Patent ID: 7137619

Claim:
A heating tower apparatus for heating a liquid, which falls in a generally downward direction along a vertical axis, comprising: a first air flow inlet that provides a first inlet air flow stream, wherein said first air flow inlet has a first inlet door that moves between an open and a closed position; a second air flow inlet that provides a second inlet air flow stream, wherein said second air flow inlet has a second inlet door that moves between an open and a closed position; a first air flow outlet that provides a first outlet air flow stream, wherein said first air flow outlet has a first outlet door that moves between an open and a closed position; a second air flow outlet that provides a second outlet air flow stream, wherein said second air flow outlet has a second outlet door that moves between an open and a closed position; a liquid distribution assembly; and a fill medium, wherein said liquid distribution assembly distributes liquid onto said fill medium, wherein the heating tower is operable in a first configuration in which said first inlet door is in the open position, said second inlet door is in the closed position, said first outlet door is in the open position and wherein said second outlet door is in the closed position, and wherein the heating tower is operable in a second configuration in which said first inlet door is in the closed position, said second inlet door is in the open position, said first outlet door is in the closed position and wherein said second outlet door is in the open position, and wherein the tower can be switched between the first configuration and the second configuration.