Construção de um protótipo de uma torre de resfriamento para reaproveitamento do efluente dos destiladores de bancada

Abstract

The project aimed to develop the prototype of a cooling tower in bench scale, low cost and easy assembly, operating in an open system, to reduce the temperature of the effluent of distillers laboratories, enabling its reuse, avoiding waste and minimizing effects environmental thermal pollution caused by it. The tower is composed of a wooden structure, designed to contain 5 gutters made of PVC, and one collector and the other stages drop of water, filled with "stuffing" (glass shattered), to which water is dripped by a PVC pipe which serves as a water distributor. Cooling occurs via convection currents caused by two brackets, each consisting of eight coolers connected to a voltage source. Initial tests showed a temperature reduction of up to 13.0 °C. Using smaller circulation flow of the effluent from the tower, there is better efficiency thereof, since it allows a longer time of residence effluent-filling. Thus, the prototype of the cooling tower built is effective in cooling the effluent bench distillers, being an important tool to combat water waste and thermal pollution.