How to Calculate the Performance of a Cooling Tower

Power plants produce large quantities of waste heat.

A cooling tower moves heat from a power station or factory to the atmosphere. The tower works similarly to how an air conditioner cools a room. It pumps water through a series of pipes, and the water absorbs and releases heat as it moves. The cooling tower's performance depends on the speed at which its water moves and the temperature change that the water within it experiences.

Instructions

1. Multiply the water's temperature rise, measured in degrees Fahrenheit, by 500, a conversion constant related to water's heat capacity. For example, if water in the cooling tower rises by 32 degrees: 32 --- 500 = 16,000.

2. Multiply this answer by the water's flow rate, measured in gallons per minute. For example, if 2,800 gallons move each minute: 16,000 --- 2,800 = 44,800,000.

3. Divide this result by 12,000, which is the number of British thermal units per hour in a refrigeration ton: 44,800,000 ÷ 12,000 = 3,733. This is the cooling tower's performance, measured in tons.

References

• Stanford University; Chilled Water Plant Pumping Schemes; James J. Nonnenmann
• Austin Community College; Carrier Water Piping Systems; 1986

Resources

• T.J. Snow Company Inc: Chillers
• American Hermetics; Company's Selection Guide; 2004
• University of Wisconsin: Measuring and Quantifying Energy