Cooling Tower: Relative Plan Area (RPA) and Relative Power Consumption (RPC) with respect to Relative Cooling Capacity (RCC)

The following graph illustrates the relationship between the Relative Plan Area (RPA) and Relative Power Consumption (RPC) with respect to increasing Relative Cooling Capacity (RCC), and describes how to double the relative cooling capacity with the same values of all other thermal and size conditions.

RCC	RPA	RPC
1	1.00	1.00
1.1	1.15	1.33
1.2	1.31	1.73
1.3	1.48	2.20
1.4	1.66	2.74
1.5	1.84	3.38
1.6	2.02	4.10
1.7	2.22	4.91
1.8	2.41	5.83
1.9	2.62	6.86
2	2.83	8.00

In order to double the capacity (Relative Cooling Capacity) with the same values of all

other thermal and size conditions, the following must be done:

• Increase the surface of the tower by 2 ^ 1.5 times, that is, 2 (double) to the power of 1.5 = 2.83. 

     The tower must be 2.83 times bigger with the same fan, air flow capacity, etc. 

     

      OR:

• Increase the power to 2 ^ 3 times, that is, 2 (double) to the power of 3 = 8. 

         The power of the engine must be 8 times greater with the same surface of the tower

          (verifying the speeds etc.)

References:

Comparative Evaluation of Different Packings 

Péter Gosi, Institute far Electric Power Research (VEIKI), Budapest, Hungary

Judith Halasz, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil,

Pal Kostka

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 9)

HOW TO MEASURE THE EFFICIENCY OF A COOLING TOWER

 

In the design process of a cooling tower, there is a need to have at least seven data values or rather 7 variables. If only one of these values is changed, the result will be a cooling tower with different dimensions.

Some of this data or design values are questionable, such as the temperature of the air at wet-bulb temperature, that seems to shift every year for speculation reasons.

To measure the efficiency of each tower, there is a need to know the exact design data and the theory that allows designing the tower, hence, knowing the values detected by lab effective testing.

All this will be treated in another chapter with interesting considerations.

Now we shall discuss how to evaluate the efficiency of the cooling tower in a simple and practical way.

We shall use the method that will allow, at least, to compare the efficiency of the tower at the any given time with the efficiency of the tower at the time it was installed: in other words, the degradation of efficiency (if it exists).

The main element for cooling water is air. The amount of air is essential for the amount of heat to dissipate, temperature, etc.

The amount of air measurement is synonymous of tower efficiency.

The degradation over time can decrease the amount of air in the tower because there are occlusions within the filling material that block the passage of air. Occlusions may originate from collapsed material, limestone, dust, algae, etc.

The water will always circulate.

The masses of water and air inside the tower are huge. The water weight is about 15,000 to 30,000 kg/m² of the tower. Thus, the water will always fall via preferential routes: holes or by laminating on the tower walls. The amount of air passing through the tower is of vital importance.

A quick way to know the efficiency of the cooling tower is to measure the amount of air all you need to is to measure the speed of the air incoming to the tower or outgoing from the tower.

The speed in m/s and is measured with an anemometer (a very simple tool with fan). This tool is used to measure wind speed, etc. Hence, the speed through the cross-section (m² top view) of the tower MUST be between 2.5 m/s and 4 m/s.

If the speed is lower than 2.5 m/s, the amount of air through the tower is very low and the cooling is compromised. The tower will be not efficient!

This method is basically a rule of thumb, but it serves as an alarm that a more accurate review is required.

What happens if the cooling tower is not working properly and the plant is blocked? First thing: do not panic!

What happens if the cooling tower is not working properly and the plant is blocked?


First thing: do not panic! 

Many things could go wrong!  We might not even be aware of the many inconveniences that can occur to an industrial plant when the water cooling tower is not working properly.

Some of the causes are:

• malfunctioning of one or more components that make up the tower (breakage, wear, fluid hammer, high temperature)
• encrustation, algae, and clogging of the water or air side passages
• bad design

We shall focus on the last point, i.e., bad design.

Bad design is due to:

• thermal load assessment error
• water tower temperature outlet assessed with great accuracy
• wrong design assumption for the wet-bulb air temperature

What will happen in the various plants?

Usually, the tower used in industry serves:

• steelworks
• refineries
• plants for the production of chemical products
• others

For each different plant, the damage caused by a non-functioning tower can be calculated in terms of production lost.

