Effect of cooling water salinity on the cooling performance of natural draft wet cooling tower

Abstract

To clarify the effect of the cooling water salinity on the cooling performance of natural draft wet cooling tower (NDWCT) and relevant impact mechanisms, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model of NDWCT was established with full consideration of the cooling water salinity, which was validated by comparing with the theoretical code method and the field test data of NDWCT with fresh water. The influences of the cooling water salinity and ambient crosswind on the key parameters, such as cooling tower outlet water temperature, ventilation rate and evaporation of circulating water, were all analyzed. The results show that the cooling performance of NDWCT with salinity circulating water is weaker than that with fresh water. The ambient crosswind had a great influence on the heat and mass transfer of the cooling tower. When the wind speed exceeded 6.6 m/s, the performance of the cooling tower is improved, this trend is less affected by salinity. The established 3D numerical model comprehensively considered the influence of salinity and ambient crosswind, the analyzed results are more valuable for practical guidance.