Cooling tower capacity must be verified based on what?

• A. Ambient humidity
• B. Water chemical composition
• C. Total heat rejection (TR × 1.25 approx.)
• D. Air temperature

Answer: (C)

Cooling tower capacity is checked against the amount of heat that must be removed from the system. This means you verify the tower can reject the total heat load, including both sensible and latent heat, not just how hot or humid the air is or what the water chemistry is doing. The design heat to be rejected (often called TR) sets the requirement, and applying a conservative margin, such as multiplying by about 1.25, accounts for variations in operating conditions, efficiency losses, fouling, and other real-world factors. So, the capacity verification centers on total heat rejection with a safety factor, rather than ambient humidity, air temperature, or water chemistry alone.