1. What is a Cooling Tower Water Usage Calculator?

Definition: This calculator estimates the total water usage in a cooling tower system by summing evaporation, drift, and blowdown losses.

Purpose: It helps facility managers and engineers determine total water requirements and optimize cooling tower operations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• Water_usage — Total water consumption (m³/h)
• Evaporation — Water lost to evaporation (m³/h)
• Drift — Water lost as droplets in air stream (m³/h)
• Blowdown — Water intentionally drained to control solids (m³/h)

Explanation: The three main water loss mechanisms in cooling towers are combined to determine total makeup water requirements.

3. Importance of Water Usage Calculation

Details: Accurate water usage estimation helps in water conservation efforts, cost management, and system sizing for cooling towers.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter all three components in m³/h. Typical values:

• Evaporation: ~1% of circulating water flow per 10°F range
• Drift: 0.002-0.2% of circulating water flow
• Blowdown: Depends on cycles of concentration

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I estimate evaporation rate?
A: Evaporation ≈ 0.00153 * recirculation rate (m³/h) * temperature drop (°C)

Q2: What affects drift loss?
A: Drift depends on tower design, wind speed, and drift eliminator efficiency.

Q3: How is blowdown determined?
A: Blowdown = Evaporation / (Cycles of Concentration - 1)

Q4: Why measure water usage?
A: To optimize water treatment, reduce costs, and meet environmental regulations.

Q5: What's a typical water usage ratio?
A: Makeup water is typically 1.5-3% of circulating flow, depending on conditions.