Cooling tower drift eliminators and air inlet louvers help reduce water losses and manage airflow. Drift eliminators capture liquid water droplets carried by the exhaust air. Inlet louvers limit water splash-out and sunlight entering the tower. Drift eliminators do not eliminate water loss through evaporation.
Cellular Drift Eliminators: Efficient Droplet Separation
Cellular passages force the airflow to change direction repeatedly. Due to inertia, entrained droplets strike the channel surfaces, collect and drain back into the tower.
Some high-efficiency designs can achieve drift losses as low as 0.0005% of the circulating water flow rate. This figure depends on product design, air velocity, correct installation and the stated test conditions.
Blade Drift Eliminators: Designs for Low Pressure Drop
Blade-type drift eliminators separate droplets by directing air through shaped vanes. Suitable designs can combine effective droplet capture with low pressure drop in industrial towers handling high airflow rates. Selection should consider air velocity, separation efficiency and fan operating conditions together.
Air Inlet Louvers: Splash-Out and Sunlight Control
Inlet louvers help manage incoming airflow while reducing water splash-out. By restricting sunlight reaching the cold-water basin, they help control algae growth. However, they do not completely prevent biological growth on their own.
Legionella Control and Routine Maintenance
Drift eliminators help reduce the release of droplets that may contain bacteria; they do not disinfect the water. Managing Legionella risk requires regular cleaning, appropriate disinfection, water quality monitoring and planned maintenance.