Numerical Simulation of Counter-Flow Wet Cooling Tower and Water Losses Effect on Characteristic Performance

The most efficient equipment in which heat rejection processes may be realized is cooling towers. The mathematical models of cooling towers are developed and validated against the available experimental data. These devices basically consist of three zones; namely، spray zone، fill packing and rain zone. The spray and rain zones are often neglected even in large cooling towers، while a significant portion of the total heat that is rejected may occur in these zones. Therefore، in this paper the heat and mass transfer contribution of the spray and rain zones in cooling towers is discussed as well. Numerical results fall within the range of experimental measurements and shows a higher accuracy compared with the results of previous researchers. The rate of water evaporation under a wide range of operating conditions is also presented. For Mass flow rates bigger than one، evaporation controls heat transfer process. Increase of inlet water flow rate decreases evaporated water rate.