In the next posts, we will analyze the risk and try to resolve bad accuracy in the design work with the help of our followers.

A cooling system is essential for the operation of any modern geothermal power plant

Cooling Tower System: Converting Geothermal Energy into Electricity

Example of flash power plant producing electricity

Heat emanates from the earth's interior and crust generates magma (molten rock). Because magma is less dense than surrounding rock, it rises but generally does not reach the surface, heating the water contained in rock pores and fractures. Wells are drilled into this natural collection of hot water or steam, called a geothermal reservoir, in order to bring it to the surface and use it for electricity production.

The whole process of turning hydro-thermal resources into electricity is based on conversion technologies. That is, there are three basic types of geothermal electrical generation facilities:

• binary (it function as closed loop systems that make use of resource temperatures as low as (74°C),
• steam (it makes use of a direct flow of geothermal steam), and
• flash (uses a mixture of liquid water and steam).

Flash power plant is the most common and it uses a mixture of liquid water and steam.

The type depends on reservoir temperatures and pressures. Each type produces somewhat different environmental impacts.

Example of flash power plant producing electricity

The most common type of power plant to date is a flash power plant (flash steam is the condensation caused by reducing pressure) with a water cooling system, where a mixture of water and steam is produced from the wells. The steam is separated in a surface vessel (steam separator) and delivered to the turbine, and the turbine powers a generator.

A cooling system is essential for the operation of any modern geothermal power plant, because cooling towers prevent turbines from overheating and prolong facility life. Most power plants, including most geothermal plants, use water cooling systems.

Water cooled systems generally require less land than air cooled systems, and are considered overall to be effective and efficient cooling systems. The evaporative cooling used in water cooled systems, however, requires a continuous supply of cooling water and creates vapor plumes. Usually, some of the spent steam from the turbine (for flash- and steam-type plants) can be condensed for this purpose.

Reliability of Geothermal Power Generation

The source of geothermal energy, heat from the earth, is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Solar and wind energy sources, in contrast, are dependent upon a number of factors, including daily and seasonal fluctuations and weather variations. For these reasons, electricity from geothermal energy is more consistently available, once the resource is tapped, than many other forms of electricity.

Examples of Power Plant Size and Applications

Though the size of a power plant is determined primarily by resource characteristics, these are not the only determining factors. Factors that favor the development of larger geothermal plants include things such as cost decreases when larger quantities of materials, including steel, concrete, oil, and fuel, are purchased at one time.

Cooling System

Most power plants, including most geothermal plants, use water-cooled systems – typically in cooling towers.

References/Sources - Idaho National Lab (INL) - Wikipedia - Geothermal Energy Association - U.S. Department of Energy

 

********** 

Software Calculator for cooling tower design and maintenance and TURBOsplash PAC ™ for filling material.

**********

The function of Cooling Towers with Geothermal Energy

Use of Cooling Towers with Geothermal Energy

1. What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy derives from the heat of the earth’s core. Here we will refer to energy deriving from the core of the earth. Based on new research, the earth’s core temperature is believed to be anywhere between 6000°C and 6500°C. This intense heat is absorbed by the different layers of the earth and, consequently, this heats our planet.

This geothermal energy can be used to generate geothermal power and is the source of our hot springs, volcanoes and geysers.

2. How is geothermal energy harnessed?

Geothermal energy is heat that is extracted from the earth. Pressurized hot water and steam, is produced when groundwater meets with the molten magma ascending from the earth’s core. Hot water flows to the surface through wells. Once pressure is released, the water flashes to steam. Deep wells, a mile or more deep, can tap reservoirs of steam or very hot water that can be used to drive turbines which power electricity generators.

3. How are cooling towers used with geothermal energy?

Let's suppose steam is separated from the water and this steam is used to drive a turbine generator. Conventional cooling towers are used to condense steam on the low-pressure side of the turbine to maximize electrical generation efficiency. Either direct condensers or surface heat exchanger condensers are utilized. In most cases, the condensate is used as makeup for the cooling towers. There is excess condensate available and this means that cooling towers run at low cycles. Low cycle operation results in excessive cooling tower treatment costs unless programs can be employed that are effective at low dosage rates.

4. Neri Calculator for cooling tower design and maintenance and TURBOsplash PAC ™ for filling material.

Geothermal power plants are designed with corrosion resistant materials of construction such as stainless steel in order to withstand the trace contaminants that enter the cooling systems with the steam. 

