Optimum usage of advanced solutions to enhance cooling tower efficiency

Technologically advanced solutions and appropriate use of available water can boost the process functioning of cooling towers for power plants and thermal power stations

The cooling tower market in India is expected to grow by 4 percent by 2025, depending upon the deployment of suitable systems across commercial establishments along with the upsurge in investments in industrial developments.

A cooling system contributes a vital role in the working of thermal power stations and power plants by rejecting heat to the atmosphere by cooling the water stream to a lower usable level of temperature. Some coal-fired and nuclear power plants located in the coastal areas make use of ocean water.

Cooling towers meet demands of power sector

With the advent of renewable energy sources, the conventional power sector growth has been steady. However, new emission norms and increased thrust on health regulations have augmented the retrofit and revamp opportunities in the power sector. Further, mandatory sustainability reporting introduced for the top 500 companies in India will also drive the energy- and resource-saving measures across industries.

Talking about the growth of the cooling tower market in the power sector, Dinesh Badgandi, CEO, Thermax Cooling Solutions Limited says, “While we see a growing need for cooling towers, we have also observed that the cooling towers market in the captive power sector is shifting towards dry cooling solutions. This is mainly due to water conservation requirements stipulated by local governments and most of the times, the lack of clean water for heat dissipation through cooling towers. Additionally, the cost of water treatment is also increasing, and hence customers are getting inclined towards dry cooling solutions. Catering to the evolving needs, we at Thermax offer a range of dry cooling options such as air-cooled condensers, dry coolers, and aircooled heat exchangers. These products provide a wide range of benefits to the customers and are specifically targeted towards eliminating the water consumption for heat dissipation and require low maintenance.”

Challenges faced by the industry

Meeting the industry’s water requirement is one of the major challenges faced by the cooling tower segment across various industries. Since water is a scarce resource in India, addressing the same has become an imperative aspect for the industry. However, water consumption and the dependence of the power sector have been widely increasing on account of the availability of water. Several water intensive cooling technologies are still being utilised by the industry, and fossil fuel-based power also has a higher direct water footprint than renewable power.

Various studies suggest that the power sector accounts for the majority of industrial water consumption. The increased efforts by the industry to conserve water, directives set by the local governments, and issues related to costs of water treatment and chemicals are key factors that are driving customers to look out for efficient methods of water management. Lack of cooling water resources and Freon Gas regulation remains a major constraint faced by the industry.

Ensuring efficiency and sustainability in cooling towers through technology
Thermax provides a variety of technologically advanced products and solutions in the process cooling segment to increase the efficiency of production processes, operation of equipment and minimise water usage. Some of these include:

• Advanced E&I and automation controls to optimise the water consumption in wet cooling towers.
• Air-cooled condensers (ACC) to eliminate water requirement especially in the power sector.
• Closed loop cooling towers (CLCT) as against the conventional open type cooling towers as they are energy-efficient and suitable for all season requirements. Elimination of the intermediate pumping system and heat exchanger helps to improve the efficiency of the system. Moreover, the closed loop systems can effectively control algae formation in the water systems, which is an important consideration as per health regulation norms.
• Adiabatic cooling for specific applications (clean room, data centres) can be used to reduce the water consumption up to 80 percent.
• Additionally, hybrid cooling towers is an emerging trend to optimise water usage in the system.