What Are Cooling Tower Drift Eliminators?

In each and every cooling tower, there is an amount of evaporative water loss to the environment. Drift eliminators are designed to minimize how much water is actually carried out of the tower with the exhaust air. Simply put, keeping water droplets from exiting the tower is a drift eliminators’ main responsibility. If you are searching online for “what are cooling tower drift eliminators,” this post will explain the different functions and features of this essential part.

Drift Eliminator Functions

• Create a sudden change of direction in air stream.
• Separate droplets from the air.
• Deposit these drops on the eliminator surface.
• Droplets drain back into the tower.

The original drift eliminators were created to trap water droplets from the air stream, preventing this moisture from leaving the cooling altogether. Effective and efficient drift eliminators will remove these water droplets from the air and minimize the loss of processed water within the tower. This cooling tower part can swiftly change the direction of the water droplets in the air. If working effectively, the water will then be separated from the air. This eventually leads to the droplets being pulled back into the tower. The amount of circulating water is then limited from the cooling tower’s exhaust. There is no doubt that these drift eliminators serve a crucial purpose within the cooling tower.

Drift Eliminator Features

When shopping around for the appropriate parts, it is very important that the drift eliminators possess these following qualities:

• Cost-efficient.
• Seamless process.
• Perform at high level.
• Certified with safety regulations.
• Easy to use and inspect for maintenance issues.

Read all about Cooling Tower Products’ inventory of drift eliminators here.

Types Of Drift Eliminators

There are several drift eliminator types available on the market today. With that being said, generally, drift eliminators are only classified under two categories: crossflow and counterflow.

Crossflow drift eliminators: These feature horizontal air flow while water flows in the same direction, downward. The advantages of a crossflow model are that it produces minimal noise, consistently performs at a high level and requires little to no general maintenance.

Counterflow drift eliminators: This sends air flow vertically instead of horizontally. Water actually flows from the top all the way to bottom with this design, though. This flow allows the water to exhaust quicker. As is the case with crossflow, there are many benefits of the counterflow drift eliminators. A low amount of energy is consumed within these models. Maintenance is again minimal, and this features a lower pumphead.

Standard drift eliminators: These eliminators are tasked with the duty of preventing harmful water droplets from escaping into the environment. (pictured furthest to the left)

Cellular drift eliminators: Designed for maximum drift removal efficiency. The cellular design allows for a lot more flexibility for installations. (pictured furthest to the right)

Blade drift eliminators: This is a cost-effective option known for its long lifespan and durability.

Cooling Towers That Use Drift Eliminators

Drift eliminators are utilized by all of the following cooling tower types:

• Counterflow cooling towers
• Crossflow cooling towers 
• Closed circuit coolers
• Evaporative condensers
• Forced draft cooling towers
• Fluid coolers
• Induced draft cooling towers

Drift Eliminators For Sale

The following drift eliminators are available for sale now at Cooling Tower Products:

• Drift eliminator (counterflow)
• Cellular drift eliminator (counterflow and crossflow)
• Crossflow eliminator blades 
• Light weight drift eliminator 

Cooling Tower Installation, Replacement, & Refurbishment in Arizona & Nevada

Our team offers complete cooling tower refurbishment that will save your company tens of thousands of dollars over buying and installing new cooling towers.  Cooling tower refurbishment and rebuilding adds about another 15 years of life to your equipment and helps you get your money’s worth out of your original investment in your cooling tower or property. We offer cooling tower installation, replacement, and refurbishment in Arizona and Nevada. We also sell other cooling tower parts and products.