Modeling the Dynamic Thermal Behavior of Cooling Towers Containing Packing Materials

In this study, a mathematical model is presented to describe the dynamic thermal behavior of counterflow cooling towers that contain packing materials. The proposed model takes into account both the sensible and latent heat cooling effects on the tower performance. Closed-form solutions are obtained for the transient and steady temperature distribution within the cooling tower. Under steady-state conditions, a mathematical criterion is derived to obtain the proper length of the cooling tower that is sufficient to ensure complete cooling for the hot water stream.