Fill Media

Cooling Tower Products:
Fill Media

The heart of any cooling tower is the fill around which the cooling tower is built.  While there exist cooling towers that do not use any fill, also known as a “spray tower,” including fill in a cooling tower greatly increases the tower’s cooling capability and efficiency.  This is because fills promote effective interaction between air and water.

Since there are many different systems to which cooling towers are applied, there are many different fills used in them, each with their own benefits. The vast array of fills on the market can make your head spin as you review competing offerings. With our experience in and knowledge of cooling towers and fills, we can help make sense of your options to find the best solution to meet your needs.

Cross-Fluted (CF) Fills

Cross-Fluted (CF) fills generally provide the highest efficiency per volume of all fill & structured media types.  They are also among the oldest designs, having been initially patented by Carl Munters & Co. in 1966.  CF fills come in various “densities” where the sheet pitch (spacing) determines the number of sheets per unit width and thus the specific surface area (surface area/volume).  Different applications benefit from different specific surface areas and the resultant flow profiles they provide. 
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Cross-Fluted Fill Features

  • Available in material meeting Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Standard 136
  • Available with AccuShield technology
  • Select products available with Mechanical Assembly technology

CF1200

CF1200 has been designed for use in factory-assembled counterflow towers in HVAC and light industrial applications where the water contains very low levels of total suspended solids. It can also be used as a distribution pad in 2″ [51mm], 3.9” [100mm], and 5.9” [150mm] depths. CF1200 splits the water stream ten times in an 11.8″ [300mm] vertical path, yielding high thermal performance and improved water distribution.

ThermaCross

ThermaCross™ is a drop-in upgrade for standard 19mm-spaced, cross-fluted fills. When designing the product, Brentwood developed its patented MicroBoost™ design to maximize the air-water interface for increased thermal capacity and utilized a more vertical macrostructure for improved airflow and fouling resistance.
These design features enable ThermaCross to perform up to 7% better than standard 19mm-spaced products, even matching the performance of 12mm-spaced high efficiency fills at higher fill heights.

CF1900

CF1900 is a popular choice for field-erected or factory assembled counterflow towers and can also be used in crossflow towers. It is predominantly used in HVAC and light industrial applications where the water contains low levels of total suspended solids.

CF1900SS

For special applications where extreme temperatures or flammability concerns restrict the use of polymer materials, Brentwood has developed CF1900SS. This fill is the metallic version of the popular CF1900, offering a high-performance structured packing made from 304L stainless steel.

CFS3000

Used in the same applications as CF1900, – field-erected or factory assembled towers – CFS3000 incorporates larger channels for decreased fouling potential in lower quality water. It splits the water stream five times in a 12″ (305 mm) vertical path, balancing high thermal performance and low pressure drop. With its large sheet pitch CFS3000 is also commonly used trickling filter and biofilter applications.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
CF1200 0.46 [12] 26 69 [226] 30° Has special drainage tip to improve operating pressure drop
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Oil/Water Separators
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
CF1900 0.75 [19] 16 48 [157] 31°
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Oil/Water Separators
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
CF1900SS 0.75 [19] 16 48 [157] 27° 304L stainless steel for high temperature applications
  • Cooling Towers
  • Oil/Water Separators
  • Scrubbing
ThermaCross™
TX19		 0.74 [19] 16* 47 [154] 22° *NOTE: 16 sheets in 11.8in [300mm] pack width

Patented by Brentwood Industries with Bill Miller, P. E. listed as an inventor
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
CFS3000 1.2 [30] 10 31 [102] 30°
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Offset-Fluted (OF) Fills

Offset-Fluted (OF) fills blend the benefits of Cross-Fluted (CF) fills and Vertical-Fluted (VF) fills into products that generally provide relatively high efficiency per volume along with greater resistance to fouling/plugging than cross-fluted fills. These fills were introduced after purely CF fills and purely VF fills showed the effects of opposite ends of the spectrum in fill designs. CF fills revolutionized cooling tower designs because they allowed much smaller fill depths to meet cooling requirements. Unfortunately, their susceptibility to fouling was a rude shock to customers who had historically given little thought to fouling based on towers that were built around the splash fills that preceded film fills. Those costly lessons pushed the market to VF designs to address the fouling problems, but the VF fills gave back a good bit of the performance improvements that the CF fills offered. As the need for greater performance became a market driver, fill designers developed OF fills to bridge the gap between the CF and VF products.
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Offset-Fluted Fill Benefits

