Cooling tower

Abstract

To provide a cooling tower which can prevent water cooled via heat exchange with outside air from flowing to the outside through a suction port etc. to reduce loss and can inhibit adverse effect on a surrounding area of the cooling tower caused by water scattering.SOLUTION: A guide part 18 having a substantially gutter-shape is provided above a suction port 11 in a cooling tower body, and water flowing down near a tower body inner surface is received by the guide part 18 to be prevented from reaching a position near the suction port which is located below the guide part 18. Consequently, a state that the water directly passes through an area near the suction port does not occur. Thus, the structure can prevent water reaching the area near the suction port 11 from flowing due to influence of wind from the outside or water falling in a portion, which is located near the suction port 11, of a lower water tank 50 from bouncing back to prevent scattering of the water to the outside of the suction port 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling tower that cools a circulating liquid-phase heat medium by heat exchange with air in a heat exchange section, and more particularly to a small counterflow cooling tower. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, cooling towers are installed outdoors to cool liquid-phase heat transfer media such as water used in circulation in factories and air conditioning systems. In the heat exchange section inside the cooling tower, air (outside air) is taken in from the outside when a fan (blower) is operated, and heat is exchanged directly or indirectly between the heat transfer media and the air, thereby achieving cooling.

[0003] Of these, small cooling towers are often counterflow devices that spray circulating water from a spray section above a wound filler material housed in a round tower body, while introducing outside air from below to perform heat exchange. An example of such a conventional counterflow cooling tower is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-55079. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-55079 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional counterflow cooling towers have the configuration shown in the above-mentioned patent documents, in which water sprayed from the spray section and outside air introduced through an inlet at the bottom of the tower and flowing upward flow in opposite directions to perform heat exchange, resulting in a relatively high heat exchange efficiency. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for even greater efficiency improvements.

[0006] However, conventional round cooling towers have significant structural constraints due to their wound filler structure, and increasing the cooling capacity requires an increased amount of wound filler, which in turn increases the installation area, making it impossible to maintain a compact form, leaving little room for improvement in terms of efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, conventional round cooling towers have the problem that circulating water that passes through the fill material near the inner surface of the tower body collides with the lower water tank, causing water to splash out through the intake port and fly out to the outside, or that strong crosswinds blowing in from outside through the intake port of the cooling tower can push the water flowing down between the fill material and the lower water tank sideways, causing the pushed-out circulating water to flow out of the cooling tower through the intake port.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a cooling tower that prevents water that has been cooled through heat exchange with outside air from flowing out to the outside through an intake port, etc., thereby reducing loss in heat exchange and suppressing the adverse effects of water splashing around the cooling tower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cooling tower of the present invention is a counterflow cooling tower that sprays water onto a heat exchange section within the cooling tower body while circulating outside air from below the heat exchange section upward by induced draft from a blower, causing heat exchange between at least the outside air and the sprayed water in the heat exchange section, and is provided with a roughly gutter-shaped guide section that protrudes inward from the inner surface of the tower body above the outside air inlet, which is located below the area in the tower body where the heat exchange section is located, and is arranged so that it continues horizontally along the inner surface of the tower body, and the guide section receives water flowing down from above and guides the water to the longitudinal end, and causes the water guided to the longitudinal end of the guide section to flow further downward along a part of the tower body located below the guide section.

[0010] Thus, according to the present invention, a roughly gutter-shaped guide section is provided above the intake port of the tower body, and the guide section receives water flowing down near the inner surface of the tower body, preventing it from reaching a position near the intake port below. This prevents the water from passing directly near the intake port, thereby preventing water from escaping and splashing outside the intake port due to water that has reached the vicinity of the intake port being washed away by external wind, or water that has fallen near the intake port of the lower water tank being splashed back.

[0011] Furthermore, even if the amount of water received by the guide section increases and the water overflows from the guide section, the water will drip from the protruding tip side of the guide section other than the longitudinal end, and because the guide section protrudes inward into the tower body, the water will travel away from the suction port and will not reach the vicinity of the suction port, thereby preventing water from splashing outside the suction port, just as it would if the water were allowed to flow down from the longitudinal end of the guide section.

[0012] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the present invention, the tower body may be a rectangular cylinder surrounding a hollow portion having a square cross section, and two or more sides including at least two adjacent sides out of the four sides may each have an inlet port at the bottom, and an airflow control plate may be provided at the inner side of a corner portion located between the inlets on two adjacent sides of the tower body, the airflow control plate continuing for a predetermined length in a diagonal direction from the corner portion to the other corner portion, and water guided to the longitudinal end of the guide portion may be made to flow down along the airflow control plate.

[0013] In this way, according to the present invention, an air inlet is provided on each of two adjacent side surfaces of a rectangular tower body, and when the two air inlets are adjacent to each other, an airflow control plate is provided inside the corner between the adjacent air inlets. When water is guided to the longitudinal end of the guide part and flows down from this guide part, it flows downward along the airflow control plate that forms part of the tower body. By doing so, the water reaches the airflow control plate that is arranged extending from the corner part into the tower body in the shortest distance from the end of the guide part and flows along this airflow control plate, making it less likely that water will flow as droplets near the air inlets. In addition, the airflow control plate on the inside of each corner can prevent crosswinds from passing from one air inlet to another, preventing the water from being swept away by crosswinds passing between these air inlets. This more reliably prevents water from splashing outside the cooling tower through the air inlets.

