Evaporation Rate Formula:
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The evaporation rate of a cooling tower represents the amount of water lost through evaporation during the cooling process. It is a critical parameter for water conservation, chemical treatment, and overall cooling tower efficiency management.
The calculator uses the evaporation rate formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates approximate evaporation based on the temperature difference between inlet water and ambient wet bulb temperature, multiplied by the recirculation rate with a constant factor of 0.001.
Details: Accurate evaporation rate calculation is essential for proper water treatment, makeup water requirements, blowdown control, and overall cooling tower performance optimization. It helps in maintaining water balance and preventing scaling or corrosion issues.
Tips: Enter recirculation rate in gpm, inlet temperature in °F, and wet bulb temperature in °F. Ensure all values are positive and temperature difference (T_in - T_wb) is reasonable for accurate results.
Q1: Why is evaporation rate important in cooling towers?
A: Evaporation rate determines water loss, affects chemical concentration, and influences blowdown requirements for maintaining proper cycles of concentration.
Q2: What is the typical evaporation rate for cooling towers?
A: Typically, cooling towers evaporate about 1% of the recirculation rate for every 10°F temperature drop across the tower.
Q3: How does wet bulb temperature affect evaporation?
A: Lower wet bulb temperatures allow for greater evaporation potential, while higher wet bulb temperatures reduce the cooling tower's evaporation capacity.
Q4: Can this formula be used for all cooling tower types?
A: This is a general approximation formula suitable for most standard cooling tower applications, but specific tower designs may have variations.
Q5: How often should evaporation rate be calculated?
A: Regular calculation is recommended, especially when ambient conditions change significantly or when optimizing water treatment programs.