Maximizing the energy efficiency of induced draft and hybrid draft cooling towers

Cooling towers consume energy in the order of several hundred kilowatts for operating fans and pumps for driving air and water through the tower. Therefore, it is financially advantageous and environmentally friendly to optimize the fan operation of a cooling tower. The current study optimizes the fan operation using data obtained from full-scale induced-draft and hybrid-draft cooling towers. The optimization was performed on a previously developed model, with a prediction accuracy exceeding 0.9 R 2 , while keeping the outlet temperature of the cooling tower within the specifications of the plant. The fan operation was optimized such that the energy efficiency (ratio of heat released from the water to the energy consumed by the cooling tower) is maximized. This study demonstrates how over 50 % of energy savings can be realized by optimizing the fan operation of induced draft cooling towers. The energy efficiency of hybrid draft cooling towers can be maximized while improving the cooling capacity of cooling water. In this study, differences in the balance between energy efficiency and cooling capacity were observed in the hybrid-draft and induced-draft cooling towers.