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US 9,062,470 B2Granted
Shell extension for natural draft cooling tower
AssigneeSPX Cooling Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEldon Mockry, Eric Rasmussen, Kathryn L. Pullen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for increasing a cooling capacity of a cooling tower includes a shell extension and a tensioner. The shell extension is to extend a height of the cooling tower. The tensioner is to provide a tensioning force from the shell extension to a base of the cooling tower.
Claims10
A system for increasing a cooling capacity of a cooling tower, the system comprising:
- a shell extension disposed at an upper rim of the cooling tower to extend a height of the cooling tower, wherein the cooling tower is an existing concrete cooling tower and the shell extension includes a frame secured to the upper rim and a membrane configured to cover the frame;
- and
- a tensioner to provide a tensioning force from the shell extension to a base of the cooling tower, the tensioner including a plurality of cables having respective first ends secured to the shell extension and respective second ends secured to the base.
A method of increasing a cooling capacity of an existing cooling tower, the method comprising the steps of:
- installing a shell extension to an upper rim of the existing cooling tower to extend a height of the existing cooling tower, wherein the existing cooling tower is a concrete cooling tower and the shell extension includes a frame secured to the upper rim and a membrane configured to cover the frame;
- and
- determining if a wind load of the shell extension and the existing cooling tower is less than a designed wind load of the existing cooling tower;
- and
- installing a tensioner to provide a tensioning force from the shell extension in response to the wind load of the shell extension and the existing cooling tower exceeding the designed wind load, the tensioner including a plurality of cables having respective first ends secured to the shell extension and respective second ends secured to the base.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.