Displaying items by tag: Baltimore Aircoil Company

Cooling towers offer a proven and cost-effective solution for rejecting heat from condenser water and industrial processes. To maximize the operating cost savings, the fill media — the heat transfer surface that the water flows over — must be properly designed and in good condition. 

The fill is the heart of the system, and the performance of the entire system depends on  maximizing the surface area of fill, evenly distributing the water across the surfaces, and  optimizing the thickness of the water film to perform efficiently.

After years of operation, the fill media can eventually degrade to the point where it must  be replaced. Building owners and operators can find it difficult to evaluate the claims by various manufacturers about which type of replacement fill is the best choice

WHICH FILL IS BETTER?

The ideal way to understand what fill is optimal is through independent research rather  than relying on manufacturers promoting their own product. The most objective evaluation  would come from an unbiased side-by-side comparison, in a real life operational situation. The competing products would be observed for years to determine not only how well they perform at the time of installation, but how they stand up over time.

BACKGROUND

This is exactly what happened when a large professional sports arena in Southern California replaced the fill in its cooling towers. Three Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) Series 3000 Cooling Towers with a crossflow design had been contributing to the comfort and safety of the patrons of the 20,000-seat arena for 18 years. The cooling towers were performing adequately, but due to their age, it was decided that the fill should be replaced as part of a long-term maintenance plan.

HANGING FILL VS. BLOCK FILL

The plan was to replace the fill pack in one cooling tower per year, rather than taking all three towers off-line at once. In the first tower, and then in the second tower a year later, the fill was replaced with BAC’s VersaCross® Replacement Fill, a “hanging” style fill that matched the fill originally installed. When it came time to replace the fill in the third tower, the building owner decided to use a competitive product, a “block” style fill. 

The BAC Series 3000 Cooling Tower has a crossflow design, meaning that the water flows vertically down the fill as air flows horizontally across it. Hot water from the system enters the cooling tower and is distributed over the fill (heat transfer surface). Air is drawn through the fill, causing a small portion of the water to evaporate. This evaporation removes heat from the remaining water, which is collected in the cold water basin and returned to the system to absorb more heat. The BAC Series 3000 Cooling Tower was designed to use hanging sheet fill, and BAC VersaCross® Replacement Fill is the replacement OEM hanging fill on the market. Long continuous sheets, with patterns embossed to increase surface area, are hung to allow smooth water flow from top to bottom.

The block-style replacement fill is a fundamentally different design. Blocks are comprised of corrugated layers of PVC sheets, with wavy sheets sandwiched between layers of flat sheets. The 12” by 12” by 42” blocks are stacked vertically.

INITIAL HESITATIONS ABOUT BLOCK FILL

BAC raised concerns about whether the block style fill would perform adequately and whether it was compatible with the Series 3000 Cooling Tower design. The vertical spacing of block fill is wider than BAC hanging fill, providing less physical surface area than hanging fill. Reduced surface area results in less evaporative cooling.

Another concern was that water would not flow smoothly and evenly through the block fill. Within each block, where the corrugated layers are connected to each other, water flow can be impinged. Moreover, the transition between blocks significantly interrupts flow.

These connections between the flat pieces and the corrugated layers and the transitions between blocks also tend to trap solids. This can lead to scale buildup and fouling, resulting in unacceptable degradation in performance in just a few years. 

TESTING PLAN TO COMPARE PERFORMANCE

After discussion among the building ownership and the installation contractor, the parties agreed that the block fill would be installed and an independent testing company, American Air Balance Co., would be retained by the arena owner to conduct tests comparing the performance of the cell with the block fill to the performance of one of the cells with the VersaCross® Fill.

The thermal testing was performed shortly after the block fill was installed. The chosen time was during a Saturday night NHL game because the arena was packed and the spectators were generating a lot of heat. All three cooling towers were running at full speed.

TEST RESULTS SHOWED CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE

When the two cooling towers were tested, Cooling Tower 1 (CT-1) with block fill performed at 72% of the original fill’s thermal capacity, and Cooling Tower 2 (CT-2) with the VersaCross® Fill performed at 96% of the original fill’s thermal capacity.

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SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE

The cell with block fill was tested again by the independent lab 16 months after installation and again at 28 months. The results showed an additional performance drop-off during that 28-month period.

CONCLUSION: FIRST COST VERSUS TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

The arena’s real life experiment with side-by-side testing showed that the type of fill can make a big difference. The cooling towers in this case were designed to use hanging fill. Replacement with a third-party block fill significantly reduced evaporative cooling performance. 

^[1] Note: “Selection Program GPM” is a calculated prediction of how many gpm of water a Series 3000 unit with the original fill could cool with a given air inlet temperature, water inlet and outlet temperatures,  and power consumption. The “Selection Program GPM” in this table above states that each of CT-1 and CT-2 with the original fill has the thermal capacity to cool 2799 gallons of water per minute from  Entering Water Temp (F°) 82.1 91.2 91.4 82°F to 73°F at 60°F wet bulb while consuming 35 kW of power. Each of these same towers with the original fill can also cool 1984 gallons of water per minute from 82° to 71°F at 61°F wet bulb while consuming 36 kW of power.

