Which device helps remove drift from a cooling tower's exhaust air?

• A. Fill or Packing
• B. Desiccant
• C. Cyclone Separators
• D. Drift Eliminators

Answer: (D)

Drift eliminators remove entrained water droplets from the cooling tower exhaust air. When water is sprayed over the fill, some fine droplets hitch a ride with the exiting air and escape as mist. Drift eliminators are placed in the outlet path and use surfaces that cause droplets to collide, coalesce, and drain back into the basin, greatly reducing water loss and visible plume. Fill or packing is for increasing heat transfer, not removing droplets; a desiccant dries air rather than capture droplets; cyclone separators rely on inertia to remove larger particles and aren’t effective for tiny water droplets.