Field of the invention

The invention relates to a method for suspending a curtain inside a cylindrical cooling space of a cooling tower as defined in the preamble of independent claim 1.

The invention also relates to an arrangement for suspending a curtain inside a cylindrical cooling space of a cooling tower as defined in the preamble of independent claim 18.

In cooling towers for cooling for example spent electrolyte and for gypsum removal, a curtain or a corresponding cloth is often suspended inside the cooling tower to prevent scaling formation on the inside of the cooling tower. The current practice is to suspend the curtain from hooks provided at an open upper end of a vertical cylindrical wall of the cooling tower, which vertical cylindrical wall limits a cylindrical cooling space of the cooling tower. To suspend the curtain inside the cooling tower, a scaffolding tower is built and erected inside the cylindrical cooling space of the cooling tower so that the installing persons can reach the hooks at the open upper end of the vertical cylindrical wall of the cooling tower. This current practice is both time- consuming and causes an unnecessarily long down-time.

Publication US 2002/0060375 presents a cooling tower having a porous cloth suspended inside and adjacent to a cylindrical outer wall of the cooling tower.

Publication WO 2007/096457 presents a cooling tower.

Objective of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a method and an arrangement for suspending a curtain inside a cylindrical cooling space of a cooling tower to solve the above-identified problem.

Short description of the invention

The method for suspending a curtain inside a cylindrical cooling space of a cooling tower of the invention is characterized by the definitions of independent claim 1.

Preferred embodiments of the method are defined in the dependent claims 2 to 17.

The arrangement for suspending a curtain inside a cylindrical cooling space of a cooling tower of the invention is correspondingly characterized by the definitions of independent claim 18.

Preferred embodiments of the arrangement are defined in the dependent claims 19 to 34. The invention is based on providing a lifting means for moving the upper fastening means between a mounting position that is located between the open upper end and the closed bottom of the cylindrical cooling space and a suspending position at the open upper end of the cylindrical cooling space. The advantage of this is that a scaffolding is not needed to be built and erected inside the cylindrical cooling space, because the open upper curtain end of the curtain can be fastened to the fastening means at a such height where no scaffolding is needed for the installing personnel to reach at the same time both the upper fastening means and the open upper curtain end of the curtain.

List of figures

In the following the invention will described in more detail by referring to the figures, of which

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a cooling tower,

Figure 2 shows the cooling tower shown in figure 1 as seen from the side,

Figure 3 shows the cooling tower shown in figure 1 as cut along line A-A in figure 2 in cross-section and in a state, where a curtain is being lifted by means of lifting means inside the cylindrical cooling space of the cooling tower,

Figure 4 shows the cooling tower shown in figure 1 in cut view and in a state where a curtain is being lifted by means of lifting means inside the cylindrical cooling space of the cooling tower,

Figure 5 shows the open upper curtain end of a curtain,

Figure 6 shows a detail of the open upper curtain end illustrated in figure 5,

Figure 7 shows a detail of an open upper curtain end,

Figure 8 shows a curtain,

Figure 9 shows in cut view a part of the cooling tower shown in figure 1 and installing of the curtain at the inlet aperture,

Figure 10 shows detail B of figure 9,

Figure 11 is another detail view of detail B of figure 9,

Figure 12 shows detail C of figure 9,

Figure 13 shows a detail of an upper open curtain end of a curtain,

Figure 14 is another detail view of an upper open curtain end,

Figure 15 shows detail E of figure 9,

Figure 16 shows the open lower curtain end of a curtain,

Figure 17 shows a detail of a lower open lower curtain end of a curtain, and

Figure 18 shows detail E of figure 9.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for suspending a curtain 1 such as a cloth inside a cylindrical cooling space 2 of a cooling tower 3.

First the method for suspending a curtain 1, cloth or the like inside a cylindrical cooling space 2 of a cooling tower 3 and some embodiments and variants of the method will be described in greater detail. The cylindrical cooling space 2 has a vertical cylindrical wall 4 having an open upper end 5 at an upper end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4 and a closed bottom 6 at a lower end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4.

The vertical cylindrical wall 4, the open upper end 5, and the closed bottom 6 defines the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The cooling tower 3 comprises cooling air feeding equipment 7, comprising an inlet aperture 8 provided in the vertical cylindrical wall 4 of the cooling tower 3 and cooling air feeding means 9 configured to feed cooling air through the inlet aperture 8 into the cylindrical cooling space 2 of the cooling tower 3.