Cooling towers, if properly sized and filled with high efficiency fills, will yield optimal performance.

**************

References
1. University of Florida
2. International Geothermal Association
3. Wikipedia

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 10)

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A COOLING TOWER OPERATING AT LOW EFFICIENCY?

Cooling tower detailed calculations

A low efficient cooling tower brings very serious consequences.

Bruno Neri

The tower is part of a system designed to dispose residual waste heat from the production plant or other primary system. The lower efficiency of the tower affects the performance of the primary plant with considerable waste of energy and, most of all, reduction or lack of production.

CONSTRUCTION OF A COOLING TOWER: TIPS ON ITS COMPONENTS AND THEIR USE.

As we saw, the cooling tower is an essential part of the plant system and, generally, it is separated from the primary plant system to which it drives.

The cooling tower is normally ignored until it goes into failure. Hence, the choice of components is of utmost importance.

Choose a tower made of stainless steel. Towers that need to be installed in heavy environments, such as chemical industries, choose polyester reinforced with glass fiber.

We have witnessed towers that have been operating for over 30 years, in these heavy environments, in perfectly stable structure.

Other useful tips and / or necessary will be exposed our next documentation work for publishing:

"A practical guide for the design of components that impact cooling tower thermal efficiency"

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 9)

 HOW TO MEASURE THE EFFICIENCY OF A COOLING TOWER

 

In the design process of a cooling tower there is a need to have at least seven data values, or rather 7 variables. If only one of these values is changed, the result will be a cooling tower with different dimensions.

Some of this data or design values are questionable, such as the temperature of air at wet-bulb temperature, that seems to shift every year for speculation reasons.

To measure the efficiency of each tower, hence, there is a need to know the exact design data and the theory that allows to design the tower, knowing the values detected by lab effective testing.

All this will be treated in another chapter with interesting considerations.

Now we will discuss how to evaluate the efficiency of the cooling tower in a simple and practical way.

We shall use the method that will allow, at least, to compare the efficiency of the tower at the any given time with the efficiency of the tower at the time it was installed: in other words, the degradation of efficiency (if it exists).

The main element for cooling water is air. The amount of air is essential for the amount of heat to dissipate, temperature, etc.

The amount of air measurement is synonymous of tower efficiency.

The degradation over time can decrease the amount of air in the tower because there are occlusions within the filling material that block the passage of air. Occlusions may originate from collapsed material, limestone, dust, algae, etc.

The air will always circulate.

The masses of water and air inside the tower are huge. The water weight is about 15,000 to 30,000 kg/m2 of the tower. Thus, the water will always fall via preferential routes: holes or by laminating on the tower walls. The amount of air passing through the tower is of vital importance.

A quick way to know the efficiency of the cooling tower is to measure the amount of air all you need to is to measure the speed of the air incoming to the tower or outgoing from the tower.

The speed in m/s and is measured with an anemometer (a very simple tool with fan). This tool is used to measure the wind speed, etc. Hence, the speed through the cross section (m2 top view) of the tower MUST be between 2.5 and 4 m/s.

If the speed is lower than 2.5 m/s, the amount of air through the tower is very low and the cooling is compromised. The tower will be not efficient!

This method is basically a rule of thumb, but it serves as an alarm that a more accurate review is required.

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 8)

COOLING TOWER

Cooling tower design require water and air related data.

Data concerning the water include flow rate, water temperature going into the tower, and temperature going out of the tower. This data is provided by the cooling tower plant design.

Data concerning the air is provided by weather statistics site where the tower is located or where it will be installed, and is given in percentage hours per year or summer dry bulb temperature and relative humidity, measured at the same instant of detection of the dry bulb temperature.

The amount of air required in the tower is given by the design results, and the size of the cooling tower depends directly on this data.

Hence, one must determine the air velocity inside the tower, the power of the fan motors, and all the characteristics of the tower sized based on the efficiency of individual components, including the main component which is the fill material that allows heat exchange of water / air.

Energy Loop Assessment for Water Cooling Tower

The purpose of this post is to stimulate you to share your experiences and thoughts on energy related issues. 

The following table and related diagrams illustrate how to assess energy in a production plant scenario served by a water cooling tower. It includes three different cases with different criteria and different situations. The numbers shown are strictly EMBLEMATIC for the only purpose of illustrating the cases.

