<![CDATA[Cooling towers are critical heat rejection systems in power generation and industrial processes. Its performance is frequently constrained by design approaches that overlook packing material thermal conductivity and airflow configuration, particularly under tropical conditions with high wet-bulb temperatures. This study investigates the thermal effectiveness of a lab-scale counterflow mini cooling tower (30 × 30 × 30 cm). Three packing materials, aluminum (k ≈ 237 W/m.K), galvanized steel (k ≈ 233 W/m.K), and stainless steel (k ≈ 15.1 W/m.K), were tested at water flow rates of 1-6 LPM under two airflow configurations (with and without induced-draft blower). Hot-water inlet temperature was maintained at 50°C during morning and afternoon testing. Aluminum packing with induced draft achieved the highest effectiveness of 59.79% in the morning, while stainless steel without draft recorded the lowest value of 37.53% in the afternoon. Induced draft improved effectiveness by 4-8% across all materials. Morning performance was consistently superior owing to lower ambient humidity. Although high-conductivity metal packings (particularly aluminum) deliver better thermal performance, their long-term industrial application still requires careful evaluation of material cost, corrosion resistance, and potential scale fouling. Nevertheless, the primary contribution of this study lies in demonstrating that a thermophysical properties-based approach provides a more effective foundation for design. Under tropical conditions, integrating high thermal conductivity with optimized airflow configuration offers a robust multi-physics pathway for improving the thermal effectiveness of compact cooling towers. ]]>
Copyrights © 2026
