Electrostatic Collection Panels for Cooling Tower Plume Abatement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling towers face significant water losses and energy inefficiencies due to evaporation and plume formation, with existing abatement systems requiring substantial energy and equipment investments without effective water recovery.
Innovation Solution
The use of electric collection panels with emitter and collection electrodes to charge and attract water droplets from a gas stream, allowing for efficient plume abatement and water collection, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for condensation equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional plume abatement systems (heat exchangers, hot dry air mixing, condensation modules) are used to reduce fogging at the outlet of a cooling tower, then plume abatement is achieved, but considerable additional investment in equipment and energy is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal-based plume abatement systems (heat exchangers, hot air mixing, condensation modules) with an electrostatic field-based system. Collection panels with emitter and collector electrodes create an electric field that charges water droplets and attracts them to collection surfaces, eliminating the need for thermal energy input while achieving effective plume abatement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces collection panels as an intermediary device between the cooling tower outlet and the environment. These panels serve as mediating structures that capture water droplets through electrostatic attraction, preventing direct plume formation without requiring the complex thermal infrastructure of conventional systems.
2Loss of substance
If liquid desiccant is used to capture exiting vapor from cooling towers for water recovery, then significant vapor capture is achieved, but significant energy has to be provided to extract the collected liquid from the desiccant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical sorption process (liquid desiccant absorption) with an electrostatic field-based collection mechanism. The electric field directly charges and attracts water droplets to collection panels, eliminating the need for chemical desiccants and the subsequent energy-intensive extraction process required to recover water from saturated desiccants.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If heat exchangers are placed in the wet section of the tower to heat saturated air and decrease relative humidity, then plume formation probability is diminished, but the plant consumes the same amount of water and lowers overall net energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal heating approach with an electrostatic field-based collection system. Instead of heating saturated air to reduce relative humidity and prevent plume formation, the system uses electric fields to directly capture water droplets on collection panels, achieving plume abatement without energy-intensive heating processes.
4Loss of substance
If conventional condensation equipment is used to cool exiting moist air and condense water for capture, then water recovery is achieved, but the setup is costly in equipment and energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex thermal condensation equipment (cooling coils, condensate drainage systems, heat exchangers) with simpler electrostatic collection panels. The electric field directly captures water droplets on charged collection surfaces, eliminating the need for complex cooling and condensation infrastructure while achieving effective water recovery.
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
This approach achieves up to 100% plume abatement and significant water recovery, reducing water consumption and treatment needs, while maintaining high purity of collected water for reuse, with lower energy costs compared to conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
using a discharge electrode, ion injection is used to charge droplets in a gas stream
Implementation Method 2
attract them to a collecting electrode with an electric field
Data Source
AI summary
An example of a system for use in collecting fluid from a gas stream includes one or more collection panels and a frame for arranging the panel(s). Each of the collection panel(s) may comprise an emitter electrode assembly member, comprising one or more emitter electrodes, physically attached to an electrically insulated from a fluid collection member comprising one or more collection electrodes. The frame may be sized and shaped to be disposed near a gas outlet or a duct. An example of a method for collecting fluid from a gas stream includes providing the collection panel(s) disposed in a path of the gas stream; providing the gas stream; generating and maintaining a voltage at the one or more emitter electrodes of each of the collection panel(s); and collecting an amount of the fluid from the gas stream with the one or more collection panels.