WHY NOT USE YOUR COOLING TOWER TO HEAT YOUR PLANT?

This paper shows how normally wasted heat in plastics processing plants can be recaptured by installing a heat recovery system in the return-water circuit of the cooling tower, thereby making it possible to utilize the heat removed from process to provide space heat throughout the winter months. If this concept sounds a bit familiar, it's probably because so-called ″heat pump″ chillers - also designed to recycle waste process heat for space heating - have become a popular option in the past four years or so. As a more recent development, special heat-exchange equipment has been developed to offer the same economics to processors who use cooling towers instead of chillers. Economic analysis is included.