1. Engineered Tower Systems
Optimization
Presented by Christine Lazo
Vertical Systems LLC
7113 Telegraph Rd. Montebello, CA 90640
310 451 0630
christine@vertisys.net
1

2. Optimizing Current Design
 Using Existing Technology
 Cost Effective
 Water Saving
 Energy Saving
 Green Technology
 Low Sound Levels
 Higher Quality
 Engineering Expertise & Data
2

3. Need For Constant Improvement
“The hot and wild
weather is a sign
of things to come.
But fresh ideas
and new
technology can
cool us down and
make this a
GREEN
CENTURY.”
3

4. Cooling Towers – Complex
Balance
Water Use
Human
Health Energy
& Safety
Cooling
Tower
Balance
Weight
Biological
And
Control
Size
Fouling
Corrosion
Cleanliness
Access/Maint. Sound Seismic
4

5. What is the Ideal Tower
System?
 Reduce Water Consumption (LEED/EPA)
 Reduce Energy Consumption (LEED/EPA)
 Reduce Maintenance – (Owner / Engineer)
 Reduce Life Cycle Cost (Owner)
 Reduce Size / Weight – (Architect / Structural)
 Reduce Health Impact / Liability (BOMA)
 Reduce Toxic Emissions (CARB/BOMA)
 Reduce Corrosion (Owner)
 Reduce Sound Levels (Neighbors)
5

6. How Does An Engineered
Tower System Work?
 Tower Performance Improvement - AT
 Variable Frequency Drive - Yaskawa
 Solids Control – Lakos
 Water Treatment – Pulse~Pure
 Monitoring and Logging – By Others
= Vertical Tower System
6

7. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
7

8. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
8

9. Water - Precious Resource
2000
Begins the
Century of
Water
9

10. Principles of Tower Water
Usage
 Evaporation = 1% of flow at 10 F Range
 Drift = Flow x Drift Rate %
 Bleed ≅ Evaporation / (Cycles of Conc–1)
 Filter Flush = Depends on filtration method
With proper Design, 3 of the 4 factors can be
reduced
10

11. Principles of Tower Water
Usage
 Evaporation = 1% of flow at 10 F Range
 Drift = Flow x Drift Rate %
 Bleed ≅ Evaporation / (Cycles of Conc–1)
 Filter Flush = Depends on filtration method
With proper Design, 3 of the 4 factors can be
reduced
11

12. Saving Water:
Control Drift Loss
 Use a better Drift Eliminator
 Improve from .005% to .001% Drift
 .001% Drift on All Evapco Products
8,640 Gallons
Water Saved
Per Year
500 Ton System
12

13. Principles of Tower Water
Usage
 Evaporation = 1% of flow at 10 F Range
 Drift = Flow x Drift Rate %
 Bleed ≅ Evaporation / (Cycles of Conc–1)
 Filter Flush = Depends on filtration method
With proper Design, 3 of the 4 factors can be
reduced
13

14. Water Savings: Bleed Rate
Cycles of Concentration
Minerals are concentrated through
evaporation.
Mineral Units in Blowdown Water = Cycles of
Mineral Units in Make-up Water Concentration
14

15. Saving Water:
Reduce Bleed Rate
 Run Cycles of Concentration Higher
 Typical Treatment for Towers: COC = 2 to 3
 At 2.5 Cycles a 500 Ton Open Tower uses
1,440,000 Gallons of Bleed Water
 Pulse~Pure Reduces Bleed by 60%
740,000+ Gallons
6
Water Saved
COC
Per Year
500 Ton System
15

16. The PULSE~PURE System
 State of the Art R&D Lab
 Chemical Free Water Treatment
 Promoted By LEED and US EPA
 A Green Building Technology
 Water analysis
 1 Yr Monitoring Contract Included
 Money Back Guarantee
16

17. Application
Where can PULSE~PURE be
applied?
Not everywhere:
• Open loop only:
• Open cooling tower
• Spray loop of closed circuit cooler
• Water sample must pass lab analysis
17

