String-Thick-Plate Cooling Tower Fill Without Spacers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling towers using PVC film fills packs face issues such as reduced cooling efficiency due to water uneven distribution, air resistance from spacers, and the formation of scales and fouling, which decrease the service life and effectiveness of the cooling process.
Innovation Solution
The String-Thick-Plate (STP) technology, which employs a rectangular frame with vertical-string-screens on both sides, allows for efficient water flow and air interaction, preventing scales and fouling, and is made from inert materials like polyester and aluminum for durability and longevity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If PVC film fills packs are used with spacers to maintain separation, then structural support is provided, but air resistance increases and cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes spacers from the fill pack structure entirely. The PVC film fills are assembled without spacers, allowing air to flow freely through the pack without resistance, thereby eliminating the trade-off between structural support and cooling efficiency that spacers created
Solution Approach 2:
The PVC film fills are pre-assembled into packs with proper separation and alignment before installation. This preliminary assembly ensures structural integrity is achieved through the film fills themselves rather than requiring spacers, thus maintaining cooling efficiency while providing necessary structural support
2Ease of manufacture
If water is sprayed directly onto film fills without uniform distribution, then simple water supply is achieved, but water flows unevenly and cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates local quality variations in the film fill pack by incorporating corrugated sections with different profiles. These corrugated sections have varying depths and orientations that naturally guide and distribute water flow uniformly across the fill pack surface, transforming simple water supply into effective uniform distribution without complex mechanisms
3Area of stationary object
If corrugated shape fills are used to increase surface area, then more contact area between water and air is provided, but scales and fouling are created reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses corrugated sections with specific local quality characteristics - smooth surfaces in water flow paths and controlled corrugation patterns - that increase surface area for heat exchange while preventing scale and fouling accumulation. The corrugations are designed to maintain smooth water flow without creating eddies or stagnant zones where fouling would occur
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the film fill surface by introducing controlled corrugations with specific dimensions and patterns. These parameter changes increase the effective surface area for heat transfer while the smooth nature of the corrugated surfaces prevents scale and fouling deposition, thereby extending service life
4Ease of manufacture
If attachment tabs are used to join PVC film fills, then assembly is achieved, but scales and fouling form on attachment tabs decreasing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes attachment tabs from the design entirely. The PVC film fills are joined and secured without attachment tabs, eliminating the source of scale and fouling accumulation while maintaining assembly capability through alternative methods that do not create fouling-prone structures
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
STP technology enhances water cooling efficiency, extends service life, reduces fabrication time and costs, and allows for flexible installation in various cooling tower shapes, while maintaining mechanical strength and ease of disposal.
Implementation Method 1
flowing down of water on the surface of the vertical or slanted string by gravity
Implementation Method 2
surface tension of string strong enough to hold the water on the surface of string against the strength of draughts in cooling towers
Implementation Method 3
the water transfers some of its preserving heat in it into the cooling air by evaporation and convection process
Implementation Method 4
the water transfers some of its preserving heat in it into the cooling air by evaporation and convection process
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fabrication of rectangular shape string-thick-plate and square columnar string-thick-plate pack fabricated by joining a multiplicity of string-thick-plates for use as fill media in cooling towers. The string-thick-plate consists of two vertical-string-screens, on both sides of plate, fabricated by winding one long string over semicircular holes on the top and bottom frames of the string-thick-plate. Intervals between adjacent strings of the vertical-string-screens are designed to preserve a maximum optimized surface area of the strings being able to obtain a maximum cooling efficiency of the string-thick-plate pack. The string-thick-plates are designed to be assembled into upright and tilted string-thick-plate packs, which are installed uprightly and slantly in cross- and counter-current cooling towers, respectively. The string-thick-plates of the present invention tremendously reduce the fabrication cost of a large square columnar string fill pack in one structure.