SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

1.0

INTRODUCTION
The SOLTEQ Basic Cooling Tower Unit (Model: HE152) has been designed to
demonstrate students the construction, design and operational characteristics of a modern
cooling system. The unit resembles a full size forced draught cooling tower and it is
actually an "open system" through which two streams of fluid (in this case air and water)
pass and in which there is a mass transfer from one stream to the other. The unit is selfcontained supplied with a heating load and a circulating pump. Once energy and mass
balances are done, students will then be able to determine the effects on the performance
of the cooling tower by the following parameters:

a)
b)
c)

Temperature and flow rate of water

Relative Humidity and flow rate of air
Cooling load
Additionally, a Packing Characteristics Column (optional) is available for SOLTEQ Basic
Cooling Tower Unit (Model: HE152). This column is designed to facilitate study of water
and air conditions at three additional stations (I, II and III) within the column. This enables
driving force diagrams to be constructed and the determination of the Characteristic
Equation for the Tower.

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

2.0

GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS

2.1
Tower Unit

Components of the HE152 Basic Cooling

The unit comes complete with the following main

components:
i)

Load Tank
The load tank is made of stainless steel
having a capacity of approximately 9 litres.
The tank is fitted with two cartridge heaters,
0.5 kW and 1.0 kW each, to provide a total of
1.5 kW cooling load. A make-up tank is fixed
on top of the load tank. A float type valve at
the bottom of the make-up tank is to control
the amount of water flowing into the load tank.
A centrifugal type pump is supplied for
circulating the water from the load tank
through a flow meter to the top of the column,
into the basin and back to the load tank. A
temperature sensor and temperature
controller is fitted to load tank to prevent
overheating. A level switch is fitted to the load
tank so that when a low level condition occurs,
the heater and the pump will be switched off.
ii) Air Distribution Chamber
The stainless steel air distribution chamber
comes with a water collecting basin and a
one-side inlet centrifugal fan. The fan has a
capacity of approximately 235 CFM of air flow.
The air flow rate is adjustable by means of an
intake damper.
iii) Column and Packing
One packed column is available. The column
is a standard column that comes together with
this unit. The column is made of clear acrylic
with a square cross-sectional area of 225 cm 2
and a height of 60 cm. It comes with eight
decks of inclined packing. A top column that
fitted on top of the column comes standard
with a sharp edged orifice, a droplet arrester
and a water distribution system.
Packed column: 110 m2/m3

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

iv) Measurements
Temperature sensors are provided to measure
the inlet and outlet water temperatures as well
as the make-up tank water temperature. In
addition, temperature sensors have been
installed to measure the dry bulb and wet bulb
temperatures of inlet and outlet of the air. The
followings show the list of codes assigned to
each temperature sensors.
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7

Wet Bulb Temperature of the Outlet Air

Dry Bulb Temperature of the Outlet Air
Inlet Water Temperature
Outlet Water Temperature
Wet Bulb Temperature of the Inlet Air
Make-up Tank Water Temperature
Dry Bulb Temperature of the Inlet Air

An inclined manometer is provided for the

measurement of pressure drop across the
packed column. On the other hand, the
inclined manometer and the orifice are also
used to determine the air flow rate.
A flow meter is provided for the measurement
of water flow rate. The flow meter is ranged at
0.4 to 4 LPM.

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Orifice
Water Distributor
Packed Column
Flow meter
Receiver tank

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Air Blower
Differential Pressure Transmitter
Make-up Tank
Control Panel
Load tank

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

2.2

The Process Involved in the Operation

i)

Water Circuit
Water temperature in the load tank will be
increased before the water is pumped through
a control valve and flow meter to the column
cap. Before entering the column cap, the inlet
temperature of the water is measured and
then the water is uniformly distributed over the
top packing deck. This creates a large thin film
of water, which is exposed to the air stream.
The water gets cooled down, while passing
downward through the packing, due to the
evaporation process. The cooled water falls
into the basin below the lowest deck and
return to the load tank where it is re-heated
before re-circulation. The outlet temperature is
measured at a point just before the water
flows back into the load tank. Evaporation
causes the water level in the load tank to fall.
The amount of water lost by evaporation will
be automatically compensated by equal
amount from the make-up tank. At steady
state, this compensation rate equals the rate
of evaporation plus any small airborne
droplets discharged with the air.

