Abstract: For fluid interchange treatment, a flexible collapsible structure is provided which consists of stacked horizontal partition walls formed from pairs of sheets of non-woven fabric material such as felt heat-joined by plastic coatings on their inner surfaces and disposed in vertically-spaced parallel arrangement and sealed at their sides by accordion-folded sheets of flexible collapsible material. The paired sheets contain ports which are offset relatively to one another in successive sheets. The paired fabric sheets and their plastic-coated inner surfaces are provided with openings to form cells with which the ports communicate, these openings being so arranged that, a multi-columned collapsible structure of parallel cellular formation results, with independent zigzag paths between top and the bottom of each cellular column.

Abstract: Cooling tower splash fill strips rest in grids made from interconnected vertical and horizontal wire strands. Each grid is supported at its upper end by a fill hanger beam, which, in turn, is supported by a series of aligned beam hanger clips. The clips are connected to generally horizontal structural members of the cooling tower.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided wherein organic reactant is sulfonated by injecting it into a stream of gas comprising sulfur trioxide, at a venturi, and the resulting reaction mixture is quenched with a stream of cooled, recycled reaction product immediately downstream of the venturi in a conduit in which particles of reaction mixture are agglomerated into a film of the recycle stream and in which additional sulfonation reaction occurs.

Abstract: A high efficiency, induced draft, combination counterflow-crossflow fluid cooling apparatus and method is provided which gives unexpectedly enhanced cooling of hot fluid by causing the fluid to pass upwardly through a series of serpentine heat exchange conduits in primarily countercurrent, indirect sensible heat exchange relationship with external cooling water gravitating from an overlying evaporative water cooling section. Crossflowing air currents are pulled through the apparatus to evaporatively cool the water not only in the upper cooling section but also in the sensible heat exchange area as well.

Abstract: A sprinkler head for water spray cooling installations, attachable to a bottom wall of a hot water distribution conduit or distribution channel, the sprinkler head having a spray pipe reaching through an aperture of said bottom wall and a carrier shell or an open carrier cage surrounding the spray pipe and supporting one or several superposed cone-shaped spray plates at a short distance from the mouth of the spray pipe. Each spray plate has a pattern of spray distributor slots extending through its wall, so that a portion of the water passes through these slots and covers the central area underneath the sprinkler head, for an optimal distribution of the water.

Abstract: An improved scrubber tower is provided for removing pollutants from hot, corrosive off-gases from chemical processes, such as processes for the production of titanium dioxide pigments. The tower is formed from wood strip baffles treated with fire resistant chemicals arranged in alternate layers extending perpendicularly to each other and secured with titanium fasteners and enclosed in fiber glass walls, the flow passages through the tower being of large cross sectional area relative to the cubic feet of off-gas scrubbed per unit of time as to maintain a relatively low off-gas velocity upwardly through the tower, substantially the same as the velocity that would be present under natural draft conditions, and at low pressures, only slightly above ambient air pressure.

Abstract: A cylindrical counterflow, multi-fan cooling tower is disclosed having a cylindrical cold water basin and a cylindrical shell spaced above the basin. A deck is supported above the shell and a plenum chamber is defined within the shell between the deck and fill system. Water from a distribution system in the plenum chamber above the fill distributes water which flows down over the fill in counterflow relation to the air drawn up through the fill. Fans on the deck draw air through the space between the cold water basin and the shell through the fill system and plenum chamber and discharge it in the form of a high rising column of hot, moist air.

Abstract: A heat exchange system and particularly a water cooling tower wherein water is sprayed from an upper level thereof to be cooled by rising air currents. A rotatable vertical shaft coaxial with the tower, has a multiplicity of arms or blades extending radially therefrom along the length thereof. The blades are of generally triangular cross-section, having upper surfaces which slope downward and lower surfaces which slope upward from leading portions thereof, whereby water drops falling from above and air currents rising from below both impart vectors of force toward the leading portion to rotate the shaft. An air impeller at the lower end of the shaft is thus rotated to augment air flow.

Abstract: A hyperboloidal cooling tower has a central post from which is suspended an upper horizontal ring centered on the post. A network of cables strung from the upper ring define a generally hyperboloidal surface, with the cables criss-crossing and the intersections clamped together with clips. A plurality of corrugated aluminum plates is secured inside the array of cables at the clips with the corrugations of the plates extending upwardly. The corrugations of each plate are spread to a greater and lesser extent at different regions along the plate together so that these plates may form a uniform three-dimensional shape. Each of the plates is secured at its central region fixedly to at least one clip and otherwise secured to the clips via stringers which can slide on these clips so as to allow thermal expansion of the plates relative to the cable network and relative to one another.

Abstract: The liquid deflecting surface of a conical baffle of a spray nozzle is defined by an arc of a circle rotated around the central axis of the nozzle, and a single supporting arm for the baffle has a knife-like edge that merges into the point of such conical surface.

