GB2049906A - Apparatus for moving gas and distributing water in a cooling tower - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for moving gas (such as air) and distributing water in a cooling tower 18, comprises a fan 12 driven by a water turbine 3, 4 (e.g. a Pelton wheel impulse water turbine) mounted adjacent to and supported by, the water distribution system (e.g. pipe 2) of the tower, nozzles 5 conveying the water to the turbine being integrally connected (e.g. via a connections 25) to the said water distribution system. Drift eliminators such as indicated at 15B may mounted against the water distribution system. Means for distributing the water discharging from the turbine over the tower packing 14 may comprise baffles 17, and/or rotating shrouds 23, a flinger disc (27, Fig. 3) or a pot (34, Fig. 5) in which the water collects and is distributed through holes therein. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for moving gas and distributing liquid.

This invention relates to an apparatus for moving gas and distributing liquid. More particularly, the invention is concerned with apparatus for moving air and distributing water in a cooling tower and with a cooling tower containing such apparatus associated with a water-distribution system.

It has been established that a satisfactory method of moving air in a water cooling tower is by placing a fan at the top of the water cooling tower and driving the fan by suitable means while the water is distributed over the water cooling tower packing from an appropriate type system. One prior art means for driving the fan was an electric motor, but this suffered from the disadvantage that it was necessary to have eiaborate electrical arrangements to power the electric motor, and the motor was itself a complex piece of machinery necessitating frequent inspection and overhaul. A further disadvantage in the use of electric motors was that in many cases, large motors and fans were required in order to move the air economically.

These disadvantages were overcome by the system disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Specification Number 1,016,697, which is an air or gas moving device comprising a fan attached to a water turbine in such a way that the fan and water turbine rotate about a fixed and nonrotating shaft or pipe which is an extension from the water flow passages of the water turbine.

The device disclosed in Specification No.

1,016,697 provides means for moving the fan and distributing the water without the necessity of providing a complex means of powering the fan, and additional equipment to distribute the water.

Also, the need to supply electricity for driving the fan is eliminated and the device facilitates the regulation of the speed of the fan so that the amount of air drawn through the water cooling tower could be adjusted in accordance with the heat load on the water cooling tower in order to achieve the maximum economy in operation.

It has now been found that the substantial advantages provided by the device disclosed in Specification No. 1,016,697 are still further enhanced by the improvement provided by the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for moving gas and distributing water in a cooling tower, which comprises a fan operatively connected to and adapted to be driven by a water-operated turbine which is mounted directly adjacent to and is supported by the water-distribution system of the cooling tower and wherein one or more nozzles which carry the drive water to impinge upon the blades of the turbine is or are integrally connected to the said water-distribution system.

In the apparatus of the present invention the said water-distribution system is the waterdistribution system of a cooling tower, and the invention will be particularly described with reference thereto. It will be noted that, in accordance with the present invention, the water turbine which drives the fan is essentially part of the water-distribution system of the cooling tower.

The present invention also provides a cooling tower in which the air moving and waterdistribution system comprises an apparatus as described above, and in the preferred embodiments such cooling tower will also include drift eliminators which are devices to remove entrained moisture from the air of the cooling tower. A preferred feature of certain embodiments of the invention is that the water turbine may be located some little distance from the fan so that the drift eliminators may be located between the fan and the water turbine. In such embodiments it is particularly preferred that the drift eliminators are mounted adjacent to and at the same level as the water distribution system and packed tightly against the distribution system, so preventing any air bypassing the distribution system. This provides an additional advantage over the apparatus disclosed in Specification No.

1,016,697 where a clearance space had to be provided between the distribution system and the rotating shaft between the water turbine and the fan.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fan preferably rotates on a shaft which passes through a tube connected to the water-distribution system, so that the distribution system or pipe passes between the fan and the water turbine to provide a rigid support for the fan and the turbine.

A further advantage of the above embodiments of the present invention is that the nozzles which provide the water jets to drive the turbine may be located within, without or above the blades of the turbine, thus permitting any type of impulse water turbine to be used in the apparatus of the invention and at the same time, to provide a satisfactory distribution of water over the packing, in contra-distinction to the apparatus disclosed in Specification No. 1,016,697 which could not accommodate jets operating tangentially onto the turbine and at the same time maintain a satisfactory water distribution over the packing.

For simplicity of construction, it is preferred that the nozzles providing the water jets be located within the turbine blades as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings which are described hereinafter. However, adequate water distribution is also provided by mounting a nozzle without the turbine blades in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Satisfactory distribution of water within the cooling tower is provided by mounting a flinger disc, a series of baffles or shrouds, or any combination thereof in operative relationship with the water turbine.