ii) Air Circuit

A one-side inlet centrifugal fan draws the air
from the atmosphere into the distribution
chamber. The air flow rate is varied by means
of an intake damper. The air passes a dry bulb
temperature sensor and wet bulb temperature
sensors before it enters the bottom of the
packed column. While the air stream passes
through the packing, its moisture content
increases and the water temperature drops.
The air passes another duct detector
measuring its exit temperature and relative
humidity, then through a droplet arrester and
an orifice, and finally leaves the top of the
column into the atmosphere.
2.3

Overall Dimensions
Height
Width

:
:

1.25 m
0.91 m

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

Depth
2.4

0.45 m

General Requirements
Electricity
Water Supply

: 115VAC/1-phase/60Hz
: Laboratory Water Supply

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

3.0

SUMMARY OF THEORY
3.1

Basic Principle
First consider an air stream passing over the
surface of a warm water droplet or film. If we
assume that the water is hotter than the air, then
the water temperature will be cooled down by
radiation, conduction and convection, and
evaporation. The radiation effect is normally very
small and may be neglected. Conduction and
convection depend on the temperature difference,
the surface area, air velocity, etc. The effect of
evaporation is the most significant where cooling
takes place as water molecules diffuse from the
surface into the surrounding air. During the
evaporation process, the water molecules are
replaced by others in the liquid from which the
required energy is taken.

3.2

Evaporation from a Wet Surface

When considering evaporation from a wet surface into the surrounding air, the rate
is determined by the difference between the vapour pressure at the liquid surface
and the vapour pressure in the surrounding air. The vapour pressure at the liquid
surface is basically the saturation pressure corresponding with the surface
temperature, whereas the total pressure of the air and its absolute humidity
determines the vapour pressure in the surrounding air. Such evaporation process
in an enclosed space shall continue until the two vapour pressures are equal. In
other words, until the air is saturated and its temperature equals the surface.
However, if unsaturated air is constantly supplied, the wet surface will reach an
equilibrium temperature at which the cooling effect due to the evaporation equals
the heat transfer to the liquid by conduction and convection from the air, which
under these conditions; will be at a higher temperature. Under adiabatic conditions,
this equilibrium temperature is the "wet bulb temperature".
For a cooling tower of infinite size and with an adequate air flow, the water leaving
will be at the wet bulb temperature of the incoming air. Therefore, the difference
between the temperature of the water leaving a cooling tower and the local wet
bulb temperature is an indication of the effectiveness of the cooling tower. Thus,
"Approach to Wet Bulb", an important parameter of cooling towers, is the
difference between the temperature of the water leaving the tower and the wet
bulb temperature of the entering air.

3.3

Cooling Tower Performance

A study on the performance of a cooling tower can be done with the help of a
bench top unit. Students shall be able to verify the effect of these factors on the
cooling tower performance:

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Water flow rates

Water temperatures
Airflow rate
Inlet Air Relative Humidity
The effect of these factors will be studied in depth by varying it. In this way,
students will gain an overall view of the operation of cooling tower.

3.4

Thermodynamic Property
In order to understand the working principle and performance of a cooling tower, a
basic knowledge of thermodynamic is essential to all students. A brief review on
some of the thermodynamic properties is presented below.
At the triple point (i.e. 0.00602 atm and 0.01C), the specific enthalpy of saturated
water is assumed to be zero, which is taken as datum. The specific enthalpy of
saturated water (hf) at a range of temperatures above the datum condition can be
obtained from thermodynamic tables.
The specific enthalpy of compressed liquid is given by
h h f v f p p sat

(1)

The correction for pressure is negligible for the operating condition of the cooling
tower; therefore we can see that h hf at a given temperature.
Specific heat capacity (Cp) is defined as the rate of change of enthalpy with respect
to temperature (often called the specific heat at constant pressure). For the
purpose of experiment using bench top cooling tower, we may use the following
relationship:
h C p T

(2)

and
h C pT

(3)

Where Cp = 4.18 kJ.kg-1

3.4.1

Daltons and Gibbs Laws

It is commonly known that air consists of a
mixture of "dry air" (O 2, N2 and other
gases) and water vapour. Dalton and
Gibbs law describes the behaviour of such
a mixture as:
a) The total pressure of the air is equal to the sum of the pressures at
8

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

which the "dry air" and the water vapour each and alone would exert if
they were to occupy the volume of the mixture at the temperature of the
mixture.
b) The dry air and the water vapour respectively obey their normal
property relationships at their partial pressures.
c) The enthalpy of the mixture may be
found by adding together the
enthalpies at which the dry air and
water vapour each would have as the
sole occupant of the space occupied
by the mixture and at the same
temperature.
The Absolute or Specific Humidity is defined as follows:
Specific Humidity,

