EP1152205B1 - Filling for cooling towers - Google Patents

Filling for cooling towers Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1152205B1
EP1152205B1 EP01110833A EP01110833A EP1152205B1 EP 1152205 B1 EP1152205 B1 EP 1152205B1 EP 01110833 A EP01110833 A EP 01110833A EP 01110833 A EP01110833 A EP 01110833A EP 1152205 B1 EP1152205 B1 EP 1152205B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
elements
ribbings
packing element
filling
packing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP01110833A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1152205A2 (en
EP1152205A3 (en
Inventor
Jerzy Mosiewicz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Spig Foreign Markets Srl
Original Assignee
Spig Foreign Markets Srl
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Spig Foreign Markets Srl filed Critical Spig Foreign Markets Srl
Publication of EP1152205A2 publication Critical patent/EP1152205A2/en
Publication of EP1152205A3 publication Critical patent/EP1152205A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1152205B1 publication Critical patent/EP1152205B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F28F25/00—Component parts of trickle coolers
    • F28F25/02—Component parts of trickle coolers for distributing, circulating, and accumulating liquid
    • F28F25/08—Splashing boards or grids, e.g. for converting liquid sprays into liquid films; Elements or beds for increasing the area of the contact surface
    • F28F25/087—Vertical or inclined sheets; Supports or spacers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F28F2245/00—Coatings; Surface treatments
    • F28F2245/08—Coatings; Surface treatments self-cleaning

