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Types of Fills Used in Cooling Tower
Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-12-29 Origin: Site
Cooling tower fills are the heat-transfer media that increase contact between water and air to improve evaporation. Based on construction and application, they are mainly classified as follows:
1. Splash Fill
How it works: Water breaks into droplets and splashes as it falls over fill elements.
mmon materials
* PVC / PP (modern)
* Wood or ceramic (older towers)
Types
* Bar splash fill
* Grid splash fill
* Film-type splash hybrid
Advantages
* Handles dirty or high-TDS water
* Less clogging
* Easy to clean and maintain
Disadvantages
* Lower thermal efficiency than film fill
* Requires more tower height
Typical applications
* Power plants
* Steel mills
* Petrochemical & industrial cooling towers
2. Film Fill (Most Common)
How it works: Water spreads as a thin film over corrugated sheets, maximizing surface area.
a) PVC Film Fill
Features
* High heat-transfer efficiency
* Lightweight, compact
Limitations
* Sensitive to fouling and scaling
* Temperature limit ≈ 55–60°C
Applications
* HVAC cooling towers
* Chiller condenser water systems
* BAC, Marley, EVAPCO towers
b) PP Film Fill
Features
* Higher temperature resistance (up to ~80–90°C)
* Better chemical resistance than PVC
Applications
* Industrial cooling towers
* Hot process water
Film Fill Flow Arrangements
* Counterflow fill – vertical sheets, higher efficiency, compact design
* Crossflow fill – angled sheets, easier maintenance, gravity distribution
3. Low-Clog / Anti-Fouling Fill
Design
* Wider flute spacing
* Thicker sheets
Advantages
* Reduced blockage
* Longer service life with poor water quality
Applications
* Retrofit projects
* Towers with suspended solids or biological growth
4. Honeycomb / Cellular Fill
Structure
* Hexagonal or square passages
Benefits
* Uniform air-water contact
* Good structural strength
Applications
* Crossflow cooling towers
* Medium-efficiency industrial systems
5. Trickle Fill (Hybrid)
How it works
* Combination of film and splash mechanisms
Use cases
* Moderate fouling with need for better efficiency than splash fill