  • Available in material meeting Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Standard 136
  • Available with AccuShield technology
  • Select products available with Mechanical Assembly technology

OF21MA

OF21MA’s design yields comparable thermal performance to CF1900 but with lower potential for fouling and at a lower cost. It is generally used in field-erected and factory-assembled installations for applications where water contains a moderate level of total suspended solids.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
OF21MA 0.82 [21] 14.67 45 [148] 0°/27° Available air travel depths of 11.8in [300mm] and 23.6in [600mm]
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Hybrid-Fluted (HF) Fills

After years of R&D work headed by Bill Miller, P.E., that focused on the market need for even greater efficiency in a fouling resistant fill, Brentwood introduced a new category of fill, the Hybrid-Fluted (HF) fill in 2019. The result of that work is Brentwood’s patented ShockWave® fill with its PowerCurve™ design. ShockWave achieves its efficiency gains by incorporating design features that fully utilize the surface area that the individual sheets provide while also promoting full mixing of the air to maximize evaporative heat transfer. This is all accomplished in a product that still provides the vertical sight path through the pack inherent in Vertical-Fluted (VF) fills with their fouling resistant characteristics. ShockWave can provide performance that exceeds those of some Cross-Fluted (CF) and Offset-Fluted (OF) fills while allowing for greater flexibility in water quality conditions.
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

ShockWave®

  • Available as either solvent welded or Mechanically Assembled packs
  • Available in material meeting Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Standard 136

Hybrid-Fluted Fills

  • Optimized flute design with vertical sight path for fouling resistance
  • Unique microstructure design that fully wets the sheet surface
  • Designed for applications with compromised water, such as power plants, refineries, and steel mills.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
ShockWave™ SW25 0.98 [25] 12* 42 [138] Constantly Varies *12 sheets in 11.8in [300mm] pack width
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Vertical-Fluted (VF) Fills

Vertical-Fluted (VF) fills provide the greatest fouling resistance of all film fills since they maximize water film velocities and have no crossover points. However this greater resistance to fouling also leads to a reduction in efficiency compared to Cross-Fluted (CF) and Offset-Fluted (OF) fills. The benefit of VF fills is that for dirtier water applications, they can provide a consistent level of performance over time. This is as opposed to CF or OF fills that might perform very well early on but end up plugging and losing most of their efficiency, potentially in even a short period of time, if the water quality is poor enough.
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Vertical-Fluted Fill Benefits

  • Available in material meeting Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Standard 136
  • Available with AccuShield technology
  • Select products available with Mechanical Assembly technology

VF19 PLUS

Used in counterflow towers where total suspended solids levels are high, VF19 PLUS features a microstructure that improves water distribution and thermal mixing. This fill was rigorously tested and accepted by a major U.S. utility for use in their fleet of cooling towers. Its typical applications include power, refining, chemical, mining, and food processing industries.

AFVF19

AFVF19 is an evolution of early vertical-fluted fills and is a workhorse in many utility and industrial applications where surface waters are used for make-up. Based on a European design, its available sizes make it an ideal fit for towers based on meter-increment sizes. Like VF19 PLUS, AFVF19 was also rigorously tested and accepted for use by a major U.S. electric generation provider in their fleet of cooling towers.

VF3800

VF3800 is designed for use in the same counterflow applications as VF19 PLUS, but features larger flute openings and eliminates the microstructure to allow for maximum water velocity and greater fouling resistance.

VF5000

VF5000 is the most fouling resistant film fill in our portfolio. Built with rigid triangular, vertically oriented flutes and wide openings, VF5000 is designed for the very demanding fouling applications. The combination of wide openings, no microstructure, and vertical flow maximizes the pull of gravity on the water. This results in high water film velocity and high shear stresses to maintain surface cleanliness. VF5000 has been used in multiple counterflow natural draft cooling towers and power generation, steel production, mining, and food processing applications. VF5000 is also commonly used mixed-media trickling filter and biofilter applications.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
VF19 PLUS 0.75 [19] 16 47 [154] 0°
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
AFVF19 0.78 [20] 15.25 42 [138] 0°
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
VF3800 1.5 [38] 16 40 [131] 0° Has minimal microstructure to increase fouling resistance
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
VF5000 2.0 [50] 12 30 [98] 0° Has minimal microstructure to increase fouling resistance
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Herringbone Crossflow (XF) Fills

