Cooling Tower Module Joint Seal Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to effectively seal vertically adjacent evaporative cooling modules in cooling towers, leading to the leakage of operating liquids like water between modules, which affects the efficiency of the cooling process.
Innovation Solution
A field joint assembly is designed with structural components and sealing components made of galvanized or stainless steel, or structural plastics, featuring flat surfaces and lips for mechanical fixing, along with a sealing material like butyl tape to create a watertight seal between the top edge of the lower module and the bottom edge of the upper module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional connection methods are used between vertically adjacent cooling tower modules, then the structural connection is achieved, but the sealing effectiveness deteriorates leading to liquid leakage
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the lower and upper cooling tower modules. This sealing member includes a sealing surface that contacts both modules, creating an effective seal that prevents liquid leakage while maintaining structural connection between the vertically adjacent modules
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member utilizes a flexible sealing surface that can deform to conform to the contact surfaces of the cooling tower modules. This flexibility ensures reliable sealing even with minor manufacturing tolerances or misalignments, preventing liquid from escaping between the modules
2Reliability
If a sealing structure is added to prevent liquid leakage, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is integrated with the structural components of the cooling tower modules. The sealing surface is formed as part of the joint assembly structure itself, combining the structural support function with the sealing function into a single integrated component, thereby avoiding additional separate sealing devices
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the sealing surface to prevent liquid leakage, acts as a structural connector between modules, and distributes mechanical loads across the joint. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized sealing components
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
An assembly (10) for connecting two vertically aligned cooling tower modules (12,14) is provided. The assembly includes a lower module with a top structural edge (16) and an upper module with a bottom structural edge (40). The top structural edge of the lower module includes an outer structural component (18) and an inner sealing component (20). The bottom structural edge of the upper module includes an outer structural component (42) and an inner sealing component (44). The outer structural component of the lower module has a generally flat surface (24) that supports the bottom generally flat surface (48) of the outer structural component of the top module. The inner sealing component of the top structural edge of the lower module includes a generally flat surface (32) that abuts the inner generally flat surface (22) of the outer structural component of the top structural edge of the lower module. The bottom generally flat surface (54) of the inner sealing component of the bottom structural edge of the upper module is adjacent the top generally flat surface (34) of the inner sealing component (20) of the top structural edge of the lower module and a sealing component extends between such opposed flat surfaces.