After the testing showed clear performance deficiencies of the block fill, the arena replaced the block fill with BAC VersaCross® Fill.

The block fill may have had a lower initial purchase price, but it ended up costing more in energy consumption, maintenance costs, and short useful life than if the OEM replacement fill had been selected. The arena learned the hard way that the design and the quality of the fill is critically important to cost-effective, efficient, and reliable performance of the evaporative cooling tower.

Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) will showcase innovative commercial and industrial refrigeration solutions at RETA 2021 – The Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association National Conference, taking place November 9-11, 2021, at the Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, Schaumburg, IL, Booth #304. Highlighted in the booth are the Vertex™ Evaporative Condenser, where peak reliability meets easy maintenance, and the TrilliumSeries™ Adiabatic Products which combine the best of evaporative and dry cooling to optimize energy and water savings.

The Hot Point presentation on “Drive for greater Sustainability, Maintainability and Efficiency with New Condenser Technologies” will be delivered by BAC Strategic Accounts Manager Dave Anderson and National Sales Manager Ross Sinclair ​​on Tuesday, November 9th, 10:15-11:15am.

Stop by the booth to learn about how the Vertex Evaporative Condenser offers maximum uptime with easy and safe accessibility. It also has the lowest total cost of ownership with the lowest installation, maintenance, and operating costs. Installation costs are reduced by 30 percent, in part by aligning the upper section to the lower section in less than 15 minutes per cell, due to the industrial-grade rigidity of the unit. Water volume is reduced by up to 30 percent, saving on water and chemical costs.

By combining evaporative and dry cooling, the TrilliumSeries Adiabatic Products can reduce peak and annual energy use by 44% versus traditional air-cooled products or reduce water use by 90% versus traditional evaporative products. Users also can save on refrigerant charge with coil volumes reduced up to 90% compared to traditional equipment.. CO2, ammonia, and fluid cooler models are available.

BAC offers a wide selection of reliable, easy-to-install and maintain industrial refrigeration products that provide a constant cold temperature with the lowest refrigerant charge and the highest operational efficiency.

For more information, visit www.BaltimoreAircoil.com. 

With over 80 years of industry-leading innovation and experience, BAC creates cutting-edge cooling equipment for the HVAC, Industrial, and Refrigeration marketplaces. We solve customers’ unique needs with our expertise and wide range of high-performance systems. BAC leverages the power of evaporative cooling by optimizing the balance of water and energy, but the true BAC difference lies in our absolute commitment to creating sustainable solutions and delivering value to our customers. For more information about Baltimore Aircoil Company, visit www.BaltimoreAircoil.com.

Ultimate in corrosion protection for the cold water basin

Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) highlights the TriArmor® Corrosion Protection System which provides the best corrosion and leak protection for the cold water basin at the best value. For over 20 years, thousands of cooling towers, fluid coolers and condensers with the TriArmor® System have withstood the harshest environments, proving its durability and reliability. This patented system designed specifically for evaporative cooling equipment for HVAC, Industrial, and Refrigeration applications is now backed by an industry leading 10-year warranty. 

The TriArmor® System offers three layers of protection, starting with G-235 Galvanized Steel, the heaviest commercially-available galvanized steel. Universally recognized for its strength and durability, it offers excellent service life under normal operating conditions, with proper maintenance and water treatment. The second layer is a Thermosetting Hybrid Polymer baked onto the galvanized steel to create a durable barrier. This polymerized coating has been tested to withstand 6,000 hours in a 5% salt spray without blistering, chipping, or losing adhesion. The third layer, a Polyurethane Barrier, is a factory-applied, corrosion-resistant, impermeable coating that ensures a seamless basin. To help ensure leak-free longevity, microscopic chains of rubber-like resin molecules permanently bond tightly with one another and the thermosetting hybrid polymer. These three layers of protection form a bond for the ultimate in corrosion resistance and leak protection.

In addition to real-world testing over the past two decades, the TriArmor® Corrosion Protection System has also been subjected to a series of rigorous corrosion tests including an acid test (pH=4), an alkaline test (pH=11), a chloride level test, and a 5% salt spray test. Basins also endured heavy impact testing. Remarkably, there were no penetrations left in basins protected by the TriArmor® System. These tests all conclusively demonstrate that the TriArmor® System is superior to stainless steel.

Protection of the cold water basin is the easiest way to extend the life of evaporative cooling equipment. As long as the basin is in good condition, nearly every other part of the equipment can be repaired or replaced. For more information on the TriArmor® Corrosion Protection System, visit http://www.BaltimoreAircoil.com/TriArmor.

About Baltimore Aircoil Company 

With over 80 years of industry-leading innovation and experience, BAC creates cutting-edge cooling equipment for the HVAC, Industrial, and Refrigeration marketplaces. We solve customers’ unique needs with our expertise and wide range of high-performance systems. BAC leverages the power of evaporative cooling by optimizing the balance of water and energy, but the true BAC difference lies in our absolute commitment to creating sustainable solutions and delivering value to our customers. For more information about Baltimore Aircoil Company, visit www.BaltimoreAircoil.com.