Due to the perpendicular flow axes between air (horizontal flow) and water (vertical flow) in crossflow towers, crossflow tower fills must account for the greater challenges in air and water management than those used in counterflow towers. Although Cross-Fluted (CF) fills have been used extensively in crossflow towers for decades, herringbone-design fills generally handle the air and water management challenges better, especially in the high water loading regimes of contemporary towers.
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Herringbone Crossflow Fill Benefits

  • Designed for the complexities of crossflow air & water flow interactions
  • Flexible options to meet multiple fill depth and height designs & louver and drift eliminator configurations
  • Provides a rigid and durable bottom-supported replacement for hanging fill sheets that commonly fall out of place

XF75Pro

With its patented features, XF75Pro meets the challenges and the most rigorous demands of modern towers. As towers have changed to provide greater output, the complexities of fill and water management have also increased. The XF75Pro development process focused on understanding the actual drivers of crossflow fill performance. This knowledge led to reducing unnecessary and parasitic air pressure drop from constrictions in airflow, improved air/water mixing to increase cooling performance and addition of features that guide the water as it is pulled down by gravity and pushed by airflow. XF75Pro also incorporates improvements in fill strength without negatively impacting overall performance. Other features help to retain water inside the standard XF75Pro pack so that towers with external louvers have a greatly reduced chance of splash-out and the resulting ice build-up that can occur in cold weather. The XF75ProID pack also has an improved Integral Drift eliminator design that increases its drift removal efficiency.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
XF75Pro 0.75 [19] 16 51 [167] N/A Specially designed for crossflow applications.
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Evaporative Cooling
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
XF75ProIL 0.75 [19] 16 51 [167] N/A Specially designed for crossflow applications.

Includes an Integral Louver (IL) to prevent splash-out.
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Evaporative Cooling
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
XF75ProID 0.75 [19] 16 51 [167] N/A Includes an Integral Drift Eliminator (ID) to prevent drift.
  • Aquaculture
  • Cooling Towers
  • Evaporative Cooling
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Trickle Fills

Trickle fills are an open-mesh type of fill that has many thin strands of plastic connecting various points in the macro-corrugation of the sheet. The thin strands provide surface area for water film to contact air, and in this respect their mode of cooling is like that of a film fill. Many trickle fills share the same type of Cross-Fluted (CF) corrugation as CF film fills, for the same reason: The angled cross-flutes slow down the water film velocity, thus increasing the time for contact between air and water. The intent of a trickle pack is that the open mesh design will allow for greater fouling resistance and the film-type of cooling process will provide good efficiency. Trickle fills succeed in this respect, however they must not be confused with splash fills, which derive their cooling from the creation of surface area via the generation of droplets. Splash fills provide the greatest resistance to fouling. Modular splash fills which utilize Vertical-Fluted (VF) corrugations benefit from the same increase in water film velocity as VF film fills, and they too provide better fouling resistance than trickle fills. (See Modular Splash Fills for further information.)
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Trickle Fill Benefits

  • Advanced flute geometry allows for trickling of water along structural members, increasing thermal performance.
  • Patent-pending alternating tip design reduces pressure drop and fouling between packs.
  • Made from UV-protected polypropylene copolymer and available in a fire-retardant formulation.

HTP20

HTP20 Cross-Fluted Trickle Fill is designed for use in applications where the circulating water has high levels of solids, such as in river or seawater applications, as well as waters with high-scale potential. It also performs well in towers that experience high sand and silica levels.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
HTP20 0.78 [20] 15.25 N/A 15° Has special drainage tip to improve operating pressure drop.

Patented by Brentwood Industries with Bill Miller, P. E. listed as inventor.
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Splash Fills

Splash fills are the most resistant to fouling of all fill types. There are two basic categories of splash fills: Modular Splash Fills and Splash Bars. Splash fills generate their evaporative cooling via the generation of droplets in the airstream. The droplets increase the amount of surface area for air/water contact, and the effect of continual splashing also mixes the air and water to boost evaporation. With the lack of constrictive spaces, splash fills are used in the dirtiest water applications – where film fills and trickle fills should not be used.
Contact Us for Expert Solutions

Splash Fill Benefits

  • Designed for crossflow & counterflow applications
  • High fouling resistance for very dirty water applications

HTP25

AccuPac® HTP25 (High Thermal Performance) Splash Fill is an injection molded fill that produces heat transfer via droplet generation. The highly engineered drip design provides maximum thermal performance in a compact module. HTP25’s vertical, offset-flute, fouling-resistant design is ideal for applications where the circulating water has very high levels of suspended solids, such as in river or seawater applications.

