Precipitation of steam fogs

A water cooling system for cooling water comprising heat transfer means for contacting the water with a flow of air to simultaneously heat the air, to evaporate water into the air, and to release the warm air containing water vapor into the atmosphere, electrostatic fog dissipating means including means for establishing an electrostatic field located in horizontally spaced relation with respect to said cooling system such that under meteorological conditions effective to produce substantial fog conditions by condensation of water vapor and migration of the fog so produced, substantial condensation of water vapor into fog particles occurs prior to entry into the electrostatic field, the fog dissipating means comprising horizontally extending electrical conducting means, means for supplying a high voltage electrical DC or rectified AC potential to said conducting means, and an electrical ground spaced downwardly from said conducting means to define a field area between said conducting means and ground located to intercept fog formed from condensed water vapor from said cooling system and moved laterally therefrom by horizontal movement of ambient air.

A water cooling system for cooling water comprising heat transfer means for conacting the water with a flow of air to simultaneously heat the air, to evaporate water into the air, and to release the warm air containing water vapor into the atmosphere, a traffic area such as a highway or airport in the vicinity of said cooling system in position to receive a dense fog from said cooling system under fog favoring atmospheric conditions and a prevailing wind moving from the cooling system toward the said area, and fog dissipating means interposed between the cooling system and area comprising means for establishing a high voltage electrical field through which air traversing the cooling system passes on its way to the traffic area, in which the cooling system comprises a tower from the top of which the fog-forming water vapor is discharged, and in which the means for establishing the electrical field comprises horizontally extending conducting means spaced substantially above the tower, and a ground construction located substantially at the vertical level of the top of said tower, said conducting means and ground construction being located laterally from said tower a distance such that substantial condensation of vapor into fog particles will occur before the air flow reaches the field.

A water cooling system for cooling water comprising heat transfer means for contacting the water with a flow of air to simultaneously heat the air, to evaporate water into the air, and to release the warm air containing water vapor into the atmosphere, a traffic area such as a highway or airport in the vicinity of said cooling system in position to receive a dense fog from said cooling system under fog favoring atmospheric conditions and a prevailing wind moving from the cooling system toward the said area, and fog dissipating means interposed between the cooling system and area comprising means for establishing a high voltage electrical field through which air traversing the cooling system passes on its way to the traffic area, in which said cooling system comprises a natural draft cooling tower of circular horizontal cross-section and at least 200 feet high having an open top from which air and water vapor flow by natural convection, the means for establishing the high voltage field comprising one or more high voltage charged conductors spaced substantially above the horizontal plane of the top of said tower and spaced laterally therefrom to provide for fog particle formation before entry of the air and water vapor and condensate into the field.

The method of preventing drifting in a predetermined direction of fog produced by condensation of water vapor contained in warm air released from a cooling system in which water is heated incident to cooling a heat source and is cooled in part by evaporation into an air flow released from the cooling system into the atmosphere which comprises positioning horizontally extending conductor means in a position above the path of fog drift in such predetermined direction and at a distance laterally from the cooling system such that condensation of a substantial part of the water vapor that would condense to form fog under prevailing meteorological conditions will occur before the air carrying the fog particles and water vapor passes beneath the conductor means, establishing a ground potential directly below said conductor means and below the aforesaid flow path, and establishing a high unidirectional potential on the conductor means to produce downward migration of charged fog particles toward the ground potential.

The method of cooling water without producing a fog drift in a predetermined direction under a given set of meteorological conditions which comprises evaporating some of the water to be cooled into a flow of warm air to produce a substantial water vapor content in the air, releasing the air and water vapor into the atmosphere, positioning horizontally extending electrical conducting means above the path of flow of air in such predetermined direction and at a distance laterally from the point of release such that condensation of a substantial part of the water vapor that would condense to form fog under prevailing meteorological conditions will occur before the air carrying the fog particles and water vapor passes beneath the conductor means, establishing a ground potential directly beneath the conducting means and below such path, establishing a high unidirectional potential on the conducting means to produce downward migration of fog particles.