Mass of Water Vapour

Mass of Dry Air

(4)

The Relative Humidity is defined as follows:

Re lative Humidity,
Partial Pr essure of Water Vapour in the Air

Saturation Pr essure of Water Vapour at the same temperature

(5)
The Percentage Saturation is defined as follows:
Percentage Saturation
Mass of Water Vapour in a given Volume of Air

Mass of same vol of Sat Water Vapour at the same Temp

(6)
At high humidity conditions, it can be shown that there is not much
difference between the "Relative Humidity" and the "Percentage
Saturation" and thus we shall regard as the same.
To measure the moisture content of the atmosphere, this bench top
cooling tower unit is supplied with electronic dry bulb and wet bulb
temperature sensors. The temperature readings shall be used in
conjunction with a psychrometric chart.
3.4.2

Psychrometric Chart
The psychrometric chart is very useful in determining the properties of
air/water vapour mixture. Among the properties that can be defined with
psychrometric chart are Dry Bulb Temperature, Wet Bulb Temperature,
Relative Humidity, Humidity Ratio, Specific Volume, and Specific Enthalpy.
Knowing two of these properties, any other property can be easily
9

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

identified from the chart provided the air pressure is approximately

atmospheric.
In the Bench Top Cooling Tower application, the air inlet and outlet sensor
show the dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature. Therefore, the
specific enthalpy, specific volume, humidity ratio and relative humidity can
be readily read from the psychrometric chart.
The psychrometric chart provided with this manual is only applicable for
atmospheric pressure operating condition (1.013 bar). However, the error
resulting from variation of local atmospheric pressure normally is negligible
up to altitudes 500m above sea level.
3.5

Orifice Calibration
As mentioned above, the psychrometric chart can
be used to determine the value of the specific
volume. However, the values given in the chart are
for 1 kg of dry air at the stated total pressure.
However, for every 1 kg of dry air, there is w kg of
water vapour, yielding the total mass of 1 + w kg.
Therefore, the actual specific volume of the
air/vapour mixture is given by:
va

v ab
1

(7)

The mass flow rate of air and steam mixture

through the orifice is given by
m 0.0137

x
va

(8)
Where,
m = Mass flow rate of air/vapour mixture
va = Actual specific volume and
x = Orifice differential in mmH20.
Thus,

10

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

m 0.0137

x 1
v ab

(9)
The mass flow rate of dry air,
m a

1
Mass flow rate of air / vapor mixture
1

m a

1
x 1
0.0137
1
v ab

m a 0.0137

x
v a b 1

(10)
A simplification can be made since in this
application, the value of is unlikely to exceed
0.025. As such, neglecting wb would not yield
significant error.

3.6

Application of Steady Flow Energy Equation

Consider System A for the cooling tower defined
as in Figure 1. It can be seen that for this system,
indicated by the dotted line,
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Heat transfer at the load tank and possibly a small quantity to surroundings
Work transfer at the pump
Low humidity air enters at point A
High humidity air leaves at point B
Make-up enters at point E, the same amount as the moisture increase in the
air stream

11

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

m a

m E

m a
A

Work, P

Heat, Q

Figure 2: System A
From the steady flow equation,

Q P H exit H entry
Q P m a hda m s hs B m a hda m s hs A m E hE

(11)
Note: The pump power, P is a work input.
Therefore it is negative.
If the enthalpy of the air includes the enthalpy of the steam associated with it, and
this quantity is in terms of per unit mass of dry air, the equation may then be
written as:
Q P m a hB hA m E hE
(12)
Note:

a) The mass flow rate of dry air ( ma ) through a cooling tower is a constant,
whereas the mass flow rate of moist air increases as the result of evaporation
process.
b) The term m E hE can usually be neglected since its value is relatively small.
Under steady state conditions, by conservation of
mass, the mass flow rate of dry air and of water
(as liquid or vapour) must be the same at inlet and

12

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

outlet to any system.

