Comparative analysis between traditional and M-Cycle based cooling tower

Abstract

The following paper presents the first numerical comparison of heat and mass transfer processes in a traditional cooling tower and a solution based on the Maisotsenko cycle (M-Cycle). The results of the simulation allowed us to analyze the heat and mass transfer process occurring inside the M-Cycle and the traditional cooling tower and to observe its most important characteristics and features. The analysis was performed for two hypothetical situations: 1) both towers having the same external dimensions: the Number of heat Transfer Units (NTU) of M-Cycle cooling tower was two times smaller, due to its geometry; 2) two towers have the same mass transfer surface (i.e. identical NTU in wet channels). It was confirmed that M-Cycle Cooling Tower (MCT) can cool the water below the wet-bulb temperature (which is not achievable by conventional cooling towers), even in very hot and humid conditions (outdoor air temperature of 40 °C and humidity ratio of 20 g/kg). Also, the influence of the selected parameters (including inlet air temperature and humidity, inlet water temperature, NTU, and heat capacity ratio between water and air) on cooling tower performance are documented. Critical factors which have the highest impact on its effectiveness are established and discussed. The study confirmed high practical potential of using M-Cycle in water cooling applications.