The Effect of Air Parameters on the Evaporation Loss in a Natural Draft Counter-Flow Wet Cooling Tower

• Published in: Energies (Basel) 2020-12, Vol.13 (23), p.6174
• Main Authors: Yuan, Wei, Sun, Fengzhong, Liu, Ruqing, Chen, Xuehong, Li, Ying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air temperature; Algorithms; Ambient temperature; Cooling; Cooling towers; Counterflow; dry bulb temperature; Emissions control; Evaporation; evaporation loss; Evaporation rate; Heat transfer; Humidity; mathematical modeling; Mathematical models; Merkel approach; natural transfer; Power plants; relative air humidity; Relative humidity; Temperature gradients; Ventilation; Water conservation; Water temperature
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en13236174

The measures to reduce the impact of evaporation loss in a natural draft counter-flow wet cooling tower (NDWCT) have important implications for water conservation and emissions reduction. A mathematical model of evaporation loss in the NDWCT was established by using a modified Merkel method. The NDWCTs in the 300 MW and 600 MW power plant were taken as the research objects. Comparing experimental values with calculated values, the relative error was less than 3%. Then, the effect of air parameters on evaporation loss of NDWCT was analyzed. The results showed that, with the increase of dry bulb temperature, the evaporation heat dissipation and the evaporation loss decreased, while the rate of evaporation loss caused by unit temperature difference increased. The ambient temperature increased by 1 °C and the evaporation loss was reduced by nearly 26.65 t/h. When the relative air humidity increased, the evaporation heat dissipation and evaporation loss decreased, and the rate of evaporation loss caused by unit temperature difference decreased. When relative air humidity increased by 1%, the outlet water temperature rose by about 0.08 °C, and the evaporation loss decreased by about 5.63 t/h.