Cooling Tower Fill
If you’ve never worked in a cooling tower you might be tempted to think that the heart of a water cooling tower is the water. While the purpose of a cooling tower revolves around water, the true heart of any cooling tower is the fill.
Fill, or wet deck or surface, is a medium used in cooling towers to increase the surface area of the tower. Increased surface area allows for maximum contact between the air and the water, which allows for greater evaporation rates.
Splash vs. Film Fill
There are two basic types of fill: splash fill and film fill. Splash fill is designed to interrupt the water and cause, as the name suggests, splashing. Film fill, on the other hand, is made up of sheets of material that the water travels across. Pieces of fill are assembled together to create larger blocks which, in turn, are used to create various thickness and heights to suit the particular cooling tower they will be used for.
Flutes
Patterns in fill, usually ridges or wrinkles, are called channels or flutes. Flutes are, typically, designed so that they force the water to take the longest route along them possible. Smaller flutes are more cost effective because they allow for more capacity per cubic foot. Larger flutes, however, are good for dirty water applications (like steel mills) because larger flutes become clogged less often than smaller flutes in these types of applications. Larger flutes sacrifice efficiency, but they allow dirtier water to be processed.
In extremely dirty applications bar type fill is used. Bar type fill allows for much larger debris to be passed through the cooling tower because the fill takes the form of splash bars throughout the tower. Although this is the least effective fill, bar type fill allows dirty water to be processed and is easier to clean.
Advantages of Film Fill
We can’t speak for all cooling tower fill, but our fill offers a number of advantages including:
- Sturdy PVC construction
- Highly efficient
- Self-extinguishing for excellent fire rating
- Easy, quick installation
- UV-protected
Midwest Cooling Towers film fill media meets or exceeds standards set by the Cooling Technology Institute (CTI).
Interested in learning more or requesting a quote? Contact us today to learn more about the unique advantages of Midwest Cooling Towers cooling tower film fill.
