A numerical simulation of heat transfer in evaporative cooling towers

A phenomenological analysis was developed for the processes which occur within an evaporative cooling tower. The analysis includes the basic principles of mass, momentum, and energy conservation and empirical elationships for component characteristics such as transfer and pressure drop coefficients. A computer model which simulates the processes occurring in evaporative cooling towers was developed. The results of this computer model are compared to field data to verify the analysis and the computer modeling. The computer model may be used to analyze the performance of existing towers or to predict the performance of alternative tower designs.