Internal flow reconstruction strategies to improve both thermo-flow performance and flue gas diffusion characteristic of the integrated dry-cooling tower and stack system

Abstract

The interaction between thermo-flow performance and flue gas injection in an integrated dry-cooling tower and stack system was revealed. Flue gas injection slightly increases the ventilation and heat rejection of the tower, and rear radiators are protected due to the blocking effect of the desulfurizer and stack. Both the swirl and downwind deflection of internal rising airflows contribute to the chaotic diffusion of flue gas. Two internal flow reconstruction strategies were proposed. One works in the stage of inflow air mixing, and the other works in the following stage of airflow rising. Numerical results show that the former strategy performs better on tower performance improvement, since the latter one causes a decline of tower ventilation at low wind speed. Both the two strategies have evident superiority in controlling gas diffusion inside the tower, especially at the medium wind speed of 10 m/s, the chaos of internal rising airflows reduces remarkably, and the contact area between flue gas and inner tower shell reduces over 85%. Thanks to the mitigation of plume downwash after flow reconstruction, diffusion passage of flue gas in the atmosphere is uplifted, and the reduction of contact area between flue gas and outer tower shell reaches 40%.