Economic and Technical Analysis of a Hybrid Dry Cooling Cycle to Replace Conventional Wet Cooling Towers for High Process Cooling Loads

Abstract

Scarcity has made fresh water too economically and socially too valuable to be used by the processing industry without restriction. Wet evaporative cooling cycles offer competitive advantages in terms of CoP compared to other cooling cycles with relatively low cost but requiring extensive quantities of water. Dry cooling, on the other hand, requires large heat-transfer areas, in addition to high power requirements. In this study, a hybrid cycle is proposed for high-end cooling loads of 215 MW. The proposed cycle combines the benefits of phase change to make dry cycles competitive. Furthermore, the proposed cycle also diminishes the extensive use of various chemicals used in wet cooling cycles. The applicable dry bulb temperature range is 25–50 °C. Variations in cooling fluid cold temperature due to ambient conditions are curtailed to a maximum of 2 °C by the proposed cycle. A technoeconomic comparison of the proposed solution to wet evaporative cooling is presented, and the effects are summarized without providing extensive design calculations. ASPEN modules are used design and simulation.