Title: Design and Construction of a Laboratory Scale Cooling Tower
Authors: Francis Ayibateke, Worgu Fortune Osaruchi Amos Angelyna
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
Pages: 140-149
Publication Date: 2025/09/28
Abstract:
Developing a full-scale system for experimentation has various problems, including greater complexity, high production costs and the possibility of errors when compared to smaller versions. This study presents the design and construction of a laboratory scale counter flow cooling tower, which may be used to test and analyze cooling tower effectiveness in controlled conditions. The approach employed in this study included developing the conceptual design of the cooling tower, doing design calculations and drawings, as well as constructing and evaluating the equipment. The functionality of the cooling tower was tested to identify the effect of flow parameters on its effectiveness. A 40-watt fan was required to deliver 0.066 kg/s air through the cooling tower to produce a total heat transfer of 3,600 kJ/kg across the hot water as well as the air stream, enabling the heat flux of the stream of air to rise from 28.3 kJ/kg on entering to 47.3 kJ/kg on exiting. The performance analysis shows that when the overall flow rate of water increases, the cooling tower's efficiency often decreases. At higher flow rates, the water flows faster up the tower, shortening the contact period between water and air, limiting heat transfer and leading to lower tower cooling efficiency.