Definitions

  • the subject of the present invention is a packing panel for evaporative cooling towers, in particular for the cooling of hot industrial water and for all the other applications in which contact between different fluids is necessary.
  • Fillings for evaporative cooling towers have the purpose of extending the surface of water flow to be cooled, reducing the water to minute drops and/or films which are set in contact with an air flow generated by fans, or, in a natural way, by a «stack effect», to which the drops or films transfer part of the heat contained in the water itself.
  • the dispersion of the hot water inside the cooling tower is a gravity type one through a pack for exchanging heat between air and water which is referred to as of dispersion or filling system.
  • the flow of the environmental air and of the water is either of the counterflow type or of the crossflow type, according to the type of cooling towers, which may in fact be divided into two different categories: counterflow towers and crossflow towers.
  • the present invention meets the needs of both such types of flow, as well as the needs of a combination of the two.
  • Contact between the fluids may be based upon two different principles: the first is defined as «splash» contact, and enables the flow of water to be broken up into numerous droplets, effected generally by frames, grills, or slats.
  • the second is defined as «film» contact with a structure generally in the form of honeycomb packs, and enables the formation of films of water over the entire surface.
  • the mixed splash/film type of filling is a combination of both of these operating principles.
  • EP-A-759142 Also known from the document EP-A-759142 is a filling of the splash/film type made up of panels provided with ribbings that increase the surface for heat exchange. The panels are assembled when they are installed for operation. In this way, the volume of the filling is reduced during transportation.
  • a packing element comprising all the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known from the document DE-197 33 480.
  • a primary object of the present invention is that of eliminating the drawbacks referred to above by providing a filling for evaporative cooling towers and for all the applications in which it is necessary to create contact between fluids, which presents characteristics of low cost and constructional simplicity and which has a considerable flexibility of use in an extremely wide range of applications.
  • the filling is of reduced dimensions as compared to similar known fillings, whilst at the same time ensuring a high cooling capacity, with a more compact shape and smaller overall dimensions. Due to lattice structure of sides of the ribbings, the cooling fillings according to the present invention don't get easily clogged because of the particles, leaves and dirt carried in the water flow.
  • the present invention also relates to a method for using the packing elements as previously described; the method according to the present invention has the features according to claim 13.
  • a packing panel designated as a whole by 100 is shown.
  • the said panel has a structure having a basically parallelepipedal overall profile with one side of greater extension.
  • the element or panel which is generally also defined as «pack» and advantageously is obtained by injection moulding of plastic materials, is made up of two half-elements or «half-packs» 1, 2, which are separate, or else produced already connected together longitudinally at one of their end edges by means of a plastic film hinge 3, moulded so that it forms a single piece with the two half-packs ( Figures 6-8).
  • the half-pack has a structure with ribbings or «folds» 4 in relief having a conformation which, in cross section, is substantially a half-lozenge structure throughout the width.
  • the sides forming the lateral portions of the half-lozenges are preferably of a lattice-like form 6, as shown in Figure 5; in Figures 1, 4, 5 and 8, the reference numeral 4b refers to the whole lattice losenge sides, 4c refers to the crest parts of each ribbing 4, and 4d refers to the bottom parts of the ribbings 4.
  • each rectangle of the lattice structure (6) can be totally or partially closed with a thin wall, or just some of the lattice rectangles (6) can be closed with thin walls, so that closed rectangles alternate open rectangles in a chessboard-like or more irregular pattern.
  • the lozenges of a packing element 100 according to the invention may therefore be transformed into plastic films, by filling them in the moulding stage, and hence before their corresponding production, thus converting the packing in question into a wholly film type packing.
  • the vertex lines 4a ( Figure 8 and 1) of the lozenges are inclined at an angle of between 15° and 75° with respect to the center plane of the panel, which, when set up, is generally but not necessarily vertical or, in other words, the vertex lines 4a of the lozenges are inclined at the aforesaid angles with respect to one of the two sides of lesser extension of the parallelepiped and , when the packing element is set up, the sides of greater extension of the half-elements are preferably set working in a substantially vertical position.
  • each half-pack is 150 mm in depth (or width), 300 mm in height and 1200 mm in length, but these dimensions may vary according to the needs of the specific design or system.
  • the latter are joined together so that they are set alongside one another; in this way, the packing is made up of the succession, without any discontinuity, of a plurality of elements or packs.
  • the pack may be easily reclosed or can be connected by means of bands or straps or other known means, such as snap fasteners, etc., to constitute a final pack of dimensions, which, during operation, leans on the side which forms the depth of the half-pack ( Figures 6a, 6b, 9). Between the two half-packs, other types of connection equivalent to hinges may also be used.
  • this pack longitudinally, is held together on one side by the hinge 3 and on the other by suitable snap-fastener system as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or an equivalent band or strap means, etc.
  • this system is made up of a set of holes 7 provided at the end of one half-pack and of shanks or pins 8 arranged at the end of the other half-pack symmetrically opposite to the axis of the hinge.
  • the assembly of the pack is normally carried on with no need to cut and join the pieces, but only using press-studs or some other equivalent fastening system.
  • the snap fastener 10 in Figure 5 is an alternative to the one shown in Figures 2,3.
  • Figures 6a and 6b show two preferred examples of film hinges 3; the film hinges of Figure 6b are separated from each other, while having a common hinge axis: the advantage of this embodiment is that it allows a quick and easy cleaning of the packing element from encrustings by repeatedly stretching and pressing the packing element like a concertina.
  • the film hinges 30 of Figure 6a also acts as a ribbing for stiffening the structure, which limits the mutual displacement of the diagonals and constitutes a stay in the case where the half-packs are fixed to one another, in that it absorbs the horizontal forces and the flexure deformations due to the action of the vertical loads on the pack, such as the weight of the packing itself, the weight of the water falling by gravity, the weight of an operator during installation/maintenance operations, etc.
