counterflow cooling tower

In a counterflow design, the air flow is directly opposite to the water flow (see diagram at left). Air flow first enters an open area beneath the fill media, and is then drawn up vertically. The water is sprayed through pressurized nozzles near the top of the tower, and then flows downward through the fill, opposite to the air flow.

Advantages of the counterflow design:

• Spray water distribution makes the tower more freeze-resistant.

• Breakup of water in spray makes heat transfer more efficient.

Disadvantages of the counterflow design:

• Typically higher initial and long-term cost, primarily due to pump requirements.

• Difficult to use variable water flow, as spray characteristics may be negatively affected.

• Typically noisier, due to the greater water fall height from the bottom of the fill into the cold water basin