The cooling tower 3 comprises liquid feeding equipment 10 comprising liquid feeding means 11 configured to feed liquid to be cooled into the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The method comprises providing a curtain 1 having an open upper curtain end 12, an open lower curtain end 13, and a curtain wall 14 having cylindrical configuration between the open upper curtain end 12 and the open lower curtain end 13.

The method comprises suspending the curtain 1 from the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 by means of upper fastening means 15 so that the curtain wall 14 is adjacent to the vertical cylindrical wall 4 of the cooling tower 3 and so that the curtain wall 14 and the vertical cylindrical wall 4 are essentially coaxial.

The method comprises providing the upper fastening means 15 with lifting means 16 configured to vertically move the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 between a suspending position (not marked in the figures) at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 and a mounting position (not marked in the figures) between the open upper end 5 and the closed bottom 6 of the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The method comprises vertically moving the upper fastening means 15 by means of the lifting means 16 to the mounting position.

The method comprises releasable fastening the upper fastening means 15 to the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 at the mounting position.

The method comprises vertically moving the upper fastening means 15 by means of the lifting means 16 to the suspending position at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing upper fastening means 15 made at least partly of polymer. Upper fastening means 15 made of polymer does not, compared to upper fastening means 15 made of ferrous metal, corrode.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing a curtain 1 that is provided is at least partly made of flexible polymer such as Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or Polypropylene (PP).

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, releasably fastening the upper fastening means 15 to the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 at the mounding position.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, releasably fastening the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 to the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 with additional fastening means (not shown in the figures) such as additional hooks configured to fasten the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 at the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing lifting means 16 comprising elongated means such as wires, ropes or the like attached or attachable to the upper fastening means 15 for lowering the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 from the suspending position at the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 to the mounting position between the upper end and the lower end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 and correspondingly for lifting the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 from mounting position to the suspending position.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, arranging the elongated means to pass through openings 18 at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2, vertically moving the upper fastening means 15 to partly bring the upper fastening means 15 through the openings 18, and fastening the upper fastening means 15 at the openings 18.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, fastening the upper fastening means 15 at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 by using plate means 19 that can be brought into contact with the upper fastening means 15 and configured to lock the upper fastening means 15 into place with respect to the cooling tower 3. Plate means 19 provided with a slot 20 as preferably used as shown in figure 11. The plate means 19 have additionally preferably, but not necessarily, securing means 21 for securing the plate means 19.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing the inlet aperture 8 of the cooling air feeding equipment 7 with a flange 22 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 at the inlet aperture 8, so that an open channel 23 is formed between the flange and the vertical cylindrical wall 4 in the cylindrical cooling space 2, providing the curtain 1 with a recess 24 extending from the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain, providing a rope 25, a wire of the like in a channel 26 partly surrounding the recess 24 of the curtain, arranging the curtain 1 in the open channel 23 so that the open channel 23 is at least partly surrounded by the curtain 1, and tightening the curtain 1 by means of the rope 25 against the open channel 23. A turnbuckle 27 fastened to the rope 25 can be used for tightening the curtain 1 against the open channel 23.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 being with an upper circular rim arrangement 28 configured to give the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 an essentially circular form. In such case, the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing an upper circular rim arrangement comprising at least one of a rope 31 and sector elements 17 spaced from each other. In such case, the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing an upper circular rim arrangement made at least partly of polymer to reduce the risk of corrosion.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain 1 being with a lower circular rim arrangement 29 configured to give the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain 1 an essentially circular form. In such case, the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing a lower circular rim arrangement comprising at least one of a rope 31 and sector elements 17 spaced from each other. In such case, the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing a lower circular rim arrangement made at least partly of polymer to reduce the risk of corrosion.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, fastening the open lower curtain 1 end at the lower end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4 with lower fastening means 30. In such case, the method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing lower fastening means made at least partly of polymer.

The method comprises preferably, but not necessarily, providing a curtain 1 having an open upper curtain end 12 that widens as a truncated cone, as shown in the figures.

Next the arrangement for suspending a curtain 1 inside a cylindrical cooling space 2 of a cooling tower 3 and some embodiments and variants of the arrangement will be described in greater detail.

The cylindrical cooling space 2 has a vertical cylindrical wall 4 having an open upper end 5 at an upper end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4 and a closed bottom 6 at a lower end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4.