Abstract: A simplified, selectively actuatable deicing apparatus for evaporative water cooling towers is provided which permits selective delivery of hot water from the upper distribution basin to the outer margin of the tower for deicing of the fill structure and inlet louvers thereof in order to maintain adequate airflow through the tower during sub-freezing ambient conditions. The deicing apparatus includes structure defining a substantially continuous water passageway or slot in the distribution basin adjacent the outer margin thereof, in combination with valving devices in the form of a series of elongated, individually shiftable cover members which can be selectively raised to permit flow of hot water through the slot in sufficient quantities to deice the outermost areas of the tower which are prone to ice clogging.

Abstract: The invention provides for easy, efficient repair and maintenance of cooling towers by a design in which the internal elements such as liquid distribution pipes, demister, grating and the like are structurally unified with a supporting means so that they can be removed from or replaced in the tower as a unit.

Abstract: A supporting framework for heat exchange surfaces for atmospheric cooling towers includes a plurality of primary generally vertically directed support members hingedly interconnected and further support members connected to the primary support members via elastic members having a high modulus of compression and a low modulus of elasticity relative to the elements forming the framework.

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.

Abstract: A splash bar for a cooling tower fill assembly is of longitudinally Z-shaped configuration. The top and bottom of the bar are parallel and are connected by an essentially vertical surface. The entire bar has openings throughout.

Abstract: The invention relates to a structure, such as a cooling tower, comprising a waisted tubular envelope consisting of a membrane made of a material which is capable of supporting tension in all directions in its plane. The membrane is pre-tensioned and carried with its tubular axis upright from a support which provides the vertical component of the pre-tensioning.

Abstract: An adjustably operable heat transfer system for cooling tower installations, the heat transfer units consisting of a section of only "wet" operating evaporative heat exchanger units and a section of dual-purpose heat exchanger units which are adapted for alternative or simultaneous wet evaporative heat transfer and "dry" convective heat transfer. All units are operated in the wet mode, when the air temperatures are highest, for maximum heat transfer output, but a mixed mode is used, when the air temperature is lowest, dry warm air obtained through convective heat transfer being admixed to the moist warm air obtained through evaporative heat transfer, in order to prevent cloud formation by the latter.

Abstract: The cooling tower is characterized in that it has a three-dimensional framework made up of sections mounted on supports and adapted to be moved on carriers for withdrawal from the cooling tower, for which purpose openings are provided in the cooling tower walls adjacent to the framework sections, said openings being kept closed during the operation of the cooling tower.

Abstract: In an evaporative liquid cooling apparatus comprising a housing having liquid delivery means, heat exchange means beneath the liquid delivery means, liquid collection means beneath the heat exchange means and a chamber beneath the heat exchange means and defined by wall portions of said housing and said liquid collection means, the improvement comprising fan means for delivering a flow of air to the heat exchange means, located inside said chamber, above said liquid collection means, and at least one of said housing wall portions of said chamber defining at least one air inlet aperture for said fan means.

Abstract: A false ceiling (10) includes a plurality of concave panels (12, 60) having liquid spray nozzles (40, 62) at their crowns. The liquid streams down the undersides of the panels to collecting channels (16) and carries with it particles of dirt, grease, etc., entrained in vapors from kitchen burners or the like below. Air is exhausted through the spaced openings between the edges (14) of the panels and the sides (18) of the collecting channels.

Abstract: A contact apparatus for effecting the interaction of air and water including at least one bed mounted in a casing of units positioned side by side with each unit composed entirely or partly of corrugated, vertically positioned layers or sheets for receiving water supplied from the top of the casing and air flowing upwardly from the bottom of the casing. The bed has a downward slope from the air intake side of the casing towards the interior of the apparatus.

Abstract: Crescent shaped vanes are so disposed in an evaporative cooling tower that the vanes generally have their leading edges aligned with a plane which forms an acute angle with a vertical plane and that adjacent vanes form a continuous smooth curve flow path which is generally directed upwardly and changes less than 90.degree. in direction to form an effective, low-pressure drop drift eliminator.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a dirty gas stream including a scrubber throat therein, the scrubber including a plurality of elongated baffles arranged in parallel and pivotally disposed for rotational movement therein, adjacent baffles being disposed to rotate in opposite directions thereby increasing or decreasing the cross-sectional flow through area with alternating converging and diverging flow through openings.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-functional grid structure for use in a vapor-liquid contact apparatus which includes a plurality of layers of relatively thin ribs. Some layers of ribs are flange-free and act as liquid distributors. Some layers of ribs include ribs with flanges and act as vapor-liquid contact devices. Some layers of ribs may have ribs with flanges having upturned edges which form channels, and such layers act as liquid collectors. A single grid structure performing these multiple functions normally requires only a single support structure, thereby saving on tower structure and cost.

Abstract: Apparatus for purifying the air laden with paint particles for use in a paint spray booth, comprises a vertical duct having a mixing chamber at one end. The chamber has a horizontal wall formed with one or more straight or curved slots at which a spray or washing liquid and the air stream are directed to atomize the washing liquid. An upright guide structure in the mixing chamber defines a narrow passage or passages in which the impurities are removed from the air stream by the atomized liquid.

Abstract: A flow grate structure for cooling installations in cooling towers in which several identical square grate units are vertically aligned in a stack, but so oriented, that their offset cell fields and splash plates are staggered in a regular pattern, in which the splash plates cover, in their vertical projection, a major portion of the flow cross section of the grate unit stack.