Basin (Cooling Tower)

A concrete structure that collects water from a cooling tower so it can be efficiently pumped by cooling water pumps back into the process. Cooling water pumps may be vertical pumps or horizonal types. Vertical pumps are typically submerged directly into the water, while horizontal pumps are located outside of the cooling water basin below the normal water level. Cooling pump intakes should follow the Hydraulic Institute Standards for pump basin dimensions, which covers minimum submergence requirements and maximum approach velocity requirements to prevent unacceptable free-surface and subsurface vortexes.