# US 2019/0170459 A1 · Modular heat exchange tower and method of assembling same

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- Number: US 2019/0170459 A1
- Document ID: US20190170459A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/202,529
- Filed: 2018-11-28
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Spx Cooling Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Eric RASMUSSEN; Mark DAVISON; Dustin JENKINS; John DALTON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170459A1

## CPC

- F28F 25/10: for feeding gas or vapour
- E04H 5/12: Cooling towers
- F28C 1/02: with counter-current only
- F28F 25/02: for distributing, circulating, and accumulating liquid (spraying or atomising in general B05B, B05D)
- F28F 25/04: Distributing or accumulator troughs
- F28F 25/06: Spray nozzles or spray pipes
- F28F 2025/005: {Liquid collection; Liquid treatment; Liquid recirculation; Addition of make-up liquid}
- Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- E04H: BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL (foundations E02D)
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a modular heat exchange tower that has a plurality of air inlet modules each having stanchion disposed therein. The modular heat exchange tower also includes a series of heat exchange modules positioned above the air inlet modules along with a series of plenum modules position above said heat exchange modules.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A modular heat exchange tower that extends vertically along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
a first air inlet module comprising a first stanchion;
a second air inlet module comprising a second air stanchion;
a third air inlet module comprising a third stanchion;
a fourth air inlet module comprising a fourth stanchion;
a first heat exchange module, wherein said first heat exchange module is positioned vertically adjacent and spans said first and said second air inlet modules;
a second heat exchange module, wherein said second heat exchange module is positioned vertically adjacent and spans said second and said third air inlet modules; and
a first plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the first heat exchange module and said second heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis wherein said first plenum module comprises an air current generator disposed therein.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 1, further comprising:
a third heat exchange module, wherein said third heat exchange module is positioned laterally between said first and said second heat exchange modules;
a second plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the second heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis; and
a third plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the third heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 2, wherein said first, second, third and fourth air inlet modules are factory assembled.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 3, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first liquid distribution system; said second heat exchange module comprises a second liquid distribution system; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third liquid distribution system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 4, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first fill section; said second heat exchange module comprises a second fill section; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third fill section.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 5, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first drift eliminator disposed above said first liquid distribution system; said second heat exchange module comprises a second drift eliminator disposed above said second liquid distribution system; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third drift eliminator disposed above said third liquid distribution system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 5, wherein each of said first, second and third liquid distribution systems comprise a plurality of nozzles.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 5, wherein each of said first, second and third fill sections is counterflow fill.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first cold water basin disposed within said first stanchion;
a second cold water basin disposed within said second stanchion;
a third cold water basin disposed within said third stanchion; and
a fourth cold water basin disposed within said fourth stanchion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 1 wherein said air current generator is a fan assembly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 1, further comprising:
a modular cold water collection basin, the modular cold water collection basin comprising:
a cold water collection basin module; and
a cold water collection channel module.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 11, wherein the cold water collection basin module is elevated relative to the cold water collection channel module and the cold water collection basin module includes a lip disposed at an interface between the cold water collection basin module and the cold water collection channel module, the lip being configured to facilitate a flow of water from the cold water collection basin module to the cold water collection channel module.

### Claim 13

A heat exchange tower that extends vertically along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
a first air inlet comprising:
a second stanchion;
a third stanchion; and
a fourth stanchion;
a first heat exchange module, wherein said first heat exchange module is positioned vertically adjacent and spans said first and said second air inlet stanchions;
a second heat exchange module, wherein said second heat exchange module is positioned vertically adjacent and spans said third and said fourth air inlet stanchions;
a third heat exchange module, wherein said third heat exchange module is positioned laterally between said first and said second heat exchange modules;
a first plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the first heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis;
a second plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the second heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis; and
a third plenum module positioned vertically adjacent the third heat exchange module along the longitudinal axis, wherein said third plenum module comprises an air current generator disposed therein.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The heat exchange tower according to claim 13, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first liquid distribution system; said second heat exchange module comprises a second liquid distribution system; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third liquid distribution system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 14, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first fill section; said second heat exchange module comprises a second fill section; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third fill section.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 15, wherein said first heat exchange module comprises a first drift eliminator disposed above said first liquid distribution system; said second heat exchange module comprises a second drift eliminator disposed above said second liquid distribution system; and said third heat exchange module comprises a third drift eliminator disposed above said third liquid distribution system.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 16, wherein each of said first, second and third liquid distribution systems comprise a plurality of nozzles.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 17, wherein each of said first, second and third fill sections is counter flow fill.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 13, further comprising:
a modular cold water collection basin, the modular cold water collection basin comprising:
a cold water collection basin module; and
a cold water collection channel module.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The modular heat exchange tower according to claim 19, wherein the cold water collection basin module is elevated relative to the cold water collection channel module and the cold water collection basin module includes a lip disposed at an interface between the cold water collection basin module and the cold water collection channel module, the lip being configured to facilitate a flow of water from the cold water collection basin module to the cold water collection channel module.