Deicing apparatus for water cooling towers including slotted distribution basin and selectively actuatable valve mechanism

摘要

A simplified, selectively actuatable deicing apparatus for evaporative water cooling towers is provided which permits selective delivery of hot water from the upper distribution basin to the outer margin of the tower for deicing of the fill structure and inlet louvers thereof in order to maintain adequate airflow through the tower during sub-freezing ambient conditions. The deicing apparatus includes structure defining a substantially continuous water passageway or slot in the distribution basin adjacent the outer margin thereof, in combination with valving devices in the form of a series of elongated, individually shiftable cover members which can be selectively raised to permit flow of hot water through the slot in sufficient quantities to deice the outermost areas of the tower which are prone to ice clogging. In preferred forms the cover members are controlled by a series of lifting mechanisms having flexible bladders which can be variably filled with a fluid such as air or nitrogen and expanded in order to lift the cover members away from the underlying slots to thereby permit flow of hot water therethrough for deicing operations.