CN-121994043-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 transfer system is provided. The modular heat transfer system includes an air inlet assembly 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.

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 transfer system comprising: an air inlet assembly disposed in a first air inlet module disposed adjacent to a second air inlet module, wherein at least one of the first air inlet module and the second air inlet module includes an opening; A heat exchange assembly defined by at least one heat exchange module, wherein a first heat exchange module of the at least one heat exchange module is disposed adjacent a second heat exchange module of the at least one heat exchange module, and A plenum assembly having at least one plenum module; Wherein the heat exchange assembly is disposed above the air inlet assembly and the plenum assembly is disposed above the heat exchange assembly.
2. 2. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the modular heat transfer system further comprises an airflow generator defined by a fan assembly having at least one fan blade.
3. 3. The modular heat transfer system of claim 2, wherein 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, and the second plenum module is disposed adjacent to the first plenum module.
4. 4. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, further comprising 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 and the door is designed to provide a walk-in passage into the interior of the first air inlet module or the second air inlet module.
5. 5. The modular heat transfer system of claim 4, wherein the door swings toward the interior of the modular heat transfer system when the door is actuated to the open configuration.
6. 6. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchange module is a hybrid fill module provided in the form of a structurally constrained fill and one or more fill assemblies.
7. 7. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a cold water collection basin disposed below the air inlet assembly, the cold water collection basin comprising a first cold water collection basin module disposed adjacent to a second cold water collection basin module.
8. 8. A modular heat transfer system comprising: An air inlet assembly including a first air inlet module; The heat exchange assembly comprises a first heat exchange module; A plenum assembly including a first plenum module, and A cold water collection basin comprising a first cold water collection basin module disposed adjacent to a second cold water collection basin module, wherein the first cold water collection basin module is fluidly coupled to the second cold water collection basin module, Wherein the cold water collection basin is located below the air inlet assembly, the heat exchange assembly is located above the air inlet assembly, and the plenum assembly is located above the heat exchange assembly.
9. 9. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein the cold water collection basin comprises a recessed floor that bisects a length (L C ) of the cold water collection basin.
10. 10. The modular heat transfer system of claim 9, wherein the recessed floor further comprises a first recessed floor portion disposed in the first cold water collection basin module and a second recessed floor portion disposed in the second cold water collection basin module.
11. 11. The modular heat transfer system of claim 10, wherein the first recessed floor portion is coupled with the second recessed floor portion by a watertight launder.
12. 12. The modular heat transfer system of claim 10, wherein a length (L F ) of the launder coupling the first recessed floor portion to the second recessed floor portion is less than a length (L C ) of the cold water collection basin.
13. 13. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first cold water collection basin module and the second cold water collection basin module includes an outlet.
14. 14. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein: The first cold water collecting basin module comprises a first water collecting tank, The second cold water collecting basin module comprises a second water collecting tank, The first water collection tank is in fluid connection with the second water collection tank through a conduit, The outlet conduit is fluidly coupled to the first header tank and is configured to remove the cooled process fluid from the modular heat transfer system.
15. 15. The modular heat transfer system of claim 14, wherein the first header tank, the second header tank, and the conduit are disposed within a volume defined by a frame envelope of the modular heat transfer system.
16. 16. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein the first cold water collection basin module comprises a first outlet, a first header tank, and a first suction inlet hood, and the second cold water collection basin module comprises a second outlet, a second header tank, and a second suction inlet hood.
17. 17. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein the first cold water collection basin module comprises a first inner side wall, the second cold water collection basin module comprises a second inner side wall, and the first cold water collection basin module and the second cold water collection basin module are fluidly connected at a flow opening through the first inner side wall and the second inner side wall.
18. 18. The modular heat transfer system of claim 8, wherein the first cold water collection basin module is connected to the second cold water collection basin module by a seal plate extending along the module interface above the waterline.
19. 19. The modular heat transfer system of claim 18, wherein one or more of the first and second cold water collection basin modules includes an outlet and an anti-vortex device disposed over the outlet.
20. 20. A modular heat transfer system comprising: An air inlet assembly including a first air inlet module; The heat exchange assembly comprises a first heat exchange module; A plenum assembly including a first plenum module; air flow generator, and A first cold water collection basin; Wherein at least one of the first air inlet module, the first heat exchange module, and the first plenum module are sized and shaped such that their dimensions do not exceed transportation size limitations.

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