EP-4737836-A1 - MODULAR COOLING TOWER AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME

EP4737836A1EP 4737836 A1EP4737836 A1EP 4737836A1EP-4737836-A1

Abstract

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 also includes a heat exchange assembly defined by at least one heat exchange module, such as a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module. The first heat exchange module is disposed adjacent to the second heat exchange module. Furthermore, 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

FOLKEN, Aaron
ABDULFATTAH, Ghazi
BRENNEKE, GLENN
MORBY, Michael
PARTINGTON, MICHAEL
WHITE, ROBERT
MORTENSEN, Ken
PULLEN, KATHRYN

Assignees

SPX Cooling Tech, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251103

Claims (12)

A modular heat transfer system, comprising: an air inlet assembly comprising a first air inlet module; a heat exchange assembly comprising a first heat exchange module; a plenum assembly including a first plenum module; and a cold water collection basin including 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 positioned below the air inlet assembly, the heat exchange assembly is positioned above the air inlet assembly, and the plenum assembly is positioned above the heat exchange assembly.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the cold water collection basin comprises a depressed floor that bisects a length (L C ) of the cold water collection basin.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 2, wherein the depressed floor further includes a first depressed floor section disposed in the first cold water collection basin module and a second depressed floor section disposed in the second cold water collection basin module.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 3, wherein the first depressed floor section is coupled to the second depressed floor section by a water-tight flume.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 3 or 4, wherein a length (L F ) of a flume coupling the first depressed floor section to the second depressed floor section is less than the length (L C ) of the cold water collection basin.
The modular heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the first cold water collection basin module and the second cold water collection basin module includes an outlet.
The modular heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the first cold water collection basin module comprises a first sump box, the second cold water collection basin module comprises a second sump box, the first sump box is fluidly coupled to the second sump box by a conduit, an outlet conduit is fluidly coupled to the first sump box, and the outlet conduit is designed to remove cooled process fluid from the modular heat transfer system.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 7, wherein the first sump box, the second sump box, and the conduit are disposed within a volume defined by a framed envelope of the modular heat transfer system.
The modular heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first cold water collection basin module comprises a first outlet, a first sump box, and a first suction intake hood, the second cold water collection basin module comprises a second outlet, a second sump box, and a second suction intake hood.
The modular heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 9, 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 and second cold water collection basin modules are fluidly connected at a flow opening through the first and second inner side walls.
The modular heat transfer system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first cold water collection basin module is connected to the second cold water collection basin module by a seal plate that extends along a module interface above a waterline.
The modular heat transfer system of claim 11, wherein one or more of the first cold water collection basin module and the second cold water collection basin module comprises an outlet and an anti-vortex device disposed over the outlet.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/715,424, filed on November 1, 2024, entitled "MODULAR COOLING TOWER AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME," currently pending, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/868,881, filed on August 22, 2025, entitled "FILL MODULE FOR USE IN COOLING TOWERS," currently pending, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a modular heat exchange system and a method of assembling the same. More particularly, the present disclosure discusses modular components of a heat exchange tower that can be pre-assembled in a factory and transported to a job site and assembled to erect the heat exchange system. BACKGROUND Heat rejection systems are commonly used in industrial, commercial, and residential settings to provide cooling. One common type of a heat rejection system is a heat exchange tower, often referred to as a cooling tower. Cooling towers are often assembled at the field location where the tower will be placed. However, assembling the tower at the job site can be time intensive and costly. Assembling a tower can require a dedicated labor force that is trained in how to assemble the tower. Moreover, weather can delay the construction of the tower. Thus, it can be beneficial to assemble some components of the tower at a manufacturing facility and then transport the prebuilt components to the field location. However, while it may be desirable to assemble tower components at a manufacturing facility, some conventional cooling tower designs may require assembly on-site. For example, factors such as the size of the various tower components and their structural strength may limit their ability to be preassembled and transported on-site. In particular, the liquid collection basin, commonly referred to as the cold water basin, can be difficult to preassemble and transport. Conventional towers typically include a one-piece, unitary cold water basin for receiving and holding the water that has been cooled by the tower. In some instances, the large size of the cold water basin can make it costly to transport to the field location. For example, the basin may be an oversized load that does not fit on a standard semi-truck trailer bed. The challenge of shipping such a large unitary cold water basin may be addressed with a multi-piece, modular cold water basin, which would allow the basin to be transported as smaller modular components to the field location for final assembly on-site. The final assembly can use a variety of assembly methods including welding the modular components of the cold water basin together, which may be time-consuming and costly. Moreover, field welding may be more difficult than factory welding due to limited access to the weld locations and conditions in the field, thereby resulting in welded joints that may be more prone to leaking. Therefore, there is a need for an improved modular cooling tower that includes components that can be pre-assembled at a manufacturing facility, transported to a field location using semi-truck trailers, and readily assembled on-site. SUMMARY 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 also includes a heat exchange assembly defined by at least one heat exchange module, such as a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module. The first heat exchange module is disposed adjacent to the second heat exchange module. Furthermore, 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 instances, the modular heat transfer system includes an air current 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 the air current generator. In some instances, a first fan blade of the at least one fan blade extends from a first plenum module of the at least one plenum module and over a second plenum module of the at least one plenum module that is positioned adjacent to the first plenum module. In some cases, the modular heat transfer system includes a door having one or more louver assemblies, in which 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 walk-in access to an interior of the first air inlet module or the second air inlet module. In some such cases, the door swings toward an interior of th