Investigation of the effect of a new splash grid on natural drought wet cooling tower (NDWCT) performance

Date
2015-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A thermal power plant's efficiency is greatly dependent on the temperature of the saturated steam in the condenser. Wet-cooling provides low temperatures economically where water is readily available. Increasing the effectiveness of these wet-cooling towers through performance enhancement could result in a decrease in life cycle cost. Reuter has found that the rain zone, often overlooked as a region for performance enhancement, can have a considerable effect on the performance characteristics of a cooling tower. In this thesis, the effect of installing a newly developed splash type grid below a conventional film type fill on the performance characteristics of the rain zone is investigated experimentally. The proposed grid reduces the mean drop size in the rain zone to enhance the performance characteristics. The following experimental performance tests are conducted in a fill test facility: film fill only, fill with rain zone, fill with rain zone and one layer of splash grids for different placements and inclination angles below the fill, fill with rain zone and two layers of splash grids for different placements below the fill. From the experimental performance characteristics, a Sauter mean drop diameter is calculated, which shows that a significant reduction in drop size is achieved by means of the grid. The experimental results are ultimately used in a natural draught wet cooling tower one dimensional performance model to determine the effect of different fills and the grid below the fill on the cooling tower re-cooled water temperature and range.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Termiese kragstasie se doeltreffenheid is hoogs afhanklik van die temperatuur van die versadigde stoom in die kondensators. Nat verkoeling bied tans die laagste temperatuur wat ekonomies lewensvatbaar is waar water redelik beskikbaar is. Die verhoging in nat verkoeling torings se effektiwiteit deur die verbetering in werksverrigting kan 'n daling in lewensiklus koste tot gevolg bring. Reuter het gevind dat die reёnsone, „n aansienlike effek kan hê op die werksverrigting karakteristieke van 'n koeltoring. In hierdie tesis, word die effek van 'n nuutontwikkelde spatpakrooster onder ʼn konvensionele film tipe pakking op die werkverrigtingskarakteristieke van die reënsone eksperimenteel ondersoek. Die voorgestelde rooster verklein die gemiddelde druppelgrootte in die reënsone om sodoende die werkverrigtingskarakteristieke te verbeter. Die volgende eksperimentele werkverrigtingstoetse is gedoen in ʼn koeltoringpakking toetsfasiliteit.: filmpakking alleen, filmpakking met reënsone, filmpakking met reënsone en een laag van spatpakroosters vir verskillende plasings en hoeke onder die pakking, filmpakking met reënsone en twee lae van spatpakroosters vir verskillende plasings onder die pakking. Vanaf die eksperimentele werkverrigtingskarakteristieke, word daar ʼn Sauter gemiddelde druppeldeursnee bereken, wat toon dat ʼn noemenswaardige verlaging in druppelgrootte met behulp van die spatpakrooster verkry kan word. Die eksperimentele resultate word uiteindelik gebruik in 'n een dimensionele natuurlik trek natkoeltoring werkverrigtingsmodel om die effek van die spatpakrooster onder die pakking in ʼn natuurlike trek nat koeltoering se herverkoelde water temperatuur en temperatuurverskil te bepaal.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
Keywords
Natural drought wet cooling tower (NDWCT), Thermal power plants -- Effectiveness, Splash grid, UCTD
Citation