CN-121994042-A - Modular cooling tower and method of assembling the same

Abstract

The application relates to a modular cooling tower and a method of assembling the same. A modular heat exchange system is provided. The modular heat exchange system includes an air inlet assembly, a plenum assembly, and a heat exchange assembly including at least one heat exchange module. The at least one heat exchange module includes at least one fill module. The at least one filling module includes a plurality of filling sheets disposed on at least one support member. The at least one support member includes a first end and a second end. A plurality of packing assemblies are also disposed on the at least one support member. Each filler assembly includes a plurality of bonded filler sheets. The first filler assembly is coupled to the first end of the at least one support member and the second filler assembly is coupled to the second end of the at least one support member.

Inventors

• A. Fulken
• G. Abdul Fattah
• G. Brunneck
• M. Moby
• M. Paddington
• R. WHITE
• K. Mortensen
• K. Pren

Assignees

• SPX冷却技术有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251103

Priority Date

20241101

Claims (20)

1. 1. A modular heat exchange system comprising: an air inlet assembly; plenum assembly, and A heat exchange assembly comprising at least one heat exchange module, wherein the at least one heat exchange module comprises at least one filling module comprising: A plurality of filler sheets disposed on at least one support member having a first end and a second end; a plurality of filler assemblies including a first filler assembly and a second filler assembly, each filler assembly including a plurality of bonded filler sheets; Wherein the first filler assembly is coupled to the first end of the at least one support member and the second filler assembly is coupled to the second end of the at least one support member.
2. 2. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the at least one support member extends along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plurality of filler sheets.
3. 3. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein a third filler assembly is coupled to the first end of the at least one support member and positioned adjacent the first filler assembly.
4. 4. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein a third filler assembly is coupled to the second end of the at least one support member and positioned adjacent to the second filler assembly.
5. 5. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchange module comprises a first heat exchange module, a second heat exchange module, and a third heat exchange module, wherein the first heat exchange module is disposed adjacent to the second heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module is disposed adjacent to the third heat exchange module.
6. 6. The modular heat exchange system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third heat exchange modules comprises the at least one fill module.
7. 7. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filler assemblies are designed to maintain the plurality of filler sheets in a predetermined orientation during transportation.
8. 8. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filler sheets comprises about 50% to about 90% of the total volume of the at least one filler module.
9. 9. The modular heat exchange system of claim 1, wherein the modular heat exchange system further comprises a cold water collection basin having at least one cold water collection basin module, wherein the cold water collection basin is positioned adjacent to and below the heat exchange assembly.
10. 10. A packing module for use in a heat exchange system. The filling module includes: A first plurality of filler sheets disposed on a first support member including a first end positioned opposite a second end, and A plurality of filler assemblies, wherein each filler assembly comprises a second plurality of filler sheets bonded together; wherein the first filler assembly is coupled to the first end of the first support member and the second filler assembly is coupled to the second end of the first support member.
11. 11. The filling module of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of filling sheets is provided in the form of a structurally constrained filler.
12. 12. The filling module of claim 10, wherein the plurality of filler assemblies are designed to stabilize the first plurality of filler sheets during transport of the filling module.
13. 13. The filling module of claim 10, further comprising a second support member, wherein the first plurality of filling sheets are disposed on the second support member.
14. 14. The filling module of claim 10, further comprising at least one opening for receiving a riser.
15. 15. A method for assembling a modular heat exchange system, comprising: the filler module is assembled by: Providing a plurality of filler sheets in a stack such that a distance between any two filler sheets in the stack is less than about 0.5mm; Providing a plurality of filler assemblies, wherein each filler assembly comprises a plurality of bonded filler sheets; Providing at least one support member having a first end and a second end; Disposing the plurality of filler sheets on the at least one support member; Coupling a first filler assembly to a first end of the at least one support member; Coupling a second filler assembly to the second end of the at least one support member, and The filling module is installed in the heat exchange module.
16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the filler module is assembled and installed in the heat exchange module at a first location and the heat exchange module containing the filler module is shipped to a second location for assembly into the modular heat exchange system.
17. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the filling module comprises a first filling module end, a second filling module end, a first filling module side, and a second filling module side.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of filler modules are mounted side-by-side in the heat exchange module, wherein a combination of first filler module ends of the plurality of filler modules define a first side of the heat exchange module, and wherein a combination of second filler module ends of the plurality of filler modules define a second side of the heat exchange module.
19. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one support member extends along an axis substantially perpendicular to the plurality of filler sheets.
20. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: coupling a third filler assembly to the first end of the at least one support member; positioning a third filler assembly adjacent to the first filler assembly; Coupling a fourth packing assembly to the second end of the at least one support member, and The fourth packing assembly is positioned adjacent to the second packing assembly.

