Final answer:
Drift eliminators are installed within cooling towers to capture and separate water mist from the air before it exits the tower, aiding in the conservation of water and protecting the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
An arrangement of barriers within a cooling tower that removes water mist from the air before the air exits to the atmosphere is known as drift eliminators. Drift eliminators are designed to capture and remove water droplets entrained in the stream of air leaving the cooling tower to minimize the loss of process water and prevent potential harm to the environment. These eliminators work by changing the direction of airflow and causing the entrapped water droplets to be separated from the air and returned to the cooling tower system.
In contrast, bar screens are used in wastewater treatment plants to remove large items such as plastic bottles, can, sticks, rocks, and other debris to prevent equipment damage within the plant. Electrostatic precipitators are another type of pollution control device which filters air by applying charges to particles and then attracting those charged particles to a filter, although this is a different mechanism than that used in drift eliminators.