What is the surface area of the two cooling towers next to the Tinsley viaduct on the M1 in Sheffield?

Question

For those reading this outside the UK who care to look on a map the M1 runs north from London to Leeds. If you include mathmatical formula please make it idiot proof and simple as maths is not my greatest subject. Thankyou.

Answer 1

You will be lucky to find someone with the detailed knowledge of the dimension of these particular towers. The maths of calculating the outer surface area precisely of these type of cooling towers is not particularly simple. Incidently it is not the outer surface which is an important parameter in calculating heat transfer (negligible heat transfer occurs between the walls and the atmosphere) rather the heat transfer between air flowing upwards cooling and vapourising hot water droplets flowing down within the tower. Internally the tower will have lattices keeping the water well distributed and in spray/droplet form.

If these are large power station cooling towers it may be that there is a fairly standard design and dimensions http://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/n/naturaldraught.htm This reference talks about 150m high by 120m diameter at base. Assuming that the top is of the order of 80m diameter an approximation would be to take the average diameter of 100m which gives a surface area of Pi x 100 x 150 = 50,000 sq m (very approx)

Edited Comment: Thanks for your email, can't reply direct because I got error message saying your email address is uncomfirmed. My reply was going to be:
Thanks for your message. Were you thinking of proposing some painted artwork to cover the towers? I have noted that UK does not seem to commission artworks near motorways (unlike some other countries) presumably on the basis that it is distracting to drivers. Would also be quite an expensive project I imagine. As an aside, if they are left there long enough they will probably be regarded as beautiful, rather like Battersea power station?