18. Typical Cooling Tower Application
Recommended
Location
Alternate
Location
18

19. Cooling Tower Water Treatment
The PULSE~PURE System
Challenges:
• Scaling
• Corrosion
• Biological
19

20. Cooling Tower Water Treatment
No
Problem
Treatment
Minerals Scale
Disease,
Biological Odor & Slime
Corrosion Not Too Bad
20

21. Cooling Tower Water Treatment
No
Problem Chemicals
Treatment
Keep in
Minerals Scale
Solution
Disease, Kill with
Biological Odor & Slime Poisons
Huge Problems
Created, But Try
Corrosion Not Too Bad To Fix By Adding
Inhibitor
21

22. Cooling Tower Water Treatment
No
Problem Chemicals Pulse~Pure
Treatment
Keep in
Minerals Scale
Solution
Powder
Disease, Kill with
Biological Odor & Slime Poisons
Encapsulate
Huge
Corrosion Not Too Bad Problems Very Good
Created,
22

23. Pulse~Pure Performance
 Prevents scale from forming
 Controls microbial life
 Removes old scale, encrustation and bio-film
 Facilitates good corrosion properties
 Allows significant savings of water and energy
23

24. No Chemicals Necessary
What Risks Do Chemicals Carry?
 Environmental
 Local People ingest Water Treatment Chemicals at some concentration breathe or
drink
 Customer must store chemicals onsite – this represents need for accountability,
MSDS sheets, environmental Cal - OSHA inspections, real estate to store, abatement
of spills, container disposal, special delivery of toxic materials, Personal Protective
materials/clothing, employee training of safe handling practices, emergency eye-
wash stations, etc
 Employees must haul heavy containers
 Containment – What happens to the chemicals if a fire occurs? Are they Flammable?
Do they produce toxic fumes?
 Please have a look at some MSDS sheets
Elimination of Chemical Treatment Reduces Toxic Emissions From Cooling Tower
24

25. Pulse~Pure Removes Surface Charge on
Suspended Particles to Prevent Scale
No Treatment
Calcium Carbonate
(CaCO3) Scale
Scale Formation
on Surfaces
25

26. Pulse~Pure Removes Surface Charge on
Suspended Particles to Prevent Scale
No Treatment Pulse~Pure Treatment
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium Carbonate
(CaCO3) Particles
(CaCO3) Scale
Scale Formation Particle Formation
on Surfaces in Bulk Solution
26

27. Microbial Treatment –
Two Methods of Control
Encapsulation: Minerals Electroporation: Damages
Remove Bacteria Bacteria Membranes
Both methods are “Non-Species
Specific”, thus preventing
bacteria from surviving through
Mutation
29

28. Effectiveness:
• EVAPCO guarantees bacteria counts of
10,000 CFU/mL or less
• 10 times more effective than chemical
based treatment
• Most systems test at <2,000 CFU/mL
(better than EPA drinking water
standards)
30

29. What about LEED?
Pulse~Pure Can Contribute Up to 7
LEED Points:
•WE Credit 1.1: Water Efficient Landscaping:
Reduce by 50% (2 points)
•WE Credit 1.2: Water Efficient Landscaping: No
Potable Water Use (2 points)
•WE Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies
(1 point)
•EQ Credit 5: Indoor Environmental Quality: Indoor
Chemical & Pollutant Source Control (1 point)
•ID Credit 1: Innovation & Design Process (1 point)
31

30. Legionella Disease Control
Legionnaire’s Disease must have:
Legionella (almost always present)
Amplification (biofilm with protozoa)
An Aerosol Produced (poor drift elim)
Transmission (1 to 5 micron mist)
Susceptible Person
32

31. VTS System Address Legionella?
 Eliminates Amplification
(Pulse~Pure)
 Reduces Drift by 80% (Evapco)
 Maintains Cleanliness (Lakos)
33

