Define the following terms:

Question

a. Dew point
b. Basin
c. Biocides
d. Blowdown
e. Cooling towers
f. Drift eliminators
g. Evaporation
h. Fill
i. Forced draft cooling towers
j. Induced draft cooling towers
k. Natural draft cooling towers
l. Relative humidity
m. Wet bulb temperature
n. Dry bulb temperature
o. Circulation rate
p. Louvers
q. Counterflow

Answer 1

a. Dew point is the temperature at which air is completely saturated with water vapor (100 percent relative humidity).
b. A basin is a reservoir at the bottom of the cooling tower where cooled water is collected so it can be recycled through the process.
c. Biocides are chemical agents that are capable of controlling undesirable living micro-organisms (such as in a cooling tower).
d. Blowdown is the process of removing small amounts of water from the cooling tower to reduce the concentration of impurities.
e. Cooling towers are structures designed to lower the temperature of water using the latent heat of evaporation.
f. Drift eliminators are devices that prevent water from being blown out of the cooling tower; they’re used to minimize water loss.
g. Evaporation is a process in which a liquid is changed into a vapor through the latent heat of evaporation.
h. Fill is material inside the cooling tower, usually made of wood or plastic, that breaks water into smaller droplets and increases the surface area for increased air-to-water contact.
i. Forced draft cooling towers are cooling towers that contain fans or blowers at the bottom or on the side of the tower to force air through the equipment.
j. Induced draft cooling towers are cooling towers in which air is pulled through the tower internals by a fan located at the top of the tower.
k. Natural draft cooling towers are cooling towers in which air movement is caused by wind, temperature difference, or other nonmechanical means.
l. Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water in the air compared with the maximum amount of water the air can hold at that temperature.
m. Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature to which air can be cooled through the evaporation of water.
n. Dry bulb temperature is the actual temperature of the air that can be measured with a thermometer.
o. Circulation rate is the rate at which cooling water flows through the tower and through the process exchangers.
p. Louvers are movable, slanted slats that are used to adjust the flow of air.
q. Counterflow is the condition created when air and water flow in opposite directions.