www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2024 25
Feature
Supplied by IWC .
IWC has not only helped Gelatissimo cut costs but also significantly reduce water waste .
the cooling tower industry by making systems more compact and efficient . Additionally , advancements in motor efficiency , such as the development of IE3 and IE5 fan motors , are contributing to overall system efficiency .
“ The growing demand for data centres is another significant trend impacting the cooling tower industry . Data centres are
power-hungry facilities that require efficient cooling solutions to maintain optimal operating temperatures and are increasingly adopting free cooling methods , which leverage cooler ambient temperatures to reduce energy consumption . This trend is driving a resurgence in the use of open-top cooling towers for their ability to achieve low water temperatures without the need for extensive mechanical cooling .”
Evapco is also exploring custom solutions for clients with unique water sources and requirements . For instance , farmers with large cold rooms for storing fruit and vegetables are interested in using alternative water sources , such as borehole water or river water . To accommodate these needs , Evapco is developing new heat transfer media and materials that can handle different water qualities , ensuring reliable and efficient cooling in diverse applications .
COMFORT COOLING AND INFRASTRUCTURE COOLING Jakes Nortje , managing director at Baltimore Aircoil Company – Africa ( BAC ), notes that the air-cooled heat exchanger market has grown significantly in recent years , especially in the HVAC market where VRF systems are very popular . Both comfort cooling and infrastructure cooling such as the data centre industry have led the trend towards dry cooling . The key drivers behind this shift are improvements in equipment efficiency , lower maintenance , no water consumption , and a perceived simplicity are some of the drivers in favour of air-cooled systems .
“ Water scarcity is seen as one of the main drivers towards dry-cooled systems . However , since air cooled systems can be significantly less energy efficient than evaporative systems in certain environments , electricity consumption and the related greenhouse gas emissions are direct trade-offs from an environmental impact perspective . In a South African context , where Eskom still produces > 90 % of our electricity , mostly from coal fired power plants , this is a consideration . Eskom states it emits 1.06kg CO 2
e and consumes 2.5l of water per kWh of electricity generated , so a holistic view is required when evaluating potential solutions . For environmental sustainability , a better view would be to consider the operating carbon footprint of the potential solution , considering not only energy and water usage at the site of installation but also water consumed during the electricity generation process ,” says Nortje .
“ Linked to above point , evaporative cooling can be significantly more energy efficient than dry coolers depending on the application and conditions as measured across the complete cooling system , and therefore consumes correspondingly less electricity .”
He adds that most evaporative cooling tower manufacturers have incorporated water savings as a primary design criterion to improve the performance of their products . “ Additionally , effective maintenance of the equipment and water treatment will reduce water consumption during operation . It is also worth noting that certain industrial cooling towers are designed to operate with process wastewater , therefore not using potable water .”
He explains that BAC has a global focus on innovation and sustainability to continuously improve our product offering .
“ Both comfort cooling and infrastructure cooling such as the data centre industry have led the trend towards dry cooling .”
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2024 25