88-14: Hydraulic Cooling Tower Driver the Innovation

Expensive fan wrecks and down time occur when motor shaft couplings break or gearboxes self-destruct. A viable alternative eliminates shafts, couplings, and gearboxes. The first step is to move the motors to ground level, which are then close coupled to a hydraulic pump, which transmits fluid under pressure to a hydraulic motor at the top of the tower, which directly drives the fan. Microprocessor controllers can provide inexpensive energy conservation control at a fraction of the cost of conventional AC-DC innoverters. The entery aspect alone pays for the retrofit with the lower maintenance cost an extra bonus.