Cooling tower mass balance

Definition

The accounting that what enters a tower as makeup must equal what leaves as evaporation, blowdown, drift, and leaks.

The balance answers four questions: what enters, what leaves, what accumulates, and what changes form. It is summarized as Makeup equals Evaporation plus Blowdown plus Drift plus Leaks, often simplified to M equals E plus B. Understanding it is the foundation of cooling tower management because it governs chemistry, efficiency, and cost.

Related concepts

Makeup Water · Drift · Cooling tower evaporation

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🛠️ operations