[12] The cooling tower operation determination device according to any one of [7] to

[11] , The cooling tower operation determination device, wherein the determination means determines whether the cooling tower fan is operating based on the results of measuring the state of the gas in the cooling tower.

[0092]

[13] A cooling tower that performs heat exchange using circulating cooling water; [7] to

[12] , and the cooling tower operation determination device according to any one of [7] to

[12] . A cooling tower system comprising: [Example]

[0093] EXAMPLES The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0094] Example 1 As shown in Figure 1, a pressure gauge (Nagano Keiki, GC62-221) was installed near the gas inlet (5 cm away from the gas inlet) of an open-type rectangular cooling tower (cross-flow type, size: 350RT) and inside the cooling tower. The cooling tower was operated for 360 minutes, running for 5 to 10 minutes every 50 minutes, and the pressure (Pa) at the gas inlet and inside the cooling tower was measured every minute from the start of operation to determine the differential pressure (pressure at the gas inlet - pressure inside the cooling tower). Figure 2 shows the minute-by-minute change in differential pressure and the actual cooling tower operating status (cooling tower operation signal (operating = 1, stopped = 0)).

[0095] As can be seen from Figure 2, it was confirmed that the pressure difference between the gas intake and the inside of the cooling tower changes in conjunction with the operation of the cooling tower.

[0096] <Example 2> The cooling tower was operated in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a pressure gauge was installed only inside the cooling tower. The pressure (Pa) inside the cooling tower was measured every minute from the start of operation, and the difference in pressure from one minute before (pressure one minute before - current pressure) was calculated. The change in pressure difference every minute and the actual cooling tower operating status (cooling tower operating signal (operating = 1, stopped = 0)) are shown in Figure 3.

[0097] As can be seen from Figure 3, even when measuring the pressure only inside the cooling tower, it was confirmed that the difference in air pressure between one minute before and one minute after the operation of the cooling tower changed in conjunction with the operation of the cooling tower.

[0098] From the results of Examples 1 and 2, it was found that the operation of a cooling tower can be determined based on the results of measuring the state of the gas pressure in the cooling tower.

[0099] In this way, the method of the embodiment made it possible to determine the operating status of the cooling tower in a simple manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 Cooling tower system, 3 Operation determination device, 10 Cooling tower, 12 Heat exchanger, 14 Chemical tank, 16 Receiver, 18 Control unit, 20 Cooling water circulation pump, 22 Chemical pump, 24 Fan, 26 Lower water tank, 28a, 28b Upper water tank, 30a, 30b Pressure measuring device, 32, 34 Cooling water circulation line, 36 Chemical line, 38a, 38b Filler.

Claims

1. A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, comprising determining the operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measuring the state of gas in the cooling tower.

2. The cooling tower operation determination method according to claim 1, A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, characterized in that the result of measuring the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the result of measuring the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the result of measuring the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the result of measuring the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

3. The cooling tower operation determination method according to claim 2, A method for determining the operation of a cooling tower, characterized in that the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower.

4. The cooling tower operation determination method according to claim 1, A cooling tower operation determination method, comprising: controlling a water quality control device for the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower.

5. The cooling tower operation determination method according to claim 4, A method for determining the operation status of a cooling tower, wherein the water quality control device is at least one of a blower, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

6. The cooling tower operation determination method according to claim 1, A method for determining operation of a cooling tower, comprising determining operation of a fan of the cooling tower based on the results of measurement of the state of gas in the cooling tower.

7. A cooling tower operation determination device comprising a determination means for determining operation of the cooling tower based on the results of measurement of the state of gas in the cooling tower.

8. The cooling tower operation determination device according to claim 7, A cooling tower operation determination device, characterized in that the result of measuring the gas state in the cooling tower is at least one of the result of measuring the gas pressure in the cooling tower, the result of measuring the gas air volume in the cooling tower, and the result of measuring the gas temperature in the cooling tower.

9. The cooling tower operation determination device according to claim 8, A cooling tower operation determination device characterized in that the measurement of the gas pressure in the cooling tower is at least one of measuring the pressure outside the cooling tower, measuring the pressure after the gas has been taken into the cooling tower, and measuring the differential pressure between the outside of the cooling tower and the pressure after the gas has been taken in.

10. The cooling tower operation determination device according to claim 7, A cooling tower operation determination device comprising a control means for controlling the water quality control device of the cooling tower based on the determination of the operation of the cooling tower.

11. The cooling tower operation determination device according to claim 10, The cooling tower operation determination device is characterized in that the water quality control device is at least one of a blower device, a chemical injection device, and a chemical concentration control device.

12. The cooling tower operation determination device according to claim 7, The cooling tower operation determination device is characterized in that the determination means determines the operation of the cooling tower fan based on the results of measuring the state of gas in the cooling tower.

13. a cooling tower that performs heat exchange using circulating cooling water; The cooling tower operation determination device according to any one of claims 7 to 12, A cooling tower system comprising:

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