A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF WIND ON THE AIR INTAKE FLOW-RATE OF A COOLING-TOWER .1. WIND-TUNNEL STUDY

Cooling towers operating in western Canada are often subject to advers e weather, which can hinder their performance. In particular, during t he winter months, cooling towers may experience strong winds and sub-f reezing temperatures. This condition often leads to ice formation at t he windward intake. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effe ct of wind on the air flow through a cooling tower. A 1:25 scale model of a counter flow cooling tower was tested in the simulated atmospher ic boundary layer of a wind tunnel. The external flow patterns, pressu re characteristics and intake flow rates were documented. These result s indicate that winds strongly influence the flow entering the tower, especially the Bow through the windward intake which increased by as m uch as 45%.