Energy Loop Assessment

Table for Energy Loop Assessment

Case 1: Plant - Production with Tower; Outcome : EFFICIENT

Diagram for Case 1

Case 2: Plant - Production with Tower: Outcome : NOT EFFICIENT

Diagram for Case 2

 Case 3: Plant - Production with Tower; Outcome: FORCED FOR PRODUCTION

Diagram for Case 3

A cooling system is essential for the operation of any modern geothermal power plant

Cooling Tower System: Converting Geothermal Energy into Electricity

Example of flash power plant producing electricity

Heat emanates from the earth's interior and crust generates magma (molten rock). Because magma is less dense than surrounding rock, it rises but generally does not reach the surface, heating the water contained in rock pores and fractures. Wells are drilled into this natural collection of hot water or steam, called a geothermal reservoir, in order to bring it to the surface and use it for electricity production.

The whole process of turning hydro-thermal resources into electricity is based on conversion technologies. That is, there are three basic types of geothermal electrical generation facilities:

• binary (it function as closed loop systems that make use of resource temperatures as low as (74°C),
• steam (it makes use of a direct flow of geothermal steam), and
• flash (uses a mixture of liquid water and steam).

Flash power plant is the most common and it uses a mixture of liquid water and steam.

The type depends on reservoir temperatures and pressures. Each type produces somewhat different environmental impacts.

Example of flash power plant producing electricity

The most common type of power plant to date is a flash power plant (flash steam is the condensation caused by reducing pressure) with a water cooling system, where a mixture of water and steam is produced from the wells. The steam is separated in a surface vessel (steam separator) and delivered to the turbine, and the turbine powers a generator.

A cooling system is essential for the operation of any modern geothermal power plant, because cooling towers prevent turbines from overheating and prolong facility life. Most power plants, including most geothermal plants, use water cooling systems.

Water cooled systems generally require less land than air cooled systems, and are considered overall to be effective and efficient cooling systems. The evaporative cooling used in water cooled systems, however, requires a continuous supply of cooling water and creates vapor plumes. Usually, some of the spent steam from the turbine (for flash- and steam-type plants) can be condensed for this purpose.

Reliability of Geothermal Power Generation

The source of geothermal energy, heat from the earth, is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Solar and wind energy sources, in contrast, are dependent upon a number of factors, including daily and seasonal fluctuations and weather variations. For these reasons, electricity from geothermal energy is more consistently available, once the resource is tapped, than many other forms of electricity.

Examples of Power Plant Size and Applications

Though the size of a power plant is determined primarily by resource characteristics, these are not the only determining factors. Factors that favor the development of larger geothermal plants include things such as cost decreases when larger quantities of materials, including steel, concrete, oil, and fuel, are purchased at one time.

Cooling System

Most power plants, including most geothermal plants, use water-cooled systems – typically in cooling towers.

References/Sources - Idaho National Lab (INL) - Wikipedia - Geothermal Energy Association - U.S. Department of Energy

 

********** 

Software Calculator for cooling tower design and maintenance and TURBOsplash PAC ™ for filling material.

**********

The function of Cooling Towers with Geothermal Energy

Use of Cooling Towers with Geothermal Energy

1. What is geothermal energy?

Geothermal energy derives from the heat of the earth’s core. Here we will refer to energy deriving from the core of the earth. Based on new research, the earth’s core temperature is believed to be anywhere between 6000°C and 6500°C. This intense heat is absorbed by the different layers of the earth and, consequently, this heats our planet.

This geothermal energy can be used to generate geothermal power and is the source of our hot springs, volcanoes and geysers.

2. How is geothermal energy harnessed?

Geothermal energy is heat that is extracted from the earth. Pressurized hot water and steam, is produced when groundwater meets with the molten magma ascending from the earth’s core. Hot water flows to the surface through wells. Once pressure is released, the water flashes to steam. Deep wells, a mile or more deep, can tap reservoirs of steam or very hot water that can be used to drive turbines which power electricity generators.

3. How are cooling towers used with geothermal energy?

Let's suppose steam is separated from the water and this steam is used to drive a turbine generator. Conventional cooling towers are used to condense steam on the low-pressure side of the turbine to maximize electrical generation efficiency. Either direct condensers or surface heat exchanger condensers are utilized. In most cases, the condensate is used as makeup for the cooling towers. There is excess condensate available and this means that cooling towers run at low cycles. Low cycle operation results in excessive cooling tower treatment costs unless programs can be employed that are effective at low dosage rates.

