Selection of cooling tower fan renovation solutions
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Dear sea friends: My company currently has two cooling towers, and the fans in these towers are driven by 160KW AC motors. The temperature difference between the supply water and the return water is not high, around 2 degrees. I am now looking to reduce energy consumption, and I plan to upgrade one of the cooling tower fans. There are two options available: one is to replace the motor with a water-cooled unit, using the residual pressure from the return water to drive it, thereby reusing that amount of energy; however, the initial cost for this upgrade is high, but the energy savings are significant； Another option is to use an inverter cabinet for the motor; the load on the mains-frequency motor should not be too low, generally it needs to be above 30%, otherwise the motor is prone to burning out. The cost of modification is low, but energy savings are relatively limited. Which option is better?
In the long run, it’s better to use a water-cooled machine for propulsion
Could you explain this water cooler? Is it the return water that drives the fan for cooling, or something else?
Cooling tower fans are used to dissipate heat from hot return water.
What the fuck is that water-cooled machine? Is it a turbine?:L
This post was last edited by CHANGBAISHI on 2025-9-14 08:06. It is best to conduct a systematic energy calculation before making any modifications. There were cases years ago where the residual pressure from returning water was used to drive turbines that in turn powered fans; if such methods truly saved energy, they would have been widely adopted by now. In principle, without a certain pressure acting as a driving force for the fluid in the nozzles or water distributors, the cooling tower loses its function. I feel that using turbines to replace motors is a misinterpretation of the situation – it focuses only on the energy savings associated with eliminating motors, while ignoring the pressure required by nozzles/water distributors. In most cases, after installation, the vendor asks the personnel on site to increase the pressure of the circulating water in order to drive the turbine, and thus bribery of those personnel comes into play. . . . . A similar so-called concept of energy conservation exists in the metering of electrical equipment; in most cases, it’s just a bunch of experts cheating people, who plant troublemakers in companies in order to sell their products. Under the guise of energy savings and reduced consumption, they engage in deception everywhere… Just wait and see if I’m wrong. If signing a contract with the vendor, you may specify that the comparison should be conducted on the premise that the current operating current of the circulating water motor remains unchanged, and see whether the vendor agrees to this condition... for reference only.
Well said. In the hot summer months, when the circulating water cannot be cooled down, problems arise. The fillers in today’s cooling towers are also a hassle – water splashes everywhere
As temperatures rise year by year, should we consider installing additional cooling towers or increasing the cooling capacity? There are now various types of cooling towers, and it is essential to use them properly as well as to conduct regular inspections and maintenance. For reference.
How does one operate what is known as an extended cooling stroke?