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Hydraulic Cooling Tower Driver- The Innovation
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Date
1987-09
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Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.eslwin.tamu.edu)
Abstract
One of the weaknesses of present day cooling tower drives are fan wrecks caused by shaft couplings breaking, gear box malfunctions due to inadequate lubrication, gear tooth wear, and inaccessibility for inspection and routine maintenance. The hydro-drive eliminates these items from the drive train and puts the same electric motor HP at ground level close coupled to a hydraulic pump, filters, and oil reservoir. Hydraulic lines bring oil pressure to the hydraulic motor, which is more than 75% less weight than comparable gear boxes and presents a smooth practically trouble free performance. In this three cell installation, the original 75 horsepower motors and 18’ diameter fans were cooling a total of 14,000 GPM which were CTI tested and 74.7% of capability. The upgrading and retrofit consisted of installing at ground level 100 horse power motors, 22’ diameter fans, 14’ high velocity recovery fan cylinders, “V” PVC splash bars, and high efficiency cellular drift eliminators. Testing after completion indicated a 92% tower now circulating 21,000 GPM instead of the original 14,000.
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Keywords
Cooling Towers, Fan Drives, Hydraulic Motor