4. Neri Calculator for cooling tower design and maintenance and TURBOsplash PAC ™ for filling material.

Geothermal power plants are designed with corrosion resistant materials of construction such as stainless steel in order to withstand the trace contaminants that enter the cooling systems with the steam. 

Cooling towers, if properly sized and filled with high efficiency fills, will yield optimal performance.

**************

References
1. University of Florida
2. International Geothermal Association
3. Wikipedia

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 10)

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A COOLING TOWER OPERATING AT LOW EFFICIENCY?

Cooling tower detailed calculations

A low efficient cooling tower brings very serious consequences.

 

Bruno Neri

The tower is part of a system designed to dispose residual waste heat from the production plant or other primary system. The lower efficiency of the tower affects the performance of the primary plant with considerable waste of energy and, most of all, reduction or lack of production.

CONSTRUCTION OF A COOLING TOWER: TIPS ON ITS COMPONENTS AND THEIR USE.

As we saw, the cooling tower is an essential part of the plant system and, generally, it is separated from the primary plant system to which it drives.

The cooling tower is normally ignored until it goes into failure. Hence, the choice of components is of utmost importance.

Choose a tower made of stainless steel. Towers that need to be installed in heavy environments, such as chemical industries, choose polyester reinforced with glass fiber.

 

We have witnessed towers that have been operating for over 30 years, in these heavy environments, in perfectly stable structure.

 

Other useful tips and / or necessary will be exposed our next documentation work for publishing:

"A practical guide for the design of components that impact cooling tower thermal efficiency"

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 9)

 HOW TO MEASURE THE EFFICIENCY OF A COOLING TOWER

 

 

In the design process of a cooling tower there is a need to have at least seven data values, or rather 7 variables. If only one of these values is changed, the result will be a cooling tower with different dimensions.

Some of this data or design values are questionable, such as the temperature of air at wet-bulb temperature, that seems to shift every year for speculation reasons.

To measure the efficiency of each tower, hence, there is a need to know the exact design data and the theory that allows to design the tower, knowing the values detected by lab effective testing.

All this will be treated in another chapter with interesting considerations.

 

Now we will discuss how to evaluate the efficiency of the cooling tower in a simple and practical way.

We shall use the method that will allow, at least, to compare the efficiency of the tower at the any given time with the efficiency of the tower at the time it was installed: in other words, the degradation of efficiency (if it exists).

The main element for cooling water is air. The amount of air is essential for the amount of heat to dissipate, temperature, etc.

The amount of air measurement is synonymous of tower efficiency.

The degradation over time can decrease the amount of air in the tower because there are occlusions within the filling material that block the passage of air. Occlusions may originate from collapsed material, limestone, dust, algae, etc.

The air will always circulate.

The masses of water and air inside the tower are huge. The water weight is about 15,000 to 30,000 kg/m2 of the tower. Thus, the water will always fall via preferential routes: holes or by laminating on the tower walls. The amount of air passing through the tower is of vital importance.

A quick way to know the efficiency of the cooling tower is to measure the amount of air all you need to is to measure the speed of the air incoming to the tower or outgoing from the tower.

The speed in m/s and is measured with an anemometer (a very simple tool with fan). This tool is used to measure the wind speed, etc. Hence, the speed through the cross section (m2 top view) of the tower MUST be between 2.5 and 4 m/s.

If the speed is lower than 2.5 m/s, the amount of air through the tower is very low and the cooling is compromised. The tower will be not efficient!

 

This method is basically a rule of thumb, but it serves as an alarm that a more accurate review is required.

NERI Calculator for cooling tower: pricing

OUR CALCULATING PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY UNDER TESTING AND ENHANCEMENTS - WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.


→ click image for better view ←

→ Click here to try NERI Calculator ←

The importance of water in the cooling tower industry - Water (part 8)

COOLING TOWER

Cooling tower design require water and air related data.

Data concerning the water include flow rate, water temperature going into the tower, and temperature going out of the tower. This data is provided by the cooling tower plant design.

Data concerning the air is provided by weather statistics site where the tower is located or where it will be installed, and is given in percentage hours per year or summer dry bulb temperature and relative humidity, measured at the same instant of detection of the dry bulb temperature.

The amount of air required in the tower is given by the design results, and the size of the cooling tower depends directly on this data.

Hence, one must determine the air velocity inside the tower, the power of the fan motors, and all the characteristics of the tower sized based on the efficiency of individual components, including the main component which is the fill material that allows heat exchange of water / air.