Polymer Bag Dry Cooling Tower With Spacers for Low Airflow Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of air-cooled heat exchangers and hydraulic resistance in dry cooling towers pose significant challenges, particularly in natural air draft systems, necessitating a more cost-effective and efficient design.
Innovation Solution
A dry cooling tower design utilizing flexible materials such as polymer films, laminated polymer films, or thin waterproof impregnated fabrics, arranged in flat plate units with spacers, and featuring specific seam patterns to form ducts for fluid flow, supported by a metal carcass with spacers and manifolds for air circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional air-cooled heat exchangers are used in dry cooling towers, then heat exchange function is provided, but the cost of heat exchangers increases significantly and hydraulic resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible polymer films as heat exchange surfaces instead of traditional rigid metal exchangers. The films are stretched between spacers to create corrugated structures that provide both mechanical stability and large surface area for heat exchange, significantly reducing material cost while maintaining functional performance
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple modular elements, each consisting of polymer films stretched between spacers. These modular elements can be independently manufactured and assembled, reducing overall system cost and improving manufacturability while maintaining effective heat exchange area
2Ease of manufacture
If polymer films are used to reduce heat exchanger cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but structural stability and pressure resistance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer films are stretched to create corrugated or curved surfaces between spacers. This curvature provides structural rigidity and pressure resistance to the flexible films, allowing them to withstand operating pressures while maintaining low cost and high surface area for heat exchange
Solution Approach 2:
Rigid spacers are introduced as intermediary structures to support the flexible polymer films. The spacers maintain fixed distances between film surfaces, provide structural stability, and enable the films to resist pressure differences while keeping the overall system cost low
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 design reduces the cost of heat exchangers and improves hydraulic efficiency, enhancing the overall performance and economic viability of dry cooling towers.
Implementation Method 1
a dry cooling tower, which comprises a plurality of flat plate heat-exchanging units arranged in parallel
Implementation Method 2
flat plate units with spacers, and featuring specific seam patterns to form ducts for fluid flow
Implementation Method 3
supported by a metal carcass with spacers and manifolds for air circulation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dry cooling tower that replaces traditional metal finned tubes with rectangular polymer bags. Three spacers are positioned between adjacent polymer bags to restrict buckling and minimize airflow resistance. This configuration enhances structural stability and improves heat dissipation while significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to conventional designs. The design optimizes thermal performance while maintaining efficient cooling operation in industrial applications.