Description

Modular cooling tower and method of assembling the same Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application 63/715,424 (titled "modular cooling tower and method of assembly thereof") filed on 1 month 2024 and U.S. provisional patent application 63/868,881 (titled "filling module for cooling tower") filed on 22 month 2025, both of which are currently pending, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to modular heat exchange systems and methods of assembling the same. More specifically, the present disclosure discusses modular components of heat exchange towers that may be preassembled and transported to a job site in a factory and assembled to create a heat exchange system. Background Heat rejection systems are commonly used in industrial, commercial, and residential environments to provide cooling. One common type of heat rejection system is a heat exchange tower, commonly referred to as a cooling tower. Cooling towers are typically assembled at the site where the tower is to be placed. However, assembling towers at the job site is time consuming and expensive. The assembly of the tower requires full-time labor trained in how to assemble the tower. In addition, weather delays the construction of the tower. It is therefore beneficial to assemble some of the components of the tower in a manufacturing facility and then transport the pre-built components to the site. However, while it is desirable to assemble tower components in a manufacturing facility, some conventional cooling tower designs require assembly in the field. For example, factors such as the size of the individual tower components and their structural strength may limit their ability to be preassembled and transported to the site. In particular, liquid collection basins (commonly referred to as cold basins) are difficult to preassemble and transport. Conventional towers typically include an integral cold basin for receiving and holding water that has been cooled by the tower. In some cases, the large size of the cold basin makes it costly to transport to the site. For example, the basin is oversized cargo that is not suitable for loading onto a standard semi-truck trailer pallet. The challenges of shipping such large integrated cold water basins can be addressed by a multi-piece, modular cold water basin, which would allow the basin to be transported to a site as a smaller modular component for final assembly in the field. The final assembly may use various assembly methods, including welding the modular components of the cold basin together, which is time consuming and expensive. In addition, field welding is more difficult than factory welding due to limited access to the weld site and field conditions, resulting in a weld joint that is more prone to leakage. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved modular cooling tower that includes components that can be pre-assembled in a manufacturing facility, transported to a site using a semi-truck trailer, and easily assembled in the site. Disclosure of Invention In one aspect, a modular heat transfer system is provided. The modular heat transfer system includes an air inlet assembly provided in the form of a first air inlet module disposed adjacent to a second air inlet module. At least one of the first air inlet module and the second air inlet module includes an opening. The modular heat transfer system further includes a heat exchange assembly defined by at least one heat exchange module (e.g., a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module). The first heat exchange module is arranged adjacent to the second heat exchange module. In addition, the modular heat transfer system includes a plenum assembly having at least one plenum module. The heat exchange assembly is disposed above the air inlet assembly and the plenum assembly is disposed above the heat exchange assembly. In some cases, the modular heat transfer system includes an airflow generator defined by a fan assembly having at least one fan blade. In some cases, the plenum assembly of the modular heat transfer system includes at least a portion of an airflow generator. In some cases, a first fan blade of the at least one fan blade extends from a first plenum module of the at least one plenum module over a second plenum module of the at least one plenum module, the second plenum module being disposed adjacent to the first plenum module. In some cases, the modular heat transfer system includes a door having one or more louver assemblies, wherein the door is attached to the first air inlet module or the second air inlet module by a hinge. The door is designed to provide a walk-in path into the interior of the first air inlet module or the second air inlet module. In some such cases, the door swings toward the interior of the modular heat transfer system when the door is actu