[0014] In addition, in the cooling tower according to the present invention, if necessary, an overflow pipe in the lower water tank of the cooling tower, which overflows and discharges excess water from the water tank outside the tank, is arranged so that the water inlet does not face the underside of the upper heat exchanger, and is located at a predetermined location that cannot be reached by water flowing down from the longitudinal end of the guide part and water overflowing from the guide part and flowing down from anywhere other than the longitudinal end.

[0015] According to the present invention, the inlet of the overflow pipe of the lower water tank, which overflows and discharges excess water in the lower water tank, is positioned at a predetermined location where water flowing down from the heat exchange section and water flowing down after being temporarily received by the guide section cannot reach, thereby preventing water other than that which has temporarily accumulated in the lower water tank from entering the overflow pipe after heat exchange, thereby preventing water from entering the overflow pipe without reaching the lower water tank and being drained to the outside through the overflow pipe, thereby suppressing excessive outflow of water after heat exchange and preventing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

[0016] Furthermore, the cooling tower according to the present invention may be of an open type, as required, in which circulating water is sprayed from above onto a filler material serving as the heat exchange section within the tower body, causing heat exchange between the outside air and the circulating water via the filler material, and the supply section for the circulating water to be sprayed is disposed on the outside of the upper part of the tower body, and a blowdown drain pipe is disposed which branches off from a predetermined position of the circulating water supply section on the outside of the tower body, and the drain pipe is connected from the outside of the tower body to the overflow pipe of the lower water tank.

[0017] According to the present invention, a drain pipe for blowdown is provided that branches off from a predetermined location on the supply section outside the tower body that supplies the circulating water to be sprayed, and the drain pipe is connected from outside the tower body to the overflow pipe of the lower water tank. The water extracted through the drain pipe for blowdown is merged with the water discharged from the overflow pipe and discharged. This allows a portion of the circulating water to be discharged as blowdown to be extracted from the circulating water before heat exchange. This eliminates the need for unnecessary heat exchange for the discharged water, as is the case when water for blowdown is taken inside the tower body, and allows the quality of the circulating water to be maintained by performing blowdown without incurring a decrease in efficiency. Furthermore, by using the existing drainage path connected to the overflow pipe to discharge the water extracted for blowdown, it is not necessary to install a new pipe for drainage associated with blowdown, thereby reducing costs.

[0018] Furthermore, the cooling tower according to the present invention may, if necessary, be provided with a sheet body made of a porous material that is arranged in the lower water tank of the cooling tower, and one or more floats that have the property of floating on water are attached to the underside of the sheet body, so that the sheet body floats on the water in the lower water tank, is positioned on the water surface, and can move up and down in accordance with the up and down fluctuations of the water surface.

[0019] According to the present invention, a sheet body made of a water-permeable porous material is arranged in the lower tank so that it floats on the water due to the buoyancy of the float, and the sheet body can follow the up and down movement of the water surface in the lower tank, so that the sheet body is always positioned on the water surface.By doing so, water that flows down through the filler into the lower tank comes into contact with the sheet body before reaching the water surface of the lower tank, penetrates into it, and then heads towards the water surface.This means that the force of the water flowing down from above can be reduced by the sheet body, regardless of changes in the water level in the tank, and the noise generated when the water reaches the water surface can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of sprinkler pipes inside a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of a guide portion and an airflow control plate in a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part including a guide portion in a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of overflow pipes inside the lower water tank in the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of another overflow pipe arrangement inside the lower water tank in the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the up and down movement of a sheet body inside a lower water tank in a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the state of water spraying from the water spray unit in the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of a lower water tank in a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an internal cover arrangement state in a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a sliding state of a protective body in a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of protruding plates in a cooling tower according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 11. In this embodiment, an example of a small counterflow cooling tower will be described, in which a water spray section is provided above and an air intake is provided below a filler material provided below an induced draft blower.

[0022] As shown in the figures, the cooling tower 1 of this embodiment is configured to include a tower body 10 that passes circulating water, which is a heat medium, and external air through the interior thereof; filler material 20 that acts as a heat exchanger and promotes contact for heat exchange between the circulating water and the air; a water distribution tank 30 that is arranged on the upper side of the tower body 10 and can temporarily store the circulating water; a sprinkler unit 40 that is arranged above the filler material 20 and is supplied with circulating water from the water distribution tank 30 and sprinkles this circulating water over each part of the filler material 20; a lower water tank 50 that is arranged below the filler material 20 and collects the circulating water that has passed through the filler material 20; and a blower 70 that is arranged at the top of the tower body 10 and uses induced draft to pass external air between each filler material sheet 21 of the filler material 20.

[0023] The cooling tower 1 according to this embodiment is an open-type cooling tower in which circulating water is sprayed from a spray section 40 above onto filler material 20, which serves as a heat exchange section within a tower body 10, and heat exchange occurs between the outside air and the circulating water in the filler material 20. Circulating water is continuously supplied to the spray section 40 from a circulating water supply section located outside the upper part of the tower body 10, which includes a water distribution tank 30.

