A Numerical Study on the Performance Characteristics of a Power Plant Air-Cooled Condenser (ACC) Affected by Changes in Operating Conditions

Abstract

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACTArticle history:A numerical study was conducted to calculate the cooling capacity variation of a power plant ACC (air-cooled condenser) caused by changes in operating conditions. A numerical model was developed using the ε-NTU and finite volume method, containing 100 elements for a single low fin tube. The model was validated through a comparison of cooling capacity between the simulated values and manufacturer's data. Even though simple assumptions and previously presented heat transfer correlations were applied to the model, the prediction error was 1.9%. The simulated variables of the operating conditions were air velocity, air temperature, and mass flux. The analysis on the variation of thermal resistance along the tube showed that the water side thermal resistance was higher than the air side thermal resistance at the downstream end of the tube, indicating that the ACC capacity could be increased by applying technology to enhance in-tube flow condensation heat transfer.