Prediction of the lifetime of droplets emitted from mechanical cooling towers by numerical investigation. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sánchez, F.; Kaiser, A.S.; Zamora, B.; Ruiz, J.; Lucas, M.
• Is Part Of: International journal of heat and mass transfer. Volume 89(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1190
• Page End: 1206
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Cooling tower -- Numerical modelling -- Droplet evaporation -- Droplet lifetime; Heat -- Transmission -- Periodicals; Mass transfer -- Periodicals; Chaleur -- Transmission -- Périodiques; Transfert de masse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 621.4022
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2015.06.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-9310

Abstract

Highlights: Cooling towers have high energy efficiency values, but they can be a problem for the people. A numerical modelling for simulating the drift of a cooling tower is developed. The numerical modelling is validated with experimental data. Droplets lifetime from cooling tower is studied by means of an analytical model. Abstract: A numerical modelling capable to simulate the drift and the evaporation of water droplets emitted by a mechanical cooling tower in an urban area is presented. The model is based on a real mechanical draft cooling tower situated in the surroundings of the Miguel Hernández University (Elche, Spain). An experimental study of the deposition of droplets from the cooling tower is done in order to validate the numerical modelling. This study is performed by means of the water sensitive papers technique. A biharmonic interpolation is used for obtaining the total deposition on the floor. A total of 14 cases, everyone with different atmospheric conditions, have been simulated and experimentally validated. An analytical model for the droplets lifetime prediction is validated with the results obtained from the numerical modelling. The present study shows the influence of the atmospheric and droplets conditions in the droplets lifetime, providing useful information to analyse the spread of contaminants or bacteria inside the droplets released from the cooling tower.