Given your interest, we transcribe here the article published in Caloryfrio.com
Evaporative cooling is a safe and environmentally friendly technology, as it favors the reduction of global warming, the saving of natural resources and energy efficiency. In addition, the savings generated by this equipment occurs in all steps of the process, from the installation to the energy consumption of the tower or condenser.
Evaporative cooling is a natural process that uses water as a refrigerant and is applied to the transmission of excess heat from different processes and thermal machines to the atmosphere. This principle is based on the operation of equipment such as evaporative condensers and cooling towers, essential facilities for industrial processes of large productive sectors: food, textiles, automotive, power plants, industrial refrigeration or machinery and petrochemical and pharmaceutical industry, among others; hence its importance in the Spanish economy and the importance of using a technology that is respectful of the environment and capable of promoting energy savings and reducing the consumption of electricity.
The use of water in cooling towers
The evaporative cooling has been able to adapt to the new demands of the environment and the available natural resources. The use of water made by these teams is one of its great environmental advantages, since 95% of it is reused. Likewise, the lower amount of energy required for its operation, compared to the air cooling equipment, represents a significant saving in the expense of water derived from the electrical production necessary for its maintenance.
The reduction of water consumption and its efficient use is one of the characteristics of evaporative cooling equipment. A small amount evaporates and another is evacuated to avoid the concentration of salts. It is necessary to differentiate between two ways in which the emanations of water to the atmosphere can be made:
- Evaporation: the plume of water vapor is formed by the condensation of water vapor that comes out of the equipment and manifests itself, especially in cold or cool and humid environments. It is the condensation of water vapor that has evaporated in the cooling process and, as such, is pure water, without salts or bacteriological elements, which is returned to the atmosphere as water vapor.
- The droplet and effluent drag in the form of aerosols: the water that comes out of the tower is the same as that in the equipment raft and in the refrigeration circuit of the system and, consequently, contains and carries the same components -sales dissolved, suspended solids, biocides and microorganisms. The technology currently used by cooling towers allows the phenomenon of entrainment, with the separators of high efficiency, oscillate between 0.01% and 0.002% (in certain models) of the flow of water in recirculation. The amount of water that could get lost in the drag is between 20 and 100 times less than the evaporated water and up to 500 times less in some models. Therefore, the possible amount of water lost is not significant and the output of aerosols is of no practical importance if the rules regarding the quality of the droplet separators and the assembly and maintenance of the equipment are followed.
On the other hand, in recent times, the importance of the water footprint has begun to be granted, an environmental indicator (HH) that evaluates the total volume of fresh water used in the production of goods and services and also the temporary distribution of water. water consumption based on real data and putting it in context with the water balance in which it is used.
In this context, evaporative cooling leaves behind a very small water footprint, a benefit in line with water security. It is, therefore, an element to take into account in the evaluation of the economic cost of any product.
The Water Footprint not only allows to evaluate which technology is more convenient to use at each moment and for each application, but also, it is a powerful awareness tool, since the estimations that it facilitates help to reflect on the need to carry out a optimal water management.
How does this technology contribute to environmental protection?
To the circumstances directly linked to the use of the equipment, other vitally important ones must be added to protect the environment, such as:
- Evaporative cooling is a natural process capable of reducing the greenhouse effect and limiting indirect CO2 emissions thanks to the saving of electrical energy consumed, and direct, due to the lower risk of refrigerant gas leaks.
- Reduced acoustic impact: lower than that generated by similar solutions, due to the fact that they require less air flow than air-cooled equipment, which also reduces soundproofing costs.
- Efficiency in the process: it is a highly efficient technology that allows to ensure maximum performance by reducing significantly the energy lost and favoring the elimination of waste heat.
- Energy saving: compared to similar alternatives, the energy used for the heat evacuation or for the cooling process is low, and also the consumption of the ventilation motors is lower. Said saving is also produced by the design and operation of the equipment.
Entering fully in the field of energy savings, we must remember that Spain is far from achieving the desirable objectives in this regard in terms of construction and rehabilitation, so the adoption of measures to reduce consumption is a priority.
Recently a report published by EuroACE (Alliance of companies for energy efficiency in buildings) noted that up to 84% of buildings in Spain are energy inefficient. At present, in our country, buildings are responsible for 31% of energy consumption and 66% of their energy consumption is due to the use of heating, cooling and ventilation. Consequently, any action aimed at the energy improvement of air conditioning in buildings will have a strong impact on global consumption and at this point evaporative condensation cooling (cooling towers and evaporative condensers) is essential, as these equipments offer a combination ideal for energy use and installation costs, resulting in an optimal investment / performance ratio compared to similar solutions.
In air conditioning and refrigeration installations, energy efficiency and electric power consumption are directly related to the condensing temperature of the refrigerant used, less in evaporative condensation than in air condensation. Also, the technical evolution experienced by these systems in recent years has increased the guarantees of safety and efficiency, with numerous innovations that optimize the energy efficiency of the cooling towers.
Conclusions
The principle of evaporative cooling plays a fundamental role in any industrial process that requires the application of cold. Energy saving, respect for the environment, safety and an unbeatable relationship between investment and performance are some of its features.
Control y Ventilacion, S.L. is a company of international renown within the industrial and livestock sector, for being a manufacturer of products within the evaporative cooling sector, such as the HUMIBAT, evaporative plastic cooler; or its NUCLEOS towers, Cooling Towers. In both products, the substrate in which the evaporative process is produced is a plastic honeycomb, a honeycomb resistant both to physical and chemical attacks, and at the same time flexible, a honeycomb with a mesh structure, made of polyethylene High Density, and marketed under the names of PANAL C & V or in the case of being a drop separator, SEPARADOR C & V .
For more information you can see the following links:
www.controlyventilacion.com/refrigeracion-evaporativa/
www.controlyventilacion.com/relleno-y-separador/
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