[0024] The tower body 10 is a square cylindrical body that surrounds an internal space of a square or rectangular cross section, and has an outside air intake port 11 at the bottom of each of the four sides, and an outlet port 12 at the top for discharging the outside air after heat exchange inside the tower body.

[0025] Inside the tower body 10, guide sections 18 are provided for each suction port 11 located below the area where the filler 20 is present, to change the flow of part of the circulating water above the suction port 11. In addition, airflow control plates 19 are provided at least at the inside of the corners of the tower body within the area where the suction ports 11 are present, to suppress the effect of crosswinds flowing into the suction ports 11 from the outside.

[0026] The tower body 10 is formed by a frame body 16 made by combining metal pillars and beams, and FRP outer panels 17 that are attached to the frame body 16 by screws or the like and form each side surface.

[0027] Each outer plate 17 of the tower body 10 is disposed on each side of the rectangular tower body so as to be larger than the area inside the tower body where the packing material 20 exists. These outer plates 17 may be detachable from other parts of the tower body. In this case, when the outer plate 17 is detached, an open area is created that allows handling of the packing material 20 from outside the tower body.

[0028] The lower edge of each outer plate 17 is arranged inside the upwardly rising portion of a beam member that forms part of the frame 16 of the tower body 10, so that even if the circulating water reaches the inside of the outer plate 17 and flows down, the circulating water will not leak outside the tower body 10. In places where such outer plates 17 are arranged inside the frame 16, screw nuts may be integrated into predetermined positions of the outer plate 17 that overlap with through holes for screwing in the frame 16 so that the outer plate 17 can be attached to the frame 16 from outside the tower body. In addition, the outer plate 17 is not limited to being formed in a simple flat plate shape, and may be reinforced by providing uneven portions such as ribs on the outer or inner surface.

[0029] An opening 13 for accessing the sprinkler unit 40 is provided on the side of the upper part of the tower body 10 opposite to the side where the water distribution tank 30 is located. This opening 13 is large enough to allow workers to perform maintenance and other work on the sprinkler unit 40 from outside the tower body 10.

[0030] A lid-like cover portion 15 that can open and close the opening portion 13 is removably disposed on the tower body 10. The cover unit may be a door-like unit connected to the side of tower body 10, allowing opening 13 to be opened and closed without removing it from tower body 10. In this case, it goes without saying that the cover unit is positioned in a location that does not interfere with at least workers performing work on sprinkler unit 40 when opening 13 is open.

[0031] The guide portion 18 is formed in a roughly gutter-like shape and is configured to protrude inward from the inner surface of the tower body 10 above each suction port 11, and to be continuous in the horizontal direction along the inner surface of the tower body.

[0032] This guide section 18 has both longitudinal ends, which coincide with the lateral direction of the tower body 10, cut off at an angle so as not to overlap with other guide sections. As a result, the guide section 18 receives water flowing down from above above the suction port 11, guides the water to the longitudinal end, and causes the water to flow further downward from this end along a part of the tower body located below the guide section 18, specifically along the airflow control plate 19.

[0033] The airflow control plate 19 is formed as a plate-like body and is arranged in an upright position at the inside of the area where the air inlet 11 is located at each corner where the side surfaces of the tower body 10 intersect, and along a diagonal line from one corner to the other.

[0034] The airflow control plates 19 arranged at each corner are attached to the frame 16 of the tower body 10 located at the corner of the corner, and although each continues for a predetermined length in the diagonal direction from one corner to the other, they do not reach the center of the tower body 10, and gaps are present between them and other airflow control plates. In other words, the center of the tower body 10 within the range where the air inlets 11 are present is a space without airflow control plates, allowing the flow of outside air flowing in from each air inlet. The airflow control plate 19 is located below the longitudinal end of the guide portion 18, and can guide the water flowing down from the end of the guide portion 18 further downward along the surface.

[0035] The filler 20 is formed by stacking a large number of approximately rectangular plate-shaped filler sheets 21 together, and is configured to be installed in one layer or multiple layers stacked vertically within the tower body 10, with the orientation allowing air and water to pass between the filler sheets 21 in the vertical direction.

[0036] This filler material 20 is arranged below the blower 70 and the sprinkler section 40 and above the outside air intake 11 at the bottom of the tower body, and is configured so that circulating water is sprayed from above and outside air passes from bottom to top, allowing heat exchange between the circulating water and air mainly between the filler material sheets 21.

[0037] The water distribution tank 30 is formed of a thin box-like body and is arranged in a protruding state on the upper side of the tower body 10 above the position of the filler 20. At the top of the tower body, it receives a supply of circulating water that has left the lower water tank 50 and passed through a circulation pipe 90 leading to a refrigerator, air conditioning equipment, etc., and is configured to be able to temporarily store a predetermined amount of this circulating water. The water distribution tank 30 located outside the upper part of the tower body and a part of the circulation pipe 90 that directs the circulating water to the water distribution tank 30 serve as a supply section for the circulating water.

[0038] The water distribution tank 30 has one end of each sprinkler pipe 41 that makes up the sprinkler section 40 connected to its lower part, and is configured to communicate with these sprinkler pipes 41 and allow the stored circulating water to flow into each sprinkler pipe 41.

