Title: Improving Cooling Tower Performance Through Proper Operation and Maintenance
Learner Objectives:
To review basic cooling tower operations, the necessary maintenance needed to minimize common deficiencies and the associated impacts on thermal performance.
Content/Topic Outline:
• Review the basic types of cooling towers and how they operate
• Discuss suggested maintenance and deficiencies that can occur in a cooling tower over time.
• Explain thermal characteristics of a cooling tower and the impact poor operations or deficiencies will have on tower performance.
Presenter:
Philip Poll
Presentation Description:
This presentation will review the overall lifecycle of a cooling tower from a mechanical perspective. There are different types of cooling towers ranging from field erected fiberglass towers to factory assembled steel towers. These will be explored and explained in how they are applied in the marketplace. The basic operation of a cooling tower will be broken down and each subsystem reviewed to give the audience a summary of basic cooling tower operations. This will allow for detailed explanations of cooling tower components and how they contribute to the overall cooling tower performance. Both the initial design of a tower and the after-market upgrades will be reviewed. Recommended annual maintenance and the associated deficiencies that commonly develop over time will be discussed in combination with the implications of water treatment issues. Variability in tower configurations, fill types, and material selection will be presented as well as the impacts these have on tower operation and life expectancy. In closing, cooling Tower performance will be reviewed and the associated impact of deferred maintenance and known mechanical deficiencies will be explained from the perspective of lost cooling tower capacity and efficiency. Understanding the mechanical and operational impacts is critical when consulting customers on cooling tower operation.
Presenter Bio:
Philip Poll is a Senior Mechanical Engineer with OBR Cooling Towers, Inc. Philip started his career in the cooling tower industry as a field repair technician in 2001. He attended Ohio University receiving a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, where he participated in both the independent study and Co-op programs focusing on thermal systems. His experience includes project management, product design, equipment inspection and water treatment for both field erected and packaged cooling towers. Prior to joining OBR, Philip was employed as a District Representative for The Nalco Chemical Company, where he completed Nalco’s technical sales engineering training program. Philip resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife Brittany and his three children.