The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-08-19
COOLING TOWERS.
SIMPLE, BUT VERY VAlUA-
BILE YANKEE DEVICE.

Hot Water From the Condenser Met by
on Very Simple Principle.
At some of the large power plants in
and near New York the eye of the visitor
or the passcrby is attracted by u new and
unusual fcaturc-a circular steel tower,
looking like the tall stand pipe of some
high level water system. 1t is. however,
no tank. There is water in it, but indeed
this is pel-ctually leaking out-in fact,
the percolation of the water downward
from top to bottom is what gives the de-
vice its unique value. 1t is tho cooling
tower of Il self cooling condcnser-onc of
those numerous labor and power saving
Yankee inventions that have placed us
where we now stand as a nation of invent
ors and engineers.
Every one knows that there are two
principal types of steam cngineS-thc nom
condcnsing, in which the exhaust steam
escapes into the air. making the hoarSr,
putting sound so familiar in the lOcnm"-
tive and the steam tug, and the condcHS-
ing, in which it is delivered into con-
denser, where it is cooled down ana TURN
ed back into water. In the former type
the piston has to work against the pres
sure of the atmosphcrc-ab0ut ID pounds
to the square inch. III the latter IL has
only to overcome the pressure OF the Tapor
in the condenser, which is much less as
the condensation Of the steam causes
partial vacuum; hence the condcnSing en-
CINE is much the more economical of the
two, saving fully 25 per cent of the steam
and hence of the fuel-reQuircd for the
other.
Why, then, are not condensing engines
universally employed? Sometimes be-
cause the use of the condensing device is
not practicable, as on locomotive. Still
oftener because it requires an unlimited
supply of water. Cold water is the means
employed to condensc the steam and as it
becomes warmer in the process it cannot
be used over again; hence engines that are
not situated near Il large water supply-on
q river bank for instance-cannOt avail
themselves of the condensing principle and
profit by its fuel saving power. And even
where river is near, land on its bank is
so often so much more expensive that the
manufacturer prefers to go farther away
where he can buy ut Il lower price, even If
he has to use noncondensing engine.
But why not cool the heated condenser
water and use it again? This has been
tried over and over, more or less clumsily
and inefectivcly, and it is exactly what is
done successfully in the cooling towers al
ready mentioned. Methods previously in
use employ shallow ponds to cool the
water by surface evaporation, but these are
out of the question in o large city-or pans
on the roof, which are awkward and take
up room. The cooling tower, which has
satisfactorily solved the problem and offers
to the manufacturer the welcome chance of
saving large proportion Of his fuel, has
been in use for some time in d primitive
and crude form in the southern states,
where the condenser water was allowed to
cool by trickling through Il mass of brush.
Later, in Germany, the same result was
effected by allowing it to blow over nest
of pipes. In the perfected form the steel
tower is packed with layer on layer OF
vitriaed tiles, set up on end. Through
these, from the top to the bottom of the
tower, the heated condenser water trio.
kles, while u powerful air blast Is blown
upward through it from u rotary fan at
the base. When the water has reached the
bottom, it is cool enough to use again in
the condenser. A little Of it-from 2R
to per cent-haS cvaporatcd III the proc
ess, but this loss is moro than mado up
by the condensed exhaust steam that Is
added as it does its work in the condenser.
In passing through the tower the water
is cooled from about 120 degrees to at least
the temperature of the outside air, chiefly
by the evaporation induced by the air blast
that passes through the tiling. The prin-
ciple is exactly the same rs when one cools
his moist hand by blowing on it. Strange
ly enough, tho cooling is greater in sum-
mer than in winter, for, though in winter
the air is colder, it is much nearer the
point of saturation and will take up very
little evaporation, and evaporation is the
chief thing in the cooling.
Direct escape of the heat by contact
with the air blast and by radiation through
the steel sides of the tower helps, but it is
relatively unimportant. So, with the aid
of this device. the condensing engine, with
it's great economy, is today within the
reach of every manufacturer in the land,
instead of perhaps half Of them. The opera
tion of the tower is inexpensive, us the
cost Of working is only that of pumping
the water to the top and operating the fan,
and this is Slight compared with the saw
ing that results from using condensation.
The towers take up little room. They
vary in size from 25 feet in height by 5
feet in diameter, which is suitable for 40
horsepower engine, to one 30 feet in height
by 26 feet in diameter, for an engine of
1000 horsepower One of the towers has
for some time been in use at the Grand Av-
enue Edison electric lighting station in
Brooklyn, iH connection with a 500 horse
power engine.
1t must not be imagined, however, that
the usefulness of u cooling tower stops
with it's employment as described above
AS it's name implies, it may be used any
where where water is to be deprived OF
superfluous heat. For instance, in the
manufacture of ice, where water is frozen
by the evaporation of lique1ied ammonia
The ammonia, which has been heated in
the process of liqucfaction by compression,
is cooled by means of water, and with the
aid of cooling tower this water can be
made ready for use second time.
Like nearly all really scrviccablc devices,
the cooling tower is provokingly simple.
Any one might think of it-only nobody
did, until Yankee ingenuity took Il hint
from the crude devices of yesterday and
put hundreds of thousands-actuully Or
potentially-into the pockets of American
manufacturers, miners and others who
have occasion to use the steam engine
Philadelphia Press.
The French Army Barber.
Yho regimental Figaro is quite char
acrer He is not always chosen for his
skill in the tonsorial art. He may have
been butcher, baker or candlestick
maker before joining the corps. His good
conduct has promoted him to the post and