TurboSplash

TurboSplash was designed for both counterflow and crossflow applications where poor water quality does not permit the use of film fills. Each unit is shipped accordion-folded into a compact bundle for efficient, cost-effective storage and shipping and then expanded in the tower for installation.
Product Sheet Pitch
in. [mm]		 No. of sheets/1ft [305mm] of pack width Specific Surface Area
ft2/ft3 [m2/m3]		 Flute Angle Comments Common Applications
HTP25 1.0 [25.4] 12 N/A 0° Vertical-fluted (VF) macro-corrugation.

Over 3,600 drip points per ft3 (over 127,000 drip points per m3)
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
Product A-Frame Spacing
in. [mm]		 No. Panels/ft3 [/m3] Volume Ratio
Installed vs Shipped		 Typical Application Comments Common Applications
TurboSplash
SF100
 4 [101.6] 3 [106] ~5:1 Crossflow Ships nested – compact for shipping
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers
TurboSplash
SF150		 6 [152.4] 2 [70.7] ~7:1 Counterflow Ships nested – compact for shipping
  • Cooling Towers
  • Scrubbing
  • Strippers

Testimonials

Great Customer Service

“L S Enterprise LLC is an excellent source for Brentwood parts. They have extensive knowledge of cooling towers, and they make sure they are quoting what I actually need and not blindly quote what I ask for. They have caught my measurement errors on more than one occasion saving me from misquoting jobs and being short on parts at a job. Great customer service. ”

J.G.
California Contractor

One Of Our Best & Most Reliable Suppliers

“We’ve had a partnership with L S Enterprise LLC for many years, and they have proven to be one of our best and most reliable suppliers. The challenge of providing our customers with the most efficient and proper fill media for their cooling towers can be quite daunting. That is why we rely on Bill and Matt’s vast knowledge and experience to navigate all of the different Manufacturers, Models, and Flow Layouts of cooling towers out there. We would not be the company that we are today without L S Enterprise’s help! More importantly Matt and Bill are sincere, hardworking, responsive, and a pleasure to work with.”

Mike Morin
CT/HX, LLC

We Are Grateful For 25+ Years Of Outstanding Service

“The Evaporative Tower Service team and I are extremely grateful to Matt, Bill, and the LSE team for 25+ years of outstanding service as a core ETS vendor of film fill and cooling tower products. Their knowledge, experience, and dedication have provided timely fill selection solutions for every application we have presented them. LSE response and support is unmatched, and we look forward to shared success working with LSE for the next 25 year and beyond.”

James Patriquin
ETS

They Are A Great Vendor To Work With

“L S Enterprise LLC is a great vendor to work with and has exceptional knowledge and outstanding customer service. Matt Smith and Bill Miller are two great representatives for Brentwood Industries and have always been very helpful and available when we inquire about certain materials used for our cooling tower projects. They make it easy to get bids out to customers and get projects rolling. GTG Overhauling Services, LLC is proud to be affiliated with this company, and we will continue to inform our customers about the quality and performance of their products!”

Rosalinda Frietze
GTG Overhauling Services, LLC

We Look Forward To Continuing Our Partnership

“Delighted to share my outstanding experience with L S Enterprise LLC, particularly Bill Miller, instrumental in providing top-notch heat transfer fill. Their professionalism, efficiency, and commitment to quality from inquiry to delivery are commendable. Bill’s expertise ensured we selected the right fill for our needs, exceeding expectations in product quality. Seamless delivery, competitive pricing, and dedication to customer satisfaction make them a standout supplier. Highly recommend L S Enterprise and Bill Miller for high-quality heat transfer fill needs.”

Kevin Cherewaty
HCTS, Inc.

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L S Enterprise LLC Proudly Launches a New Website

L S Enterprise LLC Proudly Launches a New Website

January 27, 2025, East Earl, PA: L S Enterprise LLC is proud to debut our new website, www.LSEntLLC.com. Our original website biofilters.com launched in 1998. It was an important resource for those who were designing or building Recirculating Aquaculture Systems...

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Join Us at the 2025 CTI Annual Conference in Memphis

Join Us at the 2025 CTI Annual Conference in Memphis

January 27, 2025, East Earl, PA:  L S Enterprise LLC will be attending and participating in the 2025 Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) Annual Conference in Memphis, TN, that runs February 2-6, 2025. Join us in Memphis as we learn about new technologies and goings on...

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