In some of the embodiments of the invention as described above, paiticularly where the turbine is mounted below the water-distribution system of the cooling tower the apparatus suffers from the disadvantage of difficulty of access to the turbinefan system. Thus, in the aforesaid embodiments, as well as in the prior art system disclosed in Specification No. 1 ,01 6,697, parts of the tower have to be removed to obtain access to the turbine fan.

Accordingly, the present invention also provides an apparatus wherein the aforesaid problem is overcome and simple means of access to the turbine fan assembly is provided.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention there is further provided an apparatus for moving gas and distributing liquid in a cooling tower, which comprises a fan operatively connected to and adapted to be driven by a liquid-operated turbine, the blades of the turbine being adaptedto be driven by liquid ejected from one or more nozzles integrally connected to the liquiddistribution system of the cooling tower and the said turbine being mounted above the liquiddistribution system, the blades of the turbine being rotatably mounted about a vertical member which, together with the fan, is adapted to be lifted clear of the liquid-distribution system without removal of any other element of the cooling tower not related to the fan/-turbine assembly.

The vertical member may be a hollow tube mounted about a rod to which it is secured during operation and frorn which it may be removed for easy access to the fan assembly as hereinafter described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings; or the vertical member may be a solid shaft as illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

The invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a section elevation of the prior art apparatus disclosed in Specification No.

1,016,697; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of an alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4 is a section elevation of a preferred embodiment where the turbine is mounted above the liquid-distribution system of the cooling tower; and Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of an alternative version of the preferred embodiment of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, this illustrates a sectional elevation of the prior art fan and water turbine assembly in part of a water cooling tower. The water enters the cooling tower through a pipe 1 attached to a water distribution system inlet flange 1 9, and passes along a pipe 2 having one or more connections 9. Each connection 9 allows the water to pass into nozzles 5 which are located at a suitable angle so as to cause the water to impinge on the blades 3 of an impulse wheel of a water turbine.The turbine blades are curved in such a manner that the water flowing from the nozzles 5 causes the impulse wheel to rotate in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction in accordance with the desired result The water leaves the blades 3 along a path 7 and, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, may fall by gravity to impinge directly on packing 14 of the cooling tower or may be deflected by baffles 1 7 down onto the packing 14.

The turbine blades 3 are connected by suitable arms 4 to an annular sleeve 11 which is adapted to rotate concentrically about a shaft or pipe 10 on bearings 1 6. The sleeve 11 is connected to the hub 20 of a rotatable fan having fan blades 12.

The fan rotates in the same direction as the water turbine wheel whereby air is moved through the shell of the cooling tower 1 8 over the packing 14 and thence through drift eliminators 15, arranged so as to remove surplus moisture from the air, and the air is finally ejected from the cooling tower through the fan duct 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan is positioned above the drift eliminators, and the water turbine is located below the drift eliminators.

In the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals as those used in Figure 1 are used to indicate similar parts.

With reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, this illustrates an embodiment wherein the passage leading to the nozzles 5 carryiny the water jets which drive the turbine blades 3 is an integral part of the water distribution pipe 2. A further preferred feature of this embodiment is that the water turbine is separated from the fan by a distance sufficient to allow the drift eliminators 1 5A to be located between the fan and the water turbine. As an alternative to the drift eliminators 15A, or in addition thereto, drift eliminators 1 SB are positioned at the same level as the water distribution pipe 2, and are packed tight against the distribution pipe so preventing any air bypassing the distribution system.

The fan hub 20 is rigidly attached to a rotatable shaft 26 which passes through a tube 24 through bearings 16, which tube is fastened into the water distribution system so that te distribution system provides a rigid support both for the fan and the turbine.

Satisfactory distribution of the water leaving the water turbine is achieved by means of either fixed baffles 1 7 or rotating shrouds 23 mounted on the turbine blades or by a combination of both.

Referring to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, the water passage 25 is integrally connected to the distribution pipe 2, and leads to a nozzle 21 mounted without the turbine blades and providing a water jet which impinges tangentially upon the blades 3 to drive the turbine.

It is possible by this arrangement that the water turbine may be a Pelton Wheel Impulse Water Turbine.

