Cooling Tower Motors

A cooling tower is a heat exchange system that removes waste heat from a process system fluid, usually water. Cooling towers are used in both commercial and industrial applications. The mechanical components of a cooling tower fan are made up of a motor, gearbox, drive shaft, disc couplings and fan impeller. The motor speed is typically 1,800 RPMs. Fan speeds are much slower and are determined by the diameter of the blades to keep the blade tip subsonic, typically around 90 to 230 RPMs. In cooler climates, the fans can be reversed to prevent freezing during the winter months. Average cells are 14 to 28 feet in diameter.

Improvements in system safety, reliability, efficiency and noise reduction are now possible with the introduction of new motor and drive technology applied to cooling tower applications. The same electric motor and control technology used to power today's most sophisticated hybrid vehicles has been adapted for cooling tower drive applications. Advances in motor power density using laminated steel frame construction combined with high flux strength permanent magnet salient pole rotor technology results in a high-torque, slow-speed, low-profile motor that is mounted directly to the fan and operates at an optimal speed to maximize system efficiency. The permanent magnet rotor construction also allows the motor to be manufactured in a compact form. The same basic motor design requirements for a hybrid vehicle of high torque, efficient, low weight, reliable, quiet and compact also apply to the cooling tower application.