Cooling towers are large devices used to remove heat and transfer that waste heat to the atmosphere. In 1918, the first hyperboloid cooling towers were built in the Netherlands. Now, there are two main types of cooling towers used. Either type of cooling tower is generally used to cool the circulating water used in oil refineries, petrochemical and other chemical plants, thermal power stations, and HVAC systems used to cool buildings.

Wet cooling towers use the evaporation of water to remove the excess heat created in these industrial processes. It cools the working fluid near the wet bulb air temperature. The other option for industries is to use dry cooling towers. These rely completely on air to cool the working fluid to near the dry bulb air temperature.

In addition to wet and dry cooling towers, closed circuit cooling towers are hybrids. They work with the best of both types of systems by passing the working fluid through a tube bundle, where clean water is sprayed and a fan induced draft applied. However, the resulting heat transfer performance is much closer to that of a wet cooling tower, but has the advantage of a dry cooler by protecting the working fluid from environmental exposure and contamination.

The tallest cooling tower in the world is 202 meters tall. This is the cooling tower of Kalisindh Thermal Power Plant in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, India. Even with the largest cooling towers, or the best technology in cooling, industries are still responsible for anything that leaves into the air with the vapor. This is where air strippers come into play.

Cooling towers are generally used with volatile chemicals at refineries and chemical plants. Therefore, air strippers are needed to remove any harmful materials that could possibly be release by these towers into the atmosphere. Air strippers continue to be the best water remediation technology. They remove organic solvents, chlorinated hydrocarbons, fuel or gasoline hydrocarbons, degreasers, and certain other volatile organic chemicals. Industries usually choose air strippers because it is the most cost effective when considering initial, operating, and maintenance costs.

No matter what type cooling tower system you choose, you will want to make sure it is efficient, cost effective, and protects the environment. Combining the best cooling tower systems with state of the art air strippers, you are sure to be running your industry smoothly. Do plenty of research on the best systems for your company, and make the investment in the best cooling and air stripping products for a long lasting industry.