Approach (cooling tower)

Definition

How close the cold tower water temperature gets to the ambient wet-bulb temperature, equal to supply temperature minus wet-bulb temperature.

A typical tower approach is 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and a smaller approach means a more effective but larger and more costly tower. Approach indicates how well the tower uses the remaining evaporative potential of the air. A tower can never cool water below the wet-bulb temperature, so approach can never reach zero.

Related concepts

Cooling Tower · Wet-bulb temperature · Dry-bulb temperature

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 📏 measurement