[0039] The water distribution tank 30 is also provided with an arrangement in which the circulating water inlet 31 is located as far away as possible from the connection position of the sprinkler pipe 41. In detail, the circulating water inlet 31 in the water distribution tank 30 is provided near the upper center of the tank so as to be as far away as possible from the connection position of the sprinkler pipe 41 at the bottom. In addition, the diameter of the inlet 31 is provided as large as possible.

[0040] Furthermore, the water distribution tank 30 is provided with an air vent 32 that connects the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank (the space inside the tower body), and the inside is open to the atmosphere through this air vent 32. The air vent 32 that connects the inside of the tank to the outside is provided at a predetermined location separated from the circulating water inlet 31 in the center of the tank, specifically at the top of both longitudinal ends of the tank (ends in the direction parallel to the sprinkler pipe 41). This air vent 32 can also be used to allow excess circulating water inside to overflow if it exceeds the position of this hole.

[0041] On the other hand, outside the water distribution tank 30, a circulation pipe 90 is connected to the pipe portion protruding outward from the inlet portion 31, allowing circulating water to flow into the inlet portion 31. A drain pipe 34 for blowing down the concentrated circulating water is connected to a predetermined location on the bottom of the water distribution tank 30, and a portion of the circulating water can be drawn off by flowing into this drain pipe 34. A valve for controlling the blowdown is provided midway along the drain pipe 34.

[0042] Although the connection position of the drain pipe 34 is a predetermined location at the bottom of the water distribution tank 30, this is not limited to this, and as long as it serves as a supply section for circulating water outside the tower body, in addition to the water distribution tank, a configuration in which a blowdown drain pipe is connected to a part of the circulation pipeline 90 to branch off and flow in part of the circulating water may be used.

[0043] The sprinkler section 40 is configured by arranging a plurality of sprinkler pipes 41 in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pipes, with the longitudinal direction of the pipes horizontal, and is arranged immovably above the filler material 20. Each sprinkler pipe 41 of the sprinkler unit 40 is connected to the water distribution tank 30 by having one end thereof detachably screwed onto the tank.

[0044] In addition, each sprinkler pipe 41 has a plurality of holes 42 at its bottom, and receives a supply of circulating water from the water distribution tank 30 at one end connected to the water distribution tank 30, and the circulating water that flows into the pipe flows down naturally from the holes 42 at the bottom. The plurality of holes 42 in the lower part of the sprinkler pipe 41 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the pipe, and the size of the holes becomes smaller as they are farther away from the water distribution tank 30.

[0045] The lower water tank 50 is disposed on a support frame 51 connected to the lower part of the tower body 10, and receives the circulating water that flows down, temporarily stores it, and then recovers it. The lower water tank 50 is provided with an overflow pipe 52 that allows excess water in the tank to overflow and be discharged outside the tank.

[0046] The overflow pipe 52 is configured so that its water inlet 52a does not face the underside of the upper filler 20, and is arranged at a predetermined location in the lower water tank 50 where it cannot be reached by water flowing down from the longitudinal end of the guide section 18 or water overflowing from the guide section 18 and flowing down from anywhere other than the longitudinal end.

[0047] In detail, the inlet 52a of the overflow pipe 52 is configured to face sideways as shown in Figure 8, or upward as shown in Figure 9, with a cover 52b provided at a position slightly above it, so that it does not face the underside of the filler 20, thereby preventing water flowing down through the filler 20 from entering the pipe.

[0048] In addition, the lower water tank 50 has a blowdown drain pipe 34 branching off from the water distribution tank 30, which is connected to an overflow drainage pipe 58 arranged on the side of the water tank, and is connected to an overflow pipe 52 inside the water tank through this pipe. In the overflow drainage pipe 58, which connects the drain pipe 34 and the overflow pipe 52, the flow of circulating water discharged as overflow from the overflow pipe 52 is not obstructed by water flowing in from the drain pipe 34, and water from the drain pipe 34 can also be drained without hindrance.

[0049] Furthermore, a sheet member 55 made of a porous material is disposed within the lower water tank 50 so that its lower surface is flush with the surface of the circulating water temporarily stored in the lower water tank 50 . The sheet body 55 has one or more plate-shaped floats 55a made of a material that floats on water attached to its underside, so that it floats on water and can move up and down in response to the up and down fluctuations in the water surface of the lower water tank 50 due to changes in the amount of circulating water in the lower water tank 50.

[0050] The water that passes through the filler 20 and flows down into the lower water tank 50 first reaches the sheet body 55, penetrates into the sheet body, which has many voids, and temporarily stays there before finally flowing out of the sheet body 55 and reaching the water surface directly below, thereby reducing the force of the water and making almost no noise even when the water reaches the surface of the lower water tank 50.

[0051] In the lower water tank 50, in addition to the sheet member 55 that moves up and down in accordance with fluctuations in the water surface, another sheet member made of a similar porous material may be provided to arrange the sheet members in multiple stages. For example, a fixed sheet member may be provided above the lower water tank 50 in addition to the sheet member located on the water surface, resulting in a two-stage sheet member arrangement. Each sheet member can reliably weaken the force of the water leaving the filler 20 and reaching the lower water tank 50, further reducing the generation of noise when the water reaches the water surface.

