Cooling Tower Basin Shield for Debris and Light Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling towers face issues with biological growth in water and debris accumulation, which can lead to operational disruptions and water distribution inconsistencies, due to inadequate light shielding and debris filtration.
Innovation Solution
A light shield and debris filter, made from materials like thermoplastic or foam elastomer, is placed within the water basin to absorb and block light and debris, reducing biological growth and improving water distribution by eliminating vortex and capturing debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If drift eliminators are used to reduce water droplets, then water usage is reduced, but biological growth and debris accumulation still occur in the basin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes harmful elements (biological growth and debris) from the basin by introducing a skimmer device that physically removes these contaminants from the water surface, addressing the worsening feature while maintaining the water reduction benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The skimmer acts as an intermediary device between the water and biological growth/debris, facilitating the removal of harmful substances without affecting the primary cooling function or water circulation system
2Illumination intensity
If the basin is exposed to light, then visibility and access are improved, but biological growth increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of light exposure that promotes biological growth into a benefit by using the light to illuminate and highlight the skimmer device's operation, making the removal process more visible while the skimmer simultaneously eliminates the biological growth
3Device complexity
If debris is allowed to circulate in water, then water distribution is simple, but nozzle clogging and operational disruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The skimmer performs preliminary action by removing debris from the water before the water reaches the nozzles, preventing clogging and operational disruptions before they can occur, thus maintaining reliability without complicating the water distribution system
Solution Approach 2:
The skimmer device operates autonomously to remove debris from the basin, providing self-service that protects the water distribution system from contamination without requiring additional complex filtration components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces biological growth, maintains consistent water distribution, and improves airflow by blocking light and debris, thus enhancing the operational efficiency of cooling towers.
Implementation Method 1
a shield disposed in the basin and/or water circulating systems to absorb and/or block light and/or debris from the water
Implementation Method 2
a shield disposed in the basin and/or water circulating systems to absorb and/or block light and/or debris from the water
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cooling tower. The cooling tower includes a fill media, a water distribution system to distribute water to the fill media, a basin to collect the water, and a shield disposed within the tower.