32. Legionella Amplification
Amoeba grazing on biofilm The prey becomes the predator
If water temperature is about 90oF, the Legionella eat the Amoeba from
the inside. Millions of Legionella (Red) in a virulent state are spewed
into the water when the host explodes.
34

33. Legionnaire’s Disease Control
No Biofilm = No Amplification
No Amplification Means
Best Protection From
Legionnaire’s Disease
35

34. Corrosion Reduction
Localized Corrosion
 No Microbial Influenced Corrosion (MIC)
 No pitting
 White rust easily avoided
Chemical Corrosion Eliminated
 Biocide corrosion is avoided
Water Chemistry
 Operates in an alkaline environment
Water is saturated with calcium carbonate – a
natural corrosion inhibitor
36

35. Pulse~Pure Does It All
Scaling Corrosion
Control Control
Microbial Control
In Cooling Towers
37

36. Water Savings
Cycles of Concentration
Minerals are concentrated through
evaporation.
Mineral Units in Blowdown Water = Cycles of
Mineral Units in Make-up Water Concentration
Typical Chemical Treatment = 2 to 4 “C of C”
Typical Pulse~Pure Treatment = 6 to 8 “C of C”
38

37. Saving Water:
Reduce Bleed Rate
 Run Cycles of Concentration Higher
 Typical Treatment for Towers: COC = 2 to 3
 At 2.5 Cycles a 500 Ton Open Tower uses
1,440,000 Gallons of Bleed Water
 Pulse~Pure Reduces Bleed by 60%
740,000+ Gallons
6
Water Saved
COC
Per Year
500 Ton System
39

38. Principles of Tower Water
Usage
 Evaporation = 1% of flow at 10 F Range
 Drift = Flow x Drift Rate %
 Bleed ≅ Evaporation / (Cycles of Conc–1)
 Filter Flush = Depends on filtration method
With proper Design, 3 of the 4 factors can be
reduced
40

39. Saving Water:
Reduce Filter Flush Rate
 Switch from Sand Filters to Centrifugal
Separators
 Backwash time drops from 10 Minutes to 0
minutes per day
625,000
Gallons
Water Saved
Per Year
500 Ton System
41

40. Water Treatment & Solids Control
Contaminant Source: Make-Up Water
Loss of water via
Evaporation
Make-Up Water
42

41. Water Treatment & Solids Control
Contaminant Source: Airborne Particles
43

42. Problem: Solids Accumulation
44

43. Problem: Solids Accumulation
• Fouling of Equipment
45

44. Problem: Solids Accumulation
• Bacteria Growth
46

45. Problem: Solids Accumulation
• Scaling of Equipment Surfaces
• Corrosion of Equipment Surfaces
47

46. Problem: Solids Accumulation
• Bacteria Growth
48

47. Solids Accumulation - Solutions
• Filtration Systems
 Full Stream
 Side Stream
 Basin Cleaning
49

48. VTS System
• Tower Basin Sweeping on Every Tower
50

49. Filtration Techniques
• Tower Basin Sweeping
• Reduces Cleaning Routines
by 5X
• Controls Solids Build-up in Tower
• Does Not Fully Protect Heat
Exchangers/Process Load
• Sizing Depends on Size of Basin
• Requires Hydroboosters (Nozzles)
51

50. Hydroboosters – Sample
Configuration
52

51. Hydroboosters – Sample
Configuration
53

52. Filtration – Sand Filters
How It Works:
54

53. Filtration – Sand Filters
Backwash Process:
55

54. Filtration – Sand Filters
Ideal for floating
& light debris
Not ideal for grit,
rust & heavy
solids
56

55. Filtration – Sand Filters
Backwash: Light
debris only.
Backwash:
Requires Large
Amount of Water
57

56. Filtration – Lakos Centrifugal
Separator with SRV
• Zero Water Usage
• Removes Light and Heavy
Particles (98% of particles down
to 74 microns)
• Stores Solids in Vessel for
Removal
• The Green Filter Technology
58