[0052] In addition, the configuration of the lower water tank 50, which connects the discharge end of the circulation pipe 90 leading to a refrigerator, air conditioning equipment, etc., and a water supply section (not shown) for makeup water that is replenished when the circulating water decreases, and the configuration in which a strainer 59 is provided at the outlet of the circulating water proceeding to the circulation pipe 90 to capture foreign matter such as scale and allow only water to pass through, are similar to the lower water tanks of known cooling towers, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0053] The blower 70 is disposed at the top of the tower body 10, and uses induced draft to pass outside air introduced from the intake port 11 to the filler material 20 located below it from below, and blows the air that passes upward through the filler material 30 upward and discharges it outside the cooling tower.

[0054] This blower 70, like those used in known small cooling towers, works by directly transmitting the driving force of an electric motor 75 to an impeller 71 connected to it, causing the impeller 71 to rotate and expelling the air inside the tower body outside the tower body, thereby achieving induced draft.

[0055] Next, the operating state of the cooling tower according to this embodiment will be described. As with known cooling towers, circulating water as a heat medium circulating through circulation pipe 90 including cooling tower 1 receives heat from refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. along the route of circulation pipe 90, increases in temperature, and reaches cooling tower 1 under normal cooling tower operating conditions. The circulating water that has returned to cooling tower 1 is first introduced into water distribution tank 30 on the side of tower body 10 of cooling tower 1 through inlet 31, and is temporarily stored in water distribution tank 30.

[0056] The circulating water introduced into the water distribution tank 30 remains in the water distribution tank 30 for a predetermined time, as the interior of the water distribution tank 30 is open to the atmosphere through the ventilation holes 32, and then flows into one end of each sprinkler pipe 41 of the sprinkler unit 40 connected to the bottom of the tank. The circulating water then reaches each hole 42 at the bottom as it travels along the sprinkler pipe 41 toward the other end, and passes through these holes 42 and flows down by gravity, thereby being sprinkled onto each part of the filler 20 below the sprinkler unit 40.

[0057] The circulating water that is sprayed from each sprinkler pipe 41 of the sprinkler section 40 and reaches the filler material 20 advances into each gap between the filler material sheets 21 that make up the filler material 20, and flows down along the filler material sheets 21, coming into contact with external air that is drawn upward toward the filler material 20 by induced draft air from the blower 70. The circulating water is cooled mainly by the cooling effect of heat transfer (sensible heat) due to the temperature difference between the air and the circulating water, and by the cooling effect of the heat of evaporation (latent heat) of the circulating water, but conversely, the heat exchange raises the air temperature.

[0058] The circulating water is cooled through heat exchange with the air in the filler 20, then leaves the filler 20, reaches the lower water tank 50, and flows onto the sheet body 55 located near the water surface of the lower water tank 50. However, part of the circulating water that passes through the part of the packing material 20 near the inner surface of the tower body and leaves the packing material 20 is received by the guide part 18 that protrudes inward above the suction port 11, and is guided to both longitudinal ends of the guide part 18. The water that flows down from the end of the guide part 18 then flows further downward along the airflow control plate 19 located below.

[0059] By arranging the guide part 18 in this way and preventing the water from flowing as droplets near the suction port 11, the water that has reached the vicinity of the suction port 11 is not washed away by the influence of wind from outside, and water splashing does not occur in the part of the lower water tank 50 near the suction port 11, and the scattering of water outside the cooling tower through the suction port 11 can be suppressed.

[0060] In addition, the airflow control plate 19 on the inside of the corner sandwiched between adjacent intake ports 11 guides the outside air sucked in from the intake ports 11 toward the filling material 20 above, while also preventing crosswinds from passing between the adjacent intake ports 11, thereby preventing the water flowing down from being washed away by such crosswinds.

[0061] In addition, if the amount of water received by the guide section 18 increases, guidance to both longitudinal ends of the guide section 18 may be impeded, causing water to accumulate on the guide section 18 and water to overflow from areas other than the longitudinal ends of the guide section 18. Even in such a state, in the guide section 18 connected to the inner surface of the tower body, water overflows and drips only from the tip side that protrudes other than the longitudinal ends, and because the guide section 18 protrudes inward of the tower body, the overflowing water travels at a location away from the suction port 11 and does not reach the vicinity of the suction port 11, and splashing of water outside the suction port 11 can be suppressed, just as in the case where water flows down from the longitudinal ends of the guide section 18.

[0062] In the sheet body 55 of the lower water tank 50, through which the circulating water flows, the circulating water penetrates the sheet body, which has many voids, and temporarily remains there, greatly reducing the force of the water. After a predetermined time, the circulating water that has remained in the sheet body 55 slowly seeps out of the sheet body 55, reaches the water surface directly below, and merges with the water accumulated in the lower water tank 50 and is collected. As a result, the circulating water does not forcefully fall as droplets onto the water surface of the lower water tank 50, and noise generation can be significantly reduced compared to when water leaving the filler material 20 falls directly onto the water surface of the lower water tank 50, or when water reaches the water surface after passing through sound-absorbing material away from the water surface.

[0063] The circulating water that leaves the sheet body 55 and accumulates in the lower water tank 50 passes through the strainer 59 at the outlet of the lower water tank and then re-enters the circulation pipe 90, where it receives heat as a heat medium from a new refrigerator, air conditioner, etc., and then returns to the cooling tower 1 and is introduced into the inlet 31 of the water distribution tank 30, and the above process is repeated.

