Cooling tower in AP Environmental Science

Definition

A cooling tower is a large, open-air structure that cools down hot water or other fluids by allowing them to come into contact with air. It helps remove excess heat from industrial processes or power plants.

Related terms

Evaporative cooling:

This process involves using evaporation to cool down a substance. In a cooling tower, as air passes over hot water, some of the water evaporates and carries away heat.

Heat exchanger: A device used to transfer heat between two fluids without them coming into direct contact with each other. Cooling towers often use heat exchangers to facilitate the transfer of heat from hot water to cooler air.

Thermal power plant: A facility that generates electricity by converting thermal energy (heat) into mechanical energy and then electrical energy. Cooling towers are commonly found in thermal power plants to cool down heated water used in various processes.