57. Saving Water:
Reduce Filter Flush Rate
 Switch from Sand Filters to Centrifugal
Separators
 Backwash time drops from 10 Minutes to 0
minutes per day
625,000
Gallons
Water Saved
Per Year
500 Ton System
59

58. Saving Water –
500 ton VTS system
Evapco Induced Draft Tower, with Lakos Solids
Separator & Pulse~Pure System:
 Drift Reduction = 8,640 Gallons
 Blowdown Reduction = 745,000 Gallons
 Filter Flush = 625,000 Gallons
 Total VTS Water Savings = 1,378,640 Gallons
 25-35% Reduction in Water Usage
60

59. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
61

60. Saving Energy – The VTS
Solution
 Decrease Airflow by 33%
 Add VFD(s) – Improve Part Load
 Reduce Fouling Due to Scale
 Reduce Fouling Due to Biofilm
62

61. Saving Energy With Evapco Towers/Coolers
Design Advantage – Counterflow Heat Transfer
95 °F Entering Water Temperature
Counterflow Fill:
93 °F Even Temperature Gradients
Water Temp through Fill Cross-section
Isotherms 91 °F
More Effective Heat Transfer
88 °F Requires Less Air
86 °F Reduced Size & Weight
85 °F Net
Entering Air at 74 °F Wet-Bulb Temperature
Outlet Water
Temperature
63

62. Crossflow Inefficiency
Crossflow Fill Temperature Gradient
95° F Entering Water Temperature
94°
Crossflow Fill: F
92° Water
- Temperature Gradients F Temp
Not Uniform Across Fill
et-Bulb Temperature
90
Entering Air at 74° F
°F
- Some Water Not Cooled to
Design Temperature 88
°F
- Less Efficient – Requires MORE
air
85
°F
85° F Net
82 0° F
Outlet Water
°F
W
8
Temperature
64

63. Counterflow - Design Advantages
Plan Area & Layout
Compact Counterflow Design
35% LESS PLAN AREA Compared to Equivalent Size Crossflow Tower

64. Design Advantages – Air Requirements
Saving Energy – Reducing Airflow
 EVAPCO Counterflow:
20,000 CFM per 100 Tons
 Crossflow by Others:
30,000 CFM per 100 Tons
 EVAPCO Induced Draft Products . . . Less Air
 Less Air = Less Fan HP
66

65. Lower Airflow = Less Fan
Horsepower
 Evapco ‘AT’ Typically 10% to 30% reduction
in Motor size vs Crossflow
 Example: 500 ton tower (9’ x 20’)
 AT - 15 HP vs. Brand X - 20HP
 First Cost Savings and Energy Savings
67

66. Improving Tower Part Load with
VFD
Variable Frequency Drives: Have Become
• Less expensive
• More Reliable
VFD Savings Depends on System Design
Typically Reduces Tower Fan energy by 35%
per year
Equates to $3,000 per Year at 500 Tons
68

67. Yaskawa VFDs
Worlds Largest in Volume VFD Manufacturer
69

68. Save Energy Lost in Fouling
Eliminate Biofilm, Reduce Scale
 Install a Lakos Separator on tower basin
 Install Pulse~Pure Water Treatment System
Reduce fouling by over 70%
71

69. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
72

70. Save Maintenance - Towers
73

71. EVAPCO USS
The Finest Cooling Towers Available
Type 304
• Premium Stainless Steel
Materials
" USS "
Type 316
Stainless Steel
74

72. Saving Maintenance - Materials
Material Resistance to Corrosion Chlorine PPM
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
G-235 S304 SS316
75

73. Saving Maintenance - Materials
Material Resistance to Corrosion Chlorine PPM
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
G-235 S304 SS316
76