Therefore,

m a A m a B
(13)
and

m s A m E m s B

or

m E m s B m s A
(14)
The ratio of steam to air ( ) is known for the
initial and final state points on the psychrometric
charts. Therefore,

m s A m a A

and
(15)

m s B m a B
(16)
Therefore,
m E m a B A
(17)

13

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

Say, we re-define the cooling tower system to be

as in Figure 2 where the process heat and pump
work does not cross the boundary of the system.
In this case warm water enters the system at point
C and cool water leaves at point D.

m a

m w
E

m E
m a
A
D

Figure 3: System B
Again from the steady flow energy equation,
Q P H exit H entry

and

P 0

Q may have a small value due to heat transfer between the unit and its
surroundings.
Q m a hB m w hD m a h A m w hC m E hE

(18)

Rearranging,

Q m a hB h A m w hD hC m E hE
m a hB h A m w C p t D t C m E hE
Again, the term m E hE can be neglected.

14

(19)

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

3.7

Characteristics Column Study

In order to study the packing characteristics, we define a finite element of the
tower (dz) as shown in Figure 3, the energy balances of the water and air streams
in the tower are related to the mass transfer by the following equation:
C pW m W dT K a dV h

(20)

where
C pW

= Specific heat capacity of water

m W = Mass flow rate of water per unit plan area of packing

T = Water Temperature
K = Mass Transfer Coefficient
a = Area of contact between air and water per unit volume of packing
V = Volume occupied by packing per unit plan area

h = Difference in specific enthalpy between the saturated boundary layer and

the bulk air

WATER
INLET

T2
H2
mw

t2
h2 AIR
ma OUTLET
dz

WATER
OUTLET

T1
H1
mw

t1
AIR
h1
INLET
ma

Figure 4: Schematic Representation of the Air and Water Streams entering and
leaving a Block of Packing
In this equation, we assume that the boundary layer temperature is equal to the
water temperature T and the small change in the mass of water is neglected.
Thus, from Equation 20,
K a dV C pW dT

m W
h

(21)

15

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

Integrating Equation 21,

Ka V
C pW
m W

T2

T1

dT
w ha

(22)

The numerical solution to the integral expression Equation 22 using Chebyshev

numerical method gives,
Ka V
C pW
m W

T2

T1

T T
dT
2 1
4
w ha

1
1
1
1

h1 h 2 h 3 h 4

(23)

Where
Ka V
m W = Tower Characteristic
h1 = value of h w h a at T2 0.1 T1 T2
h 2 = value of h w h a at T2 0.4T1 T2
h 3 = value of h w h a at T1 0.4 T1 T2
h 4 = value of h w h a at T1 0.1 T1 T2

Thermodynamics state that the heat removed from the water must be equal to the
heat absorbed by the surrounding air. Therefore, the following equation is derived:
L T2 T1 G h a 2 h a1

(24)

or,
L h a 2 h a1

T2 T1
G

(25)

Where,
L
G = Liquid to gas mass flow ratio
T1 = Cold water temperature
T2 = Hot water temperature
h a 2 = Enthalpy of air-water vapour mixture at exhaust wet-bulb temperature
h a1 = Enthalpy of air-water vapour mixture at inlet wet-bulb temperature

16

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

hw2 (Hot water Temp)

Enthalpy

Enthalpy
ForceLine
WaterDriving
Operating
(hw-ha)
D
C

ha2 (Air out)

hw1 (Cold water Temp)

Saturation Curve
ha1 (Air in)

Air Operating Line

A L/G

Approach

Range

Twb (In)

T1Twb
2 (Out)
Temperature

Figure 5: Graphical Representation of Tower Characteristics

The following represents a key to Figure 5:
BA = Initial enthalpy driving force
AD = Air operating line with slope L/G
Referring to Equation 22, the tower characteristics could be found by finding the
area between ABCD in Figure 4. Increasing heat load would have the following
effects on the diagram in Figure 4:
1. Increase in the length of line CD, and a CD line shift to the right
2. Increase in hot and cold water temperatures
3. Increase in range and approach areas
The increased heat load causes the hot water temperature to increase
considerably faster than does the cold water temperature. Although the area
ABCD should remain constant, it actually decreases about 2% for every 10 0F
increase in hot water temperature above 100 0F. To account for this decrease, an
"adjusted hot water temperature" is used in cooling tower design.

17

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

3.8

Useful Information
1.

Orifice Calibration Formula:

Mass flow rate of air and vapour mixture,
x 1
m 0.0137
v ab
The mass flow rate of dry air,
x
m a 0.0137
v a b 1
Where,
x = orifice differential in mmH20,
vaB
= specific volume of air at the outlet
= humidity ratio of the mixture

2.
3.

