Abstract: A method of operating an evaporative cooling tower includes contacting water with air in a cooling zone to cool the water and heat the air and cooling the heated air to condense water therefrom, thereby to reduce water loss from the cooling tower. Typically, the cooling of the heated air is by means of evaporative cooling employing a refrigerant.

Abstract: A method of densifying a bulk particulate material includes at least partially confining the bulk particulate material, and mechanically agitating the confined bulk particulate material with at least two elongate rotatable members (14), (15) of which at least one is submerged in the confined bulk particulate material. The rotatable members each have an axis of rotation and include a plurality of axially spaced agitating formations (40) which project outwardly away from their axes of rotation. The rotatable members are transversely spaced.

Abstract: A method of densifying a bulk particulate material to provide a densified flowable bulk particulate material includes mechanically agitating the bulk particulate material in the presence of a densification agent thereby to provide a flowable bulk particulate material of increased bulk density.