Air Blast Coolers - Adiabatic Coolers

Air Blast Coolers Many industries still rely on the town’s mains water supply to fulfill their cooling requirements. However, this has become increasingly impractical and expensive; water metering, effluent charges and a need to be independent from disruptions to mains supplies by drought make the purchase of an industrial cooling system an essential, attractive and economical proposition. Air blast water coolers, otherwise known as dry air coolers, are the most cost effective way of cooling process water. Some companies have recently started to refer to them as “free cooling”; this is a little misleading as they incur both capital costs and ongoing electricity charges – however, they do bring significant savings in ongoing running costs. Let us explain how:- Although the cost of a dry air cooler can be greater than an evaporative cooling tower, the maintenance costs are minimal. Evaporative cooling towers have a legislative requirement to be cleaned twice annually which requires a system shut down while it is cleaned, as well as requiring expensive chemical treatment to prevent legionella within the water plus ongoing system monitoring requirements. Dry air coolers have no such requirements leaving them in operation all year round and not incurring costly maintenance. Dry air coolers are able to cool water to within 3°C of ambient, but it should be noted when designing or specifying those units that the greater the approach temperatures (difference between ambient and water leaving temperature) the more economical they become. Air blast coolers have an added advantage over open circuit evaporative cooling towers in that the water is contained within a sealed system, does not come into contact with air borne containments and so remains clean. All contact surfaces within F&R’s air blast coolers are non ferrous so providing the external pipework is also of non ferrous material, the water will remain clean and uncontaminated. F&R Products are able to supply dry air coolers as a boxed unit (one assembly supplied with heat exchanger, pump, tank and all necessary controls) or as a free standing heat exchanger, fan and motor assembly with pumps, tanks etc., being supplied separately by the supplier or end user. F&R Products range of boxed air blast coolers can be supplied in various sizes from 1.5kW up to 200kW for a variety of small commercial through to major industrial applications. Boxed coolers start with just a pump but can have many options depending on the complexity of the project. These include:- * Tanks * Pressure relief valves * Frost protection systems * Emergency mains water supply * Flow switches * Thermostats for temperature control * Pressure gauges * Temperature gauges * Level switches * Manual or auto filling options * Electrical controls Free standing air blast coolers can be supplied with horizontal or vertical air flow with the heat exchangers on the larger units formed into a ‘V’ formation to reduce their footprint. All models are efficient, economical and easy to operate with special attention having been given to their design to achieve optimum thermal efficiency as well as allowing for low noise and low energy criteria to be met. Duties range from 10kW to 1000s of kW. F&R Products are able to provide many options for this range including fan stage control, fan speed control, a variety of materials of construction including stainless steel and all copper, plus a variety of pump and tank systems to suit specific customers’ requirements. A further option is slow speed fans to give low noise levels. ADIABATIC COOLERS Whilst dry air coolers will only cool water to within 3°C of ambient, there is a further option which allows this form of cooling to achieve water off (water leaving the system) temperatures as low as to within 5°C of wet bulb ambients. This is known as an adiabatic system, where in higher summer ambients a fine mist of water is sprayed on to the heat exchanger surface reducing the air temperature on the cooling coil. Adiabatic systems are complete with an ultraviolet light water treatment system so again no requirement for chemical water treatment but with the advantage of water temperatures being below dry bulb ambients. Applications for air blast water coolers, dry air coolers and adiabatic systems are anywhere a process requires cool clean water such as induction furnaces, hydraulic cooling, compressors, quench tanks, printing machines, vacuum pumps and many others. In some instances it will be necessary to install the dry air coolers externally although extra care should be taken to avoid frost damage during the winter. F&R Products specialise in the specification, manufacture and installation of cooling systems including dry air coolers and can advise on the most appropriate solution for your needs.

For more information on Air Blast Coolers - Adiabatic Coolers talk to F and R Products Limited