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.
Claims20
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 and a second set of passageways in fluid communication with a second flow duct;
- a second heat exchanger module having a third set of passageways in fluid communication with a third flow duct and a fourth set of passageways in fluid communication with a fourth flow duct;
- a first bypass flow path that extends between said first heat exchanger module and said second heat exchanger module;
- and
- an air current generator that directs air through said first, second, third, fourth sets of passageways and bypass flow path through the cooling tower.
A method for reducing the heat content of an air stream in a cooling tower, comprising:
- directing a first air stream through a first set of passageways of a first heat exchanger module;
- directing a second air stream through a separate, second set of passageways of the first heat exchanger module;
- directing a third air stream through a third set of passageways of a second heat exchanger module and through a first bypass path;
- directing a fourth air stream through a separate, fourth set of passageways of the second heat exchanger module;
- and
- transferring heat from said first air stream into said second air stream.
A cooling tower comprising:
- means for directing a first air stream through a first set of passageways of a first heat exchanger module;
- means for directing a second air stream through a separate, second set of passageways of the first heat exchanger module;
- means for directing a third air stream through a third set of passageways of a second heat exchanger;
- means for directing a fourth air stream through a separate, fourth set of passageways of the second heat exchanger module and through a bypass path;
- and
- means for transferring heat from said first air stream into said second air stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.