Abstract: A molded, composite, airfoil-defining, synthetic resin blade for large diameter cooling tower fans is disclosed wherein a moderately dense synthetic resin foam core is first formed that is generally of the same size and shape as the final desired blade. A shank embedded in the foam core extends outwardly from the end of the blade that is adapted to be fastened to the fan hub. A skin of fiberglass reinforced synthetic resin material is placed over the foam core with the thickness of the skin being greatest at the hub end of the blade and especially around the shank. The foam core with the skin thereon is molded into the final desired configuration thereof under pressure and temperature conditions such that the core is compressed and the thickness reduced to an extent correlated with the thickness of the synthetic resin skin on opposite faces thereof.

Abstract: A crossflow cooling tower includes at least two separate packs of film fill which are both horizontally and vertically offset relative to each other. Each of the film packs has a height within a certain critical range of values, and presents a plurality of air passageways of lengths within a certain critical range. In addition, each pack is inclined from vertical to a degree within a certain range of values. Construction of a multilevel tower with film fill packs in accordance with the invention provides far greater cooling effectiveness than could be attained by, for instance, a single film fill pack or fill structure comprising a plurality of splash bars. A water distribution system directs separate streams of hot water to be cooled to a corresponding distribution basin laying atop each fill pack and nozzles within the floor of each basin are subjected to substantially equal heads so that the flow rates of the water dispersed to each pack are essentially equal.

Abstract: A vacuum-formed fill sheet for water cooling towers is provided with structure for contact with adjacent sheets for maintaining proper spacing around a perimeter of the sheets as well as between interior cooling zones formed within the sheet. Top marginal edge portions of the sheets are formed in a corrugated pattern, with the peaks and valleys of adjacent sheets being inclined in opposite directions in order to maintain sheet spacing while enabling the film flow of water thereover to cooling zones below. Honeycomb structure formed along facing, side edge portions of adjacent sheets also assists in maintenance of the requisite sheet spacing while functioning to smoothly guide the air between adjacent fill packs in a horizontal direction with a minimum of pressure loss. The honeycomb structure as well as the corrugated sections eliminate stresses within the sheets that might otherwise cause warpage sagging or bending of the latter.

Abstract: A crossflow cooling tower has a number of fill structure sections which are arranged at equally spaced intervals around the entire perimeter of a central plenum that receives generally horizontal currents of air simultaneously from all of the fill structure sections and causes the air to be discharged in an upwardly direction out of the tower. In one embodiment, the tower is provided with four upright fill structure sections disposed in a square arrangement in horizontal view, and a number of the towers may be located adjacent each other in a side-by-side diamond-like arrangement so that each air inlet face of each tower readily communicates with the atmosphere.

Abstract: A clip for securing splash bars of a cooling tower fill structure to supporting grids is adapted to receive grid members having different cross-sectional configurations. Opposed, depending legs of the clip are connected to tabs that normally project into a channel receiving a section of the grid member, in order to reduce the cross-sectional area of the channel in instances where the grid member has a relatively small transverse configuration. The tabs are resilient and hence deflectable in a lateral direction to enlarge the available transverse area of the channel as may be necessary to receive sections of grid members having larger cross-sectional configurations. In preferred embodiments, the clip is integrally molded of a synthetic resinous material and the tabs are relatively thin to enable the tabs to self-deflect in a lateral direction as the clip is installed onto a larger grid member.

Abstract: Low cost sealing drainboard supports adapted for use between adjacent drift eliminator sections in water cooling towers are provided which can be readily installed in the field without the necessity of custom fabrication of structural components, and which give improved drainage characteristics in the form of relatively large, concentrated streams of eliminated water resistant to reentrainment. The preferred supports are unitary, preformed synthetic resin bodies presenting an elongated, eliminator section-receiving channel together with a depending inner sealing wall and a oblique, downwardly and outwardly extending drainage tray. The tray is preformed to present a series of generally V-shaped in plane, increasing depth drainage passageways serving to collect and concentrate eliminated water into relatively large streams resistant to reentrainment in the air currents passing through the tower.

