JP7685215B2 - cooling tower - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooling tower that cools a circulating liquid-phase heat medium by exchanging heat with air in a heat exchange section, and in particular to a cross-flow type cooling tower.

In general, cooling towers are installed outdoors to cool liquid-phase heat transfer media such as water used in circulation in factories and air conditioning systems. In the heat exchange section inside the cooling tower, the air (outside air) taken in from the outside by the operation of a fan (blower) is directly or indirectly exchanged with the heat transfer media to perform cooling.

Of these, cross-flow cooling towers are widely used devices that spray circulating water, which acts as a heat transfer medium, from above onto a layered filler material housed in a rectangular tower body, while introducing outside air from the side to allow heat exchange between the perpendicular circulating water and the outside air.
An example of such a conventional cross-flow type cooling tower is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 6-307795.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-307795

A conventional cross-flow type cooling tower has the configuration shown in the above-mentioned patent document, and has a mechanism for performing heat exchange in which water and outside air flow perpendicularly to each other in the filler material that serves as the heat exchange section.
The filler material that has been used in the past in such cross-flow cooling towers is a block made by laminating a number of filler sheets together with adhesive. The filler material has sufficient rigidity as a whole due to the adhesive integration, and can be handled as a single unit, and can be installed in the cooling tower body without any special consideration.

However, in recent years, laminating and integrating filler sheets using adhesives has become difficult due to issues with securing the time and space required for the adhesive drying and hardening process, and the difficulty of handling the adhesive due to regulations on the organic solvents in the adhesive, so methods of integrating filler sheets without using adhesives have been proposed.

However, packing materials obtained by applying methods that do not use such adhesives, such as methods of integrating adjacent packing sheets by fitting or welding their recesses and protrusions together, generally have lower rigidity than those integrated using adhesives, and cannot be arranged based on the packing material's rigidity as in the past, requiring special ingenuity for arrangement, which means that it is time-consuming to arrange the packing material in the tower body and leads to increased manufacturing costs.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a cooling tower in which the filler has a multi-part structure and each part can be inserted and removed sideways from the tower body, facilitating the installation of the filler in the tower body and removal from the tower body for maintenance, etc., and reducing the cost of work related to the filler.

The cooling tower according to the present invention is an open-type cross-flow cooling tower in which circulating water to be cooled is sprayed onto the filler material inside the cooling tower while external air is circulated sideways from the side of the filler material by induced draft from a blower, and heat exchange is performed between the air and the circulating water at least through the filler material. The filler material is formed by stacking filler material sheets, and can be arranged in the tower body in a vertically stacked arrangement of multiple layers with the stacking direction being horizontal, and the sheets of filler material in each layer are At both ends of the stacking direction, a specific support protruding outward is provided integrally with the packing material, and at specific locations on both sides of the packing material placement location in the tower body, one or more support frames with grooves into which the support for each packing material can be inserted are provided. Each packing material is placed in the tower body by inserting the support at both ends into the grooves of the support frame of the tower body, and while being supported by the support frame via the support, it is moved from the side of the tower body at least in the direction in which the grooves of the support frame continue.

In this way, according to the present invention, the filler material formed by laminating the filler sheets is stacked in multiple layers in the vertical direction, and for each layer of filler material, a support integrated with the filler material is provided so as to protrude to the side of the filler material, while a support frame with a groove for engaging this support is disposed in the tower body, and the support is inserted into the groove of the support frame on the tower body side to support the filler material with the support frame, while the filler material can be moved in the continuous direction of the groove relative to the support frame. This makes it possible to move the filler material along the groove from the side of the tower body to the installation location inside the tower body and install it, or to easily pull out and remove the filler material from the tower body, while supporting each layer of filler material reliably and without strain. This makes it possible to streamline work related to filler material, such as cooling tower assembly and maintenance, and reduce costs.

