What Is A Cooling Tower?

Using a total system approach, every cooling tower and component is designed and engineered to work together as an integrated system for efficient performance and long life.

HVAC Free Cooling – A free cooling system allows the tower to directly satisfy a building’s cooling needs without the need of operating the chiller in cold weather. The goal of a free cooling system is to save energy. There are specific types of free cooling systems and certain elements that must be in place for a free cooling system to be considered. Click here to learn more about SPX Free Cooling.

Variable Flow – There may be significant energy savings opportunities if the cooling tower can be operated under variable flow in off-peak conditions. Variable flow is a way to maximize the effectiveness of the installed tower capacity for whatever flow the process has. Learn more about SPX Variable Flow.

OEM parts – Precision-engineered to provide a reliable product, Marley OEM parts are built to the highest standards and tightest tolerances for extended service life.

Geareducer® Solutions – Gearboxes are available in a variety of designs and reduction ratios to accommodate the different fan speeds and horsepowers of cooling towers. The Marley Geareducer Solutions program lets customers order a new replacement gearbox for a tower from SPX, or a factory-trained technician can repair an existing gearbox or rebuild a gearbox using Marley OEM parts.

Fill – One of the single most important components of a cooling tower is the fill. Its ability to promote both the maximum contact surface and the maximum contact time between air and water determines the efficiency of the cooling tower. The two basic fill classifications are splash type fill (breaks up the water) and film type fill (spreads the water into a thin layer).

Drift eliminators – Designed to remove water droplets from the discharged air and reduce loss of process water, drift eliminators cause the air and droplets to make sudden changes in direction. This causes the drops of water to be separated from the air and deposited back into the tower.

Nozzles – Crossflow configuration permits the use of a gravity-flow distribution system with a nozzle such as the Marley ST. With this system, the supply water is elevated to hot water distribution basins above the fill and then flows over the fill (by gravity) through nozzles located in the distribution basin floor. Counterflow configuration necessitates the use of a pressure type system of closed pipe and spray nozzles like the Marley NS.

Fans – Cooling tower fans must move large volumes of air efficiently, and with minimum vibration. The materials of manufacture must not only be compatible with their design, but must also be capable of withstanding the corrosive effects of the environment in which the fans are required to operate. The Marley Ultra Quiet fan is an example of a fan that can be used in situations where very low sound is a necessity.

Driveshafts – The driveshaft transmits power from the output shaft of the motor to the input shaft of the Geareducer. Because the driveshaft operates within the tower, it must be highly corrosion resistant. Turning at full motor speed, it must be well balanced and capable of being re-balanced. Due to the rigorous cooling tower specification requirements, the Marley Comp-DS carbon-fiber driveshaft was designed.

For specific information on how SPX Cooling Tech can meet your cooling tower needs, contact your local Marley sales representative.