Mist Cooling Technology for Thermoelectric Power Plants

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enes Gokkus ◽  
Vaibhav Bahadur
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Thermoelectric Power ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Water Mist ◽  
Cooling Towers ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants ◽  
Mist Cooling ◽  
Cooling Technology

A novel mist-based cooling concept is analyzed with the objective of reducing water consumption in thermoelectric power plants. Additionally, this concept offers the potential to increase electricity generation capacity. The concept involves the integration of two independent mist-based technologies. In the first technology, the cooling tower is replaced with a two stage heat exchanger consisting of air-cooled and water mist-cooled sections. The mist-cooled heat exchanger chills the cooling water to near wet bulb temperature ambient, which enables lowered condenser pressures and temperatures. Enhanced evaporation control through mist cooling allows the mist to reach temperatures closer to wet bulb temperature conditions than cooling towers. In the second technology, the shell-and-tube steam condenser is replaced with a direct contact condenser, wherein Rankine cycle steam condenses on water mist streams. The large area offered by mist droplets increases heat transfer rates significantly, resulting in compact, low maintenance condensers. Analyses show that mist cooling technology can reduce water consumption by up to 65 %, compared to present-day cooling towers of the same power output. Furthermore, by reducing the condenser pressure, electricity generation can be increased by 4 % while still consuming less water than cooling towers. First-order techno-economic analyses reveal that mist cooling technology can benefit 17 out of 18 coal-fired power plants in Texas. It is expected that this technology will significantly benefit other U.S. power plants located in water-stressed areas.

Implications of Thermal Discharge Limits on Future Power Generation in Texas

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret A. Cook ◽  
Carey W. King ◽  
Michael E. Webber
Keyword(s):  
Thermoelectric Power ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Thermal Discharge ◽  
Ambient Air Temperature ◽  
Thermal Effluent ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants

The recent drought in Texas revealed the vulnerability of curtailment for some power plants due to cooling water supplies being too hot. Assessing the risk of reduced operations at thermoelectric power plants associated with thermal discharge limits, as well the potential for cooperation between power plants, can increase the resiliency of the electricity grid in Texas and aid future planning. This evaluation compares the observed effluent discharge water temperatures from thermoelectric power plants in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) interconnection with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discharge temperature limits. Results indicate that at least two major power plants representing over 3,000 MW of cumulative generation capacity have operated at or near these temperature limits in the past. Predicted warming from heat waves, droughts, or climate change might increase ambient air temperature (one of the primary factors affecting effluent temperature) causing even higher derating in the future. We modeled current and future average monthly cooling water effluent temperature for open loop and recirculating cooling pond systems in ERCOT using current climate data and predictions of ambient air temperature, electricity generation, dew point, and wind speed for 2027–2032. While there are some power plants that are projected to be exposed to thermal effluent-related curtailment, we estimate that there is six times as much electricity generation potential available from other existing generators that can meet demand without reaching thermal effluent temperature limits. That is, this work’s analysis indicates that other existing power plants could generate additional electricity to offset the curtailment of the particular power plants at greatest risk from derating to maintain grid reliability.

DETERMINING THE APPARENT COST OF WATER FOR THERMOELECTRIC POWER PLANTS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achyut Paudel ◽  
Joshua Richey ◽  
Jason Quinn ◽  
Todd M. Bandhauer
Keyword(s):  
Thermoelectric Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants

Small Scale Prototype Biomass Drying System for Co-Combustion With Coal

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Roberts ◽  
Mitch Favrow ◽  
Jesse Coatney ◽  
David Yoe ◽  
Chenaniah Langness ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermoelectric Power ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Coefficient Of Performance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Drying Time ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants ◽  
Drying System

