Cooling Tower Drift Eliminators Vs Fill​

Here is a clear comparison of Cooling Tower Drift Eliminators vs Fill — their purpose, location, function, and differences.

⭐ Cooling Tower Drift Eliminators vs Fill (Comparison Guide)

Cooling tower fill and drift eliminators are both internal components, but they serve *completely different* functions inside the tower.

1. Purpose / Function

Fill (Heat Transfer Media)

Purpose:

Increase the surface area for water–air contact so heat can be removed efficiently.

Fill helps:

* Cool the water

* Improve evaporation rate

* Increase thermal performance

* Reduce approach temperature

Fill = Heat exchange component

Drift Eliminators

Purpose:

Prevent water droplets (drift) from escaping with the discharge air.

They:

* Capture water droplets

* Reduce water and chemical loss

* Stop mist from leaving the tower

* Protect environment & nearby structures

Drift eliminator = Water retention / emission-control component

2. Location Inside the Cooling Tower

Fill

* Located in the middle of the tower

* Water flows down through the fill

* Air flows up or across depending on tower type (counterflow/crossflow)

Drift Eliminators

* Installed above the fill

* Just below the fan deck (counterflow)

* Or behind the louvers (crossflow)

* Positioned where air leaves the tower

  3. What They Handle

Component	Handles	Does NOT Handle
Fill	Heat transfer, water distribution	Drift control
Drift Eliminators	Droplet capture, emission control	Heat transfer

  4. Materials Used

Fill

* PVC

* PP

* ABS (rare)

* Film-type or splash-type

Drift Eliminators

* PVC (most common)

* PP

* FRP for industrial towers

* Cellular or blade type

  5. How Air Interacts

Fill

Air flows through or across the fill to cool water.

Drift Eliminators

Air is forced to make sharp turns, causing droplets to collide with surfaces and fall back into the tower.

  6. Efficiency Impact

Fill

Directly affects:

* Cooling capacity

* Approach temperature

* Tower performance

Poor fill → poor cooling.

Drift Eliminators

Affects:

* Water loss

* Chemical consumption

* Environmental compliance

* Plume/drift control

Poor eliminators → high drift loss.

7. Performance Numbers

Component	Performance Metric
Fill	Cooling efficiency / heat transfer area
Drift Eliminators	Drift rate (0.0005–0.005% typical)

⭐ In Simple Terms:

Fill = cools the water

Drift Eliminators = keep the water inside the tower

They are both essential but serve completely different purposes.