MATLAB Simulation and Validation of Fluid Properties in the Cross Flow Wet Cooling Tower

Abstract

The efficiency of steam-based thermal power plant includes the performance of various components such as condenser, boiler, turbine and cooling tower. The cooling tower is a device which is used to reject the waste heat through the cooling water to the ambient air. The performance of cooling tower is normally obtained by means of energy analysis using properties of the fluid at the inlet and outlet. The performance of cooling tower is gauged with its efficiency and effectiveness. The variation of fluid properties inside the cross flow wet cooling tower along with the direction of fluid flow has not been studied exhaustively. As the phenomenon of heat and mass transfer in cross flow wet cooling tower is bidirectional and complex. This paper consists of extraction of fluid properties based on heat and mass transfer principle across a cross flow wet cooling tower using MATLAB simulation. Hence with the view to carry out analysis of the cross flow wet cooling tower, wet-bulb temperature and humidity of air along with the horizontal plane and temperature of water along with the vertical plane are obtained using MATLAB simulation and the results of the simulation are validated through experimentation.