The water distribution in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 is achieved by means of a fixed shroud 28 mounted around the water turbine, and a rotating flinger disc 27, mounted on an extension 29 through the center of the turbine hub 22. As a result of using this arrangement of a shaft 26 through the water distribution pipe 2, it is possible to use water flow passages which are unsymmetrical, as shown by the nozzle 21 located on one side only of the turbine, and still obtain a satisfactory distribution system by means of the flinger disc 27, which was not possible with the apparatus disclosed in Thus, a Pelton Wheel which normally has one jet acting on the wheel, or any other sort of impulse wheel, may be used, so increasing the versatility of the arrnagement.The use of the flinger disc smooths out the distribution of the water arising from the non-symmetry of the nozzles layout Although the assembly illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings and more particularly the assembly illustrated in Figure 3 provides a significant advance in the art, the positionina of the turbine makes access thereto, for repair or replacement, difficult. Thus, the turbine has to be disconnected from the shaft 26 before the shaft 26 can be withdrawn. The drift eliminators 15B also have to be removed.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings overcomes the above difficulty and provides a simple means of access to the turbine/fan assembly without the necessity of removing or disconnecting parts of the cooling tower not directly associated with the turbine/fan assembly.

In the embodiment illustrate in Figure 4 of the drawings the aforesaid difficulty experienced with the apparatus of Figure 3 is overcome by mounting the turbine, comprising blades 3 attached to hub 22, above the water-distributing pipe 2, replacing the shaft 26 (of Figure 3) by a hollow tube 126 and securing the flinger disc 27 by means of a nut 33 secured to a rod 31 which is positioned centrally within the tube 126 and is secured in place by a further nut 32 clamping a washer 40 against the top of the tube 126.

The shroud 28 of Figure 3 is replaced by a lid 30 having a central hole 41 within which the tube 1 26 can freely rotate.

As an alternative to the drift eliminators 15B, or in addition thereto, drift eliminators 15A are positioned below the water-distribution pipe 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 access to the turbine fan assembly is obtained by simply unscrewing nut 32 and lifting out the turbine and fan from the unit.

The shaft 126, to which the Finger disc 27 is still attached, simply drops slightly so that the disc rests gently on the packing 14 and easily may be retrieved for reassembly of the turbine/fan unit.

Figure 5 illustrates a similar turbine fan arrangement to that of Figure 4, but in this embodiment the flinger disc 27 is replaced by a sub-distribution system comprising a center pot 34 in which the water distributed from the turbine blades 3 along path 7 is collected. Around the base of the pot 34 are tubes 35 radiating via holes 39. The water collecting at the base of the pot passes through the tubes 35 and is distributed through holes 38, fitted with cover discs 36 supported on stems 37. This arrangement deflects and distributes the water over the packing 1 4.

The hub 22 of the turbine is attached to a shaft 26 which is adapted to rotate freely within a hole 41 in a cover 30.

With this arrangement the turbine/fan assembly is even easier to remove than the assembly illustrated in Figure 4 since there is not nut 32 to unscrew.

It is to be understood that the above embodiments are given for illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention. Thus, for example, the elements of the sub-distribution may vary in detail and various shapes, sizes and number of nozzles may be used.

Claims (10)

1. An apparatus for moving gas and distributing water in a cooling tower, which comprises a fan operatively connected to and adapted to be driven by a water-operated turbine, which is rnounted directly adjacent to and is supported by the waterdistribution system of the cooling tower and wherein one or more nozzles which carry the drive liquid to impinge upon the blades of the turbine is or are integrally connected to the said waterdistribution system.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the fan rotates on a shaft which passes through a tube connected to the water-distribution system.

3. An apparatus according to either one of claims 1 or 2, in which a flinger disc, a series of baffles or shrouds, or any combination thereof is mounted in operative relationship with-the turbine to provide satisfactory distribution of water.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the turbine is mounted above the waterdistribution system and the blades of the turbine are rotatably mounted about a vertical member which, together with the fan, is adapted to be lifted clear of the water-distribution system with out removal of any other element oF the cooling tower not related to the fan/turbine assembly.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the vertical member is a hollow tube mounted about a rod which is secured to the hollow tube at its top end and is secured at its bottom end to a flinger disc to provide satisfactory distribution of water.

6. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which drift eliminators ale mounted adjacent the water-distribution system and packed tightly against the system.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, in which the nozzles providing the water jets to drive the turbine are located without the turbine blades.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the vertical member is a shaft secured at its top end to the hub of the fan.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, in which the means for distributing water from the fan blades is a sub-distribution system comprising a pot having at its base radiating tubes containing holes with cover discs to provide satisfactory distribution of water.

10. An apparatus for moving gas and distributing water according to claim 1, and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.