In addition, in the cooling tower according to the present invention, as necessary, the groove of the support frame corresponding to the support of the lowest filler among the multiple filler tiers is set to a predetermined height at which the groove end, which is the insertion start position of the support, can move along the groove above the side end position of the cooling tower lower water tank, and the groove shape is continuous in the horizontal direction from the groove end to the upper position of the arrangement location of the lowest filler in the tower body, and the groove continuing to the upper position is further expanded downward from the upper position to the position of the support of the filler when the filler is arranged at the arrangement location, and when the lowest filler moves laterally from the side of the tower body into the tower body above the side end position of the lower water tank and reaches above the arrangement location in the tower body, the support can be moved to the lower arrangement location while aligning with the expanded groove part of the support frame.

In this way, according to the present invention, the groove of the support frame into which the support for the lowest packing material is inserted is set so that the packing material can move above the side end position of the lower water tank, and the groove is expanded further downward to allow the packing material, together with the support inserted in the groove, to be moved to the location inside the tower. When the packing material is moved from the side of the tower along the groove of the support frame and reaches above the location inside the tower, the packing material is moved downward along the expanded part of the groove, so that the packing material can be dropped into the location inside the tower. Therefore, even under conditions where the location inside the tower of the lowest packing material reaches a position lower than the side end of the lower water tank and the packing material cannot be placed inside the tower by moving it only in the lateral direction, the packing material can be moved smoothly along the groove of the support frame and can be reliably reached to the location inside the tower.

In addition, the cooling tower according to the present invention may, as necessary, have a penetrating member that penetrates the stacked filler sheets that make up each of the fillers in the sheet stacking direction to integrate the filler sheets, and the supports are connected to both ends of the penetrating member.

In this way, according to the present invention, the penetrating material penetrates the stacked filler sheets, restricting the movement of each filler sheet in a direction perpendicular to the sheet stacking direction, and making it difficult for the filler sheets to shift in a direction perpendicular to the sheet stacking direction. This ensures that the stacked filler sheets are integrated and can maintain this integrated state, ensuring that the filler functions properly. In addition, the support that engages with the support frame and supports the entire filler is connected to the penetrating material, so that the weight of each filler sheet is supported equally by the penetrating material, and the load is not concentrated on some of the filler sheets, making the support for the filler strong and stable.

In addition, in the cooling tower according to the present invention, if necessary, the support frame is provided with multiple stages of grooves into which the support tools can be inserted on both sides of the filler placement location in the tower body, making it possible to support all the stages of filler that are stacked vertically.

Thus, according to the present invention, the support frames arranged on both sides of the filler placement area of the tower body are provided with grooves for inserting supports corresponding to all of the multiple layers of filler, so that only one set is arranged on the tower body, and by supporting the multiple layers of filler with this one set of support frames, the work of preparing and assembling multiple support frames corresponding to each filler is unnecessary, reducing the labor involved in arranging the support frames, and by eliminating the connecting parts between the support frames and making them one unit from the beginning, the strength of the support frames as a whole is increased, and each filler can be properly supported.

In addition, in the cooling tower according to the present invention, the support frame may be a continuous body without gaps that is integrally molded from a water-resistant material and covers the sides of each of the multiple tiers of filler.

In this way, according to the present invention, the support frame is a continuous, gap-free integral molding that covers the sides of the filler material of each stage arranged inside the tower body. Even if water sprayed from above flows outside the filler material when the cooling tower is in operation, the continuous support frame without gaps prevents the water from moving outside the support frame, reliably preventing water from leaking or splashing outside the support frame.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a fill material in a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support frame in a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the support frame during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the start of installation of the lower filler during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the lower filler moves laterally along the support frame groove during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the state in which the lower filler moves downward along the support frame groove during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the start of installation of the upper filler material during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the upper filler support state by the support frame in the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the filling material has been completely installed during assembly of the cooling tower according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a cooling tower according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.
As shown in the figures, the cooling tower 1 according to this embodiment comprises a tower body 10 through which circulating water, which is a heat medium, and external air pass, fillers 21 and 22 which serve as a heat exchange section within the tower body 10 and exchange heat between the circulating water and the air, an upper water tank 30 which is disposed above the filler material 21 and is supplied with circulating water and which sprays the circulating water onto each section of the filler materials 21 and 22, a lower water tank 50 which is disposed below the filler material 22 and collects the circulating water which has passed through the filler materials 21 and 22, a water distribution pipeline 60 which sends the circulating water which has been taken out of the lower water tank 50 and passed through a specified circulation pipeline 95 back to the upper water tank 30, and a blower 70 which is disposed above the center of the lower water tank 50 and uses induced draft to pass external air between each of the filler sheets 25 of the filler materials 21 and 22.

