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Augmented dry cooling surface test program: analysis and experimental results

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5984126· OSTI ID:5984126
Experiments were performed to assess the operating characteristics and potential performance of water-augmented dry cooling systems. The work was aimed at evaluating a deluged air-cooled HOETERV plate fin heat exchanger surface proposed for integrated dry/wet cooling systems and using test results to guide the development of a predictive analytical model. In the process, all-dry performance data were obtained for the HOETERV surface as well as for two Curtiss-Wright chipped fin surfaces. The dry heat transfer data indicate that a slotted Curtiss-Wright surface slightly outperforms the HOETERV and nonslotted Curtiss-Wright surfaces based on heat rejection rate per unit of fan power. However, all three surfaces are so close in performance that other factors, such as surface cost and piping and mounting costs, will probably determine which surface is preferred at a given installation. Comparisons of deluged HOETERV performance with dry HOETERV and Curtiss-Wright performance under prototypic conditions have established that deluging can provide considerable heat rejection enhancement, particularly at low ITD and low air humidity. A deluged HOETERV core operating at a 115/sup 0/F primary fluid temperature in 105/sup 0/F air at 10% relative humidity can reject over 7 times as much heat as a dry HOETERV core operating under the same conditions at the same air-side pressure drop. Deluged tests were performed to evaluate the effect of airflow rate, deluge flow rate and core tilt angle on performance. Both increased airflow and increased deluge flow increase both heat rejection rate and required fan power. Optimal airflow rate will thus be determined for a given location by the competing costs of heat exchanger surface area versus fan operation. Changes in core tilt angle from vertical to 16/sup 0/ from vertical have a negligible effect on performance.
Research Organization:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-06-1830
OSTI ID:
5984126
Report Number(s):
PNL-2746
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English