Thermoelectric power plants burn thousands of tons of non-renewable resources every day to heat water and create steam, which drives turbines that generate electricity. This causes a significant drain on local resources by diverting water for irrigation and residential usage into the production of energy. Moreover, the use of fossil reserves releases significant amounts of greenhouse and hazardous gases into the atmosphere. As electricity consumption continues to grow and populations rise, there is a need to find other avenues of energy production while conserving water resources. Co-combusting biomass with coal is one potential route that promotes renewable energy while reducing emissions from thermoelectric power plants. In order to move in this direction, there is a need for a low-energy and low-cost system capable of drying materials to a combustion appropriate level in order to replace a significant fraction of the fossil fuel used. Biomass drying is an ancient process often involving the preservation of foods using passive means, which is economically efficient but slow and impractical for large-scale fuel production. This effort, accomplished as an undergraduate capstone design project, instead implements an active drying system for poplar wood using theorized waste heat from the power plant and potentially solar energy. The use of small-scale prototypes demonstrate the principles of the system at a significantly reduced cost while allowing for calculation of mass and energy balances in the analysis of drying time, Coefficient of Performance, and the economics of the process. Experimental tests illustrate the need to distribute air and heat evenly amongst the biomass for consistent drying. Furthermore, the rotation of biomass is critical in order to address the footprint of the system when placing next to an existing thermoelectric power plant. The final design provides a first step towards the refinement and development of a system capable of efficiently returning an amount of biomass large enough to replace non-renewable resources. Finally, an innovative methodology applied to the dryer is discussed that could recover water evaporated from the biomass and utilize it for agricultural purposes or within the power plant thermodynamic cycle.

scholarly journals Improving the maneuverability and thermal efficiency of modern cogeneration systems based on gas turbine power plants

2022 ◽  
Vol 2150 (1) ◽  
pp. 012020
Author(s):  
E M Lisin ◽  
V O Kindra
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Heating Period ◽  
Electrical Efficiency ◽  
Network Water ◽  
Calculation Results

Abstract The paper is devoted to the issue of increasing the maneuverability and efficiency of modern cogeneration systems based on gas turbine power plants. Promising solutions for increasing the maneuverability of GTU-CHPP by using heat accumulators and the formation of a preheating circuit of the network water are considered. It is shown that in the non-heating period, it is possible to increase both the thermal efficiency and the generated electric power by installing a heat exchanger in front of the compressor. The calculation results show that this provides an increase of 0.4% in the net electrical efficiency by and an increase 3.3% in the annual electricity generation.

scholarly journals Use of portable environmental sensors in the monitoring of the thermoelectric power plants operation

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 178-201
Author(s):  
Joaci Dos Santos Cerqueira ◽  
Helder Neves de Albuquerque ◽  
Mário Luiz Farias Cavalcanti ◽  
Francisco De Assis Salviano de Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermoelectric Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Dew Point ◽  
Environmental Sensors ◽  
Point Temperature ◽  
Dew Point Temperature ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plant

Thermoelectric power plants can directly cause environmental impacts with respect to emissions of atmospheric gases caused by combustion for operation, being the main agents: unburned hydrocarbons, carbon oxides, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and material particulate. Thus, this research aimed to measure and compare the instantaneous levels of the chemical compounds CO2, CO, SO2, noise, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, wind speed and luminescence in two peri-urban areas of the surrounding a thermoelectric power plant in the interior of Paraíba, Brazil. To this end, data were collected using environmental sensors (a Garmin Gpsmap 62sc GPS camera 5mp; a Canon powershot SX60HS 16.1MP LCD 3.0 semi-professional digital camera, 65x optical zoom; an ITMCO2-600 meter for measuring CO2 and CO; one ITMP-600 multifunctional meter for AVG/MAX/MIN/DIF measurement, temperature measurement, humidity measurement, sound level measurement, luminescence measurement and wind speed measurement; and a GasAlert Extreme SO2 Gas detector to measure concentrations of sulfur in the environment), from October 2015 to March 2017, during daytime, between 7:00am to 9:00am, with weekly frequency, with instantaneous sampling measurements being collected at the collection points, near the thermoelectric power plant (Area 1) and close to the BR/104 highway (Area 2). The results showed that the records through the environmental sensors were not significant among the areas surveyed regarding the values of CO, CO2, SO2, air temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature and luminescence. Regarding the wind speed, the two areas showed little variation. The noise levels in Area 1, on the other hand, during the operation of the thermoelectric power plant in its fullness, there was an increase above the permitted level, according to current Brazilian regulations, causing damage to the health of the inhabitants of its surroundings, in addition to harming the fauna of the surrounding area. around, mainly, the birds that are driven away by the noise, and, consequently, reducing the diversity of the avifauna surrounding the Thermoelectric. Thus, the use of environmental sensors to monitor the air quality of this area is very important, thus serving as a comparative support for future studies, as well as establishing the genesis for an environmental database in this metropolitan region of Campina Grande/PB, Brazil.

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