Abstract

A gas/liquid fill assembly for use in an evaporative cooling tower, chemical scrubbing apparatus or other device includes a plurality of facially-opposed corrugated sheets of material disposed in a substantially vertical, parallel relationship. The corrugations of each sheet are disposed at an angle to the horizontal with each of the corrugations extending continuously in substantially straight lines from one edge of the sheets to another edge. The corrugations in alternate sheets cross the corrugations in the sheets disposed between the alternate sheets. Adjacent corrugated sheets form channels to allow a gas and gravitating liquid to pass through the fill assembly. The sheets are formed of a foraminous material comprising an open-mesh network of interconnected webs. The interconnected webs are arranged to define a plurality of polygonally shaped openings. Each opening is symmetrically formed about an axis thereof and arranged within the sheet material so that its axis of symmetry is oriented substantially in the direction of maximum slope. The polygonally shaped openings in the sheets cause the gravitating liquid to divide around the openings and travel along the interconnecting webs whereby the liquid is distributed over the surfaces of the sheets.