The cooling tower 1 according to this embodiment is an open type cross-flow cooling tower in which circulating water to be cooled is sprayed from the upper water tank 30 onto the fillers 21, 22, which serve as heat exchangers inside the tower body 10, while external air is taken in from the sides of the fillers 21, 22 by induced draft from the blower 70, causing heat exchange between the circulating water and the air in the fillers 21, 22.

The tower body 10 is shaped to surround an internal tower space having a rectangular cross section, and inside, two sets of fillers 21, 22 are arranged facing each other with a central ventilation space in between. External air is taken in from two side surfaces that face and are positioned opposite each other toward the sets of fillers 21, 22, and the air that has undergone heat exchange with the fillers 21, 22 is discharged from the center of the upper part.
In addition, the configuration of each part of this tower body 10 other than the support structure for the fillers 21, 22 is similar to that of a tower body in a known cross-flow type open cooling tower, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

Support frames 15 for supporting the fillers 21, 22 are disposed at predetermined positions on both sides of the installation location of the fillers 21, 22 in the tower body 10. These support frames 15 are configured as a continuous, gap-free, approximately plate-like body integrally molded from a water-resistant material, such as FRP, that covers the sides of the upper and lower fillers 21, 22 together. In such support frames 15, grooves 16, 17 used for attaching, detaching and supporting the fillers 21, 22 are provided continuously at least in the horizontal direction for each of the fillers 21, 22, making it possible for the support frames 15 to support the two upper and lower fillers 21, 22.

In this way, by supporting the two upper and lower fillers 21, 22 with one set of support frames 15, it is no longer necessary to prepare and assemble multiple support frames corresponding to the fillers 21, 22, reducing the effort required to install the support frames on the tower body. In addition, by eliminating the connection parts between the support frames and making them one unit from the beginning, the strength of the support frames as a whole is increased, and each filler 21, 22 can be more appropriately supported.

The packing materials 21, 22 are formed by integrating a number of approximately plate-shaped packing sheets 25 in a stacked state, and are arranged in the tower body 10 in a horizontal orientation with the support frames 15 located on both sides of the stacking direction, and in a two-tiered arrangement in the vertical direction. Because of the two-tier arrangement, the packing material in the top tier is the upper tier packing material 21, and the packing material in the bottom tier is the lower tier packing material 22.

At both ends of each packing material 21, 22 in the sheet stacking direction, a predetermined support 27 protruding outward is provided. Each support 27 can be inserted into a groove 16, 17 of a support frame 15 arranged in the tower body 10. Each packing material 21, 22 is supported by the support frame 15 via these supports 27 by inserting and engaging the supports 27 at both ends into the grooves 16, 17 of the support frame 15.

Each of the fillers 21 and 22 is provided with a penetrating member 28 that penetrates the stacked filler sheets 25 that make up the filler in the sheet stacking direction. Supports 27 are connected to both ends of the penetrating member 28, and the penetrating member 28 is integrated with the fillers 21 and 22 (see FIG. 3).

The penetrating material 28 and the support 27 restrain each filler sheet 25 so that it does not move in the stacking direction, and the penetrating material 28 also restrains each filler sheet 25 so that it does not move in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. This allows each filler sheet 25 to be integrated as fillers 21 and 22 even without a structure in which the sheets are not glued together, and also gives the filler sufficient rigidity to resist deformation.

Each of these fillers 21, 22 is arranged inside the tower body by inserting the supports 27 at both ends into the grooves 16, 17 of the support frame 15 of the tower body 10, respectively, and moving it sideways from one side of the tower body 10 while being supported by the support frame 15 via the supports 27.

For the grooves 16 and 17 of the support frame 15, the support 27 of the upper filler 21 is inserted into the upper groove 16 of the support frame 15, and the support 27 of the lower filler 22 is inserted into the lower groove 17 of the support frame 15.

