Cooling Towers Are Essential, But Few Understand The Mechanics

Cooling towers are utilized in a wide variety of industrial applications. But while the importance of the cooling tower is undisputed, what few may realize is that there are multiple types of cooling towers that are capable of providing different levels of performance based on the specific needs of each process or application.

If you’re interested in discovering more about how cooling towers operate to produce and distribute cool air, let’s take a closer look at the different types of cooling towers and get a better understanding of these devices. 

What Types Of Cooling Towers Exist?

The more you learn about cooling towers, the more you discover that each category of cooling tower offers several subtypes of cooling towers. To simplify the process of evaluating and understanding cooling towers, we’ve grouped multiple types together under the relevant categories to provide you with a comprehensive overview of each. 

• Natural Draft Cooling Towers: Aptly named, natural draft cooling towers leverage natural convection to circulate air throughout the tower. These types of towers consume less power than mechanical draft cooling towers, but they are often less efficient than their counterparts. 
• Mechanical Draft Cooling Towers (Crossflow Towers/Counterflow Towers): Mechanical draft cooling towers employ fans and similar mechanics to circulate air through the tower. Oftentimes, this includes propeller fans and centrifugal fans. Within mechanical draft cooling towers, there exist crossflow towers and counterflow towers. In crossflow towers, air flows in horizontally and hot water flows downward (these can be prone to freezing and are often less efficient). Meanwhile, counterflow towers move air upward while directing hot water downward.
• Factory-Assembled Towers : As the name suggests, factory-assembled towers are towers that are built off-site and are shipped ready to install. They are also known as package units or package towers. 
• Field-Erected Towers: Field-assembled towers are towers that have to be shipped to the location and assembled on-site. These units can be quite massive and are often designed for sites like power plants and similar industrial locations. 
• Wet Cooling Towers: Wet cooling towers are among the most popular cooling towers. They measure heat transfer by detecting a decrease in process temperature, wet bulb temperature, and water temperature. 
• Dry Cooling Towers: Dry cooling towers use no water, but instead use an electric motor to transfer heat and separate fluid from the air. 
• Fluid Coil Cooling Towers: Fluid coil cooling towers mix water with glycol to create a fluid that is exposed to air afterward. These require a bit more energy than the previous two towers. 

Which Cooling Tower Is Right For My Needs?

While understanding the different types of cooling towers at your disposal is the first step, professional guidance and installation go a long way in ensuring the success of installing a cooling tower. Here at Cooling Towers LLC., we are experts in cooling tower installation, repair, design, engineering, maintenance, and upgrades. 

No matter what you need, we’re here for you! If you’re ready to determine which cooling tower you need, contact us for more information so that we can walk through the process with you and provide you with the comprehensive support you deserve.