Abstract: A distribution system for a water cooling tower directs incoming hot water to particular regions of a fill assembly which are determined by the magnitude of the hot water flow rate, and structure is provided for maintaining an equal head of water above all of the nozzles in current operation. During periods of relatively low flows, a weir member mounted within a distribution box of the system directs all of the incoming hot water to an outer distribution zone which is located over four outer regions of the fill assembly. Once the hot water flow rate is increased above as certain, predetermined value, a portion of the water spills over the weir and is conveyed to an inner distribution zone located over a central region of the fill structure while the remaining portion of the water is directed toward the outer zone so that water is directed to the entire horizontal area of the fill structure.

Abstract: An initially flat sheet of a fan cylinder assembly is formed to an exact cylindrical configuration in such a manner that less than 20% of the material comprising the sheet in a direction along the thickness of the same is exposed to stress above the yield strength of the material. The sheet is provided with tabs bent to a perpendicular orientation relative to remaining regions of the sheet, and holes are punched in certain of the tabs at precise, predefined locations and which are related to precise, predefined locations of apertures spaced around the periphery of an exact circular opening in an upright support panel of the tower housing. The sheet is formed to a true cylinder by causing the major region of the sheet to bear against the periphery of the circular opening of the support panel so that the flat panel functions as a guide both during forming of the cylinder and also thereafter to retain the sheet in its proper cylindrical configuration.

Abstract: A lightweight boom supported by a rotatable jib of a tower crane for introducing flowable concrete mix to form systems has a concrete conveying conduit which functions also as a structural member of the boom, in order that the overall weight of the latter is minimized. The elongated boom has a triangular configuration in transverse cross-section, with two parallel, co-planar, spaced upper members and a hollow, concrete conveying bottom member that is generally parallel to the two upper members and spaced below the same. Horizontally extending brace members interconnect the two upper members, and spacer bars depending from the two upper members are secured to the bottom member.

Abstract: A multiple-purpose, non-clogging target-type water distribution nozzle assembly for use in counterflow or crossflow water cooling towers is provided which is sized to safely clear large debris found in some cooling water while giving relatively full coverage water dispersal for enhanced water cooling. The preferred nozzle assembly includes a water metering upper section having a tubular flow conduit for substantially axial, downward water flow. A target is situated below the conduit and includes a central, essentially conical ramp-like element, and a plurality of elongated, outwardly extending, transversely arcuate water-dispersing fingers oriented in a circular array around the base of the ramp-like element. Hot water is initially passed downwardly through the conduit for impingement on the target structure, which serves to create a relatively even dispersal of water over a large area beneath the target, thus enhancing cooling of the water.

Abstract: A splash bar for use in fill structure of an evaporative cooling tower has an extruded body with an elongated water impingement portion operable to uniformly disperse deflected water throughout the fill structure for contact with passing air. The splash bar body comprises a pair of arcuate in cross section side margins and an elongated, horizontal, flat top segment interconnecting the side margins. The centers of curvature of the side margins are coincident and lie beneath the body, while the width of the flat top segment is in the range of approximately 15% to approximately 35% of the overall width of the body. In preferred forms of the invention, the width of the flat top segment is approximately 25% of the overall width of the body. Advantageously, the body is hollow and includes a pair of spaced, flat, co-planar bottom walls integrally extending inwardly from the side margins.

Abstract: A low profile, externally controlled, variable pitch fan blade hub assembly is disclosed which is especially useful in high humidity environments such as are encountered in the fan induced, hot air discharge section of an industrial water cooling tower. The hub housing has central hub means including a member which is telescoped over the drive shaft therefor to limit the overall height of the assembly. The hub member is biased axially of the hub by a series of peripherally located springs contained within the housing. A fluid such as air may be introduced into the housing under pressure to shift the hub unit in a direction against the spring bias thereon. The housing has a plurality of radially extending bores each of which rotatably receives a respective fan blade axle provided with an elongated arm on the innermost end thereof within the housing positioned such that a cam follower on each arm is received in a cam track forming a part of the hub unit.