The vertical cylindrical wall 4, the open upper end 5, and the closed bottom 6 defining the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The cooling tower 3 comprises cooling air feeding equipment 7, comprising an inlet aperture 8 provided in the vertical cylindrical wall 4 of the cooling tower 3 and cooling air feeding means 9 configured to feed cooling air through the inlet aperture 8 into the cylindrical cooling space 2 of the cooling tower 3.

The cooling tower 3 comprises liquid feeding equipment 10 comprising liquid feeding means 11 configured to feed liquid to be cooled into the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The curtain 1 has an open upper curtain end 12, an open lower curtain end 13, and a curtain wall 14 having cylindrical configuration between the open upper curtain end 12 and the open lower curtain end 13.

The arrangement comprises upper fastening means 15 releasable fastenable to the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 and configured to suspend the curtain from the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 so that the curtain wall 14 is adjacent to the vertical cylindrical wall 4 of the cooling tower 3 and so that the curtain wall 14 and the vertical cylindrical wall 4 are essentially coaxial.

The arrangement comprising lifting means 16 configured to vertically move the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 between a suspending position at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 and a mounting position between the open upper end 5 and the closed bottom 6 of the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The arrangement comprises preferably, but not necessarily, upper fastening means 15 being made at least partly of polymer. Upper fastening means 15 made of polymer does not, compared to upper fastening means 15 made of ferrous metal, corrode.

The curtain 1 is preferably, but not necessarily, made at least partly made of flexible polymer such as PVC or PP.

The upper fastening means 15 are preferably, but not necessarily, releasably fastenable to the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 at the mounding position.

The arrangement comprises preferably, but not necessarily, additional fastening means

(not shown in the figures) such as additional hooks configured to fasten the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 at the suspending position at the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2.

The lifting means 16 comprises preferably, but not necessarily, elongated means such as wires, ropes or the like attached or attachable to the upper fastening means 15 for lowering the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 from the suspending position at the upper end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 to the mounting position between the upper end and the lower end of the cylindrical cooling space 2 and correspondingly for lifting the upper fastening means 15 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 from mounting position to the suspending position.

The arrangement comprises preferably, but not necessarily, arranging the elongated means to pass through openings 18 at the open upper end 5 of the cylindrical cooling space 2 so that the upper fastening means 15 can be moved with the elongated means partly through the openings 18 and subsequently fastened at the openings 18. The arrangement comprises preferably, but not necessarily, plate means 19 that can be brought into contact with the upper fastening means 15 and configured to lock the upper fastening means 15 into place at the openings 18. The plate means 19 can be provided with a slot 20 as shown in figure 11. The plate means 19 have additionally preferably, but not necessarily, securing means 21 for securing the plate means 19.

In the arrangement, the inlet aperture 8 of the cooling air feeding equipment 7 is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with a flange 22 inside the cylindrical cooling space 2 at the inlet aperture 8, so that an open channel 23 is formed between the flange and the vertical cylindrical wall 4 in the cylindrical cooling space 2. The curtain 1 is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with a recess 24 extending from the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain, a rope 25, a wire or the like, provided in a channel 26 partly surrounding the recess 24 of the curtain, and the curtain 1 is arranged in the open channel 23 so that the open channel 23 is at least partly surrounded by the curtain 1, and the curtain 1 is tightened by means of the rope 25 against the open channel 23. A turnbuckle 27 is preferably, but not necessarily, fastened to the rope 25 for tightening the curtain 1 against the open channel 23.

In the arrangement, the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with an upper circular rim arrangement 28 configured to give the open upper curtain end 12 of the curtain 1 an essentially circular form. The upper circular rim arrangement 28 can comprise at least one of a rope 31 and sector elements 17 spaced from each other. The upper circular rim arrangement is preferably, but not necessarily, made at least partly of polymer to reduce the risk of corrosion.

In the arrangement, the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain 1 is preferably, but not necessarily, provided with a lower circular rim arrangement 29 configured to give the open lower curtain end 13 of the curtain 1 an essentially circular form. The lower circular rim arrangement 29 can comprise at least one of a rope 31 and sector elements 17 spaced from each other. The lower circular rim arrangement is preferably, but not necessarily, made at least partly of polymer to reduce the risk of corrosion.

The open lower curtain 13 end of the curtain 1 is preferably, but not necessarily fastened at the lower end of the vertical cylindrical wall 4 with lower fastening means 30. In such case, lower fastening means 20 made at least partly of polymer, are preferably, but not necessarily used.

The curtain 1 can have an open upper curtain end 12 that widens as a truncated cone, as shown in the figures.

It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advanced, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are therefore not restricted to the above examples, but they may vary within the scope of the claims.