Cooling towers need quite a lot of power to run. First, there are the massive fans at the top that need a well-powered motor to run. And then there is the robust pump that has to ensure that the hot water is delivered to the top of the structure and kept at a steady flow for hours on end. Cumulatively, these mechanical systems can drain away a lot of power. Below, discover some promising ideas on how you can start to reduce the power consumption of your cooling tower units in order to make it more energy efficient and cheaper to run.

Wind propelled fans

The fans atop cooling towers are powered by motors as mentioned above. One idea on how to reduce this running cost is to convert the fans to run via wind energy. That is, for the fans to be propelled by the wind. After all, the fans are often located at the top where there is a lot of wind blowing across. This conversion would require that the fan stack be eliminated, the fan's mechanical support system removed, and the fan assembly altered to allow maximum interaction with the wind.

Solar powered fan motor or pump

Another idea on how to the reduce running costs on a cooling tower is to resort to solar energy. Both the pump and the fan run on electric power which is then converted to mechanical power. By harnessing solar energy, the solar cells can provide the needed electrical power to run these two mechanical components. This would provide a life-long source of free power to run the cooling tower indefinitely.

Gravity-fed water

Another idea is to alter the way hot water is delivered into the tower by the pump. Instead of creating a steady flow of water that is dependent on the continuous use of the pump, the water delivery method can be tweaked to rely more on gravity. After all, the water in the tower has to flow downwards. With this method, storage tanks would be set up on the tower, the pump would then fill these tanks at a go and the water would then be allowed to freely flow through the sprinkler system without having to run the pump full time.

Of course, these ideas would need a lot of research and testing to gauge suitability. A cooling tower mechanical services company can help you with that process. And if a practical implementation plan is created, the same people can help implement it and provide close monitoring to ensure that the changes work as desired for the sake of the smooth running of your plant.