74. Fiberglass vs. Steel Construction
Fiberglass Steel
Strength greatly reduces at high temps Retains full strength regardless of
and moisture temp or moisture exposure
Surface degradation due to UV, water, Does not lose strength or resistance to
heat, high winds environmental extremes
Reliant on pigment for UV protection Galvanized steel is opaque: no sunlight
and opacity - Algae = no algae
Roughness over time promotes bio- Steel remains flat and smooth for
growth cleanliness
Prone to distortion and water leaks 11 times elastic modulus than FRP
Flammable Non-combustible
Contaminative & Unrecyclable Direct recyclable material
77

75. Reduce Sound
EVAPCO COUNTERFLOW
• Low Sound
Options
• Quietest
Units on
Market
Super Low Sound Fan: 9-15 dBA Reduction !
78

76. Reduce Sound
EVAPCO COUNTERFLOW
• Low Sound
Options
• Quietest
Units on
Market
Pan Water Silencers: 4-12 dBA Reduction !
79

77. Seismic Compliance
 IBC 2006 – International Building Code
80

78. Seismic Compliance
 IBC 2006 – International Building Code
 Evaporative cooling equipment must meet the
same seismic or wind load forces as the
building to which they are attached.
81

79. Seismic Compliance
 Evapco offers:
 Standard Structural Design
 ≤ 1.0g seismic or 60 psf wind loads
 Upgraded Structural Design
 > 1.0g seismic or 60 psf wind loads
 Designed for 5.12g and 145psf, making it
applicable to ALL building locations in North
America.
82

80. Seismic Compliance
 Evapco is OSHPD pre-approved for AT
Towers, ATWB Closed Circuit Coolers,
and ATC Evaporative Condensers
83

81. Seismic Compliance
 OSP certification is limited by Sds and is very site specific. The
tower must be selected to meet this value.
 The following parameters are the limits of OSP certification:
 Sds = 2/3 * Fa * Ss
 Where:
 Ss = the mapped spectral accelerations for short periods
 Fa = site coefficient defined by table 1613.5.3(I) in the code, which depends on the Site Class
 Site Class = based on soil properties defined by table 1613.5.2; Site class D is the default.
 Usually, the structural engineer will provide all this information for
you in the structural S-1 drawings.
84

82. Seismic Compliance
Unit Characteristics in Pre-Approved OSHPD Seismic Certification
EVAPCO: Sds of 1.93
85

83. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
86

84. Saving Money – 500 Ton VTS
(Open System)
 Water = 1,378,640 x 2.22/748 = $ 4,092
 Sewer = 1,378,640 x 2.80/748 = $ 5,161
 Power Fan HP Reduction = $ 447
 Power Saved - VFD on Fan = $ 2,618
 Power Saved - Chiller Fouling = $ 15,144
 Chemical Elimination = $ 3,000
 Maintenance Reduction = $ 3,000
Yearly Estimated Savings = $ 33,462
87

85. Payback: VTS vs Traditional
Design – Open System
Traditional VTS 500 Ton
System Cost: Premium:
$ 36,000 $ 28,000
Payback :
VTS System:
10 Months
Life Cycle Cost Savings $500,000
88

86. Vertical Tower Systems
 Saving Water
 Saving Energy
 Saving
Maintenance
 Saving Money
89

87. Closed Circuit Coolers -Additional
Savings
90

88. Is VTS Today’s Tower System?
 Reduced Size / Weight / Airflow (Evapco AT/USS
Product)
 Reduced Maintenance (Pulse~Pure, Lakos, Evapco)
 Reduced Health Impact / Liability (Eliminated Chemicals)
 Reduced Energy Consumption (Biofilm, Scale, Fouling
Reduction)
 Reduced Water Consumption (Drift, Bleed & Flush)
 Reduced Toxic Emissions (No Chemicals)
 Reduced Corrosion / Increased Life (No Chemicals)
 Reduced Life Cycle Cost (VTS System)
91

89. Cooling Towers – Complex
Balance
Water Use
Human
Health Energy
& Safety
Cooling
Tower
Balance
Weight
Biological
And
Control
Size
Fouling
Corrosion
Cleanliness
Access/Maint. Sound Seismic
92