What is a cooling tower drift eliminator

Introduction to Cooling Tower Drift Eliminator

The Drift Eliminator is one of the essential components in the cooling tower system, mainly used to reduce the impact of water mist (float) discharged from the cooling tower on the environment, ensuring the efficient and environmentally friendly operation of the cooling tower.

What is a cooling tower drift eliminator?

During the operation of the cooling tower, water is cooled by contact with air through the filling material. Part of the water may escape with the wind and form small droplets, known as drift. Drifting water not only causes waste of water resources, but may also take away chemical additives inside the tower, affecting the surrounding environment, equipment, and even personnel health.

The function of cooling tower drift eliminator

The main function of a drift eliminator is to capture and recover float water, preventing water droplets from being discharged from the cooling tower with the airflow, thereby achieving the following effects:

1.Save water resources:

Reduce system water consumption by recycling float water.

2.Environmental protection: 

Avoid water mist from cooling towers from polluting the surrounding environment, especially in industrial and residential areas.

3.Reduce equipment corrosion: 

Float water contains chemical additives, and eliminating float water can reduce the risk of equipment surface corrosion.

4.Compliant with environmental regulations: 

Many countries and regions have strict standards for industrial cooling tower drainage, and float water eliminators help meet regulatory requirements.

Working principle of drift eliminator

Float eliminators are usually composed of thin sheets, grids, or baffles arranged at specific angles to allow air to flow through tortuous channels. Water droplets are captured by inertia, collision, and gravity in the channel and flow back into the cooling tower pool, while air can be smoothly expelled.

Simply put, the working principle of a drift eliminator is to allow air to pass through and intercept water droplets.

Types of cooling tower drift eliminator

According to materials and design methods, drift eliminators are mainly divided into the following categories:

1.PVC/plastic material eliminator:

lightweight, corrosion-resistant, suitable for small and medium-sized cooling towers.

2.Metal material eliminator (such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel): 

High temperature resistance, strong corrosion resistance, suitable for industrial environments or high-temperature process water systems.

3.Chip or grid design: 

Capturing water droplets through deflection, compact structure, suitable for cooling towers with limited space.

4.Ripple or multi-layer plate design: 

Improves water droplet capture efficiency, reduces wind resistance, suitable for large cooling towers.

Maintenance and usage precautions for drift eliminator

1.Regular cleaning:

The float eliminator is prone to dust or scaling, which affects air circulation and water capture efficiency.

2.Check for damage: 

PVC or metal materials may age or break after long-term use and need to be replaced in a timely manner.

3.Wind speed control: 

Excessive wind speed may carry away more water droplets, and suitable fans and wind speeds should be selected according to the design of the cooling tower.

4.Used in conjunction with fillers: 

The float eliminator works together with fillers and fans to achieve optimal cooling and float control effects.