Things to Consider When Choosing a Cooling Tower for Cooling Buildings
Cooling towers are an efficient way of regulating the temperature in commercial buildings. The cooling tower rejects heat and channels it to the atmosphere. The towers achieve the cooling effect through evaporation of a stream of water, removing heat in the process. On the other hand, closed-circuit dry cooling towers use air to achieve a cooling effect. If you want to install a cooling tower for regulating the temperature in your commercial building, the following are some considerations that you should make:
Sound-Level Control
One of the downsides of installing a cooling tower is the potential noise generated. The noise is not ideal for many work environments, such as hospitals. Therefore, you should consider going for cooling tower designs that have a high level of sound control to create a conducive environment for different types of work. For instance, you can choose the package-type cooling towers. These can be pre-assembled and transported to the site where you want to install them, unlike most cooling towers. They are designed for facilities that do not require a lot of heat rejection, such as a regular commercial building. For this reason, they are particularly designed to produce little noise.
Building Codes and Regulations
Building codes are another important consideration you should keep in mind when choosing a cooling tower. Sometimes, the building codes and regulations can extend to installation and structural design requirements for the utilities in a building, including the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. For example, buildings set up in seismic areas (areas prone to earthquakes) must address anchorage issues to maximise the safety of the occupants. Considering that cooling towers are large structures that can lead to significant damage, it is important to adhere to similar anchorage codes. Essentially, you should find out any building regulations that will affect the methods used to build the cooling tower and adhere to them.
Types of Fans You Can Use
Cooling towers use either axial fans or centrifugal fans. Axial fans rotate around an axis and force air in and out in the same direction. They use less energy compared to the centrifugal fans. On the other hand, centrifugal fans use a fan wheel to move air radially. The air flowing out changes direction and leaves at a right angle to the air flowing in. Preferably, you should go for the axial fans to maximise energy efficiency unless you have to deal with additional air pressure within the building. This is because centrifugal fans are powerful and they produce a steadier airflow.