[0064] On the other hand, the air that is sucked into the tower body 10 through the inlet 11 and passes upward through the gaps between the packing sheets 21 that make up the packing material 20 while exchanging heat with the circulating water and increasing its temperature is drawn out of the packing material 20 by the attraction of the blower 70 and proceeds into the space inside the tower body between the blower 70 and the packing material 21. The air that reaches this space inside the tower body is discharged outside the cooling tower by the blower 70 without being accompanied by droplets of circulating water, and the discharged air diffuses into the outside air.

[0065] In the lower water tank 50 of the cooling tower, an overflow pipe 52 allows excess water to overflow and drain from the overflow pipe 52 to an overflow drainage pipe 58 outside the tank, thereby maintaining the water volume within an appropriate range. The water inlet 52a of this overflow pipe 52 is positioned so as not to face the underside of the upper filler material 20 and is located in a position that is not reached by water flowing down from the longitudinal end of the guide part 18 or water overflowing from the guide part 18 and flowing down from any location other than the longitudinal end, so that only the excess water that has accumulated in the lower water tank 50 flows in. In this way, water that has completed heat exchange and exited the filler material 20 directly enters the overflow pipe 52, preventing it from being drained to the outside through the overflow pipe 52, thereby suppressing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency due to loss of water after heat exchange.

[0066] As the cooling tower continues to be used, the circulating water becomes increasingly concentrated, so it is necessary to blow down the concentrated circulating water at an appropriate time. When blowing down the circulating water, a valve installed midway along the drain pipe 34 branching off from the water distribution tank 30 is temporarily opened, and a predetermined amount of circulating water passes through the drain pipe 34 to the overflow drain pipe 58 on the side of the lower water tank 50, where it is discharged to the outside. Meanwhile, makeup water corresponding to the amount of water discharged during blowdown is separately supplied to the lower water tank 50, thereby alleviating the concentration of the circulating water.

[0067] In such blowdown, by extracting a portion of the circulating water to be discharged from the circulating water before heat exchange, it is possible to avoid performing unnecessary heat exchange on the discharged water, as is the case when water for blowdown is taken inside the conventional cooling tower body, and the quality of the circulating water can be ensured by performing blowdown without incurring a decrease in efficiency.

[0068] When the cooling tower is in operation, one end of each sprinkler pipe 41 of the sprinkler section is connected to the water distribution tank 30 and is kept immobile, so there is no risk of malfunction such as the moving part stopping, and the state of sprinkler water spraying from the sprinkler pipes 41 does not change over the long term, ensuring stable cooling of the circulating water through heat exchange with the air.

[0069] In addition, when maintenance becomes necessary due to deterioration of the sprinkler pipes 41 of the sprinkler section 40 over time, the cover section 15 on the upper side of the tower body 10 opposite the water distribution tank 30 is removed from the tower body 10 to open the opening 13, allowing workers to perform work on each sprinkler pipe 41 from outside the cylinder through the opening 13.

[0070] In this way, in the cooling tower of this embodiment, a roughly gutter-shaped guide section 18 is provided above the intake port 11 in the tower body 10, and the guide section 18 receives water flowing down near the inner surface of the tower body, preventing it from reaching the position near the intake port 11 below.By preventing the water from passing directly near the intake port 11, it is possible to prevent water from escaping and splashing outside the intake port 11 due to water that has reached the vicinity of the intake port 11 being washed away by the influence of external wind, or water that has fallen in a location near the intake port 11 of the lower water tank 50 being splashed back.

[0071] The cooling tower according to the above embodiment is configured as an open-type cooling tower in which circulating water is sprayed from the upper spray section 40 onto the filler material 20 serving as a heat exchange section provided within the tower body 10, and outside air is introduced from the intake port 11 below the filler material 20, causing heat exchange between the outside air and the circulating water in the filler material 20. However, the cooling tower is not limited to an open-type cooling tower, and can also be a closed-type cooling tower as long as it is a small counterflow cooling tower in which the spray section is provided above the heat exchange section and the air intake port is provided below, sandwiching the heat exchange section, and air is ventilated from the bottom up over the heat exchange section.

[0072] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the filler 20 is arranged in a single layer or in multiple layers stacked vertically within the tower body 10. In particular, when the filler is arranged in multiple layers, it is desirable to arrange the stacked filler sheets so that the stacking direction of the filler sheets differs for each layer.

[0073] In this case, it is more desirable to arrange the filler so that the stacking direction of the filler sheets differs by 90° for each stacked layer, but this is not limited to this. As long as the stacking directions of the filler sheets in adjacent fillers stacked vertically are different, the magnitude of the difference in angle may be any angle other than 90°.

[0074] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the sprinkler section 40 provided inside the tower body 10 is configured to be formed by a plurality of sprinkler pipes 41 arranged in parallel, but this is not limited to this, and as long as the circulating water can be distributed to each part of the sprinkler section and the circulating water can be sprinkled only from the lower part of the sprinkler section onto the filler material, instead of pipes, for example, a sprinkler section of a type in which a plurality of gutter-shaped members with open tops are lined up in a stationary state and the circulating water flows down from a plurality of holes provided in the lower part of these gutter-shaped members can be used.

