CROSSFLOWorCOUNTERFLOWCOOLINGTOWER.

EvaluationbyHenkP.Janssen,operationalandengineeringdirectorWACONInternationalLtd:

COOLINGTOWERSELECTION:
Cooling towers aredesigned and manufactured in manysizes andconfigurations. Recognizingandunderstanding the
differentconfigurationsandadvantagesisessentialforspecifyingthemostcosteffectivesolutionfortheenduser.The
purpose of this bulletin is to highlight the differences between crossflow and counterflow cooling towers. Also a
recommendationisgiven,wereeachtypeoftowershouldbespecified.

COOLINGTOWEROVERVIEW
Theprimarytaskofacoolingtoweristorejectheatintotheatmosphere.Thisheatrejectionisaccomplishedthrough
the natural process of evaporation that takes place when air and water is brought into direct contact in the cooling
tower.Theevaporationismostefficientwhenthemaximumwatersurfaceareaisexposedtothemaximumflowofair
inthelongestpossibleperiodoftime.

Cooling towers are designed in two different configurations, counterflow and crossflow. The specific configuration
indicatesthedirectionoftheairflowinrelationtothewaterflow.Coolingwaterdistributionandairdistributionare
designedinaharmoniousconfigurationandareequallyimportanttodetermineamaximumefficiencyinheatrejection.

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WACON WHITE PAPER COUNTERFLOW VS CROSSFLOW COOLING TOWERS


HOTWATERDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
The overall efficiency of a cooling tower is directly related to the design of the towers water distribution and heat
exchangesurface.Thedesignofthedistributionsystemaffectsthepumpheadtobringthehotwatertothetowerinlet.
Dependingonthetypeofdistributionsystemthepumpheadrequiredisthestaticliftplustherequiredpressureatthe
distributor.

Counterflowtowersingeneraluselowpressurespraynozzlestodividethehotwaterequallyovertheinfillsurfacein
finedroplets.Adrifteliminatorsectionabovethewaterdistributionrejectsallthewaterinliquidformandkeepsthisin
thecirculatingsystem.Onlywaterevaporatedintheairleavesthetowerwiththesaturatedair.Anozzledistributionis
sensitivetochangesinwaterflowthusitaffectstheoverallefficiency.
Theairmovementisverticallythroughthefillincounterflowtothedownwardsfallofthewater.Counterflowtowers
haveingeneralasmallerfootprintthancrossflowtowersbutrequireahigherpumpheadduetothetypicaldistribution
systemwithnozzles.

Crossflowtowersuseadistinctlydifferenttypeofwaterdistribution.Thehotwaterisdistributedtothefillbygravity
thought perforated basins sometimes supported by metering orifices in the floor plate of the distribution basin. The
waterrunsdownovertheinfillsurfaceasafinefilm.Theairturbulatesinthehoneycombinfillstructuretomaximize
thecontactwiththehotwater.Thehotwaterentersthedistributionsystematatmosphericpressure.Thepumphead
required is in general the tower height as static lift. The air movement is horizontally through the infill, across the
downwardfallofthewater.

Compared to crossflow towers, counter flow towers may require up to 0.5 bar / 7 PSI pressure at the water inlet to
achieveanefficientwaterdistributioninthetower.Thisleadstohigheroperationalcostsinpumpenergyconsumption.

AIRFLOWDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS
Cooling tower performance is also related to the amount of air moving through the tower and coming into direct
contactwiththewater.
Incrossflowtowerstheaircomesintotheinfilloverthetotalinfillheight.Duetothefanconfigurationontopofthe
towertheairdistributionisnotequaloverthewholeinletsurface.
In counterflow towers the air passes through the air inlet louvers and bends into the infill section. The inlet louvers
rejectsplashwatercomingoutofthetowerandcreateaslightlyhigherairsidepressuredrop.
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WACON WHITE PAPER COUNTERFLOW VS CROSSFLOW COOLING TOWERS

NOISE
Noiseisacriticalitemincoolingtowers.Themovementofairandthemovementofwaterarethemainsources.The
fan,gearandmotorareresponsibleforthemechanicalnoiseproductionwerethewaterdistributionisadded.
Silencersareusedtoreducethespreadingofnoisebutmoreimportantistheselectionoftherighttypeoftowerand
componentsinatowerwhennoiseisacriticalitem.
Thefanproducesatypicalsoundcharacterinlowerfrequencies.Whenthefanisclosetoanobstacle,e.g.asupportfor
thegearitwillproduceachopnoise,whichalsohaseffectontheforceoftheblade.
Gear boxes are typical loud sources were Vbelts, if installed and serviced well have a lower impact. Motors have a
typicalnoiseatfullload.
Incounterflowtowersthewaterproducesarainnoiseinthesprayingareaaswellwhenitisfallingfromtheinfillonto
thewatersurface.Incrossflowtowersthenoiseofwaterisnearlyabsent.

TOWERCHARACTERISTICS

CROSSFLOWTOWERS
+ Lowpumpinghead,thusloweroperationalcost.
+ Acceptsvariationsinwaterflowwithoutchangingthedistributionsystem
+ Easymaintenanceaccesstovitalparts.
+ Reduceddriftlossduetotheabsenceofwaterdroplets.
+ Lowerinnoiseduetoabsenceofwaternoise.
Largerfootprintofthetower.
Largeairinletsurfacemakesicingdifficulttocontrol.
Tendencyofunevenairdistributionthroughtheinfillduetothelargeinletsurface.

COUNTERFLOWTOWERS
+ Thecoldestwatercomesincontactwiththedriestairmaximizingtowerperformance.
+ Smallerfootprintofthetower
+ Smallertowerheightduetocompactinfill.
+ Moreefficientair/watercontactduetodropletdistribution.
Noiseproductionduetosprayingandfallingwater.
Directsunlightinthetowerbasinmighttriggeralgaegrowth.
Waterdistributionsystemmightclogduetowaterbornedebris.
Uneasymaintenanceofwaterdistributionsystem.
Driftlossduetodropletdistributionsystem.
Icingoftheairinletlouversinwintertime.

CONCLUSIONSandRECOMENDATIONS
Theairdistributionsystemsforcounterflowandcrossflowtowershaveadvantagesanddisadvantagesinherentintheir
respectivedesigns.

Bothtowersystemsaredesignedtoarequiredcoolingtowerdutythusthethermalperformanceandcoolingcapability
forbothtowersystems,ifdesignedwell,areequal.

Crossflowtowersshouldbespecifiedwhenthefollowingspecificationsareimportant:
Tominimizepumphead.
Tominimizepumpingandpipingcost.
Tominimizeoperatingcost.
Whennoiselimitationsareasignificantfactor.
Whenvarianceinhotwaterflowisexpected.
Wheneasymaintenanceisaconcern

Counterflowtowersshouldbespecifiedwhenthefollowingspecificationsareimportant:
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WACON WHITE PAPER COUNTERFLOW VS CROSSFLOW COOLING TOWERS
 Whenspace(footprint)isrestricted.
Whenicingisofextremeconcern.
Whenpumpingisdesignedforadditionalpressuredrop.

CAUTION:
Never replace crossflow with counterflow towers or vice versa without engineering evaluation of the total cooling
systemandpumpsystems.

HenkP.Janssen

ReviewedDecember2012.

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WACON WHITE PAPER COUNTERFLOW VS CROSSFLOW COOLING TOWERS