THERMOSYPHON COOLERS FOR COOLING SYSTEMS WITH COOLING TOWERS

摘要

In one embodiment, a cooling system may include a thermosyphon cooler that cools a cooling fluid through dry cooling and a cooling tower that cools a cooling fluid through evaporative cooling. The thermosyphon cooler may use natural convection to circulate a refrigerant between a shell and tube evaporator and an air cooled condenser. The thermosyphon cooler may be located in the cooling system upstream of, and in series with, the cooling tower, and may be operated when the thermosyphon cooler is more economically and/or resource efficient to operate than the cooling tower. According to certain embodiments, factors, such as the ambient temperature, the cost of electricity, and the cost of water, among others, may be used to determine whether to operate the thermosyphon cooler, the cooling tower, or both.

主权项

1. A method for operating a cooling system, comprising:
determining a temperature of a cooling fluid exiting a dry heat rejection device; comparing the temperature of the cooling fluid exiting the dry heat rejection device to a cooling temperature set point; reducing a fan speed of one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device when the temperature of the cooling fluid exiting the dry heat rejection device is less than the cooling temperature set point; determining an economic efficiency of operation of the one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device based on a water cost, or an electricity cost, or both when the temperature of the cooling fluid exiting the dry heat rejection device equals or exceeds the cooling temperature set point; increasing the fan speed of the one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device when the economic efficiency of operation of the one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device exceeds a threshold and when the temperature of the cooling fluid exiting the dry heat rejection device equals or exceeds the cooling temperature set point; and reducing the fan speed of the one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device and initiating operation of a cooling tower when the economic efficiency of operation of the one or more fans of the dry heat rejection device is less than or equal to the threshold and when the temperature of the cooling fluid exiting the dry heat rejection device equals or exceeds the cooling temperature set point.