  • the film hinges 30 are designed in such a way to be a reinforcement against the flexure deformations of the packing element at least in a plane substantially containing the hinge axis and substantially passing nearest to the centers of gravity of the cross sections of closed packing element where said cross sections are according planes perpendicular to said hinge axis.
  • the packing element of Figure 6a can also be efficiently cleaned from encrustings: since the filling advantageously, as explained later, is made of a plurality of packing elements connected together simply by snap- or other mechanical fittings instead of being glued together as the known packing elements, the packing element according to the present invention can be removed from the rest of the filling and then cleaned from encrustings by repeatedly shaking or flexing.
  • FIG. 6a In the vertical plane at the end opposite to the hinge advantageously another type of ribbing or elongated reinforcement 31 (Figure 6a) can be provided for stiffening purposes, which connects the individual rods end-to-end by means of press-studs or equivalent systems; preferably the elongated reinforcement (31) is parallel to the hinge axis and stiffens against the flexure deformations of the packing element at least in a plane substantially containing the hinge axis and said second elongated reinforcement (31).
  • the two parts on the left and right of the hinge preferably have horizontal rods 6a ( Figure 5) staggered in such a way that, when the half-packs are set side by side, not all the rods 6a are at the same level, with a consequent better thermodynamic yield.
  • the packs are set alongside one another in such a way that the vertices 4c of the half-lozenge ribbings are in mutual contact and criss-cross one another.
  • the diagonals In the set up phase, when two packs are set side by side, the diagonals have in fact a reverse direction, so as to create as far as possible a uniformity of air/water distribution and high mechanical resistance of the filling system as a whole.
  • Figure 8 shows in detail how the two half-elements are folded about the hinge 3 for the final assembly, by rotating them in the direction of the arrow 9.
  • Figures 10-12 show details of another embodiment of a packing element according to the present invention: this latter embodiment differs from the other ones in the shape of the crest parts 4c: the homge sides 4b have an angle or bend before connecting to the upper horizontal rod forming the top of the crest part 4c.
  • Figure 10 shows the two half elements 1 and 2 folded one onto the other one, and the bottom parts 4d of the ribbings 4 of the first half element 1 contact the bottom parts 4d of the ribbings 4 of the half element 2.
  • the pack according to the present invention thus proves compact and highly resistant, and can also withstand the weight of operators, after wooden boards have previously been set in place to distribute the load and prevent any damage to the plastic profiles.
  • each individual half-pack fitted inside the one next to it so as to thicken the filling and increase thermodynamic efficiency.
  • the half-packs may simply be positioned one inside another, with or without being fixed together with fastening means of the press-stud or pin type, straps or bands, etc.
  • both the diagonal rods i.e., the ones having a thicker section as well as the ones having a thinner section
  • the horizontal rods are staggered so as to guarantee an increased efficiency of heat exchange.
  • the fasteners themselves do not cause any possibility of withholding any solids eventually suspended in the water, and consequently prevent any risk of clogging.
  • the hinge may also be easily cut/broken in the case where single half-packs are required, which, in this case, may also be joined using known conventional means.
  • each half-pack may be varied, for example before sending it to the work-site or during installation on the work-site, given that the half-pack may be easily cut.
  • the vertices of the lozenges instead of being pointed, are truncated to form a plane surface.
  • This surface may consist of a rod for reinforcing the structure of the half-packs.
  • the number and/or position of the diagonal rods 6b and horizontal rods 6a are appropriately chosen so as to optimize the ratio between thermodynamic efficiency and pressure drop, at the same time guaranteeing the uniformity of the air and water flow.
  • the filling made up of the elements according to the present invention functions in such a way that the flow of the water coming down from the top part of the tower passes both through and over the network of rods that make up the filling, so operating both as a splash filling and as a film filling. This may be demonstrated also experimentally in that the heat exchange efficiency of this type of filling is greater than the one of any splash system.
  • the dimensions of the packs i.e., the width, height and length, may be different according to the specific design of the cooling tower and the particular requirements.
  • the elements that make up the packs may moreover be stacked also during transportation since they have a compact structure that ensures a reduction in volume.
  • their particular shape makes assembly more convenient, so guaranteeing greater ease and speed of installation.
  • a further fundamental advantage is that the filling according to the invention is self-cleaning and hence anti-clogging under normal operating conditions: the flow of water is sufficient to guarantee that any elements present in the water, for example, leaves, small stones, organic or saline deposits, etc., do not get withheld in the filling, thanks to the absence of any channels of small dimensions that might easily get obstructed, as occurs in standard film-type fillings.
  • the filling according to the invention combines the advantages of two types of filling for evaporative cooling towers, namely, fillings of the splash type and fillings of the film type.
  • the filling according to the invention presents the following advantages: anti-clogging characteristics, reduced overall volume prior to installation and during transportation, etc.
  • the film type it presents the following advantages: high surface for heat exchange between air and water, reduced overall volume after installation, ease of installation, and reduction in the corresponding time involved.
  • the packs according to the invention may be adopted in phases subsequent to the original installation, for example, when restoring the insides of cooling towers, when upgrading thermodynamic characteristics, etc., or else in the phase of initial installation, as a more resistant or efficient top layer, or else even as a global filling.
  • the packing element above described can be modified in various manners; for example the crest parts 4c of the ribbings 4 can have rounded or angular shape; the crest or bottom parts (4c, 4d) of different half-elements can be set in contact in different planes rather than only in one contact plane; different packing elements (100) can be connected together when set working with snap fasteners (7, 8, 10), dovetail systems or other mechanical connecting means; the packing element (100) can be set working in a cooling tower or other suitable plant also with the bigger face of the parallelepiped in a horizontal position, or with the hinge axis in a vertical position.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
EP01110833A 2000-05-04 2001-05-04 Filling for cooling towers Expired - Lifetime EP1152205B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT2000MI000971A IT1317456B1 (it) 2000-05-04 2000-05-04 Riempimento per torri di raffreddamento
ITMI000971 2000-05-04

