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: 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: 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: An improved, three-path continuous cellular drift eliminator and method for counterflow cooling towers is provided which gives enhanced water removal without undue pressure drops, and a desirable water particle size distribution in the air leaving the tower, so that excessive water coating on adjacent equipment and structures is avoided. The eliminator preferably includes a plurality of generally upright, discrete, gap-free continuous cells which present three air diversion sections along the length thereof in order to divert fill-derived air along a serpentine path for drift elimination purposes. The third and final section of the eliminator serves to direct the exiting air generally vertically for proper discharge thereof to the atmosphere. The eliminator is preferably fabricated using spaced apart members having planar panels, with corrugated elements therebetween, so as to cooperatively define elongated, continuous eliminator cells.