[0075] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the outer panels 17 forming the sides of the tower body 10 are configured so that one is provided on each side, but in addition to this, the outer panels on the sides of the tower body may be configured as multiple divisions, and of the multiple outer panels on these sides, only the outer panel corresponding to the area where the spray section or filler material is located may be configured so that it is removable from the rest of the tower body or so that it can be opened like a door, and by removing or opening this part of the outer panel, an opening leading to the inside of the tower body is created, and through this opening, workers can handle the spray section or filler material from outside the tower body.

[0076] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the sheet body 55 is attached with one or more floating bodies 55a so that it floats on the water, and its underside is aligned with the water surface of the circulating water in the lower water tank 50 so that it can move up and down in response to the up and down fluctuations in the water surface due to changes in the water volume. However, this is not limited to this, and the sheet body made of porous material can also be fixed and arranged at a position in the lower water tank that corresponds to the water level during normal operation of the cooling tower. In this case, as shown in Figure 12, another sheet 57 made of a similar porous material can be fixed to the sheet 56 above the lower water tank 50, forming a two-tiered sheet arrangement. The force of the water falling from the filler 20 is reliably weakened by the two sheet members 56, 57 arranged at a predetermined distance, and even if an unexpected rise in the water level in the lower water tank causes part of the lower sheet member 56 to become submerged, the upper sheet member 57 prevents the water from falling forcefully onto the water surface and splashing water droplets around, thereby reducing the noise generated when the water reaches the water surface. Furthermore, when the water leaving the filler 20 reaches the upper sheet body 57, the water easily penetrates into the sheet body 57, which has many voids, and the proportion of water that is repelled by the surface of the sheet body 57 is extremely small. In addition, the upper sheet body 57 covers the top of the lower water tank 50, preventing water droplets from moving upward from within the lower water tank 50, thereby preventing water from splashing from the lower water tank 50 to the outside of the cooling tower.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, there is nothing interposed between the water supply pipe or ball tap (not shown) provided in the lower water tank 50 and the upper filler material 20, and the water leaving the filler material 20 reaches the water supply pipe or ball tap directly, but this is not limiting, and a cover 60 that covers the water supply pipe etc. from above can also be provided (see Figure 13). The water surface is exposed at the locations of the water supply pipes and ball taps in the lower water tank and their surrounding areas, as no sheet body 55 is provided for water supply or water level adjustment. By covering these water supply pipes and ball taps, including the surrounding areas where the water surface is exposed, with cover 60, it is possible to prevent water that leaves the filler 20 and falls from hitting the water supply pipes or the like or reaching the water surface around the water supply pipes, etc., thereby suppressing the noise that occurs when water falls forcefully onto the water surface and the increase in the amount of water splashing outside the tower caused by water hitting the water supply pipes or splashing back. If the surface portion of such a cover 60 facing the upper filler 20 is made of a porous material similar to that of the sheet body 55, even if water that leaves the filler 20 and falls reaches the surface of the cover 60, the force of the water can be weakened while allowing the water to penetrate the porous portion, thereby suppressing the generation of noise when the water hits the cover 60 and the bouncing of water droplets on the surface of the cover 60, which is even more preferable. Furthermore, the shape of the cover 60 is preferably such that the horizontal surfaces perpendicular to the direction of water fall are reduced and the shape is mainly formed by slopes inclined relative to the horizontal, such as a truncated cone, cone, hemisphere, dome, or a combination of these shapes. This allows the pressure of the water falling from the filler 20 to escape along the slope when it hits the surface of the cover 60, thereby reducing noise and the splashing of water droplets.

[0078] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the inlet 11 of the tower body 10 is provided with a protective body 11a such as a wire mesh that prevents foreign objects from entering the tower body through the inlet, but such protective body 11a does not have to be fixed to the tower body 10, but may be sandwiched between members positioned above and below the inlet 11 to prevent it from moving up and down or back and forth relative to the inlet 11, and may be configured to be slidable laterally so that it can be attached and detached to the tower body 10 (see FIG. 14). Making the protective body 11a detachable in this way makes it easier to perform maintenance such as repairs and replacements. Furthermore, if the protective body 11a is divided into multiple parts horizontally (see Figure 14), the length of each part of the protective body 11a can be shortened, thereby reducing the space required to handle the protective body 11a outside the cooling tower when replacing the protective body 11a, etc., and this makes it easier to secure work space for maintenance around the cooling tower, which is more preferable.

[0079] Furthermore, in the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the inlet 11 of the tower body 10 and its surroundings are configured so that nothing is provided other than a protective body 11a such as a wire mesh to prevent foreign matter from entering the tower body 10 through the inlet 11, but this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 15, the configuration may also be such that a protruding plate 61 protruding diagonally upward is disposed at the outer periphery of the tower body below the inlet. This protruding plate 61 serves to prevent droplets of water from scattering from inside the tower body to the outside through the suction port 11. In the normal operating state of the cooling tower, droplets of spray water falling from the lower outlet of the filler material 20 are swept away by the air flowing into the cooling tower from the suction port 11, making it difficult for them to proceed toward the suction port 11. On the other hand, in the operating state with the blower stopped, no inward airflow from the suction port 11 into the tower occurs, so some of the droplets of spray water falling from the lower outlet of the filler material 20 may proceed toward the suction port 11, either directly or by colliding with the sheet body 55 and bouncing off, and may pass through the suction port 11 and scatter around the cooling tower. When the protruding plate 61 is provided, the protruding plate 61 blocks the path of water droplets passing through the suction port 11 and heading out of the tower, thereby preventing the water from scattering. The amount by which the protruding plate 61 protrudes outside the tower is about 3 to 5% of the width of the tower body, and the elevation angle of the protruding plate 61 (the angle of inclination from the horizontal plane) is about 30°, which is desirable in terms of balancing the water splash prevention performance of the protruding plate 61 with the pressure loss of the protruding plate 61 against the air flowing in from the suction port 11.

