Thermal performance of counterflow wet cooling tower filled with inclined folding wave packing: An experimental and numerical investigation.

• Develop a inclined folding wave packing. • Contrast analysis of inclined folding wave and ramp packing performance. • Numerical simulation studies on different operating parameters. • Fitting the empirical equation of thermal resistance. Improve the heat transfer performance of cooling tower packing in the field of energy saving and environmental protection is of great significance, this study proposes a kind of inclined folding wave packing, using experimental research and numerical calculations combined method to study the heat and mass transfer characteristics of inclined folding wave packing, the results show that: inlet wind speed rises, the cooling tower approximation reduced from 4.38 °C to 2.78 °C; when the gas to water mass ratio increases from 0.322 to 1.019, the cooling number from 1.115 to 1.754; when the gas to water mass ratio of 0.54, the height of the packing from 0.915 m to 1.830 m, the cooling number from 1.15 to 1.64, the height of the packing to enhance the channel of the gas-liquid heat transfer effect. Compared with the traditional ramp packing, the cooling efficiency of the developed inclined folded wave packing is improved by 15.32 %. Combined with the actual engineering test found that the packing height can be increased to reduce gas to water mass ratio and air volume requirements, up to 28 % of the air volume can be saved. The motor output power of 1.830 m high inclined folding wave packing in actual operation is 0.268 kW, compared with 0.915 m high inclined folding wave packing, the difference in energy consumption is 0.246 kW. Inclined folding wave packing can not only improve the overall performance of the cooling tower, but also significantly reduce energy consumption, which can guide the engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]