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1152205A2 EP1152205A2 (en) 2001-11-07
EP1152205A3 EP1152205A3 (en) 2002-06-12
EP1152205B1 true EP1152205B1 (en) 2004-07-21

Family

ID=11444967

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP01110833A Expired - Lifetime EP1152205B1 (en) 2000-05-04 2001-05-04 Filling for cooling towers

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1152205B1 (it)
AT (1) ATE271682T1 (it)
DE (1) DE60104356D1 (it)
IT (1) IT1317456B1 (it)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020106919A1 (en) * 2018-11-21 2020-05-28 Brentwood Industries, Inc. Open mesh members and related fill packs

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1704916A1 (en) * 2005-03-23 2006-09-27 Expo-Net Danmark A/S A contact filter block and a method and an apparatus for producing tubular elements of a contact filter block
DE102008008806A1 (de) 2008-02-12 2009-08-13 Gea 2H Water Technologies Gmbh Einbauelement einer Einbaupackung
FR3011071B1 (fr) * 2013-09-26 2017-03-31 Hewitech Gmbh & Co Kg Element de montage pour un dispositif de traitement d'un fluide utilitaire au moyen d'un fluide de travail

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1285495A (en) * 1970-11-03 1972-08-16 Bischoff Gasreinigung Packing for incorporation in a cooling tower of a cooling water circulation system
CH617357A5 (it) * 1977-05-12 1980-05-30 Sulzer Ag
US5124087A (en) * 1990-10-04 1992-06-23 Evapco International, Inc. Gas and liquid contact body
IT1274171B (it) * 1994-05-06 1997-07-15 Bruno Neri Corpo scambiatore di calore modulare per raffreddamento evaporativo diliquidi a geometria variabile ed impilabile per il trasporto
EP0761301B1 (en) * 1995-09-11 2001-11-14 Lantec Products, Inc. Folded packing
US5944094A (en) * 1996-08-30 1999-08-31 The Marley Cooling Tower Company Dry-air-surface heat exchanger
DE19733480C2 (de) * 1997-08-01 1999-06-24 Gea Kuehlturmbau Gmbh Einbaupackung zum Stoff- und/oder Wärmeaustausch zwischen Gasen und Flüssigkeiten

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020106919A1 (en) * 2018-11-21 2020-05-28 Brentwood Industries, Inc. Open mesh members and related fill packs
US11293705B2 (en) 2018-11-21 2022-04-05 Brentwood Industries, Inc. Open mesh members and related fill packs

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE271682T1 (de) 2004-08-15
DE60104356D1 (de) 2004-08-26
EP1152205A2 (en) 2001-11-07
EP1152205A3 (en) 2002-06-12
ITMI20000971A1 (it) 2001-11-04
ITMI20000971A0 (it) 2000-05-04
IT1317456B1 (it) 2003-07-09

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