Air-to-air heat exchanger bypass for wet cooling tower apparatus and method
AssigneeSPX Cooling Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEldon F. Mockry, Kenneth P. Mortensen, Craig J. Hickman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cooling tower having an evaporative media along with a liquid distribution system that distributes hot liquid over the evaporative media. The cooling tower includes a pair of heat exchanger modules that each have a first set of passageways in fluid communication with a first flow duct and a second set of passageways in fluid communication with a second flow duct. The heat exchanger module transfers heat from a first air stream into a second air stream. The cooling tower further includes a first bypass flow path that extends between the first heat exchanger module and the second heat exchanger module whereby a bypass door regulates airflow there through.
Claims17
A cooling tower having a vertical axis, comprising:
- an evaporative media located at a first position along the vertical axis;
- a liquid distribution system that distributes hot liquid over said evaporative media;
- a first heat exchanger module having a first set of passageways in fluid communication with a first flow duct configured to receive a first air stream and a second set of passageways in fluid communication with a second flow duct configured to receive a second air stream, wherein said first heat exchanger module is positioned at a second vertical position;
- a second heat exchanger module having a third set of passageways in fluid communication with a third flow duct configured to receive a third air stream and a fourth set of passageways in fluid communication with a fourth flow duct configured to receive a fourth air stream wherein said second heat exchanger module is positioned at a third vertical position above said second vertical position such that said first heat exchanger module and said second heat exchanger module are offset;
- a gap between said first heat exchanger module and said second heat exchanger module wherein said gap defines a first bypass flow path,
- wherein said first bypass flow path extends between said first heat exchanger module and said second heat exchanger module, the first bypass flow path being configured such that it prevents one of the air streams from traversing through the first and second heat exchanger modules;
- and
- an air current generator that directs air through said first, second, third, fourth sets of passageways and first bypass flow path through the cooling tower.
A cooling tower having a vertical axis, comprising:
- an evaporative media located at a first position along the vertical axis;
- a liquid distribution system that distributes hot liquid over said evaporative media;
- a first heat exchanger module having a first set of passageways in fluid communication with a first flow duct configured to receive a first air stream and a second set of passageways in fluid communication with a second flow duct configured to receive a second air stream, wherein said first heat exchanger module is oriented in a diamond shaped geometry having a first corner;
- a second heat exchanger module having a third set of passageways in fluid communication with a third flow duct configured to receive a third air stream and a fourth set of passageways in fluid communication with a fourth flow duct configured to receive a fourth air stream wherein said second heat exchanger module is oriented in a diamond shaped geometry having a second corner were in said first corner and second corner are adjacent one another;
- a gap between said first corner and said second corner wherein said gap defines a first bypass flow path,
- wherein said first bypass flow path extends between said first heat exchanger module and said second heat exchanger module, the first bypass flow path being configured such that it prevents one of the air streams from traversing through the first and second heat exchanger modules;
- and
- an air current generator that directs air through said first, second, third, fourth sets of passageways and first bypass flow path through the cooling tower.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.