In such a support frame 15, the height of the groove end of the groove 17 corresponding to the support 27 of the lower filler 22, which is the starting position for inserting the support 27, is set to a predetermined height that allows the filler 22 to move above the side end position of the cooling tower lower water tank 50.

The groove 17 is formed in a groove shape that continues laterally from the end of the groove to a position above the location in the tower where the lower packing material 22 is installed, and the groove that continues to this upper position is further extended downward from the upper position to the position of the support 27 for the packing material 22 when the packing material 22 is installed at the installation location.

The lower filler 22 then moves laterally from the side of the tower body 10 into the tower body above the side end position of the lower water tank 50, and when it reaches a position above the location where the filler 22 is installed inside the tower body, it can be moved to the lower installation location while aligning the support 27 with the groove expansion portion of the support frame 15.

In addition, the configuration of each part of the filler 21, 22, which serves as a heat exchange section to exchange heat between the circulating water flowing down along each filler sheet 25 and the air flowing through the gaps between the filler sheets 25 in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the circulating water, is similar to that of the filler in a known cross-flow type open cooling tower, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

The upper water tank 30 is formed as a shallow box-shaped body with many small holes at the bottom, and is disposed at a position above each of the packing materials 21, 22 at the top of the tower body 10. This upper water tank 30 is connected to a water distribution pipeline 60, receives a supply of circulating water that leaves the lower water tank 50 and passes through a circulation pipeline 95 that leads to a refrigerator, air conditioner, etc., and distributes and drips this circulating water uniformly at a predetermined amount from the many holes at the bottom toward each part of the packing material 21 below, a well-known configuration, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

The lower water tank 50 is disposed on a water tank reinforcing frame 51 fixedly installed on the underside of the tower body 10, and receives the circulating water that flows down, temporarily storing it and recovering it. It is connected to a water supply section (not shown) for makeup water that is replenished when the circulating water decreases, a circulation pipe 95 that flows the circulating water in and out of the cooling tower, and the like, and is a well-known configuration capable of storing a predetermined amount of circulating water, so a detailed description will be omitted.

A strainer 57 is provided at the outlet of the water in the lower water tank 50 that flows into the circulation line 95, and separates out any foreign matter such as scale that has precipitated in the water, allowing only the circulating water to flow through the circulation line 95.

The water distribution pipeline 60 is provided inside the tower body 10 as a pipeline for supplying the circulating water that has returned to the cooling tower 1 through the circulation pipeline 95 to the upper water tank 30 .
In addition, the blower 70 is disposed in the upper center of the tower body 10, and introduces external air sideways into each of the fillers 21, 22 by induced draft through the ventilation space below it, and blows the air that has passed through the fillers 21, 22 upward and out of the tower body 10. A detailed explanation of this blower is therefore omitted.

Next, a process for disposing the filler inside the cooling tower according to this embodiment will be described.
The premise is that the tower body 10 of the cooling tower 1 has the columns and side outer panels 12 that form the main parts of the tower body 10 attached to the upper side of the lower water tank 50 that is integrated with the water tank reinforcing frame 51, and support frames 15 are arranged on both sides of the filling material arrangement location inside the tower body (see Figure 5).

Each of the fillers 21 and 22 is integrated without adjoining adjacent sheets by means of a penetrating material 28 that penetrates the stacked filler sheets 25 that form the filler in the sheet stacking direction and a support 27 that is connected to both ends of the penetrating material 28.

Of these packing materials 21 and 22, the packing material 22 in the lower stage is placed inside the tower body first. First, the supports 27 on both ends of the packing material 22 are inserted into the grooves 17 of the support frame 15 of the tower body 10, and while the packing material 22 is supported by the support frame 15 via the supports 27, the packing material 22 is moved sideways from the side of the tower body 10 into the tower body (see Figures 6 and 7).

The location where the lower packing material 22 is installed inside the tower body is directly above the lower water tank 50, and the bottom end of the installation location is lower than the side end position of the lower water tank 50. Due to the existence of the side end of the lower water tank 50, the structure is such that the packing material 22 cannot reach the installation location inside the tower body simply by moving it sideways.

