Cooling Tower Evaluator
Advanced Thermodynamics, Psychrometrics & Fan Sizing.
Theory & Information About This Tool
Welcome to the Cooling Tower Performance Simulator. This tool evaluates both the thermodynamic heat rejection and the psychrometric air-water mass balance, which is crucial for sizing utility cooling modules in heavy industrial facilities and offshore topside environments.
⚙️ How It Works
Cooling towers operate on the principle of evaporative cooling. The engine calculates the fundamental thermal metrics (Range and Approach) and evaluates the intricate water mass balance required to prevent scaling and bio-fouling. Simultaneously, it uses the CoolProp library to resolve psychrometric air states and determine the critical Liquid-to-Gas (L/G) ratio.
1. Core Variables & Output Explained
The calculated results are grouped into distinct engineering categories for easy interpretation:
- Cooling Range (ΔT): The temperature difference between the hot return water and the cold supply water.
Range = Thot - Tcold - Approach: The difference between the cold water temperature and the ambient Wet Bulb temperature. This is the ultimate physical limiting factor for cooling.
Approach = Tcold - Twet_bulb - Tower Thermal Efficiency: Represents the percentage of the physical cooling limit achieved.
Efficiency (%) = [Range / (Range + Approach)] × 100
- Evaporation Loss (E): Calculated empirically based on the latent heat of vaporization. Roughly 0.153% of the circulating flow per 1°C of range.
- Cycles of Concentration (COC): The ratio of dissolved solids (TDS) in the circulating water versus the make-up water. Determines blowdown requirements.
- Blowdown (B): Controlled discharge of water to prevent TDS from exceeding solubility limits.
B = E / (COC - 1) - Drift Loss (D): Entrained water droplets carried out by the air stream. Typically assumed at 0.005% for modern drift eliminators.
The fundamental energy balance matches the heat lost by the water to the enthalpy gained by the air stream:
- Liquid-to-Gas (L/G) Ratio: Derived from the energy balance above, this is a critical mechanical sizing parameter dictating fill packing depth and fan motor power requirements.
- Expert Warnings: Actively evaluates metrics against industry heuristics to flag freezing risks, PVC fill degradation (if return water > 55°C), and required metallurgy for seawater make-up applications.