skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Assessment of requirements for dry towers

Abstract

The regional limitations of surface water supplies in the U.S. were assessed with respect to the consumptive use requirements of wet cooling towers. The study simulated unit consumptive use factors by region, assessed regional water supplies, and examined electric load projections through 2000 A.D. to ascertain where and when water limitations may occur and, therefore, where dry cooling may be required. It was concluded that the cooling water supply situation in the United States through the year 2000 is adequate in most areas, but is uncertain over much of the Southwest. The uncertainty is related to increasing competition for the available supplies and to potential Federal and/or State policy decisions that may have a significant effect on power plant cooling. Limitations on coastal siting, seismic zone constraints, and state constraints on the purchase and transfer of water rights from other uses to cooling supply have the potential of bringing wet/dry or dry cooling into relatively common use in the 1990's. (LCL)

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Hanford Engineering Development Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
7307097
Report Number(s):
HEDL-TME-76-82
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-14-2170
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; COOLING TOWERS; WATER REQUIREMENTS; SURFACE WATERS; THERMAL POLLUTION; THERMAL POWER PLANTS; USA; WATER RESOURCES; WATER RIGHTS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; NORTH AMERICA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; POWER PLANTS; WATER; 200100* - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Power Plants & Power Generation; 200201 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Waste Management- Thermal Effluents; 520500 - Environment, Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Peterson, D E, and Sonnichsen, J C. Assessment of requirements for dry towers. United States: N. p., 1976. Web. doi:10.2172/7307097.
Copy to clipboard
Peterson, D E, & Sonnichsen, J C. Assessment of requirements for dry towers. United States. doi:10.2172/7307097.
Copy to clipboard
Peterson, D E, and Sonnichsen, J C. Wed . "Assessment of requirements for dry towers". United States. doi:10.2172/7307097. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7307097.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_7307097,
title = {Assessment of requirements for dry towers},
author = {Peterson, D E and Sonnichsen, J C},
abstractNote = {The regional limitations of surface water supplies in the U.S. were assessed with respect to the consumptive use requirements of wet cooling towers. The study simulated unit consumptive use factors by region, assessed regional water supplies, and examined electric load projections through 2000 A.D. to ascertain where and when water limitations may occur and, therefore, where dry cooling may be required. It was concluded that the cooling water supply situation in the United States through the year 2000 is adequate in most areas, but is uncertain over much of the Southwest. The uncertainty is related to increasing competition for the available supplies and to potential Federal and/or State policy decisions that may have a significant effect on power plant cooling. Limitations on coastal siting, seismic zone constraints, and state constraints on the purchase and transfer of water rights from other uses to cooling supply have the potential of bringing wet/dry or dry cooling into relatively common use in the 1990's. (LCL)},
doi = {10.2172/7307097},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976},
month = {Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1976}
}
Copy to clipboard
Technical Report:
View Technical Report (8.14 MB)
DOI:  10.2172/7307097
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

  • ; ;
    An EPRI-funded, experimental evaluation of two types of advanced, air-cooled ammonia condensers for a phase-change dry/wet cooling system for electric power plants is described. Condensers of similar design, but much bigger, are being tested in a 15 MWe demonstration plant at the Pacific Gas and Electric Kern Power Station in Bakersfield, California. These condensers, featuring different air-side augmentation, were tested in Union Carbide's ammonia phase-change pilot plant (0.3 MWe). The first unit consisted of the Curtiss-Wright integral shaved-fin extruded aluminum tubing designed for dry operation. Heat transfer and air-side pressure loss characteristics were measured under varying air face velocities (600more » to 1000 FPM) and initial temperature differences, ITD (20 to 60/sup 0/F). Overall heat transfer coefficients (based on air-side surface), U, ranged between 7.0 to 8.6 Btu/hr ft/sup 2/ F. The second configuration constituted the Hoterv aluminum plate-fin/tube assembly of which two different sizes (5 ft/sup 2/ and 58 ft/sup 2/ frontal area) were performance tested; in both dry and wet modes at 200 to 800 FPM air face velocities, ITD's of 10 to 60/sup 0/F and at water deluge rates up to 3.0 gpm/ft. of core width. In the dry mode, U's ranged from 7.0 to 12.0 Btu/hr ft/sup 2/ F. Increasing water deluge greatly enhanced the heat rejection capacity over dry operation - as high as 4 times, depending on operating conditions. This deluge augmentation was greater for lower air relative humidities and lower ITD's. A brief description of the recently completed ammonia phase-change dry/wet-dry cooling demonstration plant at the Kern Power Station concludes this document.« less

  • ;

  • ;
    This study was performed to study the rather severe effects of wind and temperature inversions on the performance of dry, natural draft cooling towers. Cooling tower aerodynamics, meteorology, cooling tower design, heat exchanger losses, etc., were investigated. The results show that for dry, natural draft towers, the most significant wind-related losses for winds above about 5 m/s have to do with oblique entrance to the heat-exchangers; for lower wind speeds, and for wet towers generally, tower exit and heat-exchanger flow phenomena are equally important in causing losses; inversion effects are due to a virtual fall of ITD, when warmer airmore » is drawn from aloft; means to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce wind effects should aim to turn flow smoothly through the bundles, and then to assure a uniform well-mixed flow approaching the tower exit; and present knowledge is based on only a very few good studies, and there is now an open field for fruitful work. (LCL)« less