1. What is Cooling Tower Range?

Definition: The cooling tower range is the temperature difference between the hot water entering and the cooled water leaving the tower.

Purpose: It indicates the cooling tower's heat removal capability and is a key parameter in evaluating cooling tower performance.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( R \) — Cooling tower range (°F)
• \( T_{in} \) — Inlet water temperature (°F)
• \( T_{out} \) — Outlet water temperature (°F)

Explanation: The simple subtraction shows how much temperature drop the cooling tower achieves.

3. Importance of Cooling Tower Range

Details: A larger range indicates more heat removal. Proper range calculation helps in system design, performance evaluation, and energy efficiency analysis.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the inlet and outlet water temperatures in °F. The outlet temperature must be lower than the inlet temperature.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a typical cooling tower range?
A: Most cooling towers operate with a range of 10-30°F, depending on design and application.

Q2: How does range differ from approach?
A: Range is inlet-outlet difference, while approach is outlet temperature minus wet bulb temperature.

Q3: Why would range decrease over time?
A: Reduced range may indicate fouling, scaling, or airflow problems in the cooling tower.

Q4: Can range be too large?
A: Yes, excessive range may indicate flow rate problems or that the tower is undersized for the heat load.

Q5: How does ambient temperature affect range?
A: Higher ambient temperatures typically reduce the achievable range for a given cooling tower.