A cooling tower can be thought of as a specialized heat exchanger where water and air meet with the purpose of reducing the temperature of the water. When this happens, a small total of the water evaporates, hence reducing the water temperature that is circulated throughout the tower.
This water is pumped through pipes to the cooling tower. Nozzles are used as the water sprays onto material known as fill that slows the flow of the water as it travels through the cooling tower and maximizes air and water contact. When they meet, a cooling action is created and the cooled water is then pumped back to the processing equipment where it absorbs hear. From there it is pumped back to the cooling tower and obviously, cooled again.
Crossflow Cooling
In these the water flows vertically while air flows in a horizontal manner. Hence, air doesn’t have to pass through the system of distribution, allowing the use of hot water that is gravity flowed with basins for distribution mounted at the top of the cooling unit.
Counterflow Cooling
These are designed so air flows in an upward direction to counter the falling water in the fill. it is not possible in the vertical airflow to utilize open gravity-flow basins in crossflow designs. Instead they use pressurized sprays to spray water onto the top of the fill. As air must pass through the system the pipes and nozzles are further apart so airflow is not restricted.
Induced Draft Versus Forced Draft
Induced system have fans on top of the units and they pull the air throug hthe fill. On the other hand, air is pushed by blowers located near the base of the air inlet on draft towers that have been forced.
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