Pump Work Input = 80W (0.08kW)

Column Inner Dimension = 150 mm x 150 mm x 600 mm

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SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.0

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
4.1

General Operating Procedures

4.1.1

General Start-up Procedures

1. Check to ensure that valves V1 to V8 are closed.
2. Fill the load tank with distilled or deionised water. It is done by first
removing the make-up tank and then pouring the water through the
opening at the top of the load tank. Replace the make-up tank onto
the load tank and lightly tighten the nuts. Fill the tank with distilled or
deionised water.
3. Add distilled/deionised water to the wet bulb sensor reservoir to the
fullest.
4. Connect all appropriate tubing to the differential pressure sensor.
5. Install the appropriate cooling tower packing for the experiment.
6. Then, set the temperature set point of temperature controller to 50C.
Switch on the 1.0 kW water heater and heat up the water until
approximately 40C.
7. Switch on the pump and slowly open the control valve near the flow
meter and set the water flow rate to 2.0 LPM. Obtain a steady
operation where the water is distributed and flowing uniformly through
the packing.
8. Fully open the fan damper, and then switch on the fan. Check that the
differential pressure sensor is giving reading when the valve manifold
is switched to measure the orifice differential pressure.
9. Let the unit run for about 20 minutes, for the float valve to correctly
adjust the level in the load tank. Refill the makeup tank when required.
10. Now, the unit is ready for use.

i.
ii.

iii.
iv.
v.

Note:
It is strongly recommended that ONLY distilled or deionised water be
used in this unit. The impurities existing in tap water may cause the
depositing in cover tower.
Check that the pressure tubing for differential pressure measurement is
connected correctly.
(Leave V3 to atmosphere; connect the columns higher pressure tube
to V4, orifice pressure tube to V5 and columns lower pressure tube to
V6.)
To measure the differential pressure across the orifice, open valve V3
and V5; close valve V4 and V6.
To measure the differential pressure across the column, open valve V4
and V6; close valve V3 and V5.
Always make sure that no water is in the pressure tubing for accurate
differential pressure measurement.

19

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.1.2

General Shut-Down Procedure

1.Switch off heaters and let the water to circulate through the cooling
tower system for 3-5 minutes until the water is cooled down.
2.Switch off the fan and fully close the fan damper.
3.Switch off the pump and power supply.
4.Retain the water in reservoir tank for the following experiment.
5.Completely drain off the water from the unit if it is not in use.

4.2

Experiment 1: General Observation of the Forced Draught Cooling Tower

Objective:
To observe the process within a forced draught cooling tower
1. Perform the general start-up procedures and observe the forced draught
cooling tower process.
2. As the warm water enters the top of the tower, it is fed into channels from
which it flows via water distribution system onto the packing. The channels are
designed to distribute the water uniformly over the packing with minimum
splashing.
3. The packing surfaces are easily wetted and the water spreads over the
surfaces to expose a large area to the air stream.
4. The cooled water falls from the lowest packing into the basin and then is
pumped to the simulated load in the load tank.
5. During the process, some water is lost due to the evaporation. Thus, "makeup" water must be supplied to keep the amount of water in the cooling system
constant. The make-up is observed flowing past the float-controlled valve in
the load tank.
6. A droplet arrester, or mist eliminator is fitted at the tower outlet to minimize
loss of water due to escape of droplets of water (resulted from splashing, etc.)
which is entrained in the air stream. This loss does not contribute to the
cooling, but must be made good by "make-up". The droplet arrester causes
droplets to coalesce, forming drops that are too large to be entrained and thus
the droplets fall back into the packing.
7. The fan drives the air upward through the wet packing. At air outlet, the air
leaving the cooling tower is almost saturated, i.e. Relative Humidity is ~100%.
The Relative Humidity at the air outlet is much higher than the Relative
Humidity at the air inlet. The increase in the moisture content of air is due to
the evaporation of water into steam and the "latent heat" for this account for
most of the cooling effect.
8. When the cooling load is switched off and the unit is allowed to stabilize, it is
found that the water leaves the basin at temperature close to the wet bulb
temperature of the air entering. Wet bulb temperature is lower than the dry
bulb temperature and this varies according to the local atmospheric conditions
(i.e. pressure and relative humidity).
9. With no load, the water would be cooled to the incoming wet bulb temperature.
However, the condition cannot be achieved since the work done by the pump
transfers about 80W to the water.

