Cooling tower

Abstract

A cooling tower includes an evaporator vessel, a gas delivery tube partially disposed within the evaporator vessel and a liquid inlet that provides liquid to the evaporator vessel. A weir is disposed within the evaporator vessel adjacent the gas delivery tube to form a first liquid circulation path between a first weir end and a wall of the evaporator vessel and a second fluid circulation path between a second weir end and another wall of the evaporator vessel. During operation, gas introduced through the tube mixes with the liquid and the combined gas and liquid flow at a high rate with a high degree of turbulence along the first and second circulation paths defined around the weir, thereby promoting vigorous mixing and intimate contact between the gas and the liquid. This turbulent flow leads to a more efficient and complete heat and mass transfer between the gas and the liquid.

1 . A cooling tower comprising:
 an evaporator vessel having an interior for holding a liquid;   a gas inlet tube disposed within the evaporator vessel for transporting a gas into the interior of the evaporator vessel;   a weir disposed within the evaporator vessel adjacent to the gas inlet tube;   a gas exit port for transporting gas from the interior of the evaporator vessel; and   a liquid inlet for supplying the liquid to the interior of the evaporator vessel;   wherein the weir includes a first weir end and a second weir end and is disposed within the evaporator vessel to define a first circulation gap between the first weir end and a first wall of the evaporator vessel and to define a second circulation gap between the second weir end and a second wall of the evaporator vessel, liquid within the evaporator vessel being caused to circulate through the first and second circulation gaps when gas is introduced into the evaporator vessel from the gas tube, and   wherein a temperature of gas that is transported into the interior of the evaporator vessel through the gas inlet tube is less than a temperature of liquid supplied to the interior of the evaporator vessel through the liquid inlet.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling tower of  claim 1  further including a baffle disposed proximate the second circulation gap and generally perpendicular to the weir. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling tower of  claim 1 , wherein the gas tube includes a gas exit disposed below a surface of the cooling liquid when the liquid is disposed within the evaporator vessel. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling tower of  claim 3 , further including a plurality of gas exits disposed in the gas tube, wherein each gas exit is substantially rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling tower of  claim 1 , wherein the weir comprises a tubular member disposed around the gas tube. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling tower of  claim 5 , wherein the tubular member is disposed co-axial to the gas tube. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling tower of  claim 1 , further including a blower attached to the gas tube. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling tower of  claim 7  wherein the blower supplies gas to the evaporation vessel under positive pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling tower of  claim 1  wherein the blower supplies gas to the evaporation vessel under negative pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling tower of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of gas tubes. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling tower of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of weirs. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling tower of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of blowers. 
     
     
         13 . A method of cooling a liquid in a cooling tower having a weir disposed within an evaporator vessel, the weir defining first and second volumes within the evaporator vessel and a gas inlet tube extending into the evaporator vessel into the first volume, the method comprising:
 supplying a liquid at a first temperature to the evaporator vessel at a rate sufficient to maintain a liquid surface level in the evaporator vessel at or above a first end of the weir when the cooling tower is operating;   providing gas at a second temperature through the gas inlet tube to force the gas through an exit in the gas inlet tube to cause mixing of the gas and the liquid within the first volume by creating a circular flow of liquid from the first volume around the first end of the weir into the second volume and from the second volume around a second end of the weir and into the first volume; and   removing gas through a gas exit port in the evaporator vessel,   wherein the first temperature is greater than the second temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further including removing liquid with suspended solid particulate from the evaporator vessel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein mixing of the gas and the liquid causes the liquid to at least partially evaporate, thereby lowering a temperature of the liquid within the evaporator vessel. 
     
     
         16 . A cooling system for cooling a liquid, the cooling system including a plurality of cooling towers fluidly connected to one another,
 at least one cooling tower comprising:
 an evaporator vessel having an interior for holding a liquid; 
 a gas inlet tube disposed within the evaporator vessel for transporting a gas into the interior of the evaporator vessel; 
 a weir disposed within the evaporator vessel adjacent to the gas inlet tube; 
 a gas exit port for transporting gas from the interior of the evaporator vessel; and 
 a liquid inlet for supplying the liquid to the interior of the evaporator vessel; 
 wherein a temperature of gas transported into the interior of the evaporator vessel through the gas inlet tube has a temperature that is less than a temperature of liquid supplied to the interior of the evaporator vessel through the liquid inlet. 
   
     
     
         17 . The cooling system of  claim 16 , wherein at least two cooling towers in the plurality of cooling towers are fluidly connected in series. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling system of  claim 17 , wherein a gas exit port of a first cooling tower in the plurality of cooling towers is fluidly connected to a gas inlet tube of a second cooling tower in the plurality of cooling towers. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling system of  claim 16 , wherein gas flows through the plurality of cooling towers under negative pressure. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling system of  claim 16 , wherein gas exiting the cooling system is within about 5° F. of its adiabatic saturation temperature.