Cooling tower and method for monitoring and controlling a cooling tower

Abstract

A cooling tower for cooling process water—in particular, of a filling plant—and a method for its monitoring and control are described. The cooling tower comprises sensors for locally monitoring at least one consumable parameter and at least one machine parameter relating to the transport and/or cooling of the process water, a data output for transmitting measurement data obtained by means of such monitoring by sensor from the cooling tower, and at least one data input for receiving external control data for controlling the cooling tower. By means of the measurement data and the received control data, the cooling tower can be controlled in a programmed manner and enables remote-controlled optimization of cooling processes and the thereby resulting plant cooling.

1 . Cooling tower for cooling process water comprising:
 sensors for the ongoing monitoring of at least one consumable parameter in the form of an inflow, consumption, supply, and/or a property of a consumable of the cooling tower and for the ongoing monitoring of at least one machine parameter of the cooling tower relating to the transport and/or the cooling of the process water;   a data output for transmitting measurement data obtained from the cooling tower by means of such monitoring by sensor;   at least one data input for receiving external control data for controlling the cooling tower; and   a programmable logic controller for controlling the cooling tower on the basis of the received control data and measurement data obtained by means of monitoring by sensor.   
     
     
         2 . Cooling tower according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensors are designed to measure actual values of at least two of the following consumable parameters or machine parameters: fill level, consumption, or concentration of a biocide; fill level, consumption, or concentration of an agent for scale prevention and/or hardness stabilization; fill level, consumption, or concentration of an anti-corrosion agent; pH of an alkali or acid; fill level or consumption of a lubricant; conductance, turbidity, or microbial load of the process water; temperature of the process water in the region of the cooling tower; drive speed of at least one fan for transporting ambient air for evaporation of the process water; valve position on a line, flow through a line, or coating thickness in a line for the consumable or the process water; performance of a pump for the process water; performance of a dosing device for the consumable. 
     
     
         3 . Cooling tower according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to automatically adjust a machine state and/or operating mode of the cooling tower-including the monitored consumable parameters and/or machine parameters on the basis of the received control data. 
     
     
         4 . Cooling tower according to  claim 1 , wherein the data input is designed for wireless reception of the control data from a cross-machine monitoring system, and the data output is designed to transmit the measurement data wirelessly thereto. 
     
     
         5 . Filling plant comprising the cooling tower according to  claim 4  and at least one of the following process units set up in each case for transmitting measurement data and/or machine state data to the cross-machine monitoring system: a measuring device for detecting at least one property of ambient air; and a heat exchange unit downstream of the cooling tower for cooling coolant water with the cooled process water; a supply unit connected to the cooling tower for providing a consumable of the cooling tower; a disposal unit connected to the cooling tower for the disposal and processing of the process water. 
     
     
         6 . Method for monitoring and controlling a cooling tower for cooling process water wherein: actual values of at least one consumable parameter relating to an inflow, consumption, supply, and/or a property of a consumable of the cooling tower which is metered to the process water and actual values of at least one machine parameter of the cooling tower relating to the transportation and/or cooling of the process water are each continuously monitored by sensors; measurement data obtained on this basis are transmitted to a region outside the cooling tower; control data provided outside the cooling tower are received for controlling the cooling tower; and the cooling tower is controlled in an electronically programmed manner on the basis of the received control data and measurement data obtained by means of the monitoring by sensor. 
     
     
         7 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the consumable parameters or machine parameters comprise: fill level, consumption, or concentration of a biocide; fill level, consumption, or concentration of an agent for scale prevention and/or hardness stabilization; fill level, consumption, or concentration of a corrosion protection agent; pH of an alkali or acid; fill level or consumption of a lubricant; conductance, turbidity, or microbial load of the process water; temperature of the process water in the region of the cooling tower; drive speed of at least one fan for transporting ambient air for evaporation of the process water; valve position on a line, flow through a line, or coating thickness in a line for the consumable or the process water; performance of a pump for the process water; performance of a dosing device for the consumable. 
     
     
         8 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein a machine state and/or operating mode of the cooling tower are automatically adjusted by means of the received control data. 
     
     
         9 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the measurement data are sent to a cloud-based cross-machine monitoring system, and the control data are received thereby. 
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein the control data are calculated by the cross-machine monitoring system on the basis of the transmitted measurement data of an ongoing production process taking into account the cooling tower, and corresponding measurement data of at least one historical production process with the same and/or with a substantially identical cooling tower. 
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 10 , wherein the control data are calculated by the cross-machine monitoring system on the basis of the transmitted measurement data and at least one environmental condition measured in the region of the cooling tower and/or at least one measured property of cooling water cooled with the process water. 
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cross-machine monitoring system is further configured to generate/output from the transmitted measurement data instructions for the replenishment of at least one monitored consumable and to transmit them to the cooling tower.