Cooling Process Water, Huhtamaki Pulp & Paper, Maine, U.S.A - Case Study

Solution
Commissioned in late Spring 2016 this TurbEx® cooling tower cools process water at Huhtamaki’s Maine pulp & paper facility whilst ensuring continuous non-clogging operation even with sticky pulp & solids laden white water. The system is integrated with the plant process control system to ensure optimum operation. 

Results
Even operating at low water flow (391USgpm), low enthalpy (water inlet temp only 117oF), high inlet air temp & high RH the heat transfer was still at 3.3MMBtu/hr (~1MW) & the outlet water temp within 3oF of the inlet DB gas temp; equating to a 110 KW/m3K expanded bed HTC. Optimum conditions give ‘Hx’ HTCs > 200KW/m3K.
Wet gas low HTCs shown for Ceramic Intalox Saddles & even Mellapak 250Y structured packing with its 250m-1 interface is only at 10-30KW/m3K.