Abstract: A mechanical draft crossflow cooling tower is provided with a novel hot water distribution structure which overlies a fill assembly. The distribution structure includes a basin which extends horizontally along the length of the fill assembly and the basin bottom is provided with a plurality of metering nozzles for directing the flow evenly across the top face of the fill assembly. Additionally, a flume is located within the confines of the basin and extends horizontally along the length of the latter in spaced disposition from the basin bottom. The flume has opposed sidewalls which are operable as weirs such that the water is evenly directed to all areas of the basin. As such, the static head on each of the nozzles is equivalent throughout the length of the basin so that the hot water is evenly directed toward all areas of the fill assembly regardless of the flow rate of the water.

Abstract: A vacuum formable film fill sheet for crossflow water cooling towers is disclosed having a repeating chevron pattern defining a series of zig-zag, serpentine, spaced ridges on opposed faces of the sheet with the ridges on one face of the sheet defining the grooves on the opposite face thereof and vice versa. The formed sheets are located in upright, horizontally spaced relationship between the overlying hot water distribution basin of the tower and the cold water basin thereof for generally horizontal flow of air past films of water flowing downwardly over the fill sheets. The angularity of the straight ridge sections of the chevron pattern with respect to one another, the vertical height of each repeat pattern, the transverse angularity of the ridges and the spacing between adjacent sheets has been unexpectedly found to provide significantly improved results as compared with prior chevron pattern fill sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus for the safe, cost-efficient disassembling of a sectionalized tower crane boom is provided that enables disassembling of the boom while the boom is at terminal heights. The disassembling apparatus includes a working platform that may be detachably coupled to an inboard boom section, a pair of independently controlled jibs for lifting and supporting the outermost boom section, and a supporting structure and puller hoist for shifting the position of a detached boom section to a position wherein the center of gravity of the detached section may be generally vertically aligned with the center of support for the disassembling apparatus. Vertical alignment of the disassembling apparatus' and the detached boom section's centers of gravity is provided to assure safe and stable lowering of the apparatus and detached boom section.

Abstract: An improved, three path, cellular drift eliminator is provided which effectively removes entrained water particles from high velocity moist air streams leaving a crossflow cooling tower fill structure by the use of spaced, cellular, diversion path-defining structures strategically located and arranged to facilitate maximum drift elimination. The eliminator preferably includes a plurality of discrete cells, each cell comprising three air diversion sections along the length thereof in order to divert fill derived air along a serpentine path for drift elimination purposes. The moist air is first diverted at an upward angle and laterally relative to the initial path thereof by the inlet diversion section, and thereafter is rediverted upwardly and laterally of the first diversion path by the intermediate diversion section.

Abstract: Air moving mechanism is provided for equipment such as direct or indirect heat exchange cooling towers. Conventional cross-sectionally elliptical eased inlet structure leading to a fan opening or cylinder surrounding a rotary fan air mover is replaced by a much simpler, less costly, apertured airflow modifying baffle member which functions to define an invisible eased inlet for the fan. The specially shaped aperture in the baffle member is configured and arranged relative to the fan cylinder inlet to cause air removed from the tower casing and directed toward the fan to follow a transition path between the baffle member and fan opening or cylinder which generally conforms to and substantially fills the opening or cylinder inlet around the entire circumference thereof.

Abstract: A low cost, preformed, synthetic resin, indirect air cooled atmospheric heat exchanger especially adapted for use in water cooling towers is provided which exhibits enhanced water cooling properties notwithstanding fabrication thereof from relatively inexpensive, corrosion-free polyvinyl chloride or like materials heretofore thought to have insufficient heat conductivity for practical use in heat exchangers.

Abstract: A generally rectangular, bottom-vented, mechanical draft combination wet-dry water cooling tower is provided which has excellent water conservation properties and resistance to recirculation of heated discharge air, and which is designed for minimizing undue low level deflection and spreading of hot moist discharge air with essentially complete elimination of visible fog plumes above the tower.

Abstract: Hot liquid supply and distribution structure for use with crossflow cooling towers is disclosed which permits selective variation of the amount of liquid delivered to respective fill sections of the tower in order to optimize liquid cooling therein under varying ambient weather conditions while also minimizing the amount of piping and manually operated controls needed for precise flow and distribution control. Primary supply means preferably in the form of an elongated flume or conduit is situated inwardly of and adjacent to an inner distribution basin with a plurality of outwardly extending secondary flumes or conduits interconnecting the primary supply means and an outer distribution basin.