Vari-Flow
COOLING TOWER VALVES
Cooling towers are a critical need for any industrial and manufacturing operation. Their role in extracting heat and delivering it to the atmosphere through evaporative cooling leverages the principle of heat rejection. The essential element of a cooling tower is water that is delivered through a piping system. These steady flow devices cool the water by evaporation with direct contact of the air. Evaporatively cooled equipment like cooling towers typically utilize a multi-cell configuration. While these systems offer improved efficiency, operational flexibility, and advanced controls, they can only perform as well as their hardware is designed and built. One of the most important components of a cooling tower is its valves. This is why CTVS LLC offers Vari-Flow valves to optimize the performance of your cooling towers, reduce downtime, and eliminate maintenance.
Cooling tower valves are devices designed to control, regulate, distribute, and allow, or disallow the passage of water through certain parts of the cooling tower’s system. The different valves throughout a cooling tower system play an important role in their performance and the overall operation of your facility. The types of valves needed will depend on the flow capacity and the size of piping in the cooling tower. Temperature and pressure are also critical considerations when it comes to valve selection.
There are several types of cooling tower valves that perform specific tasks. The most common types of cooling tower valves are control valves, isolation valves, distribution valves, and electronic float valves. These valves are strategically placed throughout the cooling tower, allowing for the regulation and control of water flow to promote evaporation, allowing the water to cool.
Control valves in cooling towers are manually operated devices that regulate the flow of water in the system. These valves should be simply designed to ensure reliability. They are available in a range of sizes that are appropriate for all types of cooling towers. These valves should also have a protective coating that can withstand corrosive atmospheres.
An isolation valve in a cooling tower stops the flow of water in a certain location. This valve is designed to enhance maintenance and safety efforts. Isolation valves are intended to be operated on an infrequent basis. They are only employed when the flow of water needs to be restricted for testing or servicing purposes.
A distribution valve regulates the flow of hot water to evenly distribute it to the cells. The body of the valve in a distribution valve is made to withstand the corrosive nature of its environments. It is important for the flow of hot water to be maintained for optimal performance.
Float valves, or float switches, are essential for maintaining proper water levels inside of a cooling tower. These valves are designed for cooling applications that rely on water being cooled by contact with the air. This process requires constant water flow and water level management to create evaporative cooling. These valves control the water level fluctuation inside of the cooling tower and require very little maintenance.
A direct replacement valve that is optimized for all existing crossflow cooling tower distribution valves and can mitigate the need of constant maintenance and replacement while improving efficiency and performance. A valve that is manufactured entirely from 304L or 316L stainless steel and UHMW-PE plastic eliminates corrosion concerns. Also, valves that feature a 30% larger discharge area and 40% reduction in weight compared to conventional distribution valves are the new industry standard.
Valves that are built from a combination of a stainless steel stem and UHMW-PE plastic bushing require no greasing or maintenance. With minimal, if any maintenance, and simple design for replacement, expensive downtime and other costly repairs can be avoided.
Valves can be designed with a superior internal guide system that supports the stem and disc throughout its’ full length of travel. This internal “tracking system” provides the support necessary to allow the valve to be used for balancing water flow. Conventional distribution valves wear excessively due to the movement or “chatter” of the stem and disc as they encounter the turbulence of the water flow, requiring costly downtime for repairs or replacement. Highly-engineered valves can be utilized to balance the water flow throughout your cooling tower, optimizing its’ performance.
Along with the internal guide system which centers the disc and places the disc surface parallel to the seating face, an improved gasket system allows complete and positive shut-off of the water stream without the persistent leaking associated with conventional valves.
The Vari-Flow distribution valve is a direct replacement valve for all existing crossflow cooling tower distribution valves. Another advantage of the “Vari-Flow” valve is the combination of a stainless-steel stem and UHMW-PE plastic bushing which requires no greasing or maintenance. Along with the internal guide system which centers the disc and places the disc surface parallel to the seating face, an improved gasket system allows complete and positive shut-off of the water stream without the persistent leaking associated with conventional valves. The “Vari-Flow” valve has been designed with a superior internal guide system that supports the stem and disc throughout its’ full length of travel.