[0080] Furthermore, when providing such a protruding plate, as shown in Fig. 16, the protruding plate 62 may be formed as a plate-like body with a portion thereof located inside the tower, the portion located inside the tower being provided inside the lower water tank 50, and the portion outside the tower continuing diagonally upward from that portion. In this case, as shown in Fig. 16, if the portion inside the tower of the plate-like body forming the protruding plate 62 doubles as a drain for the lower water tank 50 and a sheet body 63 made of a porous material is placed over this portion inside the tower, noise generated when water leaving the packing material 20 falls into the lower water tank 50 and splashing outside the tower due to the splashing of water droplets can be efficiently suppressed. Therefore, noise and splashing can be sufficiently suppressed without providing another sheet body above the sheet body 63 and forming a two-tiered sheet body arrangement. Furthermore, since the protruding plate 62 is provided as a structure that integrates the part inside the tower supported by the lower water tank 50 and the part protruding outside the tower, the angle of inclination of the part protruding outside the tower, which serves to prevent water from splashing, can be reliably set to the desired angle, and this set angle can be stably maintained.

[0081] In addition, when providing such a protruding plate, the protruding plate can be integrated as part of the lower tank. For example, when the lower tank is molded from FRP, the protruding portion can be molded as an extension of the lower tank. Compared to providing the lower tank and protruding plate separately, this reduces the number of parts and the labor required to manufacture the cooling tower, and saves labor in the manufacturing process, leading to reduced manufacturing costs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 cooling tower 10 Tower body 11 Intake port 11a Protective body 12 Outlet 13 Opening 15 Cover part 16 Frame 17 Outer Panel 18 Information Department 19 Airflow control plate 20 Filler 21 Filler sheet 30 Water Distribution Tank 31 Entrance 32 Ventilation holes 34 Drain pipe 40 Sprinkler section 41 Watering pipe 42 holes 50 Lower tank 51 Support Frame 52 Overflow pipe 52a Entrance 52b cover 55 Sheet body 55a Floating body 56, 57 Sheet body 58 Overflow drainage pipe 59 Strainer 60 Cover 61, 62 protruding plate 63 Sheet body 70 Blower 71 Impeller 75 Electric motor 90 Circulation pipeline

Claims

1. In a counterflow cooling tower, water is sprayed onto a heat exchange section within the cooling tower body, and outside air is circulated upward from below the heat exchange section by induced draft using a blower, so that heat exchange occurs between at least the outside air and the sprayed water in the heat exchange section. a generally trough-shaped guide portion that protrudes inward from the inner surface of the tower body above an outside air inlet located below a range where the heat exchanger is present in the tower body and is provided so as to continue laterally along the inner surface of the tower body; The guide portion receives water flowing down from above and guides the water to the end portion in the longitudinal direction, The water guided to the longitudinal end of the guide section is caused to flow further downward along a part of the tower body located below the guide section. A cooling tower characterized by:

2. 2. The cooling tower according to claim 1, The tower body has a rectangular cylindrical shape surrounding a hollow portion having a rectangular cross section, and has suction ports provided at lower portions of two or more side surfaces including at least two adjacent side surfaces among four side surfaces, an airflow control plate is provided at an inner portion of a corner portion located between the suction ports on two adjacent side surfaces of the tower body, the airflow control plate continuing for a predetermined length in a diagonal direction from the corner portion to another corner portion; The water guided to the longitudinal end of the guide portion is made to flow down along the airflow control plate. A cooling tower characterized by:

3. The cooling tower according to claim 1 or 2, In the lower water tank of a cooling tower, an overflow pipe that overflows and discharges excess water from the water tank to the outside of the tank is arranged so that the water inlet does not face the underside of the upper heat exchanger, and is arranged at a predetermined position that is not reached by water flowing down from the longitudinal end of the guide part and water overflowing from the guide part and flowing down from other than the longitudinal end. A cooling tower characterized by:

4. 4. The cooling tower according to claim 3, The cooling tower is an open type in which circulating water is sprayed from above onto a filler material serving as the heat exchanger in the tower body, and heat exchange between outside air and the circulating water is performed by the filler material, A supply unit for circulating water to be sprayed is arranged on the outside of the upper part of the tower body, A blowdown drain pipe is provided, which branches off from a predetermined location in the circulating water supply section outside the tower body. The drain pipe is connected to the overflow pipe of the lower water tank from the outside of the tower body. A cooling tower characterized by:

5. 2. The cooling tower according to claim 1, The cooling tower is provided with a sheet body made of a porous material that is disposed in a lower water tank of the cooling tower, The sheet body has one or more floats attached to its underside, which float on the water in the lower tank, and is positioned on the water surface, and is capable of moving up and down in accordance with the up and down fluctuations of the water surface. A cooling tower characterized by:

Images