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Wet cooling towers play a prominent role in the transfer of waste heat from industrial thermodynamic cycles. However it is a complicated task to dictate and optimize their operational conditions on account of different mass and heat transfer mechanisms between water and air flows. In this research, air mass flow rate, hot water temperature, water flow rate and stage numbers of packing are changed experimentally in order to investigate their influences on the cooling tower performance. As a matter of fact, this research attempts to focus on packing density effects with an emphasis on the role of stage numbers of packing. Consequently, the obtained results indicate that coefficient of efficiency is in direct relation with the hot water temperature, stage numbers of packing and air mass flow rate, while it diminishes by increasing the water flow rate. On the other hand, the captured thermal images and pertinent temperature histograms are investigated so as to visualize and calculate the temperature distribution within the studied cooling tower. Eventually, mathematical equations are derived from regression analysis of the measured data to recommend some practical procedures for the sake of reaching optimum operating conditions of forced draft wet cooling towers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural draft wet cooling towers are one of the most widely-used types of wet cooling towers in the large-scale power plants. In the present research, the heat transfer performance of natural draft counter-flow wet cooling towers is investigated under cross-wind and windless conditions by virtue of an innovative wind-creator setup provided so as to implement intrinsic features of the natural wind speed profile precisely. As a matter of fact, this investigation will focus on the influences of cross-wind velocity, inlet water temperature and water flow rate on the water temperature difference and cooling efficiency of the studied cooling tower, with an emphasis on the role of wind speed features. Interestingly, a twofold trend is exhibited by the water temperature difference and cooling efficiency with respect to variation of the cross-wind velocity. Furthermore, to have a more applicable study, regression analysis of the experimental results is utilized for the sake of developing general mathematical equations and thus facilitating further analyses. Finally, these mathematical equations are employed in order to recommend a guideline for the purpose of reaching optimum operating conditions of natural draft wet cooling towers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]