20

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.3

Experiment 2: End State Properties of Air and Steady Flow Equations

Objective:
To determine the end state properties of air and water from tables or charts
To determine Energy and mass balances using the steady flow equation on the
selected systems
Procedure:
1. Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to Section 4.1.1.
2. Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about 15
minutes.
Water flow rate
: 2.0 LPM
Air Flow
: Maximum
Cooling load
: 1.0 kW
3. Fill up the make-up tank with distilled water, record the initial water level and
then start the stop watch.
4. Determine the make-up water supply in an interval of 10 minutes.
5. In this 10 minutes interval, record a few sets of the measurements (e.g.
temperatures (T1T7), orifice differential pressure (DP1), water flow rate (FT1)
and heater power (Q1)), then obtain the mean value for calculation and
analysis.
6. Determine the quantity of make-up water that has been supplied during the
time interval by noting the height reduction in the make-up tank.
7. The observation may be repeated at different conditions:
i.
Different water flow rates
ii.
Different air flow rates
iii.
Different load
Assignment:
1. Calculate the make-up rate.
2. Calculate the energy and mass balances by using the steady flow equation.

21

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.4

Experiment 3: Investigation of the Effect of Cooling Load on Wet Bulb

Approach
Objective:
To investigate the effect of cooling load on Wet Bulb Approach
Procedure:
1. Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to Section 4.1.1.
2. Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about 15
minutes.
Water flow rate : 2.0 LPM
Air Flow
: Maximum
Cooling load
: 0.5 kW
3. After the system stabilizes, record a few sets of measurements (e.g. air inlet
wet bulb and dry bulb temperature (T5 and T7), water outlet temperature (T4),
orifice differential pressure (DP1), water flow rate (FT1) and heater power
(Q1)), then obtain the mean value for calculation and analysis.
4. Without changes in the conditions, increase the cooling load to 1.0 kW. When
the system stabilized, record all data.
5. Similarly, repeat the experiment at 1.5 kW.
6. Finally, measure the cross sectional area of the column.
7. The four tests may be repeated at another constant airflow.
8. The experiment may also be repeated at different:
i. Water flow rates
ii. Air flow rates
iii. Load
Assignment:
1. Calculate the approach to wet bulb and total cooling load.
2. Plot a graph to show that the relationship between cooling loads and
approach to wet bulb temperature.

22

SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.5

Experiment 4: Investigation of the Effect of Air Velocity on Wet bulb

Approach and Pressure Drop through the Packing
Objective:
To investigate the effect of air velocity on:
(a)
Wet Bulb Approach
(b)
The pressure drop through the packing
Procedure:
1. Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to Section 4.1.1.
2. Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about 15
minutes.
Water flow rate
: 2.0 LPM
Air flow rate
: Maximum
Cooling load
: 1.0 kW
3. After the system stabilizes, record a few sets of measurements (i.e.
temperature (T1-T5 and T7), orifice differential pressure (DP1), water flow rate
(FT1), heater power (Q1) and pressure drop across packing (DP2)), then obtain
the mean value for calculation and analysis.
4. Repeat the test with 3 different sets of orifice pressure drop values (75%, 50%
and 25% of the maximum value) without changing the water flow rate and
cooling loads. This can be done by adjusting the opening of the fan damper.
5. Finally, measure the cross sectional area of the column.
6. The test may be repeated at another constant:
i. Load
ii. Water flow rate
Assignment:
1. Calculate the nominal velocity of air and find the approach to wet bulb.
2. Plot a graph to show that the relationship between approach to wet bulb and
packing pressure drop versus nominal air velocity.

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SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

4.6

Experiment 5: Investigation of the Relationship between Cooling Load and

Cooling Range
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between cooling load and cooling range
Procedure:
1. Prepare and start the cooling tower with according to Section 4.1.1.
2. Set the system under the following conditions and allow stabilizing for about 15
minutes:
Water flow rate
: 2.0 LPM
Air flow rate
: Maximum
Cooling load
: 0.5 kW
3. After the system stabilized, record a few sets of measurements (e.g.
temperature (T1-T5 and T7), orifice differential pressure (DP1), water flow rate
(FT1) and heater power (Q1)), then obtain the mean value for calculation and
analysis
4. Without changes in the conditions, increase the cooling load to 1.0 kW. When
the system stabilized, record all data.
5. Similarly, repeat the experiment at 1.5 kW.
6. The tests may be repeated at other constant:
i. Water flow rate
ii. Air flow rate
Assignment:
1. Plot a graph to show that the relationship between cooling loads and cooling
range.

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SOLTEQ BENCH TOP COOLING TOWER UNIT (MODEL: HE152)

5.0

REFERENCES
Perry, R.H., Green, D.W. and Maloney, J.O., Perrys Chemical Engineering
Handbook, 6th Edition, McGraw Hill, 1984.

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