However, the groove 17 of the support frame 15 is set at a predetermined height that allows the filler 22 to move above the side end position of the lower water tank 50, and is shaped like a groove that continues horizontally from the end of the groove to a position above the location where the lower filler 22 is disposed inside the tower (see Figure 7).

Therefore, when the lower filler 22 is moved so that its support 27 follows the groove 17, it can be moved laterally from the side of the tower body 10 into the tower body above the side end position of the lower water tank 50, and can reach a position above the location where the filler 22 is disposed inside the tower body.

Furthermore, the groove 17 is further extended downward from the upper position to the positions of the supports 27 on both ends of the packing material 22 when the packing material 22 is disposed at the location where the packing material 22 is disposed inside the tower body (see FIG. 8).
As a result, after the lower filler 22 reaches the upper position, the support 27 can be moved further downward while following the downward expansion portion of the groove 17, so that the filler can reach the target installation location inside the tower body.

After the lower packing material 22 has been placed in the correct location within the tower body, the next step is to place the upper packing material 21 inside the tower body. The supports 27 on both ends of the packing material 21 are inserted into the corresponding grooves 16 of the support frame 15, and while the packing material 21 is supported by the support frame 15 via the supports 27, the packing material 21 is moved sideways from the side of the tower body 10 (see Figure 9).

The groove 16 in the support frame 15 corresponding to the support 27 of the upper level filler 21 is set at a predetermined height that allows the filler 21 to move above the lower level filler 22 that has already been arranged, and is shaped like a groove that continues laterally from the groove end to the positions of the supports 27 on both ends of the filler 21 when the filler 21 is arranged at the arrangement location within the tower body.
As a result, by moving the upper packing material 21 laterally from the side of the tower body 10 into the tower body, it is possible to make it reach the target position, that is, the location where the packing material 21 is disposed inside the tower body.

In each of the fillers 21 and 22, the filler sheets 25 are restrained by the penetrating material 28 and the support 27 so that they do not move in the stacking direction, and the penetrating material 28 also restrains the filler sheets 25 so that they do not move in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. This allows the filler sheets 25 to be integrated as the fillers 21 and 22 even without bonding the sheets together, and provides sufficient rigidity to prevent deformation as a filler. Therefore, when handling the placement of the fillers 21 and 22 in the tower body 10, the fillers can be handled as a single unit without any problems, allowing for efficient placement work.

In addition, the penetrating members 28 that engage with each filler sheet 25 are connected to the support 27, and the penetrating members 28 support the weight of each filler sheet 25 equally. This prevents the load from concentrating on some of the filler sheets 25, and the support of the fillers 21 and 22 via the support 27 is strong and stable. Furthermore, even if force is applied to part of the filler sheet 25 during the installation process, for example, the filler sheets 25 will not separate or shift from each other, and the filler is easy to handle.

As shown in FIG. 11, after the fillers 21 and 22 are placed inside the tower body, beams and other components that form part of the tower body are attached as necessary, and then the internal piping and upper water tank 30 are attached, similar to known cooling tower assembly processes. Then, protective components such as louvers that cover the fillers are attached to the sides of the tower body 10 where the fillers 21 and 22 are exposed, and finally, a blower 70 is attached to the top of the tower body, completing the cooling tower.

Next, the operating state of the cooling tower according to this embodiment will be described.
The circulating water as a heat medium flowing through the circulation pipe 95 including the cooling tower 1 receives heat from chillers, air conditioners, etc. in the circulation pipe 95 during normal operation of the cooling tower, as in known cooling towers, and increases in temperature before reaching the cooling tower 1. The circulating water that has returned to the cooling tower 1 first enters the water distribution pipe 60 in the tower body 10, and then flows through the pipe toward the upper water tank 30.

The circulating water introduced into the upper tank 30 through the water distribution pipeline 60 passes through each hole in the bottom of the upper tank 30 in a specified time, is distributed and dripped into each part of the filler material 21 below, and reaches the filler material 21. The support frames 15, which are installed on both sides of the filler material 21 so as to sandwich the filler material 21, have their tops reaching the sides of the upper tank 30, so that the water dripped from the upper tank 30 does not go beyond the support frames 15 and beyond.

The circulating water that reaches the upper filler 21 advances to each gap between the filler sheets 25 that make up the filler 21, and while flowing down along the filler sheets 25, comes into contact with the outside air that is introduced laterally into the filler 21 by induced draft caused by the blower 70. The circulating water is cooled mainly by the cooling effect of heat transfer (sensible heat) due to the temperature difference between the air and the circulating water, and by the cooling effect of the heat of evaporation (latent heat) of the circulating water, while the heat exchange actually raises the air temperature.

In this way, the circulating water is cooled through heat exchange with the air in the upper filler 21, and then reaches the lower filler 22, and just like the upper one, it proceeds into each gap between the filler sheets 25 that make up the filler 22, and while flowing down along the filler sheets 25, it comes into contact with external air that is introduced laterally into the filler 22 by induced draft caused by the blower 70. The circulating water is cooled mainly by the cooling effect of heat transfer (sensible heat) due to the temperature difference between the air and the circulating water, and by the cooling effect of the heat of evaporation (latent heat) of the circulating water, while the heat exchange actually raises the air temperature.

As the circulating water flows down from the upper water tank 30 to the fillers 21, 22, the support frame 15, which is a continuous body with no gaps, is positioned to the side of the fillers 21, 22. Even if the circulating water sprayed from above flows outside the fillers 21, 22, the support frame 15 prevents the circulating water from proceeding beyond the support frame 15, preventing water from leaking or splashing outside the cooling tower 1.

The circulating water is cooled through heat exchange with the air in the filler 22, then reaches the lower water tank 50 and is collected. The circulating water that has accumulated in the lower water tank 50 passes through a strainer 57 at the outlet of the lower water tank and re-enters the circulation pipe 95, where it receives heat as a heat medium in a new refrigerator or air conditioner, before returning to the cooling tower 1 and entering the water distribution pipe 60, and the above process is repeated.

Meanwhile, the air that has exchanged heat with the circulating water and has increased in temperature passes horizontally through the gaps between the filler sheets 25 that make up the fillers 21 and 22 due to the attraction of the blower 70. The air that passes between the filler sheets 25 and leaves the fillers 21 and 22 is exhausted outside the cooling tower by the blower 70, and the exhausted air is diffused into the outside air.

By passing a penetrating material 28 through the filler sheet 25 of each filler 21, 22 and connecting supports 27 to both ends of the penetrating material 28 to hold the stacked filler sheets 25, the stacked filler sheets 25 that make up each filler 21, 22 are reliably integrated and can maintain this integrated state, allowing the fillers 21, 22 to stably perform their functions when the cooling tower 1 is in use.

In this embodiment, the cooling tower 1 is used alone. However, a similar configuration can also be used when multiple cooling towers are connected side by side, omitting the arrangement of the tower side outer panels where the towers are sandwiched between each other, and using the ventilation space in the center of each tower connected together. When multiple cooling towers are installed side by side in this way, the support frame is positioned between the fill material of adjacent cooling towers and acts as a kind of partition plate, preventing air leakage between adjacent fill materials across the support frame and suppressing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

In this way, in the cooling tower according to this embodiment, the fillers 21, 22 formed by laminating the filler sheets 25 are stacked in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and for each stage of the fillers 21, 22, a support 27 integrated with the filler is provided so as to protrude to the side of the filler, while a support frame 15 having grooves 16, 17 for engaging the support 27 is disposed on the tower body 10, and the support 27 is inserted into the grooves 16, 17 of the support frame 15 on the tower body side to support the fillers 21, 22 to the support frame. 15, the fillers 21 and 22 can be moved in the continuous direction of the grooves 16 and 17 relative to the support frame 15. This allows the fillers 21 and 22 in each stage to be supported without difficulty and reliably while being moved along the grooves 16 and 17 from the side of the tower body to the installation location inside the tower body, and the fillers 21 and 22 can be easily removed by pulling them out from the tower body 10. This makes the work related to the fillers 21 and 22, such as cooling tower assembly and maintenance, more efficient and reduces costs.

In the cooling tower according to the above embodiment, the filler 21, 22 is arranged in two tiers, one above the other, but this is not limited to this. The filler can also be arranged in multiple tiers, such as three or more tiers, depending on the cooling capacity of the cooling tower and the size of the cooling tower accordingly.

In addition, in the cooling tower according to the embodiment described above, the lower end position of the location where the lowest filler 22 is installed inside the tower body is lower than the side end position of the lower water tank 50. To accommodate this, the lower groove 17 in the support frame 15 is configured to be continuous horizontally from the groove end at a predetermined height to the upper position of the location where the filler 22 is installed inside the tower body, and is further expanded downward from there as a groove shape. However, in other cases where the side end of the lower water tank is lower than the location where the lowest filler is installed inside the tower body, the groove in the support frame corresponding to the lowest filler may simply be a groove shape that continues horizontally.

In the cooling tower according to the embodiment, the support frame 15 is a continuous, approximately gap-free, integrally molded plate-like body, and one support frame 15 is capable of supporting two upper and lower fillers 21, 22, and is configured to cover the sides of each of the upper and lower fillers 21, 22 together. However, this is not limited to this, and the support frame can also be configured by combining multiple parts. For example, in order to accommodate a large cooling tower and a large overall filler, even if the support frame is large, the support frame can be arranged without difficulty by assembling parts of an easy-to-handle size, and the arrangement of the support frame on the tower body can be made easier than when handling a large, integrally molded support frame.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cooling tower 10 Tower body 12 Side outer plate 15 Support frame 16, 17 Groove 21, 22 Filling material 25 Filling material sheet 27 Support 28 Penetrating material 30 Upper water tank 50 Lower water tank 51 Water tank reinforcing frame 57 Strainer 60 Water distribution pipeline 70 Blower 95 Circulation pipeline

Claims (5)

In a cross-flow type open cooling tower, circulating water to be cooled is sprayed onto the filler inside the cooling tower body, while external air is circulated laterally from the side of the filler by induced draft from a blower, and heat exchange is performed between the air and the circulating water at least in the filler.
The packing material is formed by stacking packing sheets, and can be arranged in the tower body in a vertically stacked arrangement of multiple layers with the stacking direction being horizontal,
At both ends of the filler in each layer in the sheet stacking direction, a predetermined support protruding outward is provided integrally with the filler,
One or more sets of support frames each having a groove into which a support for each packing material can be inserted are provided at predetermined positions on both sides of the packing material placement area in the column body,
A cooling tower characterized in that each filler is disposed in the tower body by inserting supports at both ends into grooves in a support frame of the tower body, and moving the filler from the side of the tower body at least in the direction in which the grooves of the support frame continue while being supported by the support frame via the supports. 2. The cooling tower according to claim 1,
The groove of the support frame corresponding to the support of the lowest filler among the multiple filler tiers has a groove end height, which is the insertion start position of the support, set to a predetermined height at which the filler can move along the groove above the side end position of the cooling tower lower water tank, and has a groove shape that continues in the horizontal direction from the groove end to a position above the arrangement location of the lowest filler in the tower body, and the groove that continues to the upper position is further extended downward from the upper position to the position of the support of the filler when the filler is arranged in the arrangement location,
said lowermost filler moves laterally from the side of the tower body into the tower body above the side end position of the lower water tank, and when it reaches above the installation location within the tower body, said support can be moved downward to the installation location while aligning the support tool with the groove expansion portion of the support frame. In the cooling tower according to claim 1 or 2,
providing a through-hole for penetrating the stacked filler sheets constituting each of the fillers in the sheet stacking direction to integrate the filler sheets;
A cooling tower characterized in that the supports are connected to both ends of the penetrating material. In the cooling tower according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a cooling tower comprising: a support frame having grooves in a plurality of stages, into which the support tools can be inserted, on both sides of a filler placement location in the tower body, thereby enabling the support frame to support all of the vertically stacked stages of filler. The cooling tower according to claim 4,
A cooling tower characterized in that the support frame is a continuous body without gaps that is integrally molded from a water-resistant material and covers the sides of each of the multiple stages of fillers.

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