Mist-Assisted Liquid Conduit Cooling With Low Water Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling towers consume significant amounts of fresh water and suffer from scale build-up, which reduces efficiency and requires chemical treatments that contribute to environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system that incorporates mist generators to add mist droplets to airflow contacting heated liquid conduits, utilizing countercurrent or crosscurrent flows, and includes baffles to increase residence time, reducing water consumption and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If cooling towers are used to cool equipment and spaces, then cooling efficiency is improved compared to air-cooled systems, but water consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of water from liquid flow to aerosol mist, fundamentally altering how water interacts with the heat exchange surfaces. This parameter change enables efficient heat transfer with dramatically reduced water consumption by allowing water to be delivered in minute quantities as aerosol droplets rather than continuous liquid flow
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition by converting liquid water into aerosol mist form. This phase change enables the water to be distributed as fine droplets that can evaporate and transfer heat efficiently across the heat exchange surfaces, achieving cooling with minimal water usage
2Reliability
If cooling towers operate with high water flow, then heat transfer efficiency is maintained, but scale build-up increases reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
By changing water delivery from liquid flow to aerosol mist, the invention fundamentally alters the water's interaction with heat exchange surfaces. The aerosol droplets are so fine and sparse that they do not accumulate on surfaces to form scale, eliminating the scale build-up problem that plagues traditional cooling towers while maintaining heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the harmful scaling effect from the cooling process by removing the continuous liquid water flow that causes scale accumulation. By using aerosol mist instead, the water is delivered in such a dispersed and minimal quantity that it evaporates or transfers heat without having the opportunity to form scale deposits on surfaces
3Object-generated harmful factors
If chemical treatments are used to remove scale, then scale build-up is reduced, but environmental pollution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potential harm of water contact into a benefit by using aerosol mist that delivers water in such minimal and dispersed quantities that it prevents scale formation rather than causing it. This approach eliminates the need for chemical treatments entirely, avoiding the environmental pollution problem while solving the scale build-up issue
Solution Approach 2:
The aerosol-based cooling system is self-regulating in that the physical nature of aerosol delivery inherently prevents scale formation without requiring external chemical interventions. The system serves itself by using the properties of aerosol physics to prevent the problem that would otherwise require chemical treatment to solve
4Productivity
If more water is circulated in the system, then heat rejection capacity increases, but system size and electricity consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By changing water delivery from liquid to aerosol form, the invention dramatically increases heat transfer efficiency per unit of water. This allows the system to achieve the same or greater heat rejection capacity with far less water circulation, thereby reducing the size of water handling components and the energy required to pump and circulate water
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 system achieves efficient heat transfer with reduced water usage and minimal scale build-up, improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
mist generators that add mist droplets to air airflow contacting walls of a liquid conduit conducting a flow of heated liquid
Implementation Method 2
airflow carrying mist droplets with countercurrent and/or crosscurrent flow directions
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus including: (a) a liquid conduit with sealable connectors at opposite ends thereof and air conduits passing vertically therethrough; (b) one or more mist generators positioned to deliver mist to said air conduits; and (c) an airflow generator positioned and configured to move said mist through said air conduits.