# US 10,320,266 B2 · Cooling tower having thermally managed motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,266 B2 - Document ID: US10320266B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/327,864 - Filed: 2015-07-21 - Published: 2017-07-20 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-21 - Assignees: Prime Datum Development Company, LLC - Applicants: Prime Datum, Inc. - Inventors: Patrick M. Rollins; George Lucas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320266B2 ## CPC - H02K 5/132: Submersible electric motors (H02K5/128 takes precedence) - H02K 9/06: with fans or impellers driven by the machine shaft - F28C 1/00: Direct-contact trickle coolers, e.g. cooling towers (building construction E04H5/12; enclosed spaces cooled by trickle F25; components parts of trickle coolers F28F25/00; {indirect-contact cooling towers F28B1/06}) - F28F 25/06: Spray nozzles or spray pipes - F28F 25/10: for feeding gas or vapour - H02K 1/32: with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium - H02K 3/30: Windings characterised by the insulating material - H02K 5/10: with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers - H02K 7/14: Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) - H02K 9/02: by ambient air flowing through the machine - H02K 9/22: by solid heat conducting material embedded in, or arranged in contact with, the stator or rotor, e.g. heat bridges - H02K 9/227: {Heat sinks} - F28C 2001/006: {Systems comprising cooling towers, e.g. for recooling a cooling medium} - F28F 2025/005: {Liquid collection; Liquid treatment; Liquid recirculation; Addition of make-up liquid} - F28F 2250/08: Fluid driving means, e.g. pumps, fans - Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - F28C: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION (safety devices in general F16P; fluid heaters having heat generating means F24H; with an intermediate heat-transfer medium coming into direct contact with heat-exchange media F28D15/00 - F28D19/00; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general application F28F) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The present invention is directed to a cooling tower that has a cooling tower structure having fill material supported by the cooling tower structure and configured to receive heated process fluid and a motor mounted to the cooling tower structure. The motor has a casing and a rotatable shaft and is sealed to prevent fluids, moisture, foreign particles and contaminants from entering the casing. A fan is connected to the rotatable shaft of the motor. Rotation of the rotatable shaft rotates the fan thereby inducing an upward moving mass flow of cool air through the fill material. A basin is attached to the cooling tower structure for collecting cooled fluid. A fluid distribution system distributes the cooled fluid in the basin. The fluid distribution system has a pumping device to pump cooled fluid from the basin, fluid piping to receive the pumped cooled fluid and fluid spray devices fluidly connected to the fluid piping for spraying fluid on the casing of the motor so as to transfer heat of the casing to the fluid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling tower comprising: a cooling tower structure; fill material supported by the cooling tower structure and configured to receive heated process fluid; a motor mounted to the cooling tower structure, the motor comprising a casing and a rotatable shaft, the motor being sealed to prevent fluids, moisture, foreign particles and contaminants from entering the casing; a fan connected to the rotatable shaft of the motor, wherein rotation of the rotatable shaft rotates the fan thereby inducing an upward moving mass flow of cool air through the fill material; a basin attached to the cooling tower structure for collecting cooled fluid; and a fluid distribution system to distribute the cooled fluid in the basin, the fluid distribution system comprising a pumping device to pump cooled fluid from the basin, fluid piping to receive the pumped cooled fluid and at least one fluid spray device fluidly connected to the fluid piping for spraying fluid on the casing of the motor so as to cause a transfer of heat from the casing to the fluid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling tower according to claim 1 wherein the cooling tower structure further comprises a fan stack, wherein the fan rotates within the fan stack. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling tower according to claim 1 wherein the at least one fluid spray device comprises a spray nozzle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling tower according to claim 1 wherein the at least one fluid spray device is located beside the motor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cooling tower according to claim 1 wherein the fluid piping comprises a plurality of fluid pipes located at predetermined locations about the motor, wherein at least one fluid spray device is fluidly connected to each fluid pipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cooling tower according to claim 5 wherein the fluid pipes are substantially vertical. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling tower according to claim 1 wherein the fluid distribution system comprises a cooling tower spray bar positioned over the motor, the fluid distribution system further comprising a plurality of fluid spray devices that are fluid connected to the cooling tower spray bar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cooling tower according to claim 7 wherein the fill material comprises two sections and wherein the motor is positioned between the sections of fill material. ### Claim 9 A cooling tower comprising: a cooling tower structure; fill material supported by the cooling tower structure and configured to receive heated process fluid; a basin attached to the cooling tower structure for collecting cooled fluid; a sealed, load bearing electric motor comprising a casing, and a rotatable shaft, the electric motor being positioned within the basin so that the cooled fluid in the basin contacts the casing of the motor such that heat of the casing is transferred to the fluid; and a fan connected to the rotatable shaft of the motor, wherein rotation of the rotatable shaft rotates the fan to induce an upward moving mass flow of cool air through the fill material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The cooling tower according to claim 9 further comprising a fluid distribution system to distribute fluid to the fill material.