Month: April 2022

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How Do Cooling Towers Work?

 

Cooling towers utilize evaporative cooling to adjust the temperature of whatever environment they are supposed to. Evaporative cooling occurs everywhere – it is the simple process of water evaporating into the air. A perfect example of evaporative cooling in everyday life would be sweating. When an individual is hot, they sweat. The sweat then evaporates off the skin, pulling heat out of the body and creating a cooling effect. Stepping out of a pool also demonstrates this – you feel significantly cooler while air drying getting out of the water.

Cooling towers are large structures designed with the purpose of maximizing the evaporative cooling process. In the tower, water is first passed through a heat exchanger where it absorbs heat. The water is then distributed over the top of the cooling tower where air travels past the warm water causing a portion of the water to evaporate. Cooling towers typically contain “fill,” a material consisting of PVC plastic sheets, to create more surface area for the evaporation of water to occur. The heat is transferred from the water stream to the air stream, raising the air’s temperature and its relative humidity to 100%.  This warm air is then discharged into the atmosphere, resulting in a cool water stream. The cooled water from the basin is then pumped back through a heat exchanger and the cycle repeats. For more information on cooling tower fundamentals, click here.

 

Types of Cooling Towers

 

There are two main types of cooling towers – “cross-flow” and “counter-flow”. The main difference between the two is the direction of airflow in relation to the falling water. In a cross-flow cooling tower, the air flows horizontally across the direction of the water. In a counter-flow cooling tower, air and water flow is counter (opposite) to each other.
Diagram showing cross-flow vs. counter flow in cooling towers

 

 

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An Overview of Fan Coil Units

Fan coil units function by a fan collecting, circulating, and directing existing air into an area. It then blows the air into the fan coil unit by forcing it over a cooling or heating condenser coil. This process results in cooler air coming out of the unit without ductwork. Most fan coil units function by controlling the temperature of a space through the use of circulated cold or hot water, and this water may be taken from a central plant that is complete with the necessary equipment (such as a cooling tower and boilers.) The equipment will then get rid of the heat and generate hot water.

An example of a fan coil unit.
An example of a fan coil unit.

Uses and Benefits

Since Fan Coil Units are stand-alone systems, they are great for commercial buildings that don’t feature ductwork. They can also be used be used along with with standard HVAC units to provide a secondarty source of heating or cooling. Fan coil units are cost effective as they don’t involve the installation and upkeep of air ducts, and also allow for a lot of freedom in regards of placement for that same reason.

 

For more information on how a fan coil unit operates, click here.

We offer a variety of parts for your Fan Coil Unit, from motors to capacitors to harnesses. View our stock here to take a look at what options make the most sense for you and our team is more than happy to assist with questions!

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713-782-2734
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The Function of Fan Blades

Fan blades help dissipate heat from the condenser coils of your HVAC system, with turn-out depending on the size, pitch, and speed of the fan assembly. A condenser fan motor on the unit is used to turn the blades, creating a process that converts hot air into a cool liquid, ultimately providing cool air. The rotation of the blades assists in circulating air and prevent air from stagnating. The blades and the correct function of the fan motor are extremely important to the HVAC system, easily being some of the most used parts within the application.

 

Fan Blades
An example of fan blades

 

Maintenance

Like most components of your HVAC system, the blades are subject to wear and tear and need to be regularly inspected for possible maintenance or replacement. If the cooling tower or condensing unit is making too much noise, overheating, or the fan blade is damaged (cracked or broken), then the blade or fan motor will need to be replaced. Keeping your blades clean and the fan motor lubricated will help ensure proper function! We carry both of these items here at Commercial HVAC Parts, click here to view our inventory and request a quote!

For more information on blades, click here.

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What are Vibration Switches?

A vibration switch is used to cut off power to the fan motor of your cooling tower application and set off an alarm in the case of excessive vibration.

There are different types of vibration switches, the three main types being mechanical, electronic, and “smart.” Here at Commercial HVAC Parts, we carry stock of both mechanical and electronic switches. Below we will go in-depth on how each switch works and which is best for your cooling tower.

Electronic and mechanical switches

 

 

Mechanical Vibration Switch

Mechanical vibration switches are the most affordable switch for managing vibration, however, they are the least reliable. A mechanical switch has an inertia-sensitive device that triggers a “snap-action” switch if vibration surpasses a set point. If tripped, the device can set off an alert and shut down the application. These switches do not collect data and are able only to react to a vibration event as it occurs. Often times it is too late to prevent a failure and the mechanical switch simply prevents more vibrational tower damage.

Electronic Vibration Switch

Electronic vibration switches have multiple advantages over mechanical siblings. The electronic switch utilizes a solid-state piezoelectric crystal to provide a 4-20mA electrical output when deformed by vibration forces. A vibration that exceeds a preset limit will set off an alarm, alerting operators to inspect the cooling tower and shut it down before failure occurs. If the vibration exceeds a second preset limit before operators manually shut down the tower, the switch triggers a solid-state relay for automatic shutdown.

Both the mechanical and electronic switches typically are mounted on structural support beams. For more information and specs on switches, click here.

To view our stock of vibration switches, click here.

 

Questions? We’re A Phone Call or Email Away!

Count on Commercial HVAC Parts for all your supply needs.

3801 Cherry St
Houston, TX 77026
713-782-2734
parts@commercialhvacparts.com

Monday – Friday
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