3 Main Types of Water Loss in Cooling Tower
3 Main Types of Water Loss in Cooling Tower
There are three main types of water loss in a cooling tower that need to be considered when calculating the make-up water tank volume:
- Evaporation loss: This is the primary type of loss, and it occurs as water from the cooling tower evaporates into the air due to the cooling process. The rate of evaporation is influenced by factors like the temperature difference between the incoming and outgoing water, the humidity of the air, and the cooling tower’s efficiency.
- Blowdown loss: This loss is intentional and necessary to prevent the concentration of dissolved solids in the cooling tower water from becoming too high. As water evaporates, it leaves behind dissolved solids, which can lead to scaling and corrosion within the cooling tower if not managed. A portion of the concentrated water is periodically drained (blown down) and replaced with fresh water to maintain acceptable water quality.
- Drift loss: This is a small amount of water that escapes the cooling tower as mist or droplets carried by the air. The rate of drift loss is influenced by the design and efficiency of the drift eliminators in the cooling tower.
Therefore, to determine the required make-up water volume, you need to calculate the sum of these three individual losses:
Make-up water = Evaporation loss + Blowdown loss + Drift loss
By knowing the rate of each type of water loss, you can then determine